On our tenth anniversary, I, Evelyn Powell, planned a special trip to the beach for my boyfriend, Oscar Evans, and me. I wanted it to be a celebration of our years together, something memorable.

As we drove, his phone rang. He picked it up without hesitation. It was our upstairs neighbor, Madeline Dunne. It had always been like this. I couldn’t help but glance at him, already frustrated by how much time he spent helping her with her dog.

Before I could say anything, he spoke hurriedly, “Stop the car! I need to go back and get dog food. Madeline's dog is starving to death!”

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, anger boiling in my chest.

“Is she your father? Are you really going to leave a pregnant woman on the side of the road for a dog?” I angrily bombarded my boyfriend with questions.

Oscar didn’t like my tone.

He frowned and spoke impatiently, "You’re so unreasonable."

Without warning, he grabbed the steering wheel, forcing the car to swerve into the emergency lane. He slammed on the brakes, leaving me alone. All of that was just to get dog food for Madeline’s dogs.

Little did we know, I ended up getting a miscarriage because of that. I eventually left him, only to win a lottery and get a man better than him.

***

I, Evelyn Powell, drove for almost 7 hours with a heavily pregnant body. Finally, I arrived at the beach. My boyfriend, Oscar Evans, had promised me to go to the beach to celebrate our tenth anniversary. Besides, I already planned a special trip for us. So, it had to be perfect.

But the man kept playing with his phone all the way to the beach. In fact, he even fell asleep without doing much. To be honest, I was annoyed. But I couldn’t let that ruin our anniversary. Thus, I kept my cool.

As we drove, his phone rang. He picked it up without hesitation. It was our upstairs neighbor, Madeline Dunne.

Her voice was frantic as she said, “Oscar, Angie hasn’t eaten all day! She’s on a hunger strike. The dog food you bought is finished. Can you pick up another bag?”

It had always been like this. I couldn’t help but glance at him, already frustrated by how much time he spent helping her with her dog.

Before I could say anything, he spoke hurriedly, “Stop the car! I need to go back and get dog food. Madeline's dog is starving to death!”

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, anger boiling in my chest.

“Is she your father? Are you really going to leave a pregnant woman on the side of the road for a dog?” I angrily bombarded my boyfriend with questions.

Oscar didn’t like my tone.

He frowned and spoke impatiently, "You’re so unreasonable."

"Get out of the car," he said coldly.

I stared at him in disbelief as I asked him, "What are you talking about?"

Instead of answering, he yanked open the door, pulled me out, and shoved me toward the side of the road until I fell as he impatiently said, "Hurry up. Just flag down a car or something. I’m taking this one to get dog food for Madeline."

Before I could protest, he got back into the car and sped off, leaving me alone on the highway. I stood there, clutching my swollen belly, feeling abandoned and betrayed.

The stress and exhaustion overwhelmed me, and a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I collapsed to the ground, crying out in agony. Blood seeped between my legs as panic set in. Struggling to stay conscious, I called an ambulance.

In the hospital, the doctor examined me with a grave expression.

“You’ve suffered a miscarriage. The baby can’t be saved, and we need to perform an emergency procedure to stop the bleeding and save your life.”

Tears streamed down my face as I thought about the baby I had been looking forward to holding in my arms. Just days ago, during my prenatal checkup, I had imagined a happy life as a mother with Oscar by my side. Now, that dream was gone.

The doctor urged me to call a family member to sign the consent form for the operation. Trembling, I dialed Oscar’s number over and over.

He finally answered, but his tone was annoyed as he said, “Evelyn, what is it? I’m busy.”

I tried to explain through sobs as I told him, “Oscar, I’m in the hospital … I-”

Before I could finish, he cut off, “Where’s the lubricant in the bedroom? I can’t find it!”

I froze at what he just said, “What do you need that for right now?”

His answer was as casual as it was cruel as he said, “For Madeline’s dog, of course. Why do you ask so many questions?”

The doctor beside me stared, stunned by what he’d just overheard. My heart shattered into a million pieces. I realized then that Oscar didn’t care about me or our unborn child.

With no one else to rely on, I signed the surgery forms myself. Lying on the cold operating table, I felt the baby being taken from me. The lifeless weight of my eight-month-old son was unbearable. He was already fully formed, with features that reminded me of Oscar.

After the procedure, I packed my baby’s tiny body, intending to show Oscar what he had missed. But he never came. Not a single call or text.

