Chapter 2

I headed to the stairwell and made a call.

"Hello, I'd like to make some changes to my honeymoon trip scheduled for next week," I said.

I added, "Yes, please update all the bride's details to Rhea Smith."

After hanging up, I walked out of the stairwell and saw Leon standing right outside Rhea's hospital room.

He stood tall, watching the baby girl in the incubator with such warmth and tenderness in his eyes, and it was like he could melt a glacier.

He didn't move for a whole fifteen minutes.

"Rhea's boyfriend isn't here, but you seem awfully concerned about her," I said coolly.

Leon turned around, looking stunned for a second, then walked over quickly and pulled me into his arms.

He rested his head on my shoulder, his voice sounding so sad, "I just keep thinking, if our baby had been born, he would've been just as adorable."

My eyelashes fluttered, and I gripped his shirt a little tighter.

We had a baby, but lost it five months ago.

It was right after we registered our marriage, and we were getting ready for our wedding.

On our wedding day, Rhea, who was pregnant and battling depression, suddenly broke down and tried to throw herself off the roof. I rushed to save her, but fell from the rooftop myself.

Blood was everywhere. I lost our six-month-old baby, and I lost my uterus, too.

Leon's eyes were rimmed with tears as he held me tight, whispering the same words again and again.

He repeated, "Losing the baby is just how it is. Honestly, I'm not even into kids. As long as we have each other, that's enough for me."

He even got a vasectomy right away, just to prove he was serious about us.

After five months, I finally started to recover from losing our baby and began planning the wedding again.

Looking back, I realize that sacrificing my own child to save Rhea wasn't some act of kindness, but it just let her keep the trouble growing inside her.

That was my baby, six months growing inside me, and he never even got to open his eyes and see this world.

Just thinking about it made my nose tingle, and tears spilled over, dropping onto the cold floor.

A flicker of pain crossed Leon's eyes as he hugged me even tighter.

"Don't cry, honey. It's all my fault for bringing up the baby. I'm so sorry. I never should've mentioned it. I'm the worst," he said.

"Let's not dwell on it, okay? At least I'm still here, and we can still love each other," he added.

Did we really love each other?

I looked up at Leon, my eyes red and vision blurred by tears. I could barely make out his comforting smile.

My voice came out hoarse as I choked back a sob and asked, "Leon, do you really love me? Is it really just me? No one else?"

He cupped my face, his eyes gentle yet resolute. "Of course, honey. You're the only one I love."

I suddenly laughed, but with that laugh, my heart plummeted straight into the abyss.

Leon started to say something else.

Suddenly, we heard a sound from Rhea's room. She was awake.

He only paused for a second, tossed me a quick, "Your best friend's up. Let's go see her," then turned and hurried into the room.

Watching him rush off, so anxious, I couldn't help but remember all those moments when he'd drop everything just to be by my side, so full of love.

But when did he start dividing his heart, sharing his love with someone else?

Was it that first time I introduced him to Rhea, when they shook hands and laughed, talking about games I couldn't even follow?

Was it every time he came back from a business trip with two gifts, saying it was to please everyone in my circle, but always handing the prettier necklace to Rhea?

Or was it when I was six months pregnant and tried to call them both for my check-up, but their phones were both off at the same time?

I kept telling myself not to think about it, but I just couldn't help it. Every beat of my heart hurt like hell.

Finally, that little voice inside my head spoke up.

I decided to leave him for good.

After splashing cold water on my face and forcing myself to wake up, I walked over to the office of the hospital director, Malik Pearson.

"Natasha, what brings you here? Have you finally made up your mind about the transfer?" Malik asked, sounding genuinely curious.

As soon as he saw me, his face lit up, and he immediately set aside his papers, coming over with surprise.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm volunteering to transfer to Tastinburg. I want to further my training with the senior gynecology team there."

Malik looked genuinely thrilled, but then his face grew serious. "Are you sure about this? Once you get transferred, you might be stuck there for ten years, maybe longer."

"Didn't you and your husband just get married? Can he really handle a long-distance marriage?" he asked.

I pressed my lips together, my eyes steady. "I've made up my mind. Please give me three days. I'll sort out my marriage."

This transfer was basically a promotion in disguise.

Back then, I was so obsessed with love and wouldn't let anything, even my career, come between us.

But seeing my colleagues living their best lives, single and crushing it at work, it finally clicked for me.

Love was like a luxury item. It could lose its value at any moment. Only real skills were the kind of currency that never went out of style.

There were just three days left until I moved to Tastinburg.