When my marriage with Max Richardson reached the third year of our marriage, I finally got pregnant. However, our happiness was destroyed when his first love, Leanne Green returned.

That woman told Max that she had divorced her husband and was in the late stage of stomach cancer. Hearing this, Max decided to care for her and be at her side all the time. This made me so devastated that I ended up having a miscarriage.

Max even had the guts to come to me and made a silly demand, "Jill, let's get divorced first. I will stay with Leanne until her last day, then we will marry again."

I just laughed in his face, "Dream on …."

Who did he think he was? Why would I want to pick up a trashy husband I had thrown away?

Part 1

My name is Jill Thomas. I had been happily married to Max Richardson for three years. We had been waiting to have a baby throughout our marriage. Finally, after three years, we were expecting a baby.

After I got my ultrasound report at the hospital, I immediately hailed a taxi and went home. I did not want to tell Max this good news over the phone so I did not call him.

I kept looking at the photos on the report over and over again as I caressed my belly and smiled foolishly.

When I arrived home, I immediately went to the kitchen. I planned to have a feast to celebrate this happy news with Max.

It had been three years of longing for a baby and finally, we had one.

In the kitchen, I whipped up some dishes to celebrate. I even opened a bottle of red wine for Max.

I knew he liked to drink some wine whenever he was happy.

When Max came home at seven o'clock in the evening, I greeted him with a smile. As I did that, I wondered how I would break this wonderful news to him.

However, before I could say anything, Max had already interrupted me, "I'm exhausted. I'd better go upstairs and get some sleep."

He did not even look at me when he changed his shoes and went upstairs.

Looking at his expression, it seemed there was something that had been weighing his mind.

Lately, Max had a conflict with his team leader about the project. Was it possible that they had another argument today?

I could only guess in my heart, but I did not have the heart to question him. I did not want him to feel more dejected.

Looking at him like this, I decided not to mention this pregnancy now.

I just dropped my head as I silently put away the ultrasound report into my pocket.

However, as he passed by me, I smelt a usual gardenia fragrant from him. Max had never used any floral perfume before. That scent was mixed with the smell of the hospital's disinfectant.

Then when the realization hit me, my heart clenched with devastation.

He had gone to the hospital again, to see his cancer-ridden ex.

Part 2

I opened my social media feed. Just as I suspected, his "first love" had posted the new update.

Her caption read, "Today, I got another critical condition notice. I really think this is the end for me."

Then she posted a picture of her wearing a hospital gown while nestling in the arms of a man.

Although the man's face was not visible, I knew right away that it was Max.

I knew that because he was wearing the same clothes that he wore today. The same clothes that I had given him as a Valentine's gift.

I finally realized that the reason for his depression was Leanne Green. He was worried about his first love's condition.

I numbly closed my phone, walked to the dining table and ate dinner alone. The food tasted like sawdust, utterly flavorless.

As I ate, I remembered the first time we met. Me and Max met on a blind date. However, what he did not know was that I had been pinning for him for eight years.

Of course, when he finally proposed to me. I was overjoyed. Although I knew that he did not love me, I still said yes.

I was making a gamble. I was hoping that he would eventually fall in love with me after our marriage.

Instead, the only thing that I got was the news that his true love had returned from abroad after her divorce.

That night, Max returned home late. He told me he had to work overtime. However, there was a whiff aroma of gardenia on his body.

The reason I knew that it was Leanne was because she was the daughter of the man who had married my mother after she divorced my father.

It was my birthday that day. However, my mother did not care. She had never sent me even a single message to congratulate me. However, her social media was full of pictures of the dumplings she made to welcome her stepdaughter.

At that moment, I could not eat anymore. Maybe I had cooked them too long because they became too bitter to swallow.

Part 3

I put down my spoon and stopped eating my food. Then, I rummaged on the shelf to find some candy. After I found them, I immediately plopped the candy into my mouth, trying to dampen the bitterness in my heart and to prevent the tear from falling on my face.

After my parents divorced, they each built new families and left me alone. They did not want me at their side. So, after our marriage, Max was the one family that I had.

Max was nice to me and treated me well. We were respectful to each other. It could be said that we had a peaceful and happy marriage.

Then all of the sudden, our tranquilities were shattered by Leanne's return.

When she returned here, the doctors diagnosed her with the late stage of stomach cancer. They said that she only had three months to live.

When Max found out about it, he stayed silent. However, I caught him smoking on the balcony at night.

From that day forward, Max had been sending money to Leanne. He even skipped his work to accompany her.

He never knew that I knew about it because he never realized that me and Leanne had added each other on Facebook a long time ago.

And every time he visited her; Leanne would post an update on Facebook. She would secretly put his image into nine-square grid pictures.

Others might not notice that it was him, but I always knew his figure in those pictures.

At night, I tried to force myself to ask where he had been. However, when I was about to blurt out the words, I could not bring myself to say it.

After he took a shower, the gardenia's scent was gone from his body.

As we both lay our bodies to sleep, he pulled me close to him. Our bodies pressed closely to each other, so intimate, as if nothing was wrong.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and when I went to the bathroom, I saw blood.

This was a bad sign because it was an indication that I might miscarriage.

I immediately went back to the bedroom. I wanted to ask Max to bring me to the hospital, only to find him talking on a phone with a face full of concern.

When he hung up, he immediately got dressed. He then explained to me, "Jill, the client changed their mind last minute and they want me to give them the new proposal by tomorrow. I have to go to the office."

I tried to stop him. "Max, I think I'm sick, Could you …."

However, before I could finish my words, he had walked out the door and gone.