I was still planning to go to the reunion.

Back in high school I'd always gotten along well with my classmates, and this was probably the last time I'd see them before I left. I wanted to say goodbye.

But I waited at home for two full hours, and Elijah never came to pick me up.

In the end I took a cab to the hotel alone.

I'd barely reached the corridor outside the private room when I saw Elijah standing by the window with a few of his old buddies, smoking.

One of his friends couldn't seem to help himself.

"Elijah, is it true Jeanette really kissed you that day?"

Elijah kept his head down, the red glow at his fingertips flickering across a face I couldn't read.

"I know you all think I'm a bastard, but in that moment my heart really did race."

He exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his voice carrying a confusion even he couldn't quite explain.

"I always used to think that in this life, apart from Beryl, I'd never feel anything for another woman."

"But when she kissed me that day, I realized... turns out that's not true either."

"When Jeanette kissed me, my whole scalp went tingling. It was a rush Beryl never gave me."

His friend frowned.

"But she's Beryl's best friend. What are you going to do?"

Elijah gave a bitter smile and stubbed out his cigarette.

"I never meant to actually do something to wrong Beryl."

"Once Beryl has the baby, I'll keep my distance from Jenny and go back to how things were."

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Beryl's like the meals I eat every day. She's been part of my life for so long. I can't be without her."

Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting!!

Every word out of Elijah's mouth was like a rotting maggot burrowing into my brain.

I couldn't listen anymore. I stumbled into the restroom, gripped the counter, and heaved dryly.

The Elijah of eighteen wasn't like this.

He used to say that except for me, having any other girl come close left him uncomfortable in his own skin.

And now he was admitting out loud that another woman gave him a bigger rush.

The hypocrite. His heart had already turned, and still he wouldn't let me go.

I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes, grateful I'd tricked him into signing the divorce papers ahead of time.

"Beryl?"

The familiar voice came from behind me.

At some point Jeanette had come to stand in the restroom doorway, and now she pulled out a tissue as if to wipe my mouth for me.

I turned away on instinct.

Her hand froze, and her face slowly went cold.

"What's the act for? Beryl, you find out your husband likes someone else and you don't dare ask a single question, but you've got the nerve to make faces at me?"

I went cold all over, my eyes red as I looked at this friend of ten years and felt like I was staring at a stranger.

Countless demands stuck in my throat. In the end all I managed was a trembling word.

"Why?"

Jeanette laughed, mocking.

"Because I hate you. Why should it be that we went to the same schools, lived through the same things, and yet you get to marry your childhood sweetheart, have a happy marriage, have everyone envy you?"

"And me? With a good man like Elijah for comparison, no one ever measured up. I married whoever, and in the end I got divorced."

She stepped closer, one pace at a time, the envy in her eyes almost solid enough to touch.

"Beryl, see? Your marriage isn't as unbreakable as you thought."

"All I did was be a little gentle with Elijah, lean on him a little, and he started to feel something for me."

"You really think I only kissed him that day because I was drunk?"

"No."

"I did it on purpose."

"I wanted you to see with your own eyes that the husband you love most could feel desire for your best friend!"

Slap!

I couldn't hold back anymore. I struck her hard across the face.

My palm stung, but it was nothing next to the pain of being betrayed by the person I trusted.

Jeanette tilted her head, her gaze drifting slowly to my swollen belly, her voice light enough to chill.

"Beryl, you're so proud. There's no way you'd keep a man whose heart has turned."

"So hand Elijah over to me."

The words had barely left her when she shoved me hard, then used the force to throw herself against the sharp edge of the faucet beside her.

"Aah!!"

The scream rang out.

I dropped to the floor before I could catch myself, a splitting pain tearing through my belly, my vision going black.

The restroom door burst open.

"Sweetheart—"

Elijah rushed in, but the instant he took a step toward me,

Jeanette clutched her bleeding forehead and called out to him, choking on her sobs.

"Elijah, I'm sorry. I won't come near you again."

Her eyes were rimmed red, tears sliding down through the blood.

"Beryl told me everything. She knew I kissed you that day, that's why she hates me so much."

"I admit it, I fell for you, I couldn't help wanting to be near you..."

"But I never once thought of taking you from her. From now on... let's just leave it like this."

When she finished, she turned unsteadily to go.

Elijah barely hesitated. He caught her and pulled her tight against him.

His hands fumbled to wipe the blood from her forehead, his voice shaking.

"Don't say any more. I'll take you to the hospital."

"Elijah!"

I couldn't help calling out to him, one hand pressed to my searing belly, tears falling beyond my control.

His child was still in me.

And he ignored me and held someone else.

When Elijah looked back at me, his eyes were full of disappointment.

"Beryl, Jenny was bullied before. You know full well she's still scarred by it, and you still turned violence on her."

"She only fell for me, and she's held herself back the whole time. She never once thought about breaking us up."

