Chapter 3

I said nothing, just looked at him quietly.

I wasn't even the least bit surprised anymore that he could say such a thing.

"You believe whatever Josephine says, don't you?"

Seeing that I was turning on Josephine, Chester spoke up, displeased.

"Is Nana wrong? I was away on a business trip a month and a half ago. How could you possibly be pregnant?"

"But the gestational age is counted from the start of my last period."

Chester's brow furrowed even deeper. "Even so, I don't want to gamble on those odds."

"Just get rid of it. We can always have another kid."

I laughed through my tears—laughing at how all my sacrifice over the years had become a joke.

Laughing that in his heart, my child and I still counted for less than a few idle words of curiosity from Josephine.

"Fine. Then I'll get rid of it."

"Now that's more like it." Chester softened his expression and patted my head. "I'll go have the doctor schedule the surgery right now."

"Don't be scared. It's just a minor surgery."

Hearing that, my expression went a little vacant.

I thought back to my senior year of high school, when I wanted to keep pace with Chester and get into the same university as him.

I piled excessive study on myself, and my stress shot up.

It ended with me developing thyroid nodules that had to be surgically removed.

That was the first surgery of my life, and I was terrified.

When Chester found out, he actually took time off to go with me for the surgery.

Back then, in front of the operating room, he'd said something similar.

"Don't be scared. It's just a minimally invasive surgery. You'll be fine soon."

His company back then freed me from my blind fear of surgery—yet today it casts a new shadow over me.

I lifted my hand and rested it gently on my belly, feeling the presence of this baby in the last little while I had.

I'm sorry, baby. Mommy can't keep you.

After Mommy leaves Daddy, if there's ever a chance in the future, come back into Mommy's belly again.

After the surgery, Chester planned to take me home, but Josephine suddenly hooked her arm through his and spoke in a sweet, wheedling tone.

"Chester, it's getting late. Take me home first, okay?"

"Today I helped you with your experiment, and I went along to your wife's surgery too. I'm worn out."

Chester hesitated, glancing at me. "But..."

Josephine waved her hand airily. "Oh come on, it's just a minor surgery, it's not like she's giving birth."

"I saved up my virginity all those years and gave it to you—you have to take responsibility!"

Chester let out a soft sigh, but the look in his eyes was clearly full of indulgence.

"All right, Little Eva, take a cab home on your own."

I leaned against the wall, barely staying on my feet. My body felt awful, but I still nodded numbly and said okay.

I watched Chester drive off with Josephine without a moment's hesitation.

I didn't go home. Instead I went to my ballet studio and decided to spend the night there.

After all, just thinking about that bed at home, still steeped so recently in the sordid scent of the two of them—

—I couldn't hold back the urge to gag.

I sat in the office, drafting a divorce agreement on the computer.

After printing it out, I signed my name and waited to hand it to Chester for his signature the next morning.

But not long after daybreak, I was jolted awake by messages in the work group chat.

When I opened it, they were all discussing something about me.

Teacher, is it true that you have a messy private life and are pregnant with some unknown man's child?