Chapter 2

The concern in their eyes wasn't fake in the slightest.

Chloe's eyes were even red-rimmed.

But when Liam's hand brushed my cheek, and he asked me so tenderly, I clearly saw a fleeting flicker of heartbreak and forced composure in Chloe's eyes.

I never noticed it before.

Now, it was so glaringly obvious.

The cold words from the letters crashed into my mind again.

"Chloe, I'm going to propose to Alice tomorrow."

"I know this is selfish, and unfair to you. But Alice... she needs me more. She's too lonely."

"And you, Chloe, you will always be the one I love most, my best comrade, the one I can trust with my life."

"If there's a next life, I promise I'll marry you."

At the end of the letter, there was a dark, irregular stain.

Like the mark of dried tears.

That must have been tears.

I once believed marrying Liam was the greatest fortune of my life.

I thought his kindness was genuine, born of love for me. I never imagined it was all just a cruel act of pity.

How benevolent, yet how utterly ruthless.

A strong, metallic tang rose in my throat, which I frantically swallowed down.

I doubled over, dry-heaving violently.

But nothing came up, only cold, sour bile burning my esophagus.

My baby seemed startled, kicking even harder.

A tearing, dull pain erupted from my lower abdomen, swiftly engulfing my entire body.

"Alice!"

"Honey!"

Chaos. A blur of motion.

Liam's arms, holding me, were rigid as iron.

Chloe's sobbing voice drifted in and out.

A warm dampness spread beneath me.

The cold hallway of the military hospital, stark white lights flashing across my vision.

I don't know how long passed before the doctor removed his gloves.

"I'm sorry, the fetal heartbeat has stopped. Sudden, severe intrauterine distress, leading to violent contractions... we couldn't save the baby."

The baby.

Couldn't save.

Those three words, so light and airy, yet they sucked the last shred of strength and warmth from my body.

Chloe's and Liam's voices, broken with grief, echoed in my ears.

"Honey, it's okay... we'll have a second, a third baby later."

"Yes, Alice, don't be scared. Once you've recovered, you'll have another one."

They sounded so pained, so genuine.

I just lay there, my eyes open, my mind replaying not the words on the letters, but much older memories.