I leaned against the cold wall. My limbs felt cold as my tears fell onto the floor.

Not only did he have Julia in his heart, but he even served the product of our hard work to her on a silver platter. I couldn't sleep all night, so my legs were unsteady when I walked out of the bedroom the next morning.

Julia was already sitting in the dining room, drinking coffee. She looked up at me and smiled.

Her fingers subtly traced along the base of her neck, where a shiny diamond necklace sat.

My breathing hitched. I had seen that necklace before.

Three years ago, Zachary saved up three months' worth of salary to buy a bracelet. That necklace belonged to the same set as the bracelet.

Back then, he said with me in his arms, "Queenie, when we get rich, I'll buy the entire 'My One and Only' jewelry set for you."

Caressing the pendant, Julia asked sweetly, "Queenie, do you think this necklace is pretty? Zach said this one's named 'My One and Only'. He said it's a welcome gift for me and insisted I try it on this morning."

She tilted her head and smirked with feigned innocence. "It seems to belong to the same set as your bracelet. How wonderful! It's so kind of him to give us a matching set!"

My stomach churned and started to ache. Black spots filled my vision.

I could feel warm liquid seeping through my nightgown. The liquid cooled and stuck to my skin. When I looked down, I saw red everywhere.

I immediately broke out into a cold sweat. Trembling, I held onto Zachary as he passed by with all my strength. "Zach… My stomach hurts…"

As Zachary stared down at me, I saw no sense of urgency in his eyes, only impatience and suspicion. He shook my hand off and asked, "Are you seriously playing sick right after Julia started to feel better? I already gave you so much jewelry. Why are you so hung up on that specific necklace?"

The words he tearfully said when he proposed to me echoed in my mind. "I'll trust and protect you forever," were the exact words.

Now, they felt like knives cutting into my body. The hope in my eyes slowly faded away.

Perhaps because of my pale complexion and the huge amount of blood, Zachary seemed to return to his senses and calm down. Then, he frowned and leaned in to carry me.

Suddenly, Julia groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead. She wobbled as if she were about to faint. "Zach… I feel dizzy…"

He immediately made his choice. He turned and steadied Julia. Then, he asked in a panicked tone, "What's wrong?"

Julia leaned into his arms and weakly pointed at the kitchen counter. Someone had placed what looked like a bag of blood there at some point. It was punctured and dripping red liquid.

"I accidentally spotted it when I went to fetch Queenie a glass of water…" She panted and cried crocodile tears.

"Queenie, you're still angry at me, aren't you? That's why you purposely…" She clung to Zachary's sleeve and sobbed.

"It's all my fault. Zachary, leave me be and check up on Queenie! She must have been so angry that she planned this to get your attention. I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me…"

Zachary's face turned ashen. Anger instantly drowned out the worry he felt for me.

He turned to glare at me and scolded, "Do you have to make a fuss now? If anything happens to Julia, I'll make you pay!"

Since I managed to pull three all-nighters in a row with him when we worked on a project together, he was sure I was not as weak as Julia, who had lost his child because of her frail body.

Scooping Julia up into a bridal carry, he rushed out the door, leaving me curled up on the floor in a puddle of my own blood.

I heard him close his car door with a slam. Then, he started the engine and sped away.

The world fell silent. My heart shattered into pieces.

I used my last shred of energy to feel around the floor for my phone and call an ambulance. Then, I woke up to the smell of disinfectant.

It felt like there was an empty hole in my body. It was cold and painful.

I instinctively touched my stomach. The flat surface made me anxious.

A nurse walked in and said in a practiced tone, "You're finally awake. I'm sorry, but you had a miscarriage. My condolences for your child. Please take care."

My condolences? When Zachary had abandoned me to bleed and suffer alone, my child had left without a trace.

As the effects of the anesthetic faded away, my heart ached with my wound. I picked up my phone and saw zero notifications.

There weren't any missed calls from Zachary. He didn't even leave any concerned messages or an explanation for me.

There was nothing.

In the silence of the room, memories flooded my mind. I remembered the time he stood in the rain with nothing but an umbrella to wait for me to get off work. He was so drenched that he looked like a drowned rat.

I also remembered the time he stayed up late to bake me a birthday cake. With flour smudging his face, he smiled like a fool.

Then, there was the time he got down on one knee, held a ring out to me with trembling hands, and said, "Marry me. I'll spend the rest of my life making you happy."

The warm and happy memories all faded into the memory of him carrying Julia and yelling at me with a scowl. Perhaps Julia was right.

He only used me to get back at her. I was just her replacement.

With my heart thoroughly broken, I felt oddly calm.

I called and summoned my secretary. Then, I calmly signed the resignation letter and the share sale documents I had asked her to prepare last night.

After that, I called my lawyer. "Alex, please bring the divorce papers I consulted you about last night.

"That's right. Now. I'm at the gynecology department in Illeson Medical Center."

…

Alex arrived very quickly.

I accepted the divorce papers he handed me and flipped to the last page. I signed my name without hesitation. The tip of my pen cut both the paper and the ties between Zachary and me.

A while after I left, the door to my hospital room slammed open.

Zachary had finally arrived. His hair was messy. He looked like he was in a rush and annoyed. "The nurse just called me. What's up with you? Don't be so…"

He suddenly fell silent. His gaze swept past the empty bed and landed on the nightstand, where a document sat. "Divorce Settlement Agreement" were the words at the top of the first page.

Beside the document lay the aftercare instructions for miscarriage. On top of the divorce papers was the wedding ring I had never once taken off.

Beneath the ring was a note. Zachary stiffly pulled it out.

I had written the sentence down with all my energy. The note read, "Zachary, your inability to let go of her killed our child."