Chapter 4

Chloe Parker POV

The car started, and a glaring “Family Schedule Reminder” suddenly popped up on the navigation screen.

[3:00 p.m., Lily’s preschool follow-up meeting.]

[7:00 p.m., Olivia Bennett’s mother’s follow-up appointment.]

Those two sentences were like two loud slaps.

Our new-home appointment had been canceled, yet he had packed Olivia Bennett’s schedule full.

The driver noticed the strange atmosphere from the rearview mirror and quickly explained, “Ms. Parker, Mr. Lancaster actually cares about you a lot, and last night he even called me specifically to ask whether the caregiver had arrived...”

“Where was he last night?” I interrupted coldly.

The driver instantly shut up.

The car stopped at the villa. I entered my fingerprint, and when my gaze swept over the information on the access control screen, my movements abruptly froze.

Under the family members section, two names had appeared out of nowhere: Olivia Bennett and Lily.

My access was listed as “fiancée,” while Olivia Bennett’s access was marked as “temporary guardian contact.”

I pushed the door open, and the maid came out of the kitchen holding a glass of water. When she saw me, she panicked. “Ms. Parker! Why are you back today? Mr. Lancaster said you would stay in the hospital for a few more days, and I haven’t had time to clean up yet...”

I did not miss her guilty look, and I lifted my eyes toward the second floor.

The wall where our wedding photo had originally been planned was empty, and in its place was a new design draft titled “Child-Friendly Space Adjustments.”

Several storage boxes were piled by the study door, and inside them were a children’s dining chair and preschool enrollment materials.

A handwritten note from Ethan Lancaster lay pressed on the desk: [Pad the sharp corners, remove the glass table, and Olivia Bennett is bringing the child to see the place this weekend.]

Not a single thing belonged to me.

The maid followed behind me in a panic, sweat breaking out all over her forehead. “Ms. Parker, please don’t misunderstand! Mr. Lancaster said Ms. Bennett just returned from overseas and has nowhere to put her documents, so he recorded her access first for a couple of days and will delete it in a few days...”

“Has Olivia Bennett been here?” I turned to look at her.

The maid instantly fell silent.

I understood completely. I did not lose my temper, and only turned and walked into the primary bedroom.

Our engagement photo was still on the nightstand. In the photo, I smiled brightly, while Ethan Lancaster looked indifferent, and his hand was not even around me, only resting lightly behind my shoulder.

I used to think that was restraint, but now I knew it was distance.

I dragged my suitcase out of the closet.

“Ms. Parker! Where are you going?” The maid was frightened. “Mr. Lancaster said you haven’t recovered yet and can’t run around!”

“Back to my own place.”

As soon as I finished speaking, my phone screen lit up.

Ethan Lancaster sent a message: [Don’t run around. I’ll come back tonight and talk to you.]

I looked at that commanding line from above and coldly typed my reply: [Fine.]

I really did need to talk to him.

But it would definitely not be in this new home that had already been prepared for another woman.

Ethan Lancaster did not come back that night.

I waited until the lights outside the window went dark one by one, and the oatmeal porridge on the dining table cooled, was reheated, cooled again, and reheated again. I sat on the sofa with a coat around me, and waves of dull pain came up inside my body after the anesthesia had worn off.

Close to eleven, Ryan Carter called.

“Chloe, Ethan has something to do tonight.” Ryan Carter’s voice was much more cautious than during the day. “Olivia Bennett’s kid has a high fever and is making a fuss. Don’t wait for him, and rest early.”

I asked, “Did he ask you to call?”

Ryan Carter was silent for a moment. “His phone died.”

Leaning against the back of the sofa, I suddenly asked, “Ryan Carter, did you know I had a miscarriage?”