The day I discovered I was pregnant,I decided to take a walk in the park,just like I usually did when I needed to clear my mind.It was a peaceful place,my little escape from everything.But that day,everything felt different.

I had hoped this walk would help me think about the future and process the life growing inside me.But as I reached the lake,I froze.My heart dropped.

That’s when I saw him—Ethan.And he wasn’t alone.

In an instant,my world came crashing down.

Ethan was passionately kissing his assistant by the lake.I was shocked,and a mix of emotions flooded over me as I watched them.In a moment of panic,I lost my footing and fell into the water.

Hearing my cries for help,Ethan looked around,trying to find where the noise was coming from,but he didn’t see me.“What’s the matter?Why did you stop?”Lily asked him as she noticed him looking around.

“Nothing.This place gives me the creeps.Want to go somewhere private and continue this?”

The woman giggled.“Let’s go!”

They walked away,their hands intertwined,while I slowly drowned.The memory of them kissing and holding each other was the last thing I saw before darkness enveloped me.

I was rescued and rushed to the hospital,but despite their efforts,I lost the baby.The world around me felt like a blur as I made my way home,my mind still spinning from everything that had happened.When I finally stepped through the door,my eyes fell on the empty contraceptive pill box sitting on my bedside table.

A wave of nausea washed over me,tightening my stomach as I realized the cruel irony of my situation.With trembling hands,I picked up my phone,staring at it for a moment before dialing the number of the one person I hadn’t reached out to in a long time.

“Jax,I want to come home…”

——

“What?Why?”

I tried my best to keep my voice steady,but it was hard.I gulped,gripping the phone tightly.

“Please…I just want to get out of here.”

He must have sensed my pain.“Alright,I’ll book you a ticket.”

Just as I hung up,Ethan came down from his study upstairs.He glanced at me,his expression a mix of concern and reproach.“Where have you been all day?”

“At the hospital,”I replied coldly,my voice flat.

Ethan froze for a moment,seemingly recalling that I had called him earlier to let him know I was at the hospital.But he had never really cared about me.

Clearing his throat awkwardly,he said,“I have to step out for a bit.Since you’re not feeling well,you don’t need to cook dinner.What do you want?I can bring something back.”

“No thanks,I’ve already eaten.”

As he turned to leave,I called out to him and handed him a lipstick.“When you see Lily,could you let her know something for me?Her lipstick is terrible;it keeps smudging on my sheets,and I can’t get it out.I suggest she try this one instead.And next time she visits,please remind her to throw her trash in the bin.”

Ethan's face fell.He opened his mouth to respond but stopped when he saw I had already turned away,showing no interest in continuing the conversation.He reluctantly pocketed the lipstick.

Before stepping outside,he turned back to me.“I’ll make sure Lily is more careful from now on,so she doesn’t mess up your things.”

He left those words hanging in the air like a challenge before slamming the door behind him.I barely registered it;instead,I moved to the guest room,started unpacking my things,and settled in.

To my surprise,Ethan returned only an hour later.When he found me in the guest room,his face darkened.

“What’s with the attitude?”he asked,irritation clear in his voice.

“I’m not upset,”I said flatly,keeping my tone neutral.

I truly wasn’t upset;I just didn’t care about him anymore.This morning,when I fell into the lake,I had just discovered I was over a month pregnant.I had wanted to share my joy with Ethan,but I never expected to witness such an ugly scene.By the time he and Lily left,the water around me had turned a pale red.

The doctor said if I had arrived at the hospital sooner,the baby could have been saved.And this happened because of them!

I ended up in the hospital twice in one day.My mood went from feeling genuinely blessed to completely broken.My dreams of love felt like they had shattered into a million pieces.

Seeing me still cold and distant,Ethan's patience wore thin.He scoffed,“If you prefer sleeping in the guest room,then don’t bother moving back.”

I had no objections.The main bedroom,likely tainted by their previous encounters,only disgusted me.

Soon,I heard the door to the master bedroom slam shut.The sound that once filled me with anxiety now failed to rattle me at all.

I wandered into the living room,warmed a cup of milk,and returned to my room.After taking my medication,I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next day,I was still deep in sleep when Ethan's voice jolted me awake.He stood at the foot of my bed,looking down at me with an expression that mixed irritation and disappointment.

“Why didn’t you make breakfast?”

Being pulled from a rare good dream left me feeling grumpy.

“I’m on break.You can grab something on your way,”I replied,my voice flat and devoid of warmth.

Ethan remained silent,still standing there,his gaze penetrating and intense.We had been together for seven years,and no matter what,I always woke up at six to prepare his breakfast.In the beginning,he cared enough to suggest I could skip it,saying I could grab something along the way.

I had always insisted that street food was dirty and unsafe,that nothing compared to my cooking.But now,I was telling him to go out and buy it himself.

He sensed something was off.Taking a step closer,he reached out to check my forehead,but I instinctively swatted his hand away.

Our eyes locked,and I could see the shock in his.He must have felt the caution radiating from me.I tried to mask my feelings,forcing a smile.“You scared me.”

Ethan straightened up,hurt flashing across his face as he tucked his reddened hand into his pocket.

“Cassandra,the project your company is working on with us was your idea.And now,you’re pretending to be sick to avoid it.You clearly don’t care about it at all.I regret being soft-hearted with you!”

His words hit me like a slap.I watched him turn away,his back disappearing through the doorway,my heart aching from the weight of his anger.

I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly at the absurdity of it all.The project he was talking about was something I had believed in;it had potential,a future worth pursuing.I had pushed him to cooperate because I could see the market for it.

In the past,every project he had ever undertaken was something I had handled,something I had helped him navigate through the pitfalls.But now that his company had grown,he had forgotten my role in it all.

