Elaisa's POV

My forehead slammed against the front seat, pain rippling through my belly. Tried lifting my head to call out, but all I saw was Russel protecting Ivy, holding her close as they got out of the car. He was calm, making calls to sort everything out.

It wasn’t until I crawled out of the backseat that he even noticed me. His eyes flickered with surprise, like he’d forgotten I was there. “My stomach... it hurts real bad,” I managed to say, my voice barely hanging on.

Just then, Ivy peeked out from Russel’s arms and spat, “Why is it every time you see me and Russ together, you find some way to steal his attention? Do you hate us being close that much?”

Now, there was a time when even the smallest scrape on me had Russel all worked up. He’d patch me up, tell me jokes, and stay with me until I was better. But today, standing there, sweat running cold down my face, he looked at me with disgust. “Elaisa, how much longer are you going to keep up this act?”

“I’m not...” The words barely came out of me. Even in the ambulance, Russel didn’t so much as look my way. My head throbbed, and my arm had a nasty cut from the glass. It needed stitches, and I could feel every single one because they couldn’t give me anything for the pain—not with a baby inside me.

The doctor, seeing me quiet and tough, shook her head. “You’re strong. Lucky for you, the baby’s alright,” she said, trying to soften the blow.

“Could you schedule a D&C procedure for me?” I asked, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

“You don’t want to keep it?” The doctor looked at me strangely. “You were cradling your stomach when you came in. I thought…”

In a hazy moment, I had pictured the old Russel sitting by my bedside, tears in his eyes, worried about me. So instinctively, I had tried to protect our baby. But reality hit hard; I knew that both the baby and I were nothing but a disgrace to Russel. We shouldn’t exist in his world.

The doctor told me I’d need a few days before the surgery, needed to recover a bit. So I left the hospital and took a long walk to apply for a visa. By the time I got back to Meyer's house, night had fallen. I figured Russel and Ivy would be out somewhere, watching fireworks and laughing like they always did.

But there he was, sitting on the couch, waiting like he had something on his mind. “You’re home late,” he said, his voice flat.

“The hospital was busy,” I mumbled, my eyes dropping like they always did when I lied. Russel used to see right through me, but this time, he just nodded, like he didn’t care enough to question it.

“I saved you some supper. Eat something, then call Ivy and apologize.”

I didn’t know what I was apologizing for, but if that’s what Russel wanted, I’d do it. Sitting at the table, I stared at the food—all of Ivy’s favorites, spicy and hot. I forced a few bites, but my eyes stung with tears from the heat.

Russel didn’t take kindly to seeing me cry. He got up, his face hardening, a rare flicker of anger in his eyes. “Elaisa, are you putting on another show? Can’t you stop ruining a good day for once?”

With my spoon and fork shaking, I shoveled food into my mouth, tears spilling down my cheeks. Russel watched me for a moment, then rummaged through the medicine cabinet and pulled out a fancy scar-removal cream he had bought for me long ago. Then, he tossed it on the table like it meant nothing.

“The Meyer family doesn’t owe you anything,” he said, his voice cold as winter wind. “Clean yourself up and don’t embarrass me at the wedding.”

I wanted to tell him it wouldn’t matter much longer. I wouldn’t be around to embarrass anyone soon. But before I could open my mouth, he’d already walked away, leaving me sitting there, alone with my thoughts.

Elaisa's POV

I cleared the table quietly, washed the dishes, and then made my way back to my room to pack. Didn’t take much time, really. There wasn’t a thing in the Meyer house that belonged to me anymore. I didn’t need anything, either. The only thing I grabbed was the little dress I’d worn when I first came here.

Back then, Russel said that the dress meant something special. He even had it framed and put it in a place of honor. But after Ivy showed up, it got tossed into a dusty corner, like it didn’t matter anymore, along with everything else it stood for.

Once my bags were packed, I lay on the bed, scrolling through flights. From the room next door, I could hear Russel and Ivy’s laughter and... other sounds I didn’t want to think about. I pulled the blanket over my head, trying to shut it out, but the light from my phone still burned my eyes.

The truth is, the Meyers had been good to me. Russel gave me the best ten years of my life. I owed him that much. I should leave quietly, not make things harder on him. But still... deep down, I wanted to see him as a groom, just once. I guess I needed that for my own peace. After that, I’d wish him well, disappear, and let him forget I ever existed.

The next morning, Ivy brought me a dress. She had her usual sweet smile, but I could feel the sharpness behind it. “I’m really sorry you got hurt,” she said, trying to sound genuine. “I talked Russ into throwing you a big birthday party. I thought it’d make it up to you.”

“Dressed up, okay? Russ wouldn’t want you looking all down on your special day,” she added.

I glanced at the dress she handed me. It was a plain white dress—cheap, compared to what I used to get. In the past, my birthday was a big deal for the Meyers. Russel always made sure it was perfect, no matter how busy he was. But now... I guess I shouldn’t have expected much.

“Thanks, Ivy—no, Auntie,” I said. She seemed pleased with that.

On my birthday, I dressed up anyway, slipping on the earrings my mother had made before she passed. There used to be a matching necklace, but it vanished when my family lost everything. Russel once promised he’d find it for me, no matter what.

As I rushed downstairs, I could hear the buzz of guests arriving. I lifted my dress, hurrying, but halfway down, I froze. This wasn’t my birthday party—it was Russel and Ivy’s engagement.

