Chapter 2
"The baby's... gone."
He froze right there.
His composed face crumbled into nothing but panic and helplessness.
I choked back the hatred surging inside me, but the veins in my hand still bulged as I gripped the edge of the blanket.
I gazed out at the thick, unyielding darkness beyond the window, not wanting to utter a single word.
His face blanched.
Moments later, with reddened eyes, he dropped to a half-crouch in front of me and started explaining.
"Last night, Susana went into labor—no one was with her, and I was scared something might go wrong.
"As her attorney, I couldn't just abandon her.
"Once she's back on her feet, we'll head straight to get the marriage license! Don't worry, we'll have more kids down the line."
His eyes, tinged with red, fluttered beneath long lashes as his thin lips moved.
Back in college, Ervin was the heartthrob every girl on campus swooned over—so much so that I'd patiently waited these three years without the official papers.
I used to go soft the second I saw him like this.
But now...
I felt oddly numb.
"If you're not up for the spicy food, how about I take you out for something milder?"
He tugged at my arm and led me out.
In the passenger seat, he leaned over to fasten my seatbelt.
That was when a pink bra with strawberry prints got caught and poked out.
Ervin's face went ashen.
"Susana's pregnant—she said it was too uncomfortable, and she couldn't find anywhere to change..."
I didn't react.
But he swallowed hard, nerves kicking in, and shot me a glance.
"Her case is almost over. Next week—Monday morning—we'll go get the license without fail."
The car plunged into dead silence.
Finally, he broke, his brow furrowing.
He fished out a cigarette, lit it up, and let the smoke curl around his growing impatience.
"Why the silent act? Did the baby die, or did you?
"Are you pissed or what? Can't you just say something?"
I forced a faint smirk.
Glancing at the "Susana Exclusive" label stuck right on my seat.
Last night, during my hospital stay after the miscarriage, a local viral post popped up on my feed.
The photo featured Susana with her swollen belly, surrounded by stacks of baby gear and a pint-sized BMW.
[Dump the loser, and you'll find someone way better.]
[My little girl's getting a matching BMW the second she's born. Where else do you score a godfather this generous?]
Yeah, generous all right.
Over these three years of marriage, I'd called in every favor for Ervin—once even pushing through a client dinner until my stomach literally perforated, all to snag him that major case.
I'd stood by him as he clawed his way from nothing to this, but I'd never once ridden in his BMW before.
Forget about him buying me a car.
Because Susana was due any minute, he could drop everything to be by her side, vanishing for three full days without a peep.
Right before I blacked out from the crash, I'd dialed him.
But the call connected just long enough for me to hear Susana's sobs—then he hung up cold.
The miscarriage and massive blood loss had left me beyond exhausted, and now I could feel a faint crimson haze creeping in again.
"You go on ahead. I'm heading home."
Ervin, clearly feeling guilty, trailed after me inside, snagged a blanket, and tucked it around me.
Then he bustled into the kitchen to whip up some oatmeal and slice fruit.
Ever the considerate one.
In our three years together, he'd always been this way—attentive to every detail.
Watching his back as he worked, I couldn't tell anymore which version was real: this one or the one from last night.
After he launched his own firm, the networking gigs piled up, but he'd still carve out time for me, whisk me away on outings.
That was, until he took on my best friend Susana's case—and suddenly, his face was everywhere in her social feeds.
The marriage license? Postponed time and again.
These three years—a total farce of a marriage.
All at once, I was done with it.
In the dead of night, he pulled me close and leaned in for a kiss, but I shoved him back, my face draining of color.
The ripping pain in my abdomen surged through my entire body.
"You okay? I'll get you to the hospital."
He snatched his coat off the rack and draped it over my shoulders.
Just then, his phone erupted in frantic vibrations, slicing through the quiet.
"Ervin, the baby's been wailing forever—I can't get her to settle, and standing this long has my incision bleeding. It hurts so bad."
The coat slid off my shoulder.
His face twisted.
"I told you to reach out if you needed anything. That wound's not healed yet—don't push yourself. Stay still! I'm on my way."
He shot me a quick look and explained, "Susana's incision might be infected. As her lawyer, it's my responsibility to make sure she's okay. Rest up—I'll take you for a check tomorrow."
"Take me to the hospital now."
I clung to his sleeve for dear life, the pain blurring my vision to black.
He wavered, stepping toward me, but then Susana flooded his phone with videos, her face streaked with tears like a storm.
Anxiety and concern creased his forehead in a flash.
He yanked his arm free with force, sending me sprawling to the floor.
I flailed for something to hold, but all I caught was his retreating back.
"Pretending to be sick just to guilt me into staying!