Julian's smile froze as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He picked it up and Sam's voice rang loudly in the quiet room. "Julian, hurry over! Anne fainted on the way here and we still need someone to pay for the hospital fees."

Julian grabbed the bank card we had all been saving from the bedside table without hesitation.

"Are you out of your mind, Julian?" I blocked his way, furious. "You're going to take the money we saved for our baby just to pay for Anne?"

His eyes darkened with frustration and he rushed out regardless of my obstruction. "Enough, Scarlett. Someone's life is at stake and all you care about is your petty nonsense. Stop being so selfish!"

I pounded his shoulder frantically, but he was so strong he pulled me out of the room. "Selfish? She's your childhood friend, not mine! Why should I spend my money on her?"

Julian seemed enraged by something I said and pushed me down like an angry leopard.

The shards on the ground hadn't been cleaned up and my exhausted body collapsed onto them. Pain shot through my body as I raised my hand to find my back and arms covered in cuts.

Julian has already left, not even looking back at me.

Staring at my bloody hands, I used the last of my strength to call for an ambulance before blacking out. In the haze of unconsciousness, I dreamed of the young boy he used to be. The one who climbed the hill with me to pray at the old church.

He clasped his hands together, his expression devout. "I'll protect Scarlett for my whole life. If I ever break this vow, may I meet a terrible end."

When I woke up, it was already late at night. I was the only one in the dark ward. A nurse came in, handed me a glass of water and helped me sit up.

She looked at my bandaged arms and couldn't help but sigh. "Miss, you just had an abortion and now you're like this again? Please take care of yourself and rest more."

I closed my eyes, letting the bitterness and pain wash over me.

After thanking her quietly, I opened my phone. The first thing I saw was a post from Sam on his feed. "Indeed, only Julian cares about Anne."

The photo showed Julian sitting on a hospital bed. At the same time, Anne rested her head on his lap, smiling happily and contentedly. A scumbag and a shameless woman—no wonder people say they're made for each other.

The ache in my chest turned into numbness. I forced myself to push the sadness aside. They didn't deserve my tears or my pain.

I logged into my mobile banking app and checked my account. Thankfully, the $14.000 I had saved for myself was still there. I calmly transferred the money into my account.

My marriage with Julian also came to an end with the loss of this child.

I called the general manager and asked, "Ms. Lily, is there still a chance for me to be transferred to the headquarters?"

I was offered a promotion to headquarters because of my outstanding work a week ago. Still, I turned it down because I was pregnant and didn't want to be separated from Julian. Now, none of that mattered anymore.

"Scarlett, weren't you pregnant? Don't worry about work right now. Rest well and take care of yourself. There will be other chances in the future."

Hearing Lily's gentle voice, I breathed deeply to calm myself. "Ms. Lily, I lost the baby. I'd like to return to work as soon as possible."

There was a brief silence on the other end before she spoke. "I'll add your name back to the list. Losing a child isn't a small thing. Rest for a week and then report to headquarters."

I agreed softly, my voice trembling a little. "Thank you, Ms. Lily."

During my week in the hospital, Julian never came to visit.

Maybe he didn't even realize I was still pregnant. I wasn’t surprised; that was just how he was. I used to make excuses for him all the time, but not anymore.

After a week of rest, my body had recovered enough for me to be discharged. During this time, I scrolled through Anne’s social media. Every single post was about Julian.

In the photos, Anne looked like a little princess surrounded by admirers. She was always at the center, filling her table with nutritious meals and countless gifts. Meanwhile, I was alone in the hospital with nothing.

Even the pearl necklace Julian promised to buy me now shone around Anne's neck.

It was odd seeing these things again and feeling absolutely nothing.

When I got home, it was just as I'd left it. Julian had been at the hospital with Anne. He hadn't come home and probably didn't even know I had been hospitalized.

I quickly packed my things, tossing the photo from my nightstand and burning the love letters he'd written me. I took off my wedding ring and left it on the coffee table.

When I was done, I looked around the empty house. It felt like it did when we first moved in—cold and lifeless.

I lowered my gaze to the divorce papers, picked up a pen and signed my name on the back. He showed up alone before I could call Julian to come home and sign the papers. When he walked in, I was talking to a coworker about work.

My coworker asked me about my flight and I replied, "It' tomorrow afternoon."

I hung up as soon as I saw him walk through the door.

He frowned. "What's happening tomorrow afternoon? A prenatal checkup?"

I put away my phone and replied flatly, "Just work stuff. Not a checkup."

Only then did I notice the food container in his hand. He met my gaze and handed it over.

"I'm sorry, Scarlett. Anne's been in the hospital these past few days and I couldn't leave her side. I bought you a fish soup to help you recover."

I didn't take it because the faint smell of fish made me nauseous. We had been married for years and he still doesn't know I couldn't eat fish. How ironic, but I didn't even have the energy to argue.

"Oh, right. This is Anne's silk dress. It can't go in the washing machine. Can you hand wash it tonight?"

I suddenly had doubts as I listened to these words and looked at the person before me. I didn't know if he had changed or if I had always married someone like this.

I said through my gritted teeth. "Just leave it there."

"I need to grab some clothes to change into. Then I'll head back," he said, quickly heading into the bedroom to pack.

I took that opportunity to walk over to him with the divorce papers. "Julian, our mortgage is all paid up. Just need your signature here."

He didn't suspect a thing and signed his name without hesitation. I watched him leave with his bag of clothes. Then, I booked a flight two hours later.

I slipped off my wedding ring and laid the divorce papers and the abortion slip on the coffee table. Those were the final things I wanted Julian to see. It was over between us.