Nolan played the cherry stem kissing game with his assistant at the party, while I was vomiting due to morning sickness.

Even when I was vomiting blood, he still hugged the assistant tightly and refused to let go.

On the way home, we had a car accident.

As soon as I was put on the stretcher, Nolan pulled me down coldly:

"Don't waste medical resources, she needs medical treatment more."

After that, he lifted the crying assistant onto the stretcher.

After arriving at the hospital, everyone immediately rushed to the emergency room to protect the assistant.

Only I quietly walked to the gynecology reception desk:

"Hello, please help me arrange an abortion."

"I don't want the baby in my belly anymore."

1

The moment after I changed into the surgical gown, Nolan burst in angrily.

He threw a wedding ring at my face:

"Vivienne, who said you could give me this unlucky thing?"

Nolan didn't believe in superstitions.

Even the lucky charm I had prayed for with a thousand steps and kowtows was scorned by him and thrown into the fire.

Picking up the red string of fate on my body, I said calmly:

"I didn't give it to you."

Hearing this, the man immediately snatched the wedding ring back and eagerly put it on his wrist.I know the wedding ring was from Meadow.

The wish was to be with Nolan forever, just the two of us.

Thinking of this, I grabbed the man's hand.

Under his contemptuous and guarded gaze, I tightened the loose knot securely for him.

The excessively cold fingertips caused Nolan to lose focus momentarily.

He asked me why I was wearing a hospital gown.

I replied nonchalantly:

"I'm about to have a minor procedure."

Nolan's brow furrowed, about to scold me for my addiction to feigning illness.

The next second, he saw the nurse come in to draw my blood.

As he opened his mouth, about to ask the nurse what was wrong with me, his phone rang at the perfect moment.

It was a video call from Meadow.

The young girl whined coquettishly that the hospital was so scary at night~

Hearing this, the man left without even glancing at me, striding out quickly.

He bumped into the nurse, causing the needle to go askew and blood to spill out.

Hearing my groan of pain, the man didn't look back.

At this moment, the doctor walked in with the surgical consent form.

Ignoring all the risk disclosures, I signed my name without hesitation.

Half an hour later, the surgery was successful.I've just come off the operating table when I receive a message from Nolan:

[Waiting for me at the hospital entrance]

Outside, snow is falling heavily. Dressed in thin clothes, I sit on a plastic chair, waiting for a full two hours.

The man never shows up.

Two nurses pass by me, chatting and laughing about what they've seen in the ER:

"In all my years working here, I've never seen a man so devoted to his darling."

"You're right. He held and comforted her through all the exams. And when they found just a red mark on her leg, he immediately arranged for a helicopter transfer to a top-tier hospital."

Hearing this, I open our chat window and notice Nolan has changed his profile picture.

It's now a cartoon Nick Wilde wearing sunglasses.

A perfect match for Meadow's Judy Hopps.

I exit WhatsApp and open the flight booking app.

Due to the weather, the earliest flight home is two days from now.

I place the order, pay, and confirm the ticket.

I leave the hospital and head home alone.

At 3 AM, Nolan returns late and enters the bedroom, lying down beside me.

In the darkness, he reaches out to touch my pregnant belly.

I turn away, giving him my back.

Nolan lets out an impatient sigh, gets up, and walks into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

In our nine years together, whenever he showed even the slightest hint of displeasure.I would burn with impatience, chasing after him and bowing my head to beg for reconciliation.

However, tonight, after showering, the man discovered that I remained lying motionless on the bed.

"Putting on an act," he scoffed.

Tossing those words out, Nolan left the master bedroom with a cold face, not returning again.

The next morning, I saw a wine glass stained with lipstick on the coffee table in the living room.

I didn't wake Nolan up like before, hysterically questioning him about this and that.

After leisurely frying an omelet, I had just sat down at the dining table when I heard Nolan, now awake, say:

"Don't wait for me for dinner tonight, the company has a business dinner."

The man opened the fridge, gulped down two mouthfuls of ice water, then suddenly found it strange that I hadn't nagged him about ice water being bad for his stomach, nor asked who would be at the dinner.

Through the kitchen glass, Nolan furrowed his brow as he looked at me:

"Vivienne, are you even listening to me?"

Swallowing the food in my mouth, I hummed in acknowledgment and continued eating.

Seeing this, the man tossed his black coat to me.

"Your birthday present," he said.

The perfumed coat with its sweet scent conveniently covered my flat stomach.

Under the man's watchful gaze, I fished out a small gift box from the coat pocket.

Opening the box revealed a diamond ring inside.

Before I could speak, Nolan snatched the ring back with a frown.

He said:

"You took the wrong one. Yours is in the other pocket."

In the other pocket was an emerald brooch.

I only glanced at it before handing it back to him.

Then I politely said:

"The brooch is beautiful, but I don't have any clothes worthy of it.

Besides, my birthday was three months ago. You should just give both to Meadow."

He was speechless for a good while.

Nolan reluctantly offered:

"There's a jewelry auction in a few days. You could come with me."

This was the first time the man had asked me to be his date.

