Chapter 1

1: 1

When my heart gave out, the hospital called Justin Vance, my emergency contact, over and over. Not once did he pick up.

Then, wheeled out of surgery after barely surviving, the first thing I saw was Justin running behind a new mother's hospital bed.

And Cecily Sullivan, my closest friend, was pressing a maternity bag into his arms.

As she turned, her eyes landed right on mine.

Cecily rushed over and pushed me away, her voice thin and unsteady.

"Davi, your heart's weak. Justin couldn't bear to put you through a pregnancy."

"So he found someone else to carry the baby. You… should be grateful to him."

Lying on the cold hospital bed, I suddenly remembered seven years ago, Justin down on one knee before me, holding out a diamond ring.

"Davi, I don't care if we never have kids. All I want is you."

So it turned out those promises, only I had ever taken them to heart.

1

"Davi, you're not well, don't get upset, whatever you do."

"That girl stayed with Justin three years, just to give him a child and repay what she owes. She wants nothing else."

"She's no threat to your place as Mrs. Vance."

Cecily held the hand with my IV line in it, comforting me with complete sincerity.

"Three years? Repay what she owes?"

"Yes! Martha's a college student. If it weren't to repay him for funding her, why would she follow Justin with no name and no title, and put herself through ten months of pregnancy to bear him a child?"

Cecily looked at me, a little puzzled.

"What exactly are you unhappy about? You're not well, you can't carry a child, and someone's willing to suffer through it for you. You should be glad."

The words jammed in my chest until I couldn't breathe.

Four years of college, plus three years of repaying him.

Which meant that the year Justin and I got married, the two of them already knew each other.

And back then I was lost in the joy of marrying the man I loved, completely in the dark.

I frowned and looked at Cecily.

"Glad?"

"My husband has a child with another woman, and I'm supposed to be glad?"

"Your heart's weak, so we all kept it from you, coaxed you, terrified you'd get hurt. Isn't that enough?"

Cecily's patience was draining away, bit by bit.

"Davina Henson! Think it through. I'm doing this for your own good!"

"You have no child, no one at your side. When even Justin's little bit of love runs out, what will you have left to live for?"

With that, Cecily slammed the door on her way out, leaving only the ticking of the monitor.

I pulled out my phone and opened Justin's profile, ready to confront him, but then his social media feed refreshed in front of me.

The photo showed three hands, stacked from smallest to largest.

The caption:

【Once I watched you grow up. Now we'll watch him grow up together.】

The comments were all friends we shared:

Old schoolmates, classmates, his good friend Adrian Caldwell, my best friend Cecily…

Adrian: Nice work, Jus! Now your life's complete!

Cecily: Martha's had it hard these three years. Don't you ever let her down.

Then a very familiar handle came into view.

It was my sister, Ebony Henson, the sister I'd raised with my own hands.

"Congrats, big bro! But my sister's not well, so you'll have to keep it from her."

My heart clenched, again and again, that long string of familiar names liking the post closing around me until I couldn't breathe, and the monitor let out a shrill, piercing alarm along with it.

Doctors and nurses came hurrying in.

"Davina! Davina! Where's your family?"

Remembering the countless missed emergency calls from ten hours ago, I opened my mouth.

"There's no…"

Before the words were out, blood surged over my lips in great mouthfuls.

By my ear, the doctor snapped out orders.

"Quick! Go borrow universal-type blood from Mr. Vance!"

"He stocked three bags for his wife's delivery. She and the baby are fine now, ask if they can send one over first…"

So he had known the surgery might kill me.

But seven years, and I'd walked to death's door more times than I could count.

Justin, with his universal-type blood, said the same thing every time:

"Davi, don't worry. Whenever you need me, I'm here."

And yet he never once set aside a single bag for me.

I closed my eyes and sank all the way into the dark.

When I opened them again, it was Justin's call that woke me.

That post had already been hidden from me.

His voice carried exhaustion, but not enough to hide the little lift of joy in it.

"Davi, I just got off the plane. Why all the calls?"

"You little glutton, is it because you know I brought you chocolates and you couldn't wait?"

"There's something urgent at the company, though. I'll have Adrian bring them home to you first."

I stared at the cold horizontal line on the screen and answered flatly.

"I'm not home. I'm in the hospital."

The line went quiet for a beat, then his voice came, quick, as if afraid I'd press further.

"I'm sorry, Davi, it's this flight, it was delayed so long. The moment I'm done here I'll come straight back to be with you."

In the background came the faint, thin cry of a baby, and a woman's low, soothing murmur.

He changed his tune at once, as if he'd been burned.

"But… since you can answer the phone, you must be all right. I'll have Adrian bring the gift over first. Once your mood lifts, your body will follow."

Before I could say anything, he'd already hung up in a rush.

Staring at the darkened screen, I suddenly remembered:

All these years, every time he traveled, the gifts he brought back came in twos.

Before, I'd always assumed they were little tokens for his secretary or a business partner, and never looked closer.

Only now did I understand: they were meant for another woman.