I thought Natalie might chill after that. Nope. She acted like queen of the house and even invited me in—like I was just some guest.

As we passed, she leaned in, voice all fake sweet. "Heard you and Jasper were married three years? Cute. A stand-in's still a stand-in. I'm the real one. You stepped aside the second I came back—just like I knew you would."

That was it. I snapped.

All the months of holding it in, missing Jasper, lying to myself—it all came out in one slap across her smug face.

A neighbor heard the drama and called the cops.

They dragged us both in, but since it was a domestic mess, all they did was send us home.

The second we stepped inside, Raymond and Josephine lit into me.

Said I embarrassed the whole neighborhood, wrecked my reputation, wasted my fancy degrees just to throw hands.

Warned me if I pulled something like that again, they wouldn't cover for me.

Turns out, they'd known about Jasper and Natalie the whole time. Supported it, even.

In one year, she'd become their perfect daughter-in-law.

I was just the clueless outsider.

My mouth went dry.

Jasper, eyes rimmed red, came over and reached for my hand.

"Emily, I never meant to hurt you. It's just... Natalie only has six months left. Her one wish was to be a mom. She saved my life once—I couldn't let her die with regrets.

"I wanted to tell you, but you were overseas. I didn't want to throw you off. I thought I'd explain everything when you got back.

"If you're willing... we can raise the baby together."

***

Something that huge, and he said it like he was ordering takeout.

I zipped up my suitcase right as Josephine pushed the door open.

Her eyes landed on the luggage, and she smirked.

"You weren't here, so I let Natalie have your room. The study's a nursery now. Couch is all yours. If that's a problem, find a hotel."

I didn't bother fighting. Just nodded and got ready to crash on the couch.

But all night long, the baby's cries echoed through the house.

I rolled over, about to pop in earplugs, when I heard Natalie's voice.

"Jasper, can you handle the baby? He won't stop crying."

Then Jasper, laughing softly. "Aren't you my big baby? As long as I've got you, we're good. Let him cry—it's good for his lungs."

I yanked the blanket over my head, trying to drown out their laughter.

But every time I shut my eyes, I saw Jasper from back when he first told me he loved me—bright-eyed, all sunshine, like I was his whole world.

That guy was long gone.

I must've dozed off at some point, because by sunrise, I was already out the door with my suitcase.

Went straight to handle the relevant procedures.

Everything moved fast—clean paperwork, no questions.

Right as I was leaving, one of the staff stopped me and handed over a few candies. "Hope you get everything you wish for."

I gave her a small smile, checked into a nearby hotel, dropped my stuff, and headed out for food.

And that's when I saw them—Jasper, Natalie, and both his parents.

Natalie was flashing a Patek Philippe watch, glowing like she just won the jackpot.

Didn't exactly scream terminal illness.

Natalie spotted me first. "Emily! I thought that was you. Jasper said no way."

Her eyes dropped to the job flyer in my hand, and she gave me that fake-sweet smile.

"So... you're job hunting? A waitress gig? Even if you're mad at Jasper, no need to punish yourself like this."

I didn't say a word. Some teen on the sidewalk handed me the flyer—looked frozen, so I took it to be nice.

But when I didn't answer and kept clutching it, Natalie's smile grew even smugger.

"If you'd said something, maybe I could've helped. We're all family, right? If you're doing okay, then Jasper and Nathan can have a better life. That would really put me at ease."

To them, my silence was all the confirmation they needed.

Jasper looked confused at first—then straight-up disgusted.

His mouth tightened, eyes cold.

"What's there to help with? She's the one who walked away from a killer doctor gig. If she ends up broke, that's on her."

Then he turned to me.

"Emily, really? All this just to guilt me into giving up my kid? You've hit a new low."

I stared at him—this guy I used to know—and felt like I was looking at a complete stranger.

I remembered when we first got married, when I thought about quitting medicine because work was toxic.

He pulled me into his arms and said, "We're a team. Whatever you choose, I've got you. So what if you quit? I'll always be here."

Now? He stood by and let someone else tear me down.

He'd tossed those promises—and everything we had—like they meant nothing.

Even Raymond and Josephine were sneering.