During my week-long stay in the hospital, I had plenty of time to think. Oscar’s behavior over the past months made sense now. He was always at Madeline’s, sometimes staying overnight. She would post on social media, calling him "the best neighbor," as if to taunt me.

When I got out of the hospital, I knew one thing for certain. I deserved better. There was another man who was better for me, right?

After I got pregnant, Oscar began to show his disdain for my body. The man constantly commented on how much weight I had gained. It really destroyed my confidence.

One day, he even took Madeline, our female neighbor, to his class reunion instead of me. He posted a picture with her on his social media, captioned [A beautiful female neighbor who truly understands my soul.]

After ten years of dating, I couldn't believe how little he cared about me or the life we had built together. It was painfully clear that the only thing I couldn’t let go of was the love and time I had invested in him.

It took Oscar over two weeks to realize I had been gone. On the day I was discharged from the hospital, he finally called me. His tone was annoyingly cheerful, as if everything was perfectly fine.

“Hey, baby! Have you been staying at your friend’s house these past few days? I’ve been so busy taking care of Angie, Madeline’s dog. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up,” he said, sounding as though he was doing me a favor.

“I’m at the hospital,” I replied, my voice shaky.

“I had surgery-”

Before I could finish my sentence, he hung up.

I stared at the phone in disbelief. When I tried calling him back, I was greeted by a familiar automated message: “The number you have dialed is busy. Please try again later.”

Hours later, Oscar finally called me back. This time, his tone was dismissive, as if he couldn’t care less.

“Sorry, my phone ran out of battery earlier,” he said.

“Anyway, Madeline’s dog vomited all over her apartment, so I need to rush over there to help. I can’t come pick you up.”

“I understand,” I replied quietly, swallowing my frustration.

Oscar hummed nonchalantly, then quickly hung up without offering any further explanation. I was left alone, standing in the cold wind outside the hospital, feeling more abandoned than ever.

That night, I made my way home alone and fell into bed, exhausted. The next morning, Oscar called again to tell me he wouldn’t be coming home because he was “working overtime.”

I sighed. In my haste to leave before, I had forgotten to bring my keys, but when I asked Oscar about it, he brushed me off.

“Didn’t I say I’d change the lock to a password system? That was months ago. Just figure it out,” he said dismissively.

Frustrated, I tried calling again. This time, a woman’s voice answered.

“Hello?” Madeline’s unmistakable voice said.

My heart sank.

“Is Oscar there? I need to talk to him,” I said firmly.

Madeline laughed softly before replying, “Oscar’s taking a shower at my place right now. It’s a bit inconvenient for him to talk.”

In the background, I heard Oscar’s voice, loud and clear.

“Madeline, I’m done with my shower. I really can’t stand Evelyn’s fat body anymore. She’s so unattractive. I’ve lost all interest in her.”

My stomach twisted as I heard him mock me so casually. I gritted my teeth and demanded, “Put Oscar on the phone right now!”

Oscar finally spoke, but his tone was full of irritation, “What do you want, Evelyn? I just got out of the shower and I don’t have time for this. Why don’t you call a locksmith and deal with it yourself?”

The words hit me like a slap.

My voice shook with anger as I responded, “Oscar, how dare you-”

But before I could finish, he hung up.

That night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. My heart felt like it was being stabbed a thousand times. I finally realized that I meant nothing to him anymore if I ever had.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by loud, impatient knocking at the door.

“Evelyn, open the door!” Oscar shouted.

“Stop sleeping like a dead pig!”

Groggy and annoyed, I opened the door to find him standing there, looking annoyed. His eyes barely glanced at me, let alone my swollen belly, even though I was due to give birth soon. It was clear that all he cared about was getting what he came for.

Oscar brushed past me and began rummaging through my things.

“I’m taking your La Mer skincare products. Madeline’s run out, and these will do for her,” he said casually.

I stared at him in disbelief as I asked him, “She’s an internet celebrity, isn’t she? Can’t she afford her own skincare products?”

Oscar rolled his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Madeline deserves better. Besides, look at your skin. It’s full of acne. These products are wasted on you.”

That was indeed true. The skincare products she had posted were all luxurious items. So, why wouldn’t she buy it herself?

My boyfriend didn’t even wait for my response before grabbing the items and walking toward the door. His actions, his words, and his utter disregard for me shattered whatever hope I had left for our relationship.