As I lay there,my heart felt heavy.I hadn’t asked for this—for us to be in this situation.I wanted to share my joy of being pregnant,but all I felt was the bitterness of betrayal.

By the time I finally pulled myself out of bed,my phone rang,breaking the heavy silence of the room.It was my manager,reminding me about a document he had forgotten at the office.I cursed under my breath and climbed out of bed,reluctantly making my way to Ethan’s company.

As I stepped into the building,every pair of eyes in the lobby fell on me,a wave of judgment washing over me.I let out a bitter laugh,pretending to be unaffected as I walked toward the meeting room.This wasn’t the first time I had faced this kind of scrutiny since Lily became Ethan's assistant.It was as if every time I entered,I had to endure a silent examination of my worth.

When I knocked on the meeting room door,all those gazes finally retreated,and the tension eased a little.My manager greeted me with a smile,beckoning me to sit beside him.I handed him the USB drive,trying to focus on the business at hand.But I could feel Ethan’s eyes on me,a mixture of confusion and something else I couldn’t quite decipher.

As my manager spoke passionately about our project,I barely noticed Lily approaching with a cup of coffee.

In a moment of distraction,I raised my hand,accidentally spilling the hot liquid all over myself.

“Ah!”I cried out,as I tried to shake the burning liquid off.Lily stumbled back,landing on the floor,her face pale with shock.

The meeting room erupted into chaos.Ethan was the first to rush over,scooping Lily up into his arms and rushing out without even a glance back at me.

My heart sank,the pain of it echoing in my chest.My hand throbbed from the burn,but the emotional wounds cut much deeper.

My manager pulled me out of the room,leading me toward the parking garage,his face grim.I could feel the eyes of my coworkers boring into my back,sensing the drama unfolding.They were waiting for something—anything—juicy to spill from this encounter.

But all I felt was the hollow ache of betrayal…

As we waited in line at the clinic,Ethan finally noticed that I had been injured too.He loosened his hold on Lily for a moment,his face conflicted,but she clung tightly to him,her tear-streaked face turned upward as she sobbed pitifully.

The manager leaned closer,whispering in my ear,“Look at her—she’s really good at crying.Maybe you should try it.You need to stay strong,and now your boyfriend’s running off to comfort someone else.”

I glanced at Lily,watching her play the damsel in distress,and then noticed Ethan’s burning gaze fixed on me.His eyes were filled with anger,as if my calm demeanor irritated him.

I leaned closer to the manager,matching his whisper,“I’m not pretending.I just think it’s pathetic.”

The manager chuckled softly.“You’re not wrong.Everyone walking by can’t help but stare at them.”

I laughed too,but the humor never reached my eyes.Across from me,Ethan’s face darkened,his expression growing stormier with each passing second.

When Lily finally went in for her appointment,Ethan was forced to leave the room.He marched over,grabbing my wrist and dragging me to a quieter part of the hallway.His grip was firm,his jaw clenched.

“Cassandra,have you forgotten that you have a boyfriend?You seem pretty cozy,laughing with another man.”

I blinked at him in disbelief.“My boyfriend was just holding another woman in his arms.”

Ethan frowned,his brow furrowing deeply.“Lily’s like a sister to me.”

I gave a small,understanding nod.“And my manager is just my boss.”

He opened his mouth to argue further,but just then,my name was called for my appointment.I carefully pulled my wrist from his grasp,not wanting to aggravate my burn.Ethan,however,tightened his hold,his grip becoming painful.

I dropped my smile,my voice growing cold.“Let.Go.”

The nurse called my name again,and only then did Ethan reluctantly release me.As I passed by Lily on my way in,she bumped into me,making sure I noticed her dramatic entrance as she flung herself back into Ethan’s arms.

“Ethan,the doctor said I might have a scar.I’m so scared…”Her voice trembled,thick with tears.

I hurried into the exam room,shutting the door behind me and letting the sound of her whiny voice fade into the background.The doctor inspected my burn,and after treating it,gave me a stern warning.

“You’ve recently had a miscarriage,and your immune system is still weak.Now,with this burn,you’re at a higher risk of infection.If you develop a fever,come back immediately.”

I nodded my thanks,and as I stepped outside,I saw Ethan waiting for me.I wasn’t sure if he’d overheard the doctor or not.

He reached out to steady me.“Let me take you home.”

Before I could answer,Lily’s soft cry broke through the moment.She collapsed to the ground,her voice rising once more.“Ethan,my leg hurts so bad.I can’t walk…”

Ethan hesitated,torn between us.I sighed,stepping aside so he could make his choice easier.Without a second thought,he scooped Lily into his arms again.But this time,he glanced back at me.

“Follow us,”he instructed,as if I had any other option.

I wasn’t about to cause trouble by asking my manager for a ride.I gave him an apologetic look,and he waved me off,disappearing with a carefree smile.

Ethan placed Lily in the front passenger seat with a practiced ease,as if this had become second nature to him.Not caring much,I climbed into the backseat without protest.

It wasn’t until the car door slammed that Ethan seemed to remember I was there.He quickly offered an excuse,“Lily gets car sick.”

I rolled my eyes at the cheap lie.How convenient.

Lily tugged on his sleeve,her voice soft and pleading.“Ethan,can you recline the seat for me?I’m still feeling dizzy…”

She turned to me with wide,innocent eyes.“You don’t mind,do you,Cassandra?”

Her act was nauseating,but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.Without a word,I shifted further back,away from the conversation.Ethan leaned over,adjusting her seat as she practically melted into him,their proximity far too intimate for comfort.

I turned my head to the window,closing my eyes to shut out the sight.Out of sight,out of mind—or so I hoped.But the ache in my chest only grew heavier with every passing mile.