I was hospitalized for complications from a high-risk IVF procedure at Seattle's top hospital. That same day, my husband Julian Blackwood’s phone was blowing up with frantic texts and missed calls.

The messages were from Cassie, his intern.

I asked if he needed to get back to her. "What is it now?" he grumbled. "Doesn't she have a life? God, she's relentless."

Later, that same intern sent a photo from a ski cabin in Colorado, a blizzard raging outside the window.

The caption read: [If I get trapped and die here, will I come back as a snowflake? Maybe then, I wouldn't be a bother to anyone.]

Julian glanced at it and let out a scornful laugh. "Become a snowflake? Talk about a victim complex."

But after that, he grew noticeably restless. Then he rushed out, booked the next red-eye flight, and didn't come back all night.

That night, I hemorrhaged and was rushed into the emergency room.

When the nurse asked if I wanted to keep trying to save the baby, I glanced at the empty spot beside me and answered calmly.

"No. I don't want it anymore."

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1

I woke as the anesthesia wore off, the afternoon sun already filtering into the room.

I laid a hand on my flat abdomen. The movement caused the sleeve of my hospital gown to slide down, revealing a constellation of pinpricks and bruises.

I’ve always been terrified of pain, yet for the chance to have a child with Julian, I had endured countless injections.

Yet, in the twenty-seven hours since I was wheeled into surgery, he still hadn't returned.

As if on cue, the phone on the bedside table lit up.

It was a video from Julian, but the content had nothing to do with me or the baby. No, it was just a humblebrag disguised as a complaint. In it, he griped, "Cassie got trapped on the mountain by a blizzard and was terrified. Her parents are in Vegas, and her brother's a good-for-nothing, so I had to be the one to fly over and keep her company. What a pain."

Although he claimed it was a hassle, as the camera shook, I saw him sitting before a fireplace, a hint of indulgence in his tone he hadn't even noticed himself.

I stared at his face on the screen and offered a single word in reply: "Okay."

Then, I opened Instagram.

Cassie had posted a photo of them snuggling in front of the fireplace, captioned: [You are my hero.]

At the same time, she had also changed her profile picture to one of a snow princess being saved by a handsome prince.

The shot was framed as if captured by chance, a man’s arm wrapped tightly around her. On his wrist, a tattoo was clearly visible.

I recognized it instantly. It was Julian's wrist. That tattoo had once been a testament to our love, an intricate "J" intertwined with an "M."

Now, however, the "M" for my name, Madeline, had been cleverly modified into a "C" for Cassie.

A wry, humorless smile touched my lips as I calmly took a screenshot.

Then, I opened my own account and changed my profile picture from our wedding photo back to my solo graduation portrait from my Ivy League days.

Less than a minute after I changed the picture, a call from Julian came through.

"Madeline, I already explained. Cassie is trapped in Colorado and she's scared. I'm just here to help her as her mentor. Besides, she's been through enough. Can't you stop being so unreasonable?"

Ah, pitiful. That was the word Julian had been using to describe Cassie lately.

When this girl first joined the company, she was clumsy and couldn't handle the most basic reports. She was always trailing behind Julian, asking this and that. Julian used to complain to me about her constantly, calling her a troublemaker.

He always had a habit of sharing amusing stories from work with me, but at some point, his stories all became about her.

"Madeline, that girl doesn't even know how to use the coffee machine! I honestly don't know how she’s survived this long."

"Cassie botched the client data again, and the board chewed me out for it! I swear, I'm this close to telling HR to get rid of her!"

He kept saying he was going to have her transferred, but she remained by his side.

Then, I watched as he changed her contact name from 'Troublemaker' to 'Poor Thing.'

And now, with this altered tattoo staring me in the face, how could I possibly turn a blind eye?

I listened calmly, with no desire to even argue with him, and just let out a soft laugh. "Mm-hmm, I understand."

Clearly, he hadn't expected me to be so calm. Thinking I was playing some kind of mind game, his tone softened. "I'll bring you back your favorite almond croissants from Le Panier when I get back, okay? So please…"

Before he could finish, Cassie’s whimpering voice cut through the line. "Julian, it's thundering… I'm so scared…"

Just like that, his attention was instantly pulled away. On the other end of the line, I heard his panicked voice. "Don't be scared, I'm right here. It's just thunder."

Cassie sniffled softly and said she was still scared.

His tone softened instantly, a gentle chiding. "Don't be silly. What's there to be afraid of when I'm here?"

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble again, Julian…" Cassie's voice trailed off sadly.

After that, I heard Julian sigh and murmur something else to Cassie, but he’d moved the phone away from his mouth, so I couldn't hear him clearly.

Not that I wanted to listen anyway.

Though my stomach had been growling with hunger moments before, a wave of nausea rose in my throat like bile at his cloying display, completely killing my appetite.

I hung up the phone.

Just then, a nurse pushed open the door and began to remove the IV needle from my hand.

"You're cleared for discharge, but since you've just been through a severe complication, you need to get plenty of rest and focus on your recovery, okay?"

The only response I could muster was a faint hum.

In the taxi back to our Seattle villa overlooking the lake, I called my best friend, Olivia, who was also the city's top divorce lawyer.

I said, "Olivia, it's time. Pull out the agreement. The one Julian drafted himself before we were married."

A moment later, Olivia replied, "On it."

To prove his commitment to our marriage, Julian had personally drafted this divorce agreement. If he ever cheated or stopped loving me, he would forfeit his company and all his assets, leaving with nothing.

At the time, his eyes had been full of adoration as he looked at me, certain he would never break his vow.

Unfortunately, time changes everything, even the most solemn of promises.

It was six o'clock in the evening when I got home. The food we'd left on the dining table two days ago had spoiled, filling the house with a sour stench of decay.

It was obvious Julian hadn't been home at all.

I forced myself to shower, took painkillers for the cramping in my abdomen, and soon fell asleep in the guest room.

In the middle of the night, the front door flew open. Julian stormed past the master bedroom straight to the guest room, and then—bang!

The door was kicked open, startling me awake.

The next second, the light flicked on, revealing Julian's face, his brow furrowed in a deep scowl.

"I'm your husband, Madeline! How could you just check out of the hospital without a word?"

When my eyes finally adjusted to the sudden light, I saw Julian standing at the door, panting. His expression was icy, filled with blame.

Behind him, Cassie peeked out, swallowed by a men's hoodie several sizes too big for her. Beneath it, her long, fair legs were bare and on full display.

I recognized the hoodie immediately. It was the anniversary gift I had given Julian last year.

Funnily enough, I clearly remembered him telling me just a month ago that he'd lost it at the gym.

Oblivious to his exposed lie, he pointed a finger at me, his voice cracking with indignation, "How could you check out of the hospital without telling me? Didn't you hear the doctor say your IVF was high-risk and that something could go wrong at any moment?! Madeline, can't you be a little more mature?"

"I spent half an hour searching the hospital for you! Was it too much to ask for a simple text saying you were discharged?!"

My expression was placid as I explained, "I was going to tell you, but you were busy comforting Cassie."

Cassie stepped out from behind Julian, her face pale with guilt as she tugged on his sleeve. "Julian, am I causing trouble for you two again?"