"Why can't you just let her be? Ever since you got pregnant you've gotten more and more extreme. In a couple of days maybe we need to find you a therapist."

With that, he held Jeanette and turned away, abandoning me again.

I sat crumpled on the cold, damp tiles, the pain in my belly growing worse.

Watching that retreating back, I thought of our wedding day, when Elijah held me with red eyes and said, over and over,

"Sweetheart, as long as you need me, through fire and flood, I'll be at your side the moment you call."

But he didn't do it.

In the second before I lost consciousness, I couldn't help thinking: if only I'd never met Elijah the year I was five.

The lights in the emergency room came on, then went out.

When I woke again, Elijah was sitting by the bed, his eyes rimmed red.

The moment I opened mine, he was overjoyed.

"Sweetheart, you're finally awake."

"I'm sorry. I really never thought you'd fall so badly. Does anything else hurt? Is your stomach still in pain?"

My throat was painfully dry. Without thinking, I lifted a hand to my belly.

Only once I felt the baby was still there did the fear finally let go of me.

Elijah held me tight and lowered his voice.

"Sweetheart, if you're not seriously hurt, maybe... you could go apologize to Jenny."

"Ever since she found out she kissed me that day, she's been blaming herself. She won't accept treatment, won't eat. The doctor says her mood is very bad, she might be heading toward depression."

"She's your best friend. Just go apologize, tell her you don't hold it against her. Okay?"

For a second I honestly wondered if I'd misheard.

How could he...

How could he leave me on the floor where I'd fallen, offer not one word of explanation, not one trace of guilt, and instead ask me to apologize to the woman he'd been carrying on with?

I pushed him away with everything I had. A faint taste of blood spread through my mouth. My voice came out cold.

"She stopped being my best friend a while ago. Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me."

"Beryl!"

Elijah stared at me, unable to believe it.

"How did you get so cold?"

"I know you mind that she likes me, but feelings aren't something she can control."

"I promise you, once she's better, I'll keep my distance. I won't give her any hope. I'll make her let go of me for good."

"For now, just humor her, give in a little. Is that so much to ask?"

I lifted my eyes and looked at him without moving.

I tried to lay this man over the teenage boy in my memory.

No matter how I tried, the two wouldn't line up.

Those eyes that had once been so full of me had gone empty somewhere along the way, and I didn't know when.

Just then a nurse came hurrying over.

"Mr. Delgado, Miss Gomez in the next room still won't take her medicine!"

Elijah's face changed at once. He barely hesitated. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight off the bed, hauling me into the next room.

A hard thud.

My body was too weak, my legs buckled, and I dropped heavily to my knees on the cold floor.

On the bed, Jeanette watched me quietly from under the gauze wrapped around her forehead.

I tried to get up, humiliated, but there was no strength left in me.

Elijah was already at Jeanette's side, coaxing her softly.

"Jenny, be good. Take your medicine."

"Beryl already knows she was wrong. She doesn't hold that day against you. Stop torturing yourself."

I didn't have the energy to argue. There was only exhaustion left, not even the will to fight it.

In ten more days I'd be gone anyway.

A flash of triumph crossed Jeanette's eyes, then she dropped her gaze, her voice soft and frail.

"Beryl, as long as you're not angry with me, that's all that matters."

Then she looked at Elijah, half-scolding.

"And you, really. Beryl's hurt this badly and you're still making her stand? If anything happens to my dear friend, I'll never forgive you."

At that, Elijah turned at once and helped me up, a doting edge to his mouth.

"All right, all right, my little tyrant, whatever you say. Now will you take your medicine like a good girl?"

The moment he had me steady, he let go and turned back to sit at Jeanette's bedside.

He picked up the bowl of medicine, blew on it patiently, and spooned it to her lips one mouthful at a time.

Jeanette refused to cooperate on purpose.

Elijah showed not a trace of impatience, only coaxed her over and over in a low voice.

My body swayed a little.

I didn't like taking medicine either.

Every time I got sick, Elijah used to keep watch by my bed just like this, feeding me patiently.

Back then he'd always tease me with a grin.

"Sweetheart, if you don't take your medicine, I'll drink it myself and feed it to you mouth to mouth."

Every time, I'd flush red and drink it all down.

But now he narrowed his eyes and threatened Jeanette, indulgent.

"What, you won't take it unless I feed it to you myself?"

I couldn't stay another moment. I turned and walked, step by step, back toward my room.

I was going to get well.

I was going to bring my baby safely into the world.

As for whatever was between the two of them, I didn't want any part of it anymore.

The moment I got back to my room, the nurse asked me carefully.

"Ms. Simmons, that man next door... is he your husband?"

I answered softly, before I could think.

"Not for much longer."

"Sweetheart, what do you mean?"

Elijah had followed at some point, and his steps stopped dead in the doorway.

