「Frederick Sanchez, I was in the hospital three days with pneumonia. You told me you were too busy with work to come see me—and this is what busy looks like?」

Felicity's eyes went red instantly, her lower lip caught between her teeth, the picture of wounded innocence.

「Gwen, it's not what you think!」

She started to explain, but Frederick cut her off.

「Why bother explaining anything to her? She's a pampered princess who's never worked a day in her life. What would she know?」

I stared at Frederick in disbelief.

It wasn't that I'd never wanted to work.

But Frederick had said he earned enough for both of us. All I had to do was look pretty and wait for him to come home every day.

Funny. Back then it was "I'll take care of you."

Now it had become "you're someone I have to take care of."

Did I need him to support me?

Was my family short on money?

I ran out of there like I'd lost my mind, and found Herman still parked outside.

I didn't think. I climbed into his car.

Who made the first move that night, I can't remember anymore.

All I remember is the rush of revenge filling my head.

And Herman asking me, over and over, right against my ear.

「Gwendolen, do you know who I am? Do you really know who I am?」

I held him tighter.

My voice, all silk and heat.

I said, 「I know. You're Herman. You're his cousin.」

「You're big brother~」

The second that word came out, Herman went at me like a man possessed, harder, rougher.

That night, I blacked out more than once.

When I woke, no one was beside me. The room was empty.

I climbed out of bed on shaking legs, got dressed, and slipped out.

We were both adults. I knew what his absence meant.

And I figured he knew what mine meant too.

Just drunken recklessness. Nothing more.

God would forgive me, I thought.

The strange thing was this:

After that night, I stopped clinging to Frederick the way I used to.

Our anniversary, he ditched me to be with Felicity. I didn't care.

Stormy night, he stayed over at her place. It didn't matter.

Even when Felicity sent me photos of the two of them together, I felt nothing.

I was still working out how to bring up ending the engagement with Frederick.

Then I found out I was pregnant.

I took the test results back from Antonia, folded the paper, and tucked it into the drawer.

I said, 「Antonia, I'm going to break things off with Frederick.」

「Why?」 Antonia looked completely lost.

「Miss, aren't you two about to get married?」

Yes. The wedding was set for early October.

Four months away.

Both families had been planning it for a long time already.

But now, my mind was made up.

I was ending things with Frederick.

While I was still talking, the front door opened.

Antonia went out to look and froze.

「Mr.—Mr. Sanchez, you're home?」

Her gaze drifted to the person standing beside Frederick.

Felicity.

Frederick said, 「Antonia, Miss Fox will be living here from now on. She's pregnant, so make sure you take good care of her.」

Antonia's face went rigid.

She turned to look at me, still in the master bedroom packing my things.

「But—Miss Sullivan, she……」

「Gwendolen already knows.」

I had just finished packing. I walked out of the bedroom pulling my suitcase behind me.

Frederick saw that I was already packed, and for a split second, he looked caught off guard.

「Where do you think you're going?」

I said, 「Making room for you two.」

「Gwendolen!」

Frederick grabbed my wrist. 「Cut it out! I'm just letting her have the baby—you're still Mrs. Sanchez. That doesn't change.」

「Everyone in our circle's got a few kids on the side. Who doesn't?」

I turned to Felicity. 「He loves you so much, and he still won't even give you his name!」

The color drained from Felicity's face. She grabbed Frederick's sleeve, looking wounded.

「Frederick, my baby can't be illegitimate.」

Frederick glared at me. 「Her baby won't be illegitimate. Once we're married, the kid goes under your name. You tell everyone you're the one who gave birth to it.」

「Why the hell would I do that?」

「Gwendolen! Do you still want to marry me or not?!」

「No!」

I shoved Frederick aside and walked out.

The penthouse was his.

After our engagement, I'd all but thrown myself at his doorstep to move in. Pathetic, looking back.

I moved back to my own place.

I lay on the couch, both hands resting over my stomach. Five weeks. Barely anything, and already mine.

Could he accept being born without a father?

Wait. I sat up straight.

If I had this baby in the country, Frederick would find out.

With his resources, getting rid of the child would be nothing to him.

No. I had to leave.

I started packing.

Frederick sent me two messages.

The first: If you won't claim Felicity's baby, we're done.

The second: And remember to go get that abortion!

I didn't reply.

Once I finished packing, I booked the earliest flight I could find.

I didn't care where it went. I just needed to be gone.

The plane landed in France.

I bought a small house there and hired a Chinese housekeeper to take care of my daily needs.

During that time, Frederick sent me countless messages.

Telling me to stop being dramatic and come home.

He said Valentine had found out about Felicity and ordered her to get an abortion.

He said Valentine had thrown him out of the Sanchez estate, and now he and Felicity were renting a place together, barely scraping by.

He said, Gwendolen, how can you be so heartless? Felicity's pregnant and alone, and all I asked was for you to raise one child. Why can't you just agree?

After that last one, I blocked Frederick on his messenger and didn't look back.

Out of sight, out of mind.

The baby was developing well. Nine months later, I gave birth to a healthy boy in France.

I named him Cyril Sullivan.

The moment the baby was born, I came home.

France was beautiful, sure, but nowhere felt as easy as my own city.

I never expected that when I took Cyril in for a checkup,

I'd run into Frederick and Felicity right outside the pediatric wing.

Frederick saw the baby in my arms.

His face twisted with contempt.

「Gwendolen, you actually hid this from me and had the baby!」

「And even if you did, I'm not claiming him!」

I gave him a flat look. 「Frederick, who said this child is yours?」