Chapter 3
“Ugh.”
No sooner had I finished vomiting than the door was slammed open by
Ryan.
‘Sarah? Has the morning sickness gotten worse? I’ll make you something light right away!”
He moved fast and soon came in carrying a steaming homemade chicken
broth
He’d gone out of his way to learn this pregnancy–friendly dish from a Michelin chef.
To do it, he even turned down three big merger deals.
There was that hopeful look in his eyes like he expected me to throw myself into his arms just like before.
When I stayed cold and still, he froze for a moment.
Then, almost automatically, he began massaging my temples.
“Ryan,” I said suddenly.
“Is there something you’re hiding from me? Because if you are…
I thought back to the time I jumped out the window, and he caught me, breaking three ribs in the process.
I was giving him one last chance.
“What nonsense? You and the baby are my everything.”
J
Chapter 3
I watched his flawless act play out and couldn’t help but laugh at how
ridiculous it was.
Ryan studied my face carefully, then let out a soft laugh.
“I knew it. Every time you say stuff like that, it’s just so I’ll comfort you.”
He leaned in to kiss me.
Suddenly, thunder exploded outside the window. I instinctively curled deeper.
I hadn’t cried from thunder in years.
Since meeting Ryan, I thought I’d found a safe place to call home.
But now, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing out.
He wrapped me tightly. “Don’t be scared. I’m here.”
His arms were still warm, but I shivered all over.
Just then, a staff member hurried in and whispered something in Ryan’s
car
His face changed instantly, but he forced himself to stay calm.
“Don’t you see Sarah’s like this?”
He patted my back half–heartedly but kept glancing toward the door.
“Go to sleep. I’ll stay right here with you.”
Once he was sure I’d ‘fallen asleep,‘ he left without looking back.
My phone screen flickered in the dark.
Photos from Rachel kept coming, each worse than the last.
Chapter 3
Tangled sheets, Ryan’s bare, muscular back, and a wet bunny tail
costume.
The last voice message was filled with smug gasps.
“Sarah, since you got pregnant, Ryan hasn’t touched you. But he can’t keep his hands off me. I just gave him three rounds a little while ago.
“I hear he hasn’t named your baby yet. Our little one’s name is Jessie.”
At that moment, Rachel showed off a tattoo on her chest, matching Ryan’s ink exactly.
A deafening buzz filled my ears.
That night, when I stroked the “Sarah” tattoo on his chest and cried, the complicated look in his eyes wasn’t love. It was guilt.
Every time he called “Sarah” with all that passion, the name in his heart was someone else’s.
For three years, I’d been nothing but a colossal joke.
I sat there all night until dawn.
Finally, I answered the call I’d been waiting for.
“Fine. I agree to let you be the father of my baby. Let’s work together.”
0625