For over half a year, Meadow had been accompanying him to various gatherings.

Even on yacht vacations with close friends, the two appeared arm-in-arm in group photos.

Recalling this, I found it all utterly pointless.

"No need. I don't want anything."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded:

"It's best if Meadow goes with you instead."My heartfelt words were met with the man's face instantly darkening:

"Vivienne, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror right now.

Take a good look at how ridiculous you look with that jealous wife face of yours."

In the past, if he had said this, I definitely would have gotten into a big argument with him.

But now, I couldn't be bothered to argue a single word.

Just as I was about to get up and return to my room, Nolan's phone rang.

It was Meadow's special ringtone.

The girl was crying her eyes out, saying she went out to take out the trash and forgot her key.

What should I do, Nolan?

"You silly girl, stay right where you are and don't wander off. I'll come bring you the key right now."

After hanging up, the man immediately headed for the door.

But I called out to stop him.

"The scarf you asked me to knit last week is finished and hanging on the coat rack. Don't forget to bring it to her."

Nolan's expression changed slightly.

His mouth twitched, as if he was about to say something.

But then Meadow sent another voice message.

Imitating a kitten's meow, she begged her master to bring a milk tea when he came.

With that, the man emptied the shopping bag hanging on the coat rack, put the scarf in, and left with an upturned corner of his mouth.

Glancing at the baby clothes discarded on the floor, I stood up and walked into the study.Ignoring the mahogany table adorned with a photo of Nolan and Meadow.

I reached purposefully for the safe, my objective clear.

I tried Nolan's birthday, then mine. No luck.

Next, I attempted our anniversary date. Still nothing.

Finally, I input Meadow's birthday.

The lock clicked open at last.

As I retrieved my documents from inside, two movie tickets fell out.

They were stubs from the film Nolan and I saw on our first date.

I tore the memories to shreds and tossed them in the trash.

I returned to the bedroom and began packing my personal belongings.

As evening fell, Nolan called, asking me to order a delivery service to send some documents for him.

Outside, the wind howled and snow swirled. I wrapped myself in a mink coat and ventured out personally.

Pushing open the restaurant door, I stumbled upon Nolan and Meadow sharing a toast.

My appearance caused the rowdy atmosphere in the restaurant to suddenly halt.

Nolan glanced at me sideways, clearly annoyed.

Others looked on with amusement, waiting for me to scream and throw a fit.

But to everyone's surprise, I wasn't angry at all.

Handing the documents to the man, I simply said:

"Could I borrow the car keys for a moment? I left something in your car."

Hearing this, Meadow pulled out a set of Porsche keys from her purse, stuck her tongue out at me, and said:

"I'm so sorry, sister-in-law~ I love sleeping in so much that I'm always late for work.

So Nolan gave me his car to drive."

"What sister-in-law? Don't call people that, silly girl."

Nolan gazed at Meadow adoringly as he wiped a drop of wine from the corner of her mouth.

Following the man's lead, I said:

"Mr. Sterling and I aren't married. Please don't misunderstand, Miss Bennett."As I finish speaking, I grab the keys and turn to leave, but Nolan unexpectedly grabs my arm, his face etched with confusion:

"Vivienne, ever since you got pregnant, the smell of alcohol makes you nauseous. How come today..."

Just as I'm about to respond, Meadow suddenly turns pale and clings to Nolan's arm:

"Big brother Nolan, you don't think Vivienne is going to the car to look for that pearl necklace, do you? Oh... but I, silly me, I've lost it. What are we going to do?"

The necklace Meadow mentions is a family heirloom from my grandmother.

I hear Nolan gently consoling Meadow, saying it's just a cheap necklace, and if it's lost, it's lost - no need to dwell on it.

I set down the car keys and look at Meadow, my face betraying no emotion:

"He's right. It's just a cheap necklace I've had for nine years. If you like it so much, consider it yours."

As I walk out of the restaurant about to hail a cab, the man catches up to me.

He shoves a takeout container of fish porridge into my hands, his tone condescending:

"Tomorrow's your prenatal check-up. I'll go with you."

I lie without hesitation:

"You've got the date wrong. The check-up is the day after tomorrow."

Nolan starts to argue, but then he catches sight of Meadow standing in the doorway of the restaurant.He immediately turned back, took her hand, and warmed it with his breath.

As I watched them return to the restaurant, I fed my fish porridge to a stray cat, being someone who never eats fish, then went home.

That night, the man didn't come home at all.

And I didn't call him even once.

At five in the afternoon, just as I put on my coat, Nolan suddenly came home and took me to his car.

Inside the Jis' family estate, Nolan led me to stand before his parents:

"Mom, Dad, this is Vivienne."

After years of a long-distance relationship, Nolan finally brought me to meet his parents.

But my reaction greatly disappointed him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lee, I'm sorry but I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please excuse me for leaving."

As soon as I finished speaking, Nolan grabbed my wrist, squeezing it tightly.

"Mom, Dad, she's just joking with you. You can prepare dinner while I show her around."

The man forcibly pulled me up to the top floor bedroom, beginning what he called a tour.