"Emily, you're like a hen that can't lay eggs. Always off doing who-knows-what. How could you ever compete with Natalie?"

"Honestly, no wonder Jasper moved on. You're just not that appealing."

Their voices got louder, uglier. People on the street started staring.

My fists clenched. Nails digging deep into my palms.

I was just about to say something when Natalie stepped in closer.

"We're off to take a family photo. You should come, Emily. I'll be counting on you to help with Jasper and Nathan."

I looked at her, dead silent.

Jasper pulled her close and scoffed.

"Natalie, I know you're trying, but she's not gonna get it."

Then he looked at me.

"What's with the face? Show up or don't—just know you'd wreck the whole vibe."

He turned and led her toward the photo studio.

"We'll get going. Don't let us mess up your job hunt," Natalie chirped.

She gave me one last smug glance before they walked off.

I watched them go—and felt nothing.

To everyone else, they looked picture-perfect.

If that's what Jasper wanted, I had no reason to stop him.

***

Three days before I was set to bounce, Dr. Steinbeck—our hospital director—hit me up.

Dr. Holgate—the specialist I'd asked about—was in Crenova for some forum. Said he could take a look at Josephine's asthma.

She'd been fighting it forever. It was chill most days, but when it flared? Total nightmare. I'd been the one keeping it under control this whole time.

Even while I was overseas, I had friends pulling case studies for me.

No matter what went down, we had years of history. Once this was over, I'd owe them nothing.

But the second Josephine heard "hospital," her face iced over.

"Why the hell would I go to a hospital? Just 'cause I scolded you, now you're wishing me dead? How can you be so cruel? My last check-up said I was totally fine. What's the point?"

I said, "There's a top asthma specialist, Dr. Holgate, in town today. It's just a follow-up—"

She chucked her cup at me.

"Top specialist? Please. Like someone jobless like you could get in touch with a guy like that. You're always showing off! Look at Natalie—she stayed up all night just to book me with a real specialist. And where were you?"

She wouldn't shut up about Natalie. Always comparing, always dragging me down.

Didn't matter what I did—it was never enough.

As it hit me, I just gave a bitter smile. "If you don't wanna go, then don't."

Classic me—pushing too far. Again.

Then the banquet day rolled around.

I showed up late. The place was packed with relatives I couldn't even name. Felt like I'd walked into someone else's dream.

Honestly? The whole setup was fancier than my wedding to Jasper.

Right at the entrance, they'd hung this giant family pic—five of them, all grinning like it was the happiest story ever told.

Me? I was the footnote. The punchline.

The second the relatives saw me, the whispers kicked in. Didn't need to hear a word—everyone knew. There was another woman in the marriage of me and Jasper.

Aunt Nancy swooped in and grabbed my arm.

"Emily! When'd you get back? Jasper never said a word. And wait—when did you two have a baby? I heard you're getting promoted at hospital after studying abroad. Big things ahead, huh?"

I just nodded, kept quiet.

The way the relatives looked at Jasper said it all. Disgust, side-eyes, full-on judgment. I wasn't in that perfect little family photo. And the woman clinging to him all night? Yeah, that wasn't me.

Someone pointed Natalie out—feeding him dessert like they were a real couple.

"Emily, who's that?"

I gave a half-smile. "Jasper's new wife."

Every nearby relative—professional-level eavesdroppers—froze. Then the whispers hit like wildfire.

If his family wasn't keeping it low-key, why should I?

Right then, Jasper stepped up and grabbed the mic.

"Thanks for coming. Honestly, I never pictured myself as a dad. Thought I'd screw it up. But hearing my son cry for the first time? It hit me. That's when I understood what being a father really means."

Then he turned to me—eyes soft, like we were still something.

"And I owe it all to my wife."

Aunt Sophia, never one to whisper, jumped in. "Let the baby's mom say something! Where is she?"

Silence.

Every head turned, eyes ping-ponging between me and Natalie.

The answer was obvious. But Aunt Sophia had just dropped the mic straight into Jasper's lap.

One more moment and I'd be gone—ticket already booked.

I locked eyes with him. Then walked up, steady and slow.

His face drained as I reached for the mic.