Chapter 2
Elliot hurried over and crouched down in front of me, gently wiping away my tears, his tone soft and caring.
"What's wrong, Lina? Why are you crying? Did your husband mess up somehow?" Elliot asked, his voice full of worry, trying to joke a little to soothe me.
He looked so nervous, like he was utterly devoted to me. If I hadn't overheard those cruel words he said today, I would have been fooled by his flawless performance forever.
"I'm pregnant," I said, my voice trembling.
I looked up at him, searching his face for any sign of how he really felt.
Sure enough, a flicker of surprise flashed through Elliot's eyes, but he instantly put on an act of excitement and pulled me into a tight hug, as if he couldn't wait to celebrate.
"That's amazing, Lina! We're finally going to have our own baby," he exclaimed, his voice full of fake joy.
"I'll call the Fisher Group's hospital right now and get you the best doctor, someone who'll be with you every step of the way until you give birth," he added, sounding all too eager.
Watching his phony display, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.
I shoved him away forcefully, and he just stared, bewildered by my reaction.
"What's wrong, Lina? We're finally having a baby. Aren't you happy?" he asked, sounding truly baffled, as if he couldn't understand why I wasn't celebrating.
"I'm happy, but I'm just really tired," I replied, my voice flat and emotionless.
Seeing how tired I looked, Elliot squeezed my hand, his touch full of concern and a kind of aching sympathy.
"It's my fault, Lina. Getting pregnant must be really tough on you. I'll make sure to stick by your side more from now on," he said, voice soft and caring.
I let out a cold laugh in my mind. I was fed up with him, so I just nodded and headed back to my room to sleep.
I was honestly curious what his next move was in this little performance.
Soon after, Elliot trailed behind me into the bedroom.
The mattress dipped as he moved closer, then he wrapped his arms around me from behind, murmuring softly.
"Lina, do you want a boy or a girl? Personally, I hope it's a girl. If we have a daughter, I'll have two adorable, unique girls, and that'd make me the luckiest guy in the world," he said, his voice gentle and warm.
"What should we name her?" he mused aloud, clearly swept up in the idea.
None of Elliot's sweet words could reach me; my mind was completely consumed by thoughts of that other woman.
Maybe noticing my total lack of response, Elliot sensed the mood had soured and awkwardly went quiet.
Just then, his phone rang. He quickly got up and went out to the balcony to answer it.
I overheard him sweet-talking that woman, promising to buy her a new purse and something fancy, but making excuses about why he couldn't come over.
But she wouldn't let up. He was literally groveling, bending over backwards just to please her. It was honestly pathetic.
"Just behave, okay?" he said, clearly trying to calm her down.
"You know I love you, and I love our baby too," he murmured, trying to reassure her.
"She's been acting off all day, so I really need to stay home and look after her," he explained, sounding a bit fed up.
"Okay, babe, I'm coming right now—I'll be there to keep you company, alright?" Elliot pleaded, sounding absolutely desperate to please.
He hung up and came back from the balcony. I kept my eyes shut, refusing to even look at him.
I could feel his eyes lingering on me for a moment, but soon enough, he headed out.
As soon as he was gone, I opened my eyes. The moment I heard his car pull out, I jumped up, rushed to the garage, and hopped in my own car to follow him.
I tailed him to a fancy gated community. Since I had a place here too, I breezed right in without any trouble.
I watched as his car took a road I knew all too well, stopping right in front of a yellow villa.
He was actually keeping her here.
The Fisher Group put money into this fancy neighborhood, and back then, Elliot swore up and down he'd build me my own dream villa—a place that was supposed to be just for me.
Sure, it was technically mine, but I wasn't the one living there. Someone else got that honor.
Before long, the villa's door opened, and that woman in her strappy dress ran straight into his arms. Without a care for the world, the two of them melted together at the doorway, kissing passionately like nothing else mattered.
As I watched them, it felt like my heart was being crushed. I sat frozen in my car, silent tears soaking my cheeks as I counted all the years I'd wasted on Elliot. Maybe I'd never truly known him—not even once.
I was crying my heart out when suddenly someone tapped on my car window.
"Catalina? Is that really you?" a voice called from outside.
I wiped my tears, stunned, and stared at the guy in front of me, struggling to recognize him through my sadness.
"It's me—Benjamin Allen! We used to be neighbors when we were kids, remember?" he said, breaking into a wide grin.
Seeing me still lost in confusion, he puffed out his cheeks like a chipmunk, trying to jog my memory.
"Seriously, it's me—the chubby kid who used to follow you everywhere begging for candy!" Benjamin teased, flashing a big grin.
Suddenly, the image of a plump little boy popped into my mind, and his features overlapped with the man standing in front of me.
Benjamin just slipped right into my car like we were old friends, settling into the passenger seat. When he caught me staring at the villa up ahead, he couldn't help but keep the conversation rolling.
"That villa caught your eye, huh? Don't bother dreaming about it—it was claimed ages ago. When I bought my place here, someone had already moved in," Benjamin said offhandedly.
"Four or five years back, when I first got here, I thought that villa was pretty sweet, and you immediately popped into my head. But when I asked the property guys, they told me that place wasn't for sale—turns out it was set aside as a special gift for the Fisher Group's president to give his wife," Benjamin added.