I stared blankly at the receipt in my hand, lost in thought, when Ulysses suddenly burst into the bathroom.

Seeing the receipt in my hand, a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes.

"Don't get the wrong idea. The boss pissed off his wife and asked me to run an errand for him..."

His nervousness eased some of the disappointment in my heart.

I deliberately dragged out the end of my sentence, "Oh... is that so..."

"What else could it be!"

His face suddenly showed impatience, and the blame in his voice made me seem completely unreasonable.

In that moment, I suddenly realized that the man in front of me couldn't even be bothered to appease me anymore.

I had a restless night, tossing and turning, almost dreaming of the distant past.

I was cornered by a few bullies in the school bathroom.

So what if you're pretty? Look at those sneakers; they're falling apart, your big toe sticking out...

So what if you're smart? Even if you get into a prestigious school, you're still an unloved, unwanted loser...

Their sharp taunts and scornful gazes made me wish I could disappear into the ground.

I was tossed around like a human soccer ball, filled with panic, anger, and helplessness...

A hard kick between my legs sent me sprawling toward the sink!

"Ah..."

I sat up abruptly, cold sweat beading on my forehead, the remnants of the dream leaving me shaken.

"Another nightmare?"

Ulysses' voice was hoarse and filled with resignation as he pulled me into his arms, his hand habitually soothing my back with gentle, rhythmic pats.

In these moments, I felt that Ulysses did love me. Otherwise, why would he be so tender?

I shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel the lingering images from my mind.

"Heh, silly. It was just a dream..."

Seeing my foolish expression, Ulysses gently ruffled my hair. Just when I thought he would kiss and comfort me as he used to, waiting until I calmed down before holding me to sleep, he suddenly let go of me and turned his back.

His warmth still lingered on my body, but my heart felt painfully empty the moment he released me.

It was at this clear moment that I realized it wasn't his work that had a problem.

It was his feelings for me that had changed...

Not long ago, he was asking me about plans for our wedding, discussing details and preparations.

Why did everything change so suddenly?

I stared wide-eyed, feeling lost.

The thought of that dream brought back the old scars I thought I had buried deep, now threatening to reopen.

My family was well-off, both parents holding significant government positions.

Yet, I had never been valued much. Mainly because my parents heavily favored sons, and I was, unfortunately, the eldest daughter.

The less attention I received from my parents, the more fearful I became of them. Through my adolescent years, this had driven me to extreme self-doubt and timidity.

Ulysses appeared during that dark time. I had been pushed, my forehead hitting the edge of the sink.

Bloodied and dazed, I stumbled out of the bathroom, crashing into Ulysses who was just exiting the men's room.

Many chaotic memories have since blurred, but I distinctly recall Ulysses' frightened eyes and the warmth of his hand pressed against my wounded forehead.

Ulysses' presence was a beacon of light in my life.

Ulysses rescued me from a dark world, showing me the happiness of being valued.

We studied together, walked home together, and I became his loyal little sidekick.

I thought it would always be this way, but everything changed in our junior year when Katherine arrived.

She was warm, open, stunningly beautiful, and confident. Her quirky personality combined with top grades made every boy fall head over heels for her.

In no time, she became like a little sun, dazzling and mesmerizing, drawing everyone in.

And Ulysses, he was the most captivated of all. His budding love for her was painfully obvious.

As for me, from start to finish, I was just a spectator.

Katherine...

A sense of unease rippled through me, spreading like waves and keeping me wide awake.

Taking a deep breath, I recalled how she had promised never to come back when she left…

Maybe I was just overthinking.

I tried to comfort myself with this thought but still couldn’t sleep until dawn.

In the following days, Ulysses and I fell into a strange pattern.

I tried hard to stay close to him, but he grew more distant with each passing day.

Suddenly, Ulysses was busy all the time, too occupied to pick me up from work or listen to my office gossip.

He often came home just before dawn, completely exhausted.

I wanted to ask if he was having trouble at work, but he'd collapse into bed, falling into a deep sleep instantly.

One day, after dealing with a particularly difficult client, I felt dizzy and unsteady.

Sitting at my desk, I grabbed my phone and opened our WhatsApp chat, only to realize it had been a week since Ulysses and I had exchanged messages.

"Honey, I haven’t been feeling well lately. I want to go to the hospital for a check-up. Can you come with me?"

The stress from work combined with Ulysses' indifference had left me emotionally strained.

I felt tired every day, and a few mornings, I even felt nauseous.

Suddenly, I remembered my period was late this month.

When WhatsApp remained silent, I couldn't wait any longer and decided to take a cab straight to the hospital.

Just as I got out of the cab, my phone rang. It was Ulysses.

"Willa, can you make some seafood porridge and pack some pickled cucumbers for me? I need them in an hour."

His voice was brisk, and the call ended as abruptly as it began.

I looked at the hospital in front of me, then rushed back home, thinking of the urgency in his voice.

I quickly made the porridge, packed the pickles carefully, and glanced at the pregnancy test I had left on the entryway table.

With a mixture of nervousness and excitement, I went to the bathroom.

I thought if I was indeed pregnant, Ulysses' parents would surely start planning our wedding.

I had been looking forward to our wedding for a long time, but Ulysses…

My thoughts were interrupted when the test revealed two lines.

Just then, Ulysses burst through the door.

“Willa, did you get the food ready?”

I instinctively tossed the test into the trash and called out, "It's ready, in the kitchen."