Chapter 2
When I got back to my apartment, I slumped onto the couch, my hands trembling as I called home.
The moment I heard my mom's voice, the tears just started falling.
"Mom, I'll come home and do those blind dates," I said.
Mom was quiet for a moment.
"I take it you lost that bet?" she asked.
I forced a bitter smile. "Yeah, I lost. Lost big time."
Mom let out a sigh. "When are you coming back?" she asked.
"In three days," I replied.
I closed my eyes and lay back on the couch, my mind flooded with memories of William and me.
At our college graduation, we fell for each other at first sight.
Most people broke up after graduation, but for us, that was when our love story began.
Because of him, I turned down the blind dates my parents set up for me and stayed in this city.
After a year at work, William told me he wanted to start his own business.
Trusting him completely, I handed over all my savings and quit my job to support him.
In the early days, to save money, I wore every hat in the company. I was constantly on the move, pushing myself to be a jack-of-all-trades.
Three years later, the company was stable.
William told me, "I want you to take a step back and just focus on taking care of me at home."
So I quit the company and devoted myself to being a full-time homemaker, cooking for him every day.
He always treated me well.
There was a time when I truly believed our love ran that deep. I thought it was in our blood. I thought it would never change, not in this lifetime.
But the moment Cecilia came back, everything changed.
I was mindlessly scrolling through my phone.
Cecilia had posted something new on her feed.
It was a family photo of the three of them.
William had Alex in one arm, Cecilia's hand in the other. William had a blissful smile on his face.
The caption said: [Nothing beats being together as a family.]
As I stared at the photo, a dull ache spread through my chest.
Suddenly, my stomach churned.
I rushed to the bathroom, clutching the toilet as I vomited.
A foreboding feeling washed over me.
I grabbed a pregnancy test and took it.
Two pink lines.
I lost my grip, and the test slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor.
I slid down to the ground, my hand instinctively covering my stomach as tears streamed down my cheeks.
This baby couldn't have come at a worse time.
With shaking hands, I made an appointment for an abortion for the next morning.
*****
At the hospital, I sat in the hallway. The doctor kept urging me to go in, but I just couldn't make myself step into the operating room.
Then I heard familiar footsteps approaching from further.
I looked up and saw William carrying Alex into a nearby clinic room, with Cecilia following close behind.
Almost without thinking, I trailed after them.
Alex called out, "Daddy." William's face broke into a smile I'd never seen on him before.
Biting back my emotions, I stepped into the operating room.
Inside, the cold instruments went inside my body, down there.
The physical pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak inside me.
Tears slid down my cheeks.
When the procedure was finally over, I stepped out of the operating room and ran right into William, Cecilia, and Alex.
The smile on William's face vanished in an instant.
He demanded, "Yvette, were you following me?"
I gave a faint smile. "You're overthinking it."
"Then what are you doing here? Are you sick?" he asked.
"That's none of your business," I said.
I turned and strode away.
"Wait, are you sick?" William called out behind me.
He put Alex down and rushed after me.
Cecilia let out a sharp cry, sounding frantic and pinched Alex's arm.
Alex started wailing loudly.
"William, hurry up. Alex's crying for his dad!" Cecilia called out.
The footsteps behind me stopped for a moment, then began to get distant.
I knew William had gone back to hold Alex.
At that moment, it felt like my heart had finally gone numb.