Chapter 3

I smoked nearly two whole packs of cigarettes that night.

Even though there was an extra bed in her hospital room, I couldn't bear to lie down. I spent the entire night sitting on the cold steps of the stairwell, smoking one cigarette after another.

As soon as dawn broke, I called my mom.

I asked her to take the morning bus from her town to help look after Chloe.

By eight in the morning, my mom rushed into the hospital, her eyes red and puffy from crying on the way over.

My Aunt Clara had come along with her.

Chloe was still asleep.

I couldn't hide the truth about the baby, so I broke the news to my mom right there in the hallway.

"What?! My grandbaby is gone?!"

The moment she heard the news, my mom went completely pale. She swayed on her feet, nearly collapsing before Aunt Clara caught her by the arms.

"Oh God…"

"My poor grandbaby! What did our family do to deserve this curse?!"

Collapsing onto a waiting bench in the hallway, my mom broke down in gut-wrenching sobs.

Other patients poked their heads out of nearby rooms, whispering and watching the spectacle.

A nurse walked over from the station, sternly reminding us to keep our voices down so we wouldn't disturb the patients.

My head was pounding. All I could think about was that scumbag Mark.

It was almost eight-thirty. After telling Aunt Clara to keep an eye on things, I stormed out of the hospital and drove straight to Chloe's office.

Chloe and I had been married for three years. I had visited her workplace plenty of times.

Most of the people in her department knew who I was.

Today, though, the fury written across my face was terrifying.

The coworkers I bumped into in the hallway froze in shock, too intimidated to ask what was wrong.

"Where is that bastard Mark?!"

I searched the whole floor and couldn't find him.

Losing my patience, I grabbed a random guy by the collar, gritting my teeth. "Where are you hiding him?!"

"E-Ethan?! Are you looking for Mark? What happened?!"

The guy jumped out of his skin.

He stammered, pointing down the corridor, "Right when you walked in, I saw Mark darting toward the emergency exit!"

Guilty conscience!

Why else would he run the second he saw me?

"Fuck!"

"You think you can hide from me?!"

I shoved the guy aside and bolted toward the stairwell.

Unfortunately, fast as I was, I was still one step behind.

By the time I burst into the parking lot below, Mark had already peeled out in his sedan and vanished down the street.

From the looks of it, he wouldn't dare show his face at work for days. He’d probably take time off to lay low.

"Let's see how long you can hide, you coward!"

"You think you can just abandon your entire career?!"

Boiling with rage, I cursed under my breath, climbed back into my car, and drove back to the hospital.

The moment the elevator opened on Chloe's floor, my mom's screeching voice echoed down the hall. My stomach clenched, and I broke into a run toward the room.

A crowd of patients and nurses had already gathered outside Chloe's door.

My mom's shrill screams blasted through the open door, punctuated by Aunt Clara’s desperate attempts to quiet her down.

I pushed my way through the onlookers.

As soon as I reached the doorway, I saw my mom standing over Chloe’s hospital bed, one hand on her hip, the other pointing straight at Chloe, who had already woken up.

My mom was spewing venom:

"You shameless, filthy tramp! You were already carrying a child, and you still couldn't keep your legs shut?! Sneaking another man into the house the second my son went on night shift?!"

"Having your dirty fun until you bleed out like a pig—do you have no shame at all?!"

"My poor grandbaby! You butchered my grandchild for a cheap thrill!"

"Oh, God…"

"Now that my grandchild is gone, my life is ruined! I'll tear you apart myself!"

Overcome with hysterical grief, my mom shook off Aunt Clara's grip and lunged at Chloe with her nails bared…