I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away
Chapter 452: A Daughter is Born

Terrence Sterling bought a bouquet of flowers at the florist near the hospital. Meredith loved passionate red roses. He picked a large bunch and overheard two elderly women chatting as he paid.

From their conversation, it was clear they were visiting patients and buying flowers for them. The plumper woman said, "Mrs. Whittaker has been hospitalized five times this month because of her 'dutiful' children."

The other woman replied, "That's right. If her children weren't so 'dutiful,' she wouldn't be in the hospital so often. First, her son cooked fish, and she got a bone stuck in her throat. Then her daughter-in-law didn't cook the beans properly, giving her food poisoning. Just as she recovered, her grandson brought home mushrooms, and she got poisoned again."

"Being dutiful isn't always good. The doctor said food poisoning can be severe, causing vomiting or even organ damage."

Terrence stood behind the women, initially uninterested in their conversation. But the phrase "organ damage" caught his attention. Bianca's health had deteriorated rapidly due to severe organ failure.

The doctors had mentioned that dietary habits could harm health. While Bianca's cause of death was known, the underlying cause remained a mystery. Terrence decided to investigate Bianca's illness further after Meredith gave birth. In the delivery room, Meredith's water broke, and within an hour, she was ready to deliver. It was her first child, and she was scared. But thinking of Justin gave her strength; she wanted to end this quickly.

Lying on the delivery bed, Meredith followed the midwife's instructions on how to push and breathe, adjusting slowly. The doctors were still preparing when she felt the baby coming.

"I see the baby's head," a doctor said. "Don't push too hard; you'll tear. Breathe deeply and take it slow."

Meredith panted as more doctors gathered around. She heard them but couldn't hold back. She feared tearing severely and possibly dying.

"The baby's out," one doctor announced.

As the baby emerged, Meredith felt relief wash over her. The discomfort vanished. She remained conscious as a doctor brought the baby for her to see. "It's a girl. Congratulations." Meredith saw her daughter crying, prompted by the doctor's pat. Babies needed to cry to clear their lungs.

Tears welled in Meredith's eyes. The baby wasn't as plump as she imagined but was tiny and delicate, making her heart melt.

After confirming the baby's gender, the doctors took her aside to weigh, footprint, clean, and swaddle her before placing her in a bassinet.

Meredith was bleeding heavily and needed stitches, so she couldn't leave immediately. A doctor asked if she wanted her mother-in-law or husband to accompany her during the procedure, which would take over an hour. Meredith shook her head, not wanting them to see the bloody scene. A doctor wheeled the baby out first.

"Are you taking the baby out now?" Meredith asked.

"Yes," the doctor replied. "We'll take her to the neonatal unit for a checkup before handing her to the parents."

Meredith didn't think much of it; it was standard procedure.

The doctor, wearing a mask, pushed the bassinet out of the delivery room. The hospital had several delivery rooms, and Stella and Julian waited outside.

The doctor stopped outside the delivery room, looking at the baby girl with a strange glint in her eyes. Apart from crying once, the baby was quiet and curious, waving her tiny hands around.

Babies instinctively grasped things, having held onto their umbilical cords in the womb. Now feeling insecure, they reached out to grab something.

Seeing no one else around, the doctor bent down and picked up the baby girl from the bassinet.