Chapter 4

By the time I reached the hospital, I couldn't even stand straight from the pain.

The ER doctor looked at my ultrasound and blood test results, her face darkening.

"There's a high probability of an ectopic pregnancy rupture. You could bleed out at any moment. We need to admit you immediately and prepare for emergency surgery!"

I leaned against the chair in the examination room, my back soaked in cold sweat.

"Where is your family?" the doctor asked. "This kind of surgery requires emergency consent and someone to stay with you."

I was silent for a long time. Finally, I dialed Ethan's number.

It rang for a long time before he picked up.

In the background, I could hear Chloe's whiny, tearful voice. "Ethan, my foot is swelling up again. Come look at it..."

Ethan's voice instantly softened. "Don't move, babe. I'm coming."

I spoke into the receiver. "Ethan, come to the Medical Center."

His voice grew cold. "If you're really not feeling well, just let the doctors handle it. What good is me going there?"

"The doctor said I need next of kin to sign the consent form." My voice was so quiet I could barely hear myself. "I don't have any other family. I can only call you."

The other end went silent for two seconds. Then, a frustrated sigh came through the speaker.

"Avery, stop doing this. I know you're an orphan and grew up in a foster home, and I get that you have abandonment issues. But you can't use that to guilt-trip me every single time."

Those words felt like a needle stabbing straight into my eardrum.

I doubled over in pain, my vision going black.

The call was disconnected. I stared at the dark screen, my legs giving out.

He knew exactly how alone I was in this world, yet he used that very vulnerability as an excuse to push me away.

I braced myself against the wall, stood up, and scrolled through my contacts to a number I hadn't dialed in years.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Avery?"

My voice trembled with pain. "Can you come to the hospital?"

There was a brief silence, followed by the sound of a chair scraping back.

"Text me the address. I'm on my way."

...

That evening, Ethan took Chloe to a college reunion party.

After a few rounds of drinks, someone started a game of Truth or Dare, and the bottle spun and pointed at Ethan.

"Ethan, be honest. If Chloe hadn't gone abroad back then, would you two have been married by now?"

The room went quiet for a second, followed by a chorus of suggestive laughter.

Chloe leaned against his side, lowering her head with a smile. "Stop teasing, guys. Ethan's been married for three years."

Despite her words, her hand slid over his.

Ethan didn't pull away.

Someone yelled, "You're holding hands and telling us to stop teasing? Answer the question, Dr. Ethan!"

He raised his glass. "Next question."

The laughter grew louder.

Chloe took his phone, wanting to take a selfie. Her finger paused over the passcode screen.

It was still her birthday.

"You never changed the passcode," she whispered, her eyes curving as she leaned against his shoulder for a photo. "My back is still stiff. Block the angle for me."

Ethan frowned slightly but still turned his body to block the camera light for her.

Someone asked if they could post the picture on Instagram. He said casually, "Go ahead. My wife doesn't check my social media anyway."

He paused, then added, "She's been in a weird mood lately. Always complaining about not feeling well."

The laughter slowly died down.

A female colleague in the corner, Sarah, suddenly looked up. "Are you saying Avery is faking it?"

"Obviously."

Sarah's expression changed.

"But yesterday, I was at the Medical Center, and I saw Avery being rushed into the ER. A man was supporting her."

"The doctor said it was an ectopic pregnancy rupture. She was hemorrhaging. The guy who signed the consent form wasn't you."