Chapter 2

No one but Andrew could stir such urgency in her.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Andrew posted something on his social media.

He uploaded a photo.

I zoomed in on the image to get a better look, and my legs almost buckled.

It was a pregnancy report.

And right there, under Patient Name, it said Anna Summers.

Pregnancy: Four weeks.

So, a month ago, Anna had already gone ahead with IVF and was carrying Andrew's baby.

She didn't say a single word to me about it, never asked what I thought.

So what was the point of her pushing me every day for my approval this past month?

Was it just so she could ease her conscience afterward?

All the strength drained out of me, and I just slid down to the floor.

It felt like something was squeezing my chest so tight I could barely breathe.

No wonder Anna was so excited earlier that she hung up the phone and bolted out the door.