As I was about to go through with a procedure to end my own loss, I stumbled upon my husband, guiding his childhood friend into a prenatal check-up. The moment our eyes met, his expression stayed cool and unmoved.

"Well, what are the odds of bumping into each other here?"

I managed to offer a hollow congrats, but when I whispered that we should get a divorce, he fell apart and swore he loved me.

---

I was at the hospital, my mind racing with worry over my dad's condition, when a familiar voice sliced through my thoughts.

"Ronald, can you stick around a little longer? I'm kind of scared..."

A chill swept down my spine. I turned around slowly, already knowing what I'd see. There was my husband, Ronald, standing with his childhood friend, Fernanda Riley.

Ronald met my eyes without a hint of surprise, just a nod. Fernanda, on the other hand, lit up the second she spotted me and tugged Ronald closer.

"Colette? Oh my god, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice dripping with false innocence. "I'm pregnant, so I asked Ron to come with me to my appointment. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him."

She was glowing, her grip on Ronald's arm tightening as she gazed up at him with pure adoration. To anyone watching, they were the picture-perfect couple.

But the arm she clung to belonged to my husband. And it was painfully clear that the baby she carried was his.

My knees nearly buckled, and my vision blurred from the shock. I held Ronald's gaze stubbornly, silently begging him to say something—anything. But he gave me nothing. Just dead silence.

"Congratulations," I choked out, my voice trembling. "I have to go."

I spun around and walked away fast, refusing to let them see me break. Staying any longer would've just twisted the knife.

I ducked into a stairwell and sank down onto the cold steps, my mind completely blank. I had thought all the sacrifices I'd made would finally show Ronald what I was worth. Instead, it led to this—a betrayal that cut even deeper.

Tears blurred my sight. When I tried to stand, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I lurched forward, a sharp, searing pain slicing through my abdomen.

Somehow, I pulled myself up and stumbled into a nurse's station. The nurse took one look at my wrecked state and rushed to help.

She guided me into an emergency exam room. As the doctor's face grew more and more grim, dread settled heavy in my chest.

"How could you be so careless when you're pregnant?!" he snapped. "Where's the father? The baby's chances are slim—the fall was too severe. We need to act now."

My brain couldn't process his words. "Pregnant? What do you mean, I'm pregnant?"

He stared at me, caught between disbelief and frustration. "You didn't know? You're over a month along!"

I was carrying Ronald's child?!

"Call the father right now. You need the procedure today, or this is only going to get worse."

Ronald? How on earth was I supposed to explain that the father was too busy at another woman's prenatal appointment?

Picturing him at Fernanda's side, I realized just how pathetic and absurd my situation really was.

Maybe losing this baby was meant to be.

Defeated, I whispered, "It's fine. I'll handle it myself. He... he's tied up. He can't come."

The doctor muttered something about messed-up priorities, but I was already slipping away.

---

Our marriage felt scripted from the very beginning. I came from a humble background and ended up in a posh school, always hyper-aware of how different I was from my wealthy classmates.

It didn't take long before I became the perfect target for their cruel jokes. To them, I was entertainment.

I was sure high school would be a nightmare from start to finish—until the day a sliver of hope walked into my life.

I still remember it so clearly. Ronald stepped in front of me, warning off the bullies like they were nothing. His presence was like a breath of fresh air in my suffocating world.

From then on, I couldn't help but admire him. I watched his every move from afar. But he came from a whole different universe, and standing beside him, looking like she belonged there, was Fernanda Riley.

My crush stayed silent, an endless ache I never dared to voice.

When graduation came, I thought our paths would never cross again. But Ronald found me.

He offered a marriage of convenience. To keep his family off his back, he said, and in return, he'd cover all my father's medical bills.

Facing impossible debt for my dad's treatment, I didn't hesitate. I said yes.

I knew a deal that good had strings attached. I figured Ronald chose me because I'd be easy to manage as a wife.

---

When I finally climbed off the cold operating table, it was deep into the night.

I dragged my exhausted body home, only to find a familiar silhouette waiting on the couch.

I hesitated in the doorway, hoping to just ignore him and head upstairs, but Ronald grabbed my arm.

"Why are you back so late?"

I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to sleep, praying it would dull the ache burning in my belly.

"I was looking after Dad. I'm wiped out. If you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to bed."

He followed me up the stairs and into the bedroom. "You look terrible. Did something happen?"

I didn't answer. I just changed into my sleepwear and crawled under the covers. I could hear him moving around before he finally settled in beside me, his body radiating warmth as his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tight like a child.

I wanted to push him off me, but the aftermath of the procedure had drained every ounce of my strength. I just closed my eyes and let the darkness swallow me.

---

The next morning, I woke up alone.

I wasn't surprised. I made my way downstairs for breakfast, only to find Ronald already at the table, his face stormy.

"Where exactly did you go yesterday?" he demanded the moment I sat down.

"I told you, I was with Dad."

"Is that so?" He stood up, his eyes boring into mine. "Then why did I hear you had a miscarriage yesterday?"

My fingers clenched the edge of my shirt. He knew?

I took a shaky breath. "Yes. I had a miscarriage."

"You—why?!" Ronald erupted, his voice cracking with fury. The gentle eyes I once knew turned hard as stone. "Was our child that unwanted?"

His words were cold, cutting right through me. "Colette, I can't believe this. You're heartless!"

He stormed out without another word, leaving me drowning in a grief I didn't deserve.

He was the one who'd gotten another woman pregnant. Yet somehow, the blame landed squarely on me.

Did he really think I didn't want that innocent baby?

Heartbreak crashed into the physical pain, and a sob tore from my chest. I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face in my arms as the tears soaked through.

