Chapter 2

That night, I slept in the guest room.

I heard footsteps outside the door for a long time.

More than once, I thought Daniel was going to knock.

He never did.

The next morning, I opened the door and walked out.

Several suitcases sat in the living room.

I gave a bitter laugh.

I really had been naive.

Everyone in our circle knew how much Daniel loved Maggie.

When Maggie had first started her internship, one of their business partners kept pressuring her to drink and tried to harass her.

She called Daniel for help.

Daniel beat the man unconscious and sent him to the hospital.

When it was me, all Daniel ever said was, “If you can’t handle alcohol, don’t go trying to prove something.”

Before we left, Daniel suddenly pulled a pair of flats from the shoe cabinet.

“Wear these.”

Then he added, “You’re pregnant. Stop wearing heels.”

I stared at the shoes, dazed.

In the past, a small act of kindness like that would have made me happy for days.

I would have treasured the moment.

Used it as proof that at least some part of him cared about me, that I wasn’t merely someone he’d settled for.

But now, I only nodded.

“Thank you.”

Daniel’s hand froze in midair.

He was about to say something when his phone rang.

After answering, his brow quickly furrowed, but his voice turned unusually gentle.

“Okay. I’ll come pick you up.”

I didn’t need to ask who was on the other end.

I lowered my eyes and adjusted the strap of my bag.

“If you have something to deal with, I can go to the hospital myself.”

He hung up.

“No need. Maggie has a prenatal appointment too. We’ll go together.”

I nodded.

On the way.

What a perfect phrase.

One woman was going for a prenatal checkup.

What was the other going for?

Same road.

Two completely different futures.

As the car left the neighborhood, I stared at the scenery sliding backward outside the window while nausea churned in my stomach.

Ten minutes later, the car pulled over.

Maggie stood by the curb with one hand braced against her lower back, her face pale.

Daniel immediately got out.

The two of them hugged tightly.

I turned my head away at once.

For some reason, the baby inside me kicked.

I looked down.

Maybe my baby could feel its mother hurting too.

Then Daniel opened the passenger door.

“Sit in the back.”

I looked at him.

When I didn’t move, his brows drew together and his voice hardened.

“Jessica. Get out.”

I forced down the nausea, unbuckled my seat belt, and moved into the back seat.

After Maggie got in, she turned and smiled at me.

“Jessica, Daniel told me about you.”

I said nothing.

The car started moving again.

Before long, Maggie pressed a hand to her chest and groaned softly.

“I feel awful.”

Daniel kept one hand on the wheel while reaching into the glove compartment with the other.

He took out a lemon candy, unwrapped it, and held it to Maggie’s lips.

“Suck on this.”

Maggie opened her mouth and took it, but she still hunched her shoulders in discomfort.

Daniel shifted closer to her.

“Lean on me. You’ll feel better.”

The car suddenly braked hard.

My head slammed into the back of the driver’s seat.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

Daniel glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

I swallowed the sting behind my eyes and leaned back, closing them.

The pain did nothing to stop the nausea.

I clenched my teeth and refused to make a sound.

Then Maggie’s spoiled voice drifted through the car.

“Daniel, I still feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“This baby is already giving us trouble. We’re going to have our hands full.”

“It’s fine. I’ll take good care of you and the baby.”

My fingers tightened around my bag.

This man, who had always been used to other people taking care of him, was promising to cook and do laundry for her.

Once, I had a stomach ulcer so bad I spent three days in the hospital.

Daniel gave me one word over the phone.

“Busy.”

Suddenly, I felt exhausted.

When we arrived at the hospital, Daniel and Maggie walked ahead side by side.

At the nurses’ station, I handed over my ID.

“Ms. Jessica, is the baby’s father here with you?”

I froze.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daniel’s hand pause over the form he was filling out.

“The father is dead.”

Daniel immediately put down his pen and started toward me.

Maggie stopped him, saying their appointment number was about to be called.

I stood there and watched them disappear down the obstetrics hallway.

Then I turned and walked alone toward the OB-GYN department.

Inside the exam room, the doctor studied my test results several times.

Finally, she looked up at me, her expression serious.

“There’s a problem with your uterus.”

“If you terminate this pregnancy, it may be very difficult for you to ever get pregnant again.”

I sat frozen for several seconds, fighting to keep my expression calm.

“Doctor, I don’t want the procedure yet.”