Chapter 4

4: 4

"Why have you packed everything up?"

Dale opened the closet just as I was putting the last few clothes into the suitcase.

"Change of season."

"It's only April."

"Getting a head start."

He watched me for a moment, then reached over and pressed the lid shut.

"Still angry about the bracelet?"

"No."

"Last night I only lent it to her to wear."

"Mm."

"I've already made everything clear with Elaine."

Dale took the supplementary card out of his pocket and pressed it into my palm.

"The apartment lease ends at the end of the month, and I've got the card back."

"She agreed to that?"

"She cried about it."

He bent his head and kissed my brow.

"I promised her some compensation."

"How much?"

"Seventy thousand."

"On what grounds?"

"She was with me half a year. I can't just kick her out with nothing."

Dale's tone was matter-of-fact.

"I'm giving her the money to end it completely. After this, we'll live our life properly."

"And the post she put up?"

His hand stopped abruptly on my shoulder.

"What post?"

I pulled up the screenshot.

"This one."

Dale looked at it for a few seconds, his face barely changing.

"Plenty of people have scars on their hands."

"And the bank card?"

"The number wasn't even fully in frame."

"And that set of lingerie?"

"That style is common too."

He closed the image and handed the phone back to me.

"You can suspect me, fine, but you can't see one anonymous comment and pin it all on yourself."

"Why is the report number fake?"

"Who told you that?"

"The hospital."

Dale sat down on the edge of the bed and was silent for a long time.

When he finally spoke, his voice was a little hoarse.

"The report really wasn't from an official facility."

"The baby was healthy, wasn't it?"

"You can't put it that way."

"Dale, I only want a yes or a no."

"Ruby, screening results always carry a margin of error."

He took my hand. His palm was cold.

"Two of the markers were borderline at the time. The doctor said continuing the pregnancy could carry risks."

"Which doctor?"

"Is that the point?"

"The point is you forged a high-risk report."

"I was making the decision for you."

"Killing my baby for me?"

Dale's face went white for an instant.

"Don't use the word kill."

"Then what do you call it?"

"Terminating a pregnancy that might not have been healthy."

He lifted a hand and pressed it to his brow.

"Back then you threw up every day, couldn't eat, your legs cramped at night. The doctor said the risk would only climb later on."

"You were scared something would go wrong with the baby, and scared something would go wrong with you."

"Elaine only helped me see clearly that we couldn't destroy our life over one baby."

"What did she say?"

"She asked me, if the baby was born and needed care its whole life, what would you do?"

"She also said that between the fertility treatments and everything, you weren't like your old self anymore."

"So?"

"I want my wife back."

Dale pulled me into his arms again.

"Ruby, what I love is you, not your womb."

"Even without a baby, we can spend a lifetime together."

"But yesterday you were still saying you wanted to do another transfer."

"After you've truly recovered, we'll talk about it."

"When?"

"At least two years."

"And the remaining embryos?"

"Keep them frozen for now."

"The storage fee is about to expire."

"I'll renew it."

He answered too fast.

I stepped back out of his arms and dialed the fertility center.

"Hello, I'd like to check on the status of some frozen embryos."

The staff member confirmed my identity and asked me to hold.

Dale reached out and put his hand over the phone.

"Ruby, let's eat first."

"I've got you on speaker."

"Don't be like this."

"Didn't you say you'd renew the fee?"

The call connected again.

"Ms. Fox, your embryos are no longer in storage."

My nails dug into my palm.

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Gilbert applied to terminate storage three months ago. All three embryos have been processed according to procedure."

"I never signed anything."

"The application form carries the signatures of both spouses."

Dale reached for the phone.

I turned away from him, my eyes fixed on the call screen.

The staff member hesitated for a moment.

"Ms. Fox, Mr. Gilbert said at the time that you had just come out of surgery and couldn't come in."

"He submitted that confirmation form on your behalf."