Chapter 4 · I Turned Off My Location, and Found His Secret

Chapter 4

As I turned to go back upstairs, Mark stepped into my path, reeking of liquor. I had no idea how long he had been waiting there, and he swayed toward me. "Liv, let's get back together, okay?"

Every muscle in my body went tight. "Mark, sober up."

He laughed out of nowhere. "Quit acting. I was in the stairwell and heard every word you two said this afternoon.

"I told you so. How long was Ethan going to want used goods like you? The minute the shine wore off, he married somebody else."

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist hard.

"Back then, Ethan beat me up and humiliated me because of you, and I never got to settle that with you. Now he doesn't want you anymore, so let's see who's got your back."

With the liquor driving him, he shoved a hand up under my shirt. My stomach heaved, and I threw him off with everything I had.

I kept one hand over my stomach and reached for the phone in my pocket with the other. All I had to do was call 911, and I would be safe.

Mark's face twisted. "You're pregnant? With Ethan's kid?"

He lunged at me like he had nothing to lose, and my phone went flying and lit up on the floor. The emergency SOS had gone off by accident, and it was calling Ethan.

I stared at it for a second. Three years earlier, when Ethan left, he had pressed this phone into my hand with red eyes.

"I had someone set up tracking and an SOS app on it. No matter how far away I am, the second I get the signal, I'll find you."

It rang once, then twice, and nobody picked up.

Mark had looked a little scared at first, but when he saw the call cut off, he let out a breath.

"Still waiting on Ethan? He married somebody else. You think he cares if you live or die?"

After that, he stopped holding back, and he shoved me hard.

The moment my lower back slammed into the railing, something in my belly dropped, and blood started running down my legs.

The drunken look drained out of Mark's face all at once.

I stared at the phone on the floor, and Claire's words from that afternoon came back to me.

"Ethan and I are at a cardiac surgery conference at Riverside Medical Center this week. If you want any kind of compensation, get in touch with me."

Ethan, who used to cross 4,959 miles to get to me, was right there in Riverside City, and he never came.

At my bedside in the hospital, the doctor looked grim. "I'm sorry. We couldn't save the baby."

I was quiet for a moment, then nodded. My face must have looked terrible, because a nurse wheeled me out for some air.

As we passed the OB-GYN wing, I spotted Ethan. He was crouched in front of Claire, tying her loose shoelace.

Claire laughed, tugging at him and shaking her head. "You've read the report three times. The baby's fine, really."

Ethan didn't look up. "It doesn't hurt to be careful."

The nurse behind me couldn't help whispering. "I'm so jealous. Dr. Hart was a wreck last night. Dr. Evans wasn't feeling well, so he carried her straight in for a checkup, and he's been here with her ever since."

So that was where he had been last night. I looked down at my empty belly, then looked away after a few seconds. "Let's go."

The doctor wanted me to stay at least one night for observation, but I signed myself out anyway, went home for my bags, and took a cab to the airport.

"Ma'am, where are you headed?"

I looked up at the departures board as it kept scrolling. After a long time, I pointed at the flight at the very top, the one about to close check-in. "That one."

The agent hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

While I waited to board, my phone started buzzing. I declined it several times, and then Ethan's messages started coming in, one after another.

Ethan: [There was an emergency surgery last night. I didn't see my phone.]

Ethan: [Building management says that animal Mark came looking for you last night. Are you hurt?]

Ethan: [Are the pregnancy test results on the table yours?]

The screen went quiet for a few seconds.

Ethan: [Olivia, let's get married, okay?]

Ethan: [Are you at the airport right now? Wait for me.]

I lowered my head and typed.

I sent: [Ethan, I went to Alstern. I was the one who shouted your name at the airport that day. Let's break up.]

The boarding call came over the speakers. I stood up and dropped the phone I had used for three years into the trash, and it kept buzzing in there, more frantic every time.

I pulled my suitcase through the gate and didn't look back. From then on, Ethan and I would be a whole world apart, and this time he would never find me.

Chapter 4

As I turned to go back upstairs, Mark stepped into my path, reeking of liquor. I had no idea how long he had been waiting there, and he swayed toward me. "Liv, let's get back together, okay?"

Every muscle in my body went tight. "Mark, sober up."

He laughed out of nowhere. "Quit acting. I was in the stairwell and heard every word you two said this afternoon.

"I told you so. How long was Ethan going to want used goods like you? The minute the shine wore off, he married somebody else."

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist hard.

"Back then, Ethan beat me up and humiliated me because of you, and I never got to settle that with you. Now he doesn't want you anymore, so let's see who's got your back."

With the liquor driving him, he shoved a hand up under my shirt. My stomach heaved, and I threw him off with everything I had.

I kept one hand over my stomach and reached for the phone in my pocket with the other. All I had to do was call 911, and I would be safe.

Mark's face twisted. "You're pregnant? With Ethan's kid?"

He lunged at me like he had nothing to lose, and my phone went flying and lit up on the floor. The emergency SOS had gone off by accident, and it was calling Ethan.

I stared at it for a second. Three years earlier, when Ethan left, he had pressed this phone into my hand with red eyes.

"I had someone set up tracking and an SOS app on it. No matter how far away I am, the second I get the signal, I'll find you."

It rang once, then twice, and nobody picked up.

Mark had looked a little scared at first, but when he saw the call cut off, he let out a breath.

"Still waiting on Ethan? He married somebody else. You think he cares if you live or die?"

After that, he stopped holding back, and he shoved me hard.

The moment my lower back slammed into the railing, something in my belly dropped, and blood started running down my legs.

The drunken look drained out of Mark's face all at once.

I stared at the phone on the floor, and Claire's words from that afternoon came back to me.

"Ethan and I are at a cardiac surgery conference at Riverside Medical Center this week. If you want any kind of compensation, get in touch with me."

Ethan, who used to cross 4,959 miles to get to me, was right there in Riverside City, and he never came.

At my bedside in the hospital, the doctor looked grim. "I'm sorry. We couldn't save the baby."

I was quiet for a moment, then nodded. My face must have looked terrible, because a nurse wheeled me out for some air.

As we passed the OB-GYN wing, I spotted Ethan. He was crouched in front of Claire, tying her loose shoelace.

Claire laughed, tugging at him and shaking her head. "You've read the report three times. The baby's fine, really."

Ethan didn't look up. "It doesn't hurt to be careful."

So that was where he had been last night. I looked down at my empty belly, then looked away after a few seconds. "Let's go."

The doctor wanted me to stay at least one night for observation, but I signed myself out anyway, went home for my bags, and took a cab to the airport.

"Ma'am, where are you headed?"

I looked up at the departures board as it kept scrolling. After a long time, I pointed at the flight at the very top, the one about to close check-in. "That one."

The agent hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

While I waited to board, my phone started buzzing. I declined it several times, and then Ethan's messages started coming in, one after another.

Ethan: [There was an emergency surgery last night. I didn't see my phone.]

Ethan: [Building management says that animal Mark came looking for you last night. Are you hurt?]

Ethan: [Are the pregnancy test results on the table yours?]

The screen went quiet for a few seconds.

Ethan: [Olivia, let's get married, okay?]

Ethan: [Are you at the airport right now? Wait for me.]

I lowered my head and typed.

I sent: [Ethan, I went to Alstern. I was the one who shouted your name at the airport that day. Let's break up.]

The boarding call came over the speakers. I stood up and dropped the phone I had used for three years into the trash, and it kept buzzing in there, more frantic every time.

I pulled my suitcase through the gate and didn't look back. From then on, Ethan and I would be a whole world apart, and this time he would never find me.