Ivy stood there in a dress just like mine, and around her neck was my necklace—the one that had gone missing. Every guest turned to look at me, and I could feel their judgment.

“Isn’t that the orphan the Meyers took in?” someone whispered. “Ungrateful, trying to steal Russel away from his fiancée, and she’s wearing the same dress. Shameless!”

“She’s been a wild one ever since she was a kid,” another guest said. “Look at her earrings. Bet she stole them from Mrs. Meyer. It’s a wonder the Meyers have tolerated her for this long.”

Those who once flattered me had all taken Ivy’s side. Their words stung, but I didn’t know what to say. I tried to stay calm, but my dress caught on something, and I tripped, falling hard in front of everyone.

Laughter filled the room. Then, Russel appeared, walking toward me. For a second, I thought maybe, just maybe, he’d help me up. But instead, he pulled off his jacket and threw it over my head.

“Take off the dress and get out,” he said, his voice cold as stone.

I tried to stand, but my ankle was throbbing. His hand hovered near mine, but before I could grab it, he pulled back.

“Elaisa,” he said, his tone dark and hard. “Don’t test my patience.”

Ivy stood beside him, wearing the necklace that was once mine. I could see the choice he’d made—he wasn’t on my side anymore. There was no point in fighting. Gritting my teeth, I picked myself up and limped back to my room.

The music downstairs kicked up, drifting through the walls. As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of Russel dancing with Ivy. The funny thing is, I was the one who’d taught him how to dance. Back then, he wasn’t as smooth as he is now.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and slammed the door behind me, trying to block out the noise. I thought I’d feel that familiar, gut-wrenching pain, but as I stared at the bright moon outside my window, I felt oddly calm.

When I first came to the Meyer family, I couldn’t sleep for days. Russel went out of his way to fix that. He planted a whole lavender field behind my room, and the mix of moonlight and lavender at night used to bring me peace. But now? Even with the same moonlight shining, my heart felt as empty as that garden, lifeless. Even the evening breeze couldn’t stir a thing in me anymore.

The next morning, I went to the hospital alone. The same doctor looked at my ankle and checked me over. After making sure I was fine, she went ahead and scheduled the D&C for later that afternoon.

While I sat in the waiting room, Russel called. There was a hint of concern in his voice.

“I heard from Auntie Alba you went to the hospital. Haven’t your injuries healed yet?” he asked.

“It wasn’t about my injuries, it was because of Ivy last night, she—” I started, but Russel cut me off.

“I know,” he said, “but she’s going to be my wife, your auntie soon. I have to support her.”

His words hit me like a punch. The Russel I knew—the one who would’ve fought the world for me—was long gone, replaced by someone I didn’t recognize. At that moment, I realized I didn’t owe him anything anymore. At least not emotionally. He was the one who wronged me first.

I let out a bitter laugh, my hand resting on my stomach. “Can you come to the hospital to see me?” I asked. No matter what, he was still the father of this baby. It felt right, in some way, for him to say goodbye too.

He hesitated. "I’ll come after this meeting."

After we hung up, I leaned back in my chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. Time seemed to crawl by, and it wasn’t until the nurse called my name that I snapped out of it. I thought about texting Russel to see if he was on his way, but when I unlocked my phone, I saw Ivy’s latest post with a caption: [Spent the whole day shopping, but the diamond ring wasn’t big enough. He just wants to give me the best of everything.]

I stared at the screen for a second, then liked her post. I wasn’t expecting anything from Russel anymore. Not after all this. With a sigh, I followed the nurse into the operating room.

The procedure went smoothly. And just like this baby, in a few days, I’d quietly disappear from Russel’s life for good.

The Meyer house was alive with wedding preparations, everyone hustling around like they had no time to breathe. Me? I stayed quiet in my room, keeping out of sight. Nobody wanted to see me, anyway.

On the wedding day, it was bustling, like a hive of bees. But in the middle of all that chaos, Russel came by my door. He didn’t come in, though. He just locked the door.

"Elaisa, this is for your own good," he said through the wood. "Ivy needs to feel at ease."

We stood there, me on one side of the locked door, him on the other. I looked through the crack and caught a glimpse of him in his groom’s suit. He looked sharp, dignified even, but not quite like the man I thought I knew.

I smiled, soft and sincere. "Russel, I hope you find happiness."

And I meant it. Didn’t matter who he was with. As long as he could be happy, I’d leave quietly, never show my face in his life again.

The whole Meyer clan was at this big wedding, everyone but me, locked away in this forgotten room.

When the noise finally faded, I broke the glass and left. Didn’t even look back. Ten years in that house, and not a thread of attachment tied me down.

I boarded the plane without a second thought. As we were about to take off, the person next to me started chatting. Just small talk, you know? But then they hit me with something that stopped me cold.

Russel had run off from the wedding!

“I heard that just before the wedding started, Mr. Meyer made a call, but no one answered. He got so anxious that he didn’t care about anything else and insisted on going home to check.”

“Mrs. Meyer wasn’t pleased of course and tried to stop him. But the two had a little argument, and Mr. Meyer actually left her and drove off!”

I sat there, stunned, listening to the gossip. Russel, who was always calm and cool-headed, had just run off on his wedding day? That didn’t seem like him at all.

Could it be… because of me?