Chapter 3
Andrew's body went rigid.
Nina was still snuggled up in his arms, pouting playfully. It took a while before Andrew finally came back to himself, his voice even trembling a bit.
Andrew asked, his voice shaking, "You're really pregnant? Don't lie to me."
Nina proudly pulled out the pregnancy test results from her bag and handed them to him.
"Three months already! This is a special surprise just for you," she said with a playful grin.
Andrew's tone softened instantly. "Why aren't you resting at home? What if you catch a chill or get sick?"
Nina, pushing her luck, twisted her body in a pouty, playful way, acting even more spoiled.
"I just missed you so much, and I wanted to tell you the good news right away. But you were mean to me just now! You owe me a whole day with you today, to make it up to me," she whined.
Andrew's expression turned icy. "I promised Charlotte I'd spend time with her. Stop acting up and head home on your own."
Nina wasn't about to give up. She latched onto his arm, then flashed open her coat, showing off the sexy, barely-there outfit she was wearing underneath.
"I even bought a bunch of naughty props, Andrew, babe. Aren't you curious to try them out with me?" she purred, her voice full of playful temptation.
Charlotte, hidden in the car parked behind them, could only watch as Andrew pulled Nina into his arms, his hands wandering freely over her body.
Soon, the two of them slipped into their car and drove off to a quiet, hidden spot nearby.
Next thing, the car started shaking like crazy.
Charlotte felt like a thousand needles were stabbing her heart, the pain so sharp she could barely catch her breath.
The man who had always been so composed and gentle with her was suddenly acting wild and reckless, throwing away all restraint just for a thrill, doing something like this out here in the middle of nowhere.
Back then, whenever they were together, Andrew was always tender and loving. Every moment of intimacy between them overflowed with affection and respect.
It was because of Andrew's four years of patient pursuit and attentive care that Charlotte finally fell for him and said yes to his proposal.
Four years of courtship, six years of marriage, a whole decade. Charlotte had always believed she knew Andrew better than anyone.
But now, watching this scene unfold, he felt like someone she'd never known before. Her heart turned to ice. The agony was suffocating.
After an hour, their car finally pulled away.
Charlotte shut her eyes tight, just wanting to block out that unbearable scene from her mind.
When she opened them again, she swallowed her anger and pain, started her car, and headed the other way from Andrew.
On the drive home, Charlotte felt numb, her mind replaying the image of Andrew gently touching Nina's belly.
That scene kept mixing with memories of herself, choking down those bitter birth control pills day after day.
She felt a wave of hurt rising inside. Before this, she could still lie to herself, thinking maybe Andrew just didn't want kids. That was why he made her take those pills.
But now, seeing how much he cared about Nina's baby, the way his eyes sparkled, the gentle way he touched her, there was no hiding how much he cherished that child.
Suddenly, Charlotte remembered what Andrew had said to her on the eve of their wedding, his voice full of tenderness.
"I know you grew up in a single-parent family and sometimes feel insecure, Charlotte. I promise I'll give you a real home. We'll have a child together, our little bundle of love, and the three of us will be so happy," he had said.
Now, looking back, all she could feel was bitter irony.
Andrew's love had been so short-lived. With such a cruel deception, he made her feel guilty for three whole years, always thinking she was the reason they never had a child.
Her phone suddenly buzzed. It was a text from Andrew, his words dripping with apology.
He wrote: [Babe, I'm sorry I can't go see the red leaves with you. Something urgent came up, and I have to go on a business trip. I'll be back first thing tomorrow to spend time with you.]
He added: [Your birthday's coming up soon. Just wait for the surprise I've got for you!]
Charlotte just couldn't wrap her head around it. If he'd stopped loving her, he should just ask for a divorce and get it over with.
She didn't know why he kept torturing each other and wasting both their time.
She wondered what Andrew was really up to.
Charlotte didn't want to think about it anymore.
Her birthday was coming up in two days. Normally, she'd just invite close family and friends, but this year, she was going all out, making it a huge, lively celebration.
It was her way of giving this soon-to-be-broken marriage one last, glamorous goodbye.
When Charlotte got home, she started digging through everything, searching for something.
Just as the maid walked in with a bowl of herbal medicine, Charlotte was clutching a stack of photos, pictures from all the trips she and Andrew had taken across the country over the past six years.
In every single shot, they were grinning, looking so blissfully happy, like nothing could ever go wrong.
As soon as the maid left, Charlotte dumped the photos into a basin and poured the herbal medicine right on top of them.
Watching the pictures soak and fall apart in the bitter liquid, her heart was a mess. In the end, she threw all those once-beautiful memories into the trash without looking back.
As Charlotte was going through the stuff Andrew had given her, she suddenly remembered something.