Third person's POV
Tabitha shook her head repeatedly, "No, it's not possible, I can't be pregnant!"
Seeing Tabitha's look of shock and fear, Gloria sensed that things were more complicated than they seemed.
"Tabitha, don't worry. Maybe it's just the nausea from our overnight journey. The doctor did say it's hard for you to conceive. Don't scare yourself," Gloria comforted her.
Tabitha's palms were sweaty as she kept thinking about what to do if she really was carrying Wilmot's child.
She didn't like Wilmot at all. That night had just been an accident.
During their journey, Tabitha was unusually quiet.
They passed through several islands along the way but couldn't find anywhere that sold pregnancy tests.
Tabitha grew increasingly anxious as her nausea worsened.
Even Gloria began to worry that Tabitha's illness might have relapsed, as neither pregnancy nor a relapse would be good news.
Tabitha knew that if her illness had returned, her stomach would hurt, not just feel nauseous.
Her current symptoms were so similar to the morning sickness she had experienced early in her last pregnancy.
After traveling for half a month, they arrived in a small country in the Southern Hemisphere.
"Starting today, we'll stay here for a few days to rest properly," said Lucian.
Tabitha's face was pale.
Lucian looked at her with a reassuring gaze, "Don't be afraid. No matter what happens, there's always a solution."
Helios took her hand and said, "Mom, we'll be with you."
"Um," Tabitha's mood finally eased a little. Whatever happened, she had to face it.
Lucian took a call and then said to Tabitha, "Tabitha, he's already here."
"He?"
Tabitha blinked, not quite understanding who Lucian was referring to.
"You'll know soon."
Was it an old friend of hers? Tabitha took a few sips of water, calmed her nerves, and followed Lucian.
Gloria held the children's hands, her curiosity piqued as she looked around.
Lucian had been to many places and was familiar with this one.
It was a relatively underdeveloped small country with poorly developed infrastructure.
He led them through the streets and lanes, stopping in front of a tiled house on the outskirts. He knocked three times on the door, which was opened from the inside.
When Tabitha saw the person before her, she was stunned, "You..."
"It's been a long time, Tabitha."
The youth before her had matured, his skin a bit darker. He was Jasper, whom she had been searching for for so long.
Meeting Jasper was a delightful surprise. Tabitha was too overwhelmed to speak, "Jasper, what are you doing here?"
"Tabitha, it was so hard to find you. Luckily, Lucian got in touch, and I finally got to see you," Jasper said.
"So much has happened these past few years," Tabitha sighed.
"Tabitha, how is your illness?" Jasper inquired.
Tabitha removed her wig, revealing her closely cropped hair, "I had a severe relapse earlier this year and nearly died. Fortunately, I had the medicine you gave me before, along with chemotherapy, I managed to pull through. The side effects of chemotherapy have lessened now, and my hair is starting to grow back, but the tumor is still there."
Gloria looked at Tabitha's buzz cut with a pang in her heart, "Tabitha, you've suffered too much."
"It's all in the past now. When my life was hanging by a thread, fortunately, I wasn't meant to die. Jasper, I heard you've been researching anti-cancer drugs. Any new developments?"
"Tabitha, I came to find you this time to cure your illness," Jasper said.
At the word "cure," Tabitha's eyes lit up as if in a dream, "You, you mean you can cure me?"
Despite the significant progress in global medicine, cancer remained a formidable challenge.
Even the most renowned doctors wouldn't guarantee a 100% cure.
"Yes, I spent over half a year in remote mountainous areas to find a certain herb. When used in combination with the previous formula, while I can't say for sure that it will cure other cancers, for your stomach cancer, as long as you take my medicine as prescribed, the wolfsbane in your body will return to normal within six months, the tumor will disappear, and your bodily functions will gradually stabilize," Jasper explained.
Tabitha was overjoyed.
She had been tormented by this illness for years. If her condition worsened again in the short term, she wouldn't be able to suppress it with chemotherapy, leaving her with no way out.
Gloria also excitedly chimed in, "Are you going to apply for a patent? I'll invest, and we'll develop it together. We'll definitely make a fortune!"
Jasper glanced at the woman who was full of beans. Tabitha awkwardly touched her forehead, "This is my best friend Gloria. And this is Jasper."
"Hello," Gloria greeted.
"Nice to meet you. What do you think of my proposal?"
Jasper asked politely yet somewhat distantly, "I'm sorry, but some of the herbs grow in very barren and cold regions, rare in the world. Currently, they can't be artificially cultivated. I spent a great deal of energy and time just to get enough medicine for Tabitha for six months, so mass production isn't feasible, and it doesn't meet the criteria for clinical research."
Gloria's spirits immediately dampened. Alas, her dream of becoming rich overnight had burst.