Chapter 3
Traffic was crawling on the way to the hospital.
I was burning up, my head spinning.
Brian's phone kept buzzing.
I curled up in the passenger seat.
Every time I breathed, a sharp pain stabbed at my C-section scar, making it almost impossible to bear.
I reached out in a daze, trying to hold onto Brian's arm on the console.
But my hand found only empty space.
He'd finally answered the call.
A sweet, light female voice drifted through the speaker.
"I'm already here. Waiting for you," came a sweet voice.
After hanging up, Brian turned to look at me, sweat pouring down my face.
In the end, he pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"I have to deal with something urgent. The driver will be here soon to take you to the hospital," Brian said.
I wanted to shake my head, but I didn't even have the strength to move my neck.
Brian left without looking back.
The city lights smeared across the wet glass, blurring everything outside.
I could hear my own teeth chattering.
Suddenly, I realized that true awakening didn't come from growing up, but from the moment I became a mother.
The driver dropped me off at the hospital in the middle of the night.
After they hooked me up to an IV, I drifted off into a deep sleep.
When I opened my eyes the next morning, to my surprise, Brian was sitting by my bedside.
I thought he wouldn't come back.
When he saw me wake up, he rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"I went out of my way to get this for you," he said.
A limited-edition bracelet was sitting on the nightstand.
I knew this was his way of trying to smooth things over.
Whenever I got mad, he'd always try to make it up to me with gifts.
But this time, the gift didn't make me happy at all.
Seeing how uninterested I was, he finally gave in. "At the baby's Sip-and-See Party, I'll let you see the baby."
Honestly, I was barely holding myself together.
I didn't even feel like a mom yet.
But hearing him mention the baby made tears well up in my eyes.
Seeing me get teary-eyed, Brian's voice softened a little.
"Amy, don't worry about the baby. I'll make sure she gets the best early education, the top international schools, and a trust fund," he said.
"Thank you," I said.
My voice was calm, almost indifferent.
Things got awkward for a moment.
"Don't mention it," Brian replied.
He chuckled, teasing for once, "The baby's ours. With her tying us together, we're bound for life."
*****
After I was discharged, the doctor told me to take it easy and rest up.
But the day after I got home, a girl who looked strikingly similar to me rang the doorbell.
I opened the door and saw the face I'd seen in magazines.
She looked me up and down provocatively.
When her gaze landed on my maternity loungewear, she snickered.
Honestly, my sloppy appearance was worlds apart from her perfectly put-together look.
I'd had a paparazzo look into her background before.
She was Cathy Shultz, an heiress who graduated from a prestigious international university.
The Shultz family had some history with the Norton family, and most of their deals came through Norton Group.
Cathy kicked aside the slippers Fiona handed her, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "How does Mr. Norton put up with this place?"
The apartment was pretty small, and the hallway looked downright shabby.
When Brian and I were in the honeymoon phase, Brian wanted me to pick out a big house.
But I wanted to keep things low-key, so I settled for this place.
I gestured for her to sit down.
She ignored me and walked around the room.
Her eyes landed on the shoe cabinet's display area.
A pair of worn-out dance shoes sat right in the center.
Cathy sneered, "No point keeping old things around."
I let out a soft laugh.
That was the thing about being young. She didn't get that some old things were once treasured.
When Brian was courting me, he truly cared.
He'd cross cities and oceans, just to see me.
When my dance shoes fell apart during class, he sent me a brand new pair.
When I turned them down, he went ahead and donated thousands of pairs to everyone at school.
I was so broke I couldn't afford to eat, so he arranged for the cafeteria to give me free meals.
He always managed to solve my troubles before I said a word.
At the school's New Year's Eve party, I stood on stage wearing the pair of dance shoes Brian had given me.
The auditorium was old and run-down, with outdated equipment everywhere.
While performing, I lost my footing and tumbled from the stage.
As the crowd erupted in screams, Brian was the first to rush to my side.
His usual nonchalant smile disappeared, replaced by genuine concern in his eyes.
That was the day I became his girlfriend.
Cathy dropped herself onto the couch, arms folded across her chest.
"I'm not here to ask you to leave. I'm here to tell you," she said, her tone sharp. "Mr. Norton already agreed to be with me."
Fiona stepped in front of me with a broom, shielding me.
I gave Fiona's shoulder a reassuring pat, signaling her to calm down.
After that, I turned to Cathy, keeping my expression steady.
"So, did he promise to marry you?" I asked.