Oscar stood there with a smug expression, gesturing at the luxury items I had meticulously saved for.

“I bought all these for you. I can give them to whoever I want. Other women work hard to earn their own money, but you? You just sit at home taking care of the baby.”

I felt my stomach churn with anger. He had begged me to quit my job when I found out I was pregnant, promising to take care of both me and the baby. At the time, his words had seemed so sweet, so genuine.

But in just a few months, his actions had erased any trace of sincerity.

“Is this child mine alone? Isn’t it yours too, Oscar?” I snapped, blocking the door to stop him from taking any more of my things.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he shoved me aside without so much as a second thought. The force sent me stumbling backward, and I collapsed to the ground.

Pain rippled through my body, still recovering from the difficult childbirth that had drained me both physically and emotionally. Leaning against the doorframe for support, I felt warmth trickling down my legs.

For a fleeting moment, I saw a trace of concern flash across Oscar’s face. He knelt beside me, his hands gripping my arm as he tried to pull me upright.

“Hurry up! Don’t waste my time,” he muttered impatiently.

Tears pricked my eyes as I glared at him.

“Oscar, why are you like this? Isn’t it enough that I gave up everything for you? You think it’s okay to take my things and call me pitiful?”

He scoffed, brushing off my words like dust. “Stop pretending to be the victim. If you don’t like it, earn your own money. Otherwise, don’t complain.”

As I sat there, struggling to breathe through the pain, Oscar continued rummaging through the room like a thief in his own house. He eventually spotted my designer bag—one I had bought for myself as a reward for a hard-earned work bonus.

“Perfect,” he said with a triumphant smirk.

“Madeline’s going to a party tomorrow, and she needs a bag. Your Chanel will do just fine.”

I froze. That bag wasn’t his to give. I shot to my feet, wobbling slightly as I snatched it out of his hands.

“No! I bought this with my own money. If she needs a bag, she can buy one herself!”

At that moment, Madeline came downstairs, her sweet voice grating on my nerves. She clung to Oscar’s arm, her doe eyes wide with fake innocence.

“Oscar, it’s fine. If Evelyn doesn’t want to share, let’s forget about it,” she cooed, her voice dripping with syrupy manipulation.

Oscar’s face darkened, and he turned on me, his voice rising as he shouted at me, “Don’t be so stingy, Evelyn! You’re just making a big deal out of nothing. I’ll give it back to you after she uses it.”

He grabbed the bag, tugging it hard enough to rip the strap. The sound of tearing leather echoed through the room, and Oscar shot me a look of pure disdain.

“See what you’ve done? Now it’s ruined. Don’t expect me to replace it.”

I stumbled backward, the sharp corner of the table catching my head. Pain exploded in my skull as blood trickled down my face. My vision blurred, and my body trembled as I tried to steady myself.

Oscar’s bravado crumbled in an instant. Panic overtook him as he scooped me up in his arms and rushed out the door, running all the way to the hospital.

“Baby, don’t scare me. Be careful … for the child’s sake,” he pleaded, his voice shaking.

I let out a bitter laugh, my lips trembling.

“Oscar... there is no child. It’s gone. And it’s all your fault.”

His steps faltered, and I felt his body tense beneath me. His face turned ghostly pale as my words sank in.

“The child... is gone?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tears streamed down my face as I stared up at him and responded, “You didn’t care enough to notice. You were too busy running errands for Madeline to realize I was suffering.”

Oscar’s tone shifted, softening in a way that made my stomach churn with disgust as he spoke, “Evelyn, I didn’t know... Please, forgive me. I’ll change, I swear. I’ll stop helping Madeline. We’ve been together for ten years, haven’t we? Let’s fix this.”

He held my hand tightly, his voice laced with desperation. For a fleeting moment, I saw a glimpse of the man I had once loved. The man who cooked my favorite dishes to cheer me up, who drove hours just to pick me up from work, rain or shine.

“Evelyn, I’ll take care of everything,” he said, his tone almost tender.

“Just like I used to. Please, give me another chance.”

But the memories of his cruelty and betrayal overshadowed his empty promises. The man standing before me wasn’t the caring partner I had fallen in love with. He was a stranger—a selfish, hollow shell of the person I thought I knew.

I pulled my hand away, my heart hardened by the pain he had caused. There was no going back. I couldn’t trust him anymore and no amount of sweet words could erase the damage he had done.