He stared at me, blank, a flicker of panic and shock rising in his eyes.

The nurse forced herself to stay calm as she finished her rounds, then left the room.

Elijah took my hand, his face all helpless patience.

"Sweetheart, are you still angry?"

"You're flooded with pregnancy hormones right now. Your emotions are all over the place, that's the only reason you're so hostile toward Jenny. I'm just afraid that once the baby comes and you're yourself again, you'll regret all of this. That's why I want you to go and apologize to her."

I finally couldn't take it anymore, and let out a cold laugh.

"Elijah, I'm pregnant, not possessed. Stop blaming everything on hormones, would you?"

"Whether you and Jeanette Gomez have crossed a line, you know perfectly well in your own—"

Slap.

I didn't get to finish. A slap landed hard across my face.

My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing, the rest of the words jammed in my throat.

Elijah froze too. Panic and regret flashed through his eyes, and he instinctively opened his mouth to explain.

But I'd already raised my hand and slapped him back, just as hard.

The crisp sound of it rang out sharp in the room.

He turned his head aside, ran his tongue over his stinging cheek, his face taut with barely contained irritation.

"Beryl, calm yourself down. Stop talking nonsense."

Then he turned, slammed the door, and left.

I finally couldn't hold it in any longer. I bit down hard on the back of my hand and let the tears pour out.

That slap felt like it had shattered the last scrap of tenderness I'd been holding on to.

For the next week, I stayed in the hospital to save the pregnancy.

In three more days, I'd be leaving.

In that whole week, Elijah never came to see me once.

I knew what he was doing. He was waiting for me to cave first, the way I always had. To apologize first. To come coax him back.

Too bad. That used to work on the old Beryl. On who I was now, it didn't work anymore.

On the day of my discharge, Elijah finally showed up. His face was dark, and without a word he handled the paperwork, then pulled me into the car.

It was the first time he'd ever turned that cold face on me. Before this, he'd always worn the mask of the gentle, attentive husband.

An uneasy feeling rose in me out of nowhere. I reached for the door at once.

"Elijah, where are you taking me? Stop the car!"

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"To the chapel. To pray."

Pray?

The unease grew heavier. I quickly pulled out my phone to make a call.

But the moment it was in my hand, Elijah snatched it away and tossed it onto the back seat.

My heart dropped.

The whole way there, no matter how I pressed him, he wouldn't answer.

Until the car stopped outside the chapel.

Several large bodyguards were already standing at the entrance.

I was half-dragged to the altar.

Cradling my belly, I was shaking so hard my voice trembled.

"Elijah, what exactly do you want? I'm still pregnant!"

Elijah turned slowly. His eyes were bloodshot, the disappointment and fury in them nearly spilling over.

He bit off each word.

"Kneel. Kowtow. Pray for Jenny's surgery to go well."

I could hardly believe my own ears.

"What surgery? Why should I kneel?"

Elijah smiled, and it was ice-cold.

"You're still going to play innocent?"

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced me down onto the prayer cushion.

"You messaged Jenny. You told her no one loves her, that she never should have been born, called her a whore, told her to go die."

"She slit her wrists. Do you understand that?"

"She's in surgery right now. If you repent with real sincerity, maybe she'll live."

It struck me as absurd to the point of laughable, and my heart sank hard.

"I never did that!"

I instinctively went to grab my phone to prove it, then remembered with a jolt that he'd already taken it.

I lifted my head, teeth clenched so tight they might crack.

"Elijah, do you honestly believe I would do something like that?"

He looked away and didn't answer.

But his silence was answer enough.

He didn't believe me.

Twenty years growing up side by side, and it counted for nothing.

I was his wife. The mother of his child.

And still he'd rather trust Jeanette Gomez than believe a single word from me.

Elijah waved his hand.

The bodyguards stepped forward at once and pinned me down.

My forehead struck the hard, cold floor tiles again and again.

And Elijah knelt right beside me, both hands gripping a new lucky charm, eyes shut, praying over and over for Jeanette to be safe.

I don't know how long it went on before the hospital finally called.

"Mr. Delgado, Miss Gomez is awake."

Elijah was on his feet almost instantly, turning to run out.

Before he left, he threw out one line.

"Keep her bowing. She stops when I call and say stop, not before."

My forehead had long since split open, blood trickling slowly down my cheek.

The bodyguards' faces changed at the sight. None of them dared force me anymore, but none dared take me to the hospital on their own either.

All I could do was grab one of them by the hand, my voice shaking.

"Help me. Take me to the hospital..."

The man's face twisted with the dilemma, but his first move was still to pull out his phone and call Elijah.

The call connected fast. But what I heard on the other end was ragged, breathless panting.

Jeanette's voice came through, thick with tears, pitiful.

"Elijah, I can't control myself. I really can't stop loving you, stop wanting you."

"Look at me... kiss me, please?"