Chapter 192 - Butterflies

Xie Eun woke up with an unmatched excitement in her eyes. Today she was going to have her first ultrasound. She had been tempted to search about what to expect from the first one but in the end, she decided to sit on her own hands to stop herself from doing some research. She wanted the element of surprise! 

Munching on the dumplings and the cereal, Xie Eun waited for Yu Seok to drive her to the doctor's clinic. She could hardly believe she was already nine weeks pregnant! She knew that Yu Seok had read almost everything there was to read about pregnancy as if this was a project that needed thorough research! It was a wonder that he had let her eat so many desserts that night! Because she realized that he was keeping an even more keen eye on her nutritional needs than he did in the past. A little while ago, she had tried to see if she had a little bump but it was not yet visible! But still she could feel that she had gained weight! And her already 'healthy' diet had suddenly multiplied. 

Finally, Yu Seok drove her to the hospital where this time the doctor conducted, what was called a 'normal' health check consisting of a thousand questions. After confirming her weight and blood pressure, Xie Eun and Yu Seok were guided towards the room where her ultrasound would be done.

As the doctor applied the cold gel on her stomach, Xie Eun clutched her husband's hand tightly. 

Yu Seok, on the other hand, had already gathered the information regarding what to expect during the ultrasound. According to the information he had read, today they would be able to see a little bit of their baby and hear it's heartbeat. She almost shivered with excitement while the doctor fiddled with a few switches. When the doctor took too long to bring the machine close, she was tempted to take the wand out of his hands and hear the sound herself. 

She looked up at her husband who stood by her side as if to complain when the sound of a heartbeat echoed in the small room. The two people stilled and their eyes widened. A grainy picture appeared on the monitor and they could only stare at the screen. The doctor, who was experience with countless first time parents, smiled and excused herself, once she had checked the child's heartbeat and growth, after saying," You can hear the child's heartbeat for a few minutes and there is it's picture. You will be getting a recording of both so please do not worry."

Suddenly, Xie Eun felt a a tug on her hand and looked up to see Yu Seok and was stunned. While she could feel the importance of this moment, the look in Yu Seok's eyes stupefied her. His green eyes stared at the small screen with an undefinable emotion as he tried to assimilate his feelings. He could hardly believe that he was hearing the heartbeat of his own child.

While Yu Seok stared at the screen, Xie Eun could not take her eyes off from her husband. Through out the time that she had known him, this was the first time she had seen such a disbelieving yet hazed expression on his face. And she realized that from the moment he had heard of their pregnancy, he had gone about doing everything by the book. Literally! Even though she had accepted that he was happy, knowing that and seeing this emotion with her own eyes, made her accept that this child was just as important to his as it was to her...

Gently she pulled his hand and placed it on her belly, next to the place where the doctor had placed the ultra sound wand. The touch was like an electric shock to him that brought him out of his stupor. His eyes met hers and slowly his hand spread on her stomach. With glittering eyes, he looked at Xie Eun and kneeled down almost falling to his feet. The reverence in his eyes paralyzed Xie Eun so that she could only stare at him wide eyed. 

Yu Seok brought his lips close to her forehead and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then a few gentle ones on her eyes. Slowly he touched their foreheads and his hands cupped her cheeks, "Thank you. Eun-a. I had never imagined that I would ever be able to have a wife let alone a family. But you have given me so much and still are, that I can only feel grateful.."

His hands caressed her stomach as if holding a priceless gift and he leaned forward and caressed her tummy where the baby was evidently.. His voice a little choked, he said, "Little bean.. that is what your mama calls you, hmm? I am your daddy.. we are awaiting your arrival, so we can hold you in our arms. And I want you to know that daddy loves you the most!"

Xie Eun felt her heart ache as she heard her strong husband sound so weak in front of her. She reached out and caressed his hair as

have a wife let alone a family. But you have given me so much and still are, that I can only feel grateful.."

His hands caressed her stomach as if holding a priceless gift and he leaned forward and caressed the baby. His voice a little choked, he said, "Little bean.. that is what your mama calls you, hmm? I am your daddy.. we are awaiting your arrival, so we can hold you in our arms. And I want you to know that daddy loves you the most!"

Xie Eun felt her heart ache as she heard her strong husband sound so weak in front of her. She reached out and caressed his hair softly and lovingly. He was always so strong and so silent that she sometimes forgot just how much of a deep thinker he was. She would have to do something about her husband who kept all these emotions to himself. She sighed and made him look at her, "Yu Seok, I should be the one thanking you for everything and not the other way round!"

Before her husband could have corrected her, there was a slight knock on the door and the doctor soon walked in. Without looking at the couple, who was now in the same position as when she had left, the doctor asked them to wait outside for their file.

The couple walked out hand in hand and once they took a seat outside, Xie Eun, unable to help herself, leaned her head against his strong shoulders and closed her eyes. She had hoped for an element of surprise but she could not have expected that the first glimpse of their child would shake them so much.. Soon the couple was handed over their papers and they walked out of the hospital..

As the Maserati drove out of the hospital, a timid nurse clad in the hospital uniform walked out of the hospital from the back door. The woman carried an inconspicuous envelope that carried the logo of the hospital signifying that he had some patient's reports in his hands. Once outside, the report was passed into the hands of a man who then gave the nurse a hefty bundle and advised her to leave the city at the earliest. The nurse nodded and returned while the man went to his car and passed the envelope to the woman who sat in the back seat.. 

The many rings on her hand glittered as Nora tore open the envelope, anticipating and hoping that the woman had contracted some sort of a disease or even a sickness. She was already planning on bribing the doctors to aggravate the sickness. She was already imagining consoling Yu Seok through his wife's death and making him falling in love with her. And that is when her eyes fell on the words mentioned in the report and her eyes turned red. She screamed in anger as she tore the report into tiny pieces and ordered the driver to start towards the house! This woman had now dared to put another obstacle in her path! Well! She was going to make sure that the child and the mother would both get out of the way! Dialling a number, she ordered, "I want a report on a doctor. She is a gynaecologist! Dig up every kind of dirt on her, enough that she can be blackmailed! And if there is no dirt then make some so that I can use it to threaten her! And this is the only way you will be able to save yourself and get another job in this country!"

After finishing the call, Nora Xu threw the phone in her hand onto the seat and closed her eyes, looking down at her own stomach. She was the one who was supposed to have been there with him! That baby should have been hers. And if she could not have Yu Seok's baby then no one could. She would make sure of that..