Chapter 1

The day before our wedding, I went to the clinic alone and quietly terminated the pregnancy.

In the hallway, I ran into a doctor I knew well. Her eyes went wide with shock.

"Summer? Just last week you were worrying your wedding gown wouldn't hide your bump. Why the sudden change of heart?" She glanced around. "Where's Ethan? He didn't come with you?"

I lowered my eyes, touching my slightly swollen belly. An overwhelming emptiness hollowed out my chest.

"He's busy."

I gave a bitter, humorless smile. "Downstairs. Helping his stepmother with her prenatal checkup."

The doctor blinked in sheer disbelief, completely struck dumb.

Right on cue, the private investigator I had hired came rushing up the stairs, panting as he handed me a sealed envelope.

"Miss Summer, the results are in. The stepmother's baby is Ethan's!"

The doctor’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. The shock in her expression instantly curdled into sheer, suffocating awkwardness.

She took an instinctive step backward, offering a stiff, dry chuckle. "Well, I'll let you handle your business, Summer. I have rounds to finish. Take care."

I didn't answer.

I opened the paternity test, flipping directly to the final conclusion on the last page:

*The tested individual is confirmed as the biological father of the fetus, with a probability of paternity greater than 99.99%.*

"Thank you," I murmured, my voice hollow. "I'll wire double your fee this afternoon."

The investigator thanked me profusely before turning to leave.

I didn't even have the strength left to nod.

Clutching my stomach, I walked numbly to the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the corridor.

From here, I could look straight down into the first-floor courtyard garden.

Ethan Hayes had his arm wrapped around Vivian, his late father's young widow. She was leaning heavily against his chest, her body practically melting into his.

They were laughing, whispering into each other's ears, looking for all the world like a pair of doting newlyweds.

I stood there, watching them through the glass, trembling so violently with pain that my bones ached.

Yet some stubborn, pathetic part of me still wanted to give him one last chance.

Staring at their cozy figures down below, I dialed Ethan's number.

The ringtone buzzed.

Down in the garden, Ethan glanced at his glowing screen. His brow furrowed in visible irritation.

He declined the call.

I called again. He declined it again.

On the third try, he finally answered.

Before I could even open my mouth, his harsh, impatient voice lashed through the receiver like a whip.

"Summer, what is wrong with you?"

"I told you I'm busy! I'm drowning in work, and you won't stop blowing up my phone! What is so damn urgent?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting to keep the tears out of my voice. "Ethan, I'm really not feeling well. Could you come with me for a checkup..."

Ethan let out an exasperated, heavy sigh.

"If you're sick, go see a doctor! Can't you take a driver or one of the maids with you? I'm running myself ragged at the office every single day. I don't have time to hold a pregnant woman's hand twenty-four-seven."

"Ethan, I—"

*Click.*

He hung up on me.

Down in the garden, the man who had just barked at me so cruelly turned back around, instantly melting into a tender, doting protector. He pulled Vivian closer, strolling leisurely through the flowers.

Nausea churned in my stomach, like a wave of bile threatening to choke me.

A cold shiver racked my body.

I looked at my reflection in the glass: a pale, hollow-eyed pregnant woman with tears streaming down her face.

She looked utterly pathetic.

Soft footsteps sounded behind me, followed by a nurse's gentle voice.

"Miss Summer, it's time for your procedure. If you aren't ready, we can still reschedule or cancel the appointment."

Her words snapped me out of my trance.

I messily wiped away the tears soaking my cheeks and turned around.

"No need," I said steadily.

"I've made up my mind. Take me in."

This child, and Ethan Hayes—

I didn't want either of them anymore.

The procedure was quick.

As the anesthesia wore off, a dull, throbbing ache spread through my lower abdomen.

I hadn't brought anyone with me, so I had to support myself against the wall, inching toward the exit one painful step at a time.

Just as I turned the corner toward the lobby, a shrill voice called out my name.

"Summer!"

I turned around.

Sure enough, it was Ethan's stepmother, Vivian.