Chapter 2
It was true. I was pregnant.
I'd always dreamed of having a baby.
When I first found out, I tried giving Albert all kinds of hints—some subtle, some not so subtle.
"Do you like kids?" I asked.
He didn't even hesitate.
"Not really. They're a lot of trouble," he said flatly.
He looked at me, his brows furrowed.
"Are you asking because you want one now?" he asked.
His expression was so stern, I felt like a single "yes" would get me thrown out the door right then.
There was no way I was gonna admit I was pregnant.
I shook my head hard and said, "Nope, I can't stand kids. Plus, with a situation like ours, having a baby is totally out of the question."
It wasn't like we had a label or anything. I thought it was a pretty logical thing to say.
But for some reason, Albert suddenly got all worked up.
"What do you mean, 'a situation'?" he shot back. "So you wouldn't want to have my child?"
Honestly, the way he twisted my words was incredible.
So I just shot him a secret eye roll when he wasn't looking.
Next thing I knew, that jerk had me pinned to the bed again, no warning at all.
Thank god this baby was a tough little thing. Albert went at it like some kind of overcharged machine all night, and the little one still held on tight.
Honestly, that just made me more determined to keep this baby. No way was I giving up now.
So when Albert lost his memory and cut me loose, I grabbed the money and ran. Honestly, I was so thrilled that I barely had time to feel sad.
I had Felix handle the apartment paperwork that same day and moved in that very night.
I kicked off my pampered pregnancy life, enjoying every minute of it.
During the day, I'd go for walks, whip up tasty meals, and take on some freelance design work.
At night, I'd binge-watch dramas, vibe to music, and scroll through my feed, dropping likes and flirty comments on every cute guy I saw.
Life with Albert was never like this.
Albert always used to say that if I ever liked some hot guy's post, he'd make sure I paid for it in bed that night.
Sure, he was gorgeous and very skilled. I wasn't complaining about that part. But after too many rounds, my back would be screaming for a break.
So back then, I had to sneak peeks at cute guys online. Actually liking their posts? That was totally off-limits.
But now? I could scroll through 100 cute guys a day, liking their posts until my thumb went numb.
The money was in the bank. My mood was through the roof. I was living the dream. Honestly, life was perfect.
Life was so good that time just zipped by, and before I knew it, it was time for my prenatal checkup.
Just thinking about seeing the little one growing inside me filled me with sweetness.
I was so happy and excited that I barely noticed the little bit of worry sitting in the back of my mind.
*****
I never in a million years thought I'd run into Albert at a downtown hospital.
The waiting area was crowded, but I saw him immediately.
He had a bandage wrapped around his head and was rocking a blue-and-white striped hospital gown.
Probably because of his injury, his usual slick short hair had been shaved even shorter, giving him a crew cut.
But honestly, it didn't make him any less attractive. In fact, it sharpened his features, making him stand out even more. He was impossible to miss.
When his gaze swept over, I quickly ducked my head.
I could feel his eyes burning a hole into the top of my head. My mind was racing with questions.
Seriously, he was the heir to a fortune. After an accident, shouldn't he be recovering in some fancy private hospital or at least a top-tier one? What was he doing at this run-of-the-mill downtown hospital?
Just as I was cursing him in my head, his eyes finally looked away.
I risked a glance up, but his back had already disappeared into the crowd.
I patted my chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
It was fine. Everything was fine.
He'd got amnesia. He'd totally forgotten me. Even if he saw me, he wouldn't have a clue who I was. In his eyes, I was just another face in the crowd.
Still telling myself everything was fine, I made my way toward the maternity ward.