Chapter 3
So, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I called Raymond right away.
But the moment he picked up, Raymond cut me off, sounding annoyed. "I told you I'm busy. Why do you keep calling? Can't you live without me?"
We hadn't seen each other in almost half a year. He was always busy, always traveling for work, always tied up with business.
We hadn't talked for nearly two weeks when I called him.
Before I could even get a word in, a sweet, flirty voice came through the phone.
"Raymond, are you done yet? The movie's about to start," she said.
I couldn't remember how I felt at that moment.
All I remember was my mind going completely blank as I drove all over town, hitting up every theater I could find.
I was driving way too fast, and almost lost control of the car more than once.
Finally, I found them at a theater not far from his office, wrapped up in each other's arms.
Raymond wasn't too busy for me. He was just busy hanging out at the movies with Tessa.
My headlights suddenly lit up, catching the panic on their faces.
That night, Raymond and I quarreled like never before.
Blood flowed down my legs but Raymond left without so much as a glance back.
Of course, I lost the baby.
From that moment on, the rift between us just kept growing wider.
Some things, once broken, could never be fixed. Some mistakes simply couldn't be undone.
*****
Night fell, and the city came alive with neon lights.
The fountain in the city center was decked out in dazzling lights, cordoned off from the crowd.
Young Raymond and I could only watch from the steps.
The proposal was grand and extravagant.
Tessa stood under the lights, moved to tears.
Raymond got down on one knee, and the two of them looked into each other's eyes, totally lost in the moment.
Anyone could see they were head over heels for each other.
Young Raymond stood there, completely stiff, eyes glued to the scene.
When the two finally kissed, I quietly made my way down the steps.
Watching any more just felt pointless.
Young Raymond sat in the passenger seat, not saying a word.
When we got home, he finally spoke up. "He's cheating on you in front of everyone. Does no one know you and him are married?"
My hand paused on the car door.
"You said we should wait for the right moment to go public," I replied. "But now, I guess there's no point in making it official anymore.""But now, I guess there's no point in making it official anymore."
Young Raymond kept his head down, looking completely crushed.
When we got home, I crouched down and started cleaning up the mess I'd created over the last few weeks.
Young Raymond looked pale as a ghost as he crouched down beside me, his hand shaking as he tried to reach out.
But his hand froze midway. "Is your wrist hurt because of me?"
"Yeah," I said.
His voice was rough and shaky, barely holding it together. "Does it hurt?"
I answered softly, "No, I was too heartbroken to even feel the pain."
I lifted my wrist, my fingers gently brushing over it. "The cuts always healed up quickly, so I can't even remember if they hurt or not."
Raymond's eyes went red.
I said, "Bet you're pretty disappointed my dad didn't beat me to death back then.
"If he had, then you wouldn't have to go through all this hassle to divorce me now. And you wouldn't have to split everything with me."
No matter what, I still felt bitter.
But after ten years together, even if I ended up hurt and miserable, it was hard to just let it all go.
I would be lying if I said I didn't hate him.
Young Raymond just stood there, shoulders drooping, lost and silent, staring at the floor.
As I cleaned up the mess bit by bit, memories started fading from my mind.
Suddenly, I realized Raymond was nothing special after all.
Back when I caught him cheating, it felt like my whole world had collapsed. But looking back now, it wasn't as earth-shattering as I thought.
Getting over it sometimes just took an instant.
Maybe I hadn't done any physical work in forever, but after cleaning up the place, I finally got some real sleep for the first time in ages.
When I woke up again, someone was banging on the front door loudly.
Raymond was standing outside, his face gloomy.
"It's him," I said to young Raymond. And by "him," I meant the Raymond from the current timeline.
I told young Raymond to head back to his room.
His existence was just too unbelievable. If anyone found out, they'd probably think he was a monster and try to haul him off.
Raymond had obviously been waiting for quite a while. There was impatience written all over his face.
As soon as I opened the door, he started to step inside.
I blocked him at the threshold.
"If you've got something to say, say it here. No need to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings," I said.
He tugged at his tie, his brow furrowed.
"I saw you yesterday," Raymond said, getting straight to the point. "Since you already know, I'm not going to waste your time.
"I'm going to marry Tessa. Just sign the divorce papers, and let's part ways without any drama."
I let out a cold laugh. "Like I said, I'll divorce you, but I want half the assets and half the company shares."
At this point, that was all I could cling to.
Raymond and I were together for ten years.
I stood by him from the very beginning, always cleaning up his messes and making sure everything was taken care of.