Chapter 4

Madison reluctantly stood up, swaying her hips as she walked toward the kitchen area. The other female contestants quickly dropped their contemptuous expressions, exchanging nervous glances, not daring to speak.

I settled into the central sofa, waiting for Madison to return. A few minutes later, she came back carrying a steaming cup of hot chocolate, her face still bearing a look of resentment.

I took the cup and savored it slowly, the warm liquid sliding down my throat, bringing a long-missed comfort.

The entire hall fell into an eerie silence.

Just then, Frank's voice echoed from the corridor: "David, how's the contract situation coming along?"

He pushed through the door, initially stunned by the scene in the lounge area, then his gaze locked onto the hot chocolate cup in my hands.

Instantly, his face turned ashen.

"You're drinking chocolate at high altitude?!" Frank stormed over, his voice so thunderous it made the windows rattle, "This violates basic medical common sense! Are you trying to kill our child?!"

The cup in my hands trembled slightly, but I didn't set it down.

"High altitude hypoxia combined with caffeine can cause placental abruption!" Frank pointed at my belly, publicly berating me in front of everyone, "Your ignorance will kill our baby! Drop it immediately!"

Dead silence.

The entire training facility fell into deathly quiet. All the female contestants stared at us in shock, some beginning to secretly record with their phones.

But Frank wasn't finished. He whirled toward Madison, his eyes burning with even more terrifying fury.

"You're fired! Pack your things and get out immediately!"

"What?!" Madison's mouth fell open in horror, "Frank, I was just following her request..."

"Providing prohibited beverages to a pregnant woman—you don't deserve to be a professional athlete!" Frank's voice boomed throughout the hall, "My team doesn't need idiots without medical knowledge!"

Madison's face instantly turned deathly pale, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked at me, then at the furious Frank, and finally could only flee the lounge area in despair.

The other female contestants watched this scene in terror, none daring to speak.

I thought Frank would stop there—at least after firing Madison, he might show me some basic respect.

But I was wrong.

Frank turned back to me, continuing his tirade:

"You just don't understand high-altitude contraindications! Caffeine causes vasoconstriction, and combined with high-altitude hypoxia, placental blood flow will drastically decrease!"

I froze. I suddenly understood something.

He wasn't protecting me—he was protecting his control.

I slowly stood up, placing the half-full cup of hot chocolate on the coffee table.

"Three years ago when I saved you from that avalanche," my voice was soft, but every word was crystal clear, "you didn't complain about my lack of professionalism then."

Frank's face instantly flushed crimson, but instead of apologizing, he became even more enraged: "That was then! Now you're pregnant—you must listen to me!"

I bent down to pick up the contract that had fallen to the floor, brushing off the dust.

"Frank," I said quietly, loud enough for the entire lounge to hear, "Thank you for firing Madison for me. But do you know what? Your reason for firing her and your reason for continuing to blame me are essentially the same."

Frank frowned, clearly not understanding my meaning.

"You both treat me like an object that needs to be managed. The only difference is she wanted to take this object away, while you want to keep possessing it."

"The contract has been delivered." I added calmly, "Is there anything else you need me to do, Mr. Thompson?"

Hearing me address him by his surname instead of his first name, Frank hesitated.

"Go home and reflect on your behavior today." he said coldly, "I'm staying at the facility tonight—there are important training plans to discuss."

I nodded and walked toward the door.

At the doorway, I stopped and looked back. Frank stood there, his anger fading, replaced by confusion and unease. The other female contestants stood like startled deer, at a complete loss.

"Madison is gone," my voice was calm, "I hope you all remember what happened today."

With those words, I pushed through the door and stepped into the swirling snow.

The wind was biting cold as I hurried toward the parking lot. My heart was a tangle of emotions—anger, grievance, disappointment, but also a trace of indescribable anticipation.

Would he chase after me? Would he apologize for his behavior?

I touched my belly, and the baby gave a gentle kick inside, as if comforting me.

"Mommy doesn't know what to do either, sweetheart," I whispered.

Opening the car door, I slid into the driver's seat but didn't immediately start the engine.

Through the rearview mirror, I looked back at the training facility's entrance, a voice in my heart asking: If he came out now and sincerely apologized, would I still forgive him?

I pulled out the bottle of "Memory Snowflake Medicine" from my bag, its transparent surface gleaming in the dim car light.

Maybe I should give him one more chance?

Maybe I should end this once and for all?

I gripped the medicine bottle, gazing toward the training facility, my heart wrestling with intense inner conflict.

Several minutes passed, and the facility's entrance remained firmly shut. I smiled bitterly—apparently I was overthinking things. Frank was busy consoling those frightened female contestants; he had no time to chase after me and make amends.

I set down the medicine bottle and reached for the car keys.

Just then, the facility door suddenly burst open, and Frank came running out, breathless.

"Baby, wait!" He sprinted toward my car, his face full of remorse, pounding on the window.