Ronald, you really are the coldest.

Since Ronald already knew about my miscarriage, I figured there was no reason to stick around. With a heavy sigh, I headed upstairs to grab my things. As much as I cared about Ronald, I still had my pride.

I was in the middle of packing when the phone rang. It was my mother-in-law, Alma. I took a deep breath, steeling myself before I answered.

"Hey, Alma. It's not like you to call me out of the blue," I said, struggling to keep my voice from wavering.

Alma's voice was soft, almost too careful. "Colette, sweetheart, I just heard you had a miscarriage yesterday. What happened?"

I went quiet. How could I even begin to explain? I was terrified she might fall apart at the truth.

Catching my hesitation, Alma quickly changed the subject. "Honey, a miscarriage can really drain you. You've gotta take care of yourself—get some real rest, okay? Let me know if you need anything, anything at all. I already arranged for some supplements to be sent to your place. Promise me you'll take 'em."

A wave of warmth washed over me at her concern. "Thank you, Alma. I'm sorry to make you worry. I'll make sure to rest and take care of myself. Did Ron... say anything about it to you?"

"Oh, Ron didn't breathe a word. I actually heard it from Giovanna. She brought it up. You really should have told me yourself, sweetie. Something this big... I could've been there for you."

"It's fine, Alma. I've been resting up these past few days, and I'll be back on my feet in no time. Please, don't worry. I'll come see you more often, I promise..."

After I hung up, a surge of confusion hit me. Giovanna? Our nanny, Giovanna Hoffman? Why the hell would she just casually mention my miscarriage to Alma?

It was almost lunchtime, so I went looking for her, needing answers. But when I reached the dining room, the table was empty—bare.

I frowned. Lunch was always set by now.

Peeking into the living room, I spotted Giovanna sprawled on the couch, watching TV like she didn't have a care in the world. She didn't so much as twitch until our eyes locked. Then she got up and strolled over, slow and careless.

"Sorry, ma'am. I saw Mr. Ross wasn't home for lunch, so I didn't bother cooking. I can whip something up now, if you want..." Her tone was as casual as ever, almost mocking.

I gave her a long, hard look, but didn't say a word. Then I turned and made my way back upstairs, my chest tight with more than just grief.

Since Alma was planning to send some stuff over, bailing right away wasn't really an option. I'd already stressed her out enough with the procedure, and I didn't want to pile on by adding my separation from Ronald to her worries. She'd always been so good to me.

Later that evening, Ronald came home, but he was totally silent—didn't even look my way. He went straight into his usual routine: washing up, then bed. I kept telling myself not to let his behavior get to me, but I couldn't shake that sting of resentment. Wasn't he the one who cheated?

In the days after, the tension between Ronald and me only got worse. We dodged each other like the plague, and on the rare occasion we had to talk, the awkwardness was so thick you could cut it with a knife. It left me constantly on edge.

One day, I heard rustling at the door, and in walked Alma, lugging a big bag of health supplements.

"Colette, sweetheart, I was so worried about you, I just had to come see for myself," she said, her voice all warmth.

I rushed over to help, grabbing the bags and guiding her to the sofa. "What are you doing coming all this way? You know your health is fragile. You should be resting out in the countryside, not wearing yourself out with a trip like this."

She waved a hand, her usual lively spark still bright. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just really worried about you."

She sighed, taking my hand in hers, her voice thick with concern. "Colette, honey, did you tell your father about the procedure? You really should let him know. It's not exactly a small thing."

Then she started in on Ronald. "And that son of mine! You go through something this serious, and he's nowhere to be found. I swear, I need to have a serious talk with him..."

I nodded, turning her words over in my mind. "Please don't blame Ronald. He's just been really busy."

Even though what Ronald did was unforgivable in my eyes, I didn't want to drag Alma into our mess. We chatted a bit more, and then she left, looking satisfied now that she'd checked on me.

After she was gone, I grabbed my phone and stared at my dad's number, my thumb hovering over the button for a long moment before I finally hit call.

He sounded thrilled to hear my voice. I kept it casual, just mentioned I'd had a rough patch recently and told him to take care of himself. Then I hung up before he could ask too many questions.

A while later, the doorbell rang again. I opened the door—and there was my dad, standing on my doorstep.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" I blurted out, totally shocked, quickly pulling him inside. "You came all this way alone? That's so dangerous. Your illness is serious—the doctors told you not to travel by yourself. What if something had happened?"

Dad looked almost sheepish as he nodded. "Don't worry, Colette. I just wanted to see you. I'll head back before long."

"I'm okay. Sure, I'm a little under the weather, but I made it here just fine," he assured me, cradling the warm cup of coffee I'd handed him.

I shook my head, half-laughing in disbelief. "You're something else, Dad. Why did you show up all of a sudden?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "I was worried about you."

He looked me over, his eyes full of scrutiny. "Have you been taking care of yourself? A miscarriage really takes a toll..."

"It's because I wasn't a good father—I couldn't protect my own daughter. You've been through so much because of me, putting up with all this hardship. If I weren't sick, you wouldn't have been pushed around. That Ronald, he's just—"

Seeing him get more and more worked up, I quickly cut in. "Dad, it was just a tragic loss. Ronald had nothing to do with it. Please don't get upset—it's bad for your health."

That seemed to calm him down a little, but he still looked unconvinced, his jaw set with determination to defend me. "You don't have to sugarcoat things for me. I know you're trying to protect me, but I can't just sit here while you're hurting. I'll make sure you get justice!"

I was stunned. I couldn't meet his eyes, so I looked down at the floor.

Dad raised me all on his own, always fighting to provide, no matter how tough things got. I didn't want him worrying about me anymore.