Chapter 3

Two days later, pain woke me at five in the morning.

The contractions were twelve minutes apart.

My doctor wanted me back at the hospital that day, but Celeste still had my car.

I called Callum.

It took him a long time to answer.

"What is it?"

"I need to go to the hospital."

"I am in a meeting."

I heard silverware clinking in the background.

Then Celeste's voice came through beside him.

"Callum, your coffee is getting cold."

He quickly covered the receiver.

I looked down at the clock.

It was 5:47 in the morning.

"Where are you having this meeting?"

"There is a breakfast meeting at the hotel."

"With Celeste?"

"Other people are here too."

He said it too quickly.

"Take a rideshare to the hospital. I will come when I am done."

I did not tell him my doctor had specifically said I could not go alone.

After hanging up, I sent Della my location.

Twenty-five minutes later, she appeared at my door in pajamas and a coat, without even taking the time to brush her hair.

Her face changed the moment she saw me bracing myself against the wall.

"Where is Callum?"

"In a meeting."

Della did not ask anything else.

On the way to the hospital, she gripped the steering wheel and kept her eyes on the road.

"Maeve, this is not the first time."

"I know."

"How many more excuses are you going to make for him?"

"None."

The doctor confirmed that my cervix had not dilated further, but exhaustion and stress were already taking a toll on my body.

A nurse handed me a form.

"Please confirm your emergency contact. If anything happens again, this is the person we will call first."

Callum's name was printed at the top.

I crossed it out.

Then I wrote Della's name and phone number beneath it.

My sister watched without trying to stop me or asking a single question.

She only covered my hand with hers.

Before leaving the hospital, I opened the vehicle tracking app to see where my car really was.

The blue dot rested beneath the Mercer Hotel.

Not at the office.

Not at the repair shop.

The car had entered the underground garage at eleven the night before and had not moved since. Callum was at the Mercer too.

I downloaded the driving history.

Then another message from Celeste appeared.

"Stop bothering him every time you feel a little uncomfortable. He was exhausted last night and barely slept."

I stared at the words for a long time before calling Callum.

"Celeste just texted me that you did not sleep last night."

"She is only worried about you."

"She also told me to stop bothering you."

"Maeve, I do not want to listen to you dissect every word she says."

"Then look at it. I will send you the screenshot."

"No."

His voice turned cold.

"Can you stop taking all your pregnancy anxiety out on her? You have already put her under enough pressure."

My finger froze against the screen.

Suddenly, I understood. No matter what Celeste said, he would never look.

Because as long as he refused to see it, I would always be the unreasonable one.

"Fine."

I ended the call and forwarded the hotel location and Celeste's message to my attorney.

Five minutes later, the attorney replied.

"Evidence received. The divorce papers can be delivered tomorrow afternoon."

Then I opened my patient profile on the hospital portal.

Under medical proxy, I revoked Callum's access to my records and his authority to participate in decisions about my delivery.

A confirmation warning appeared.

I pressed confirm.

This time, if something happened to me on the delivery table, Callum would not get another chance to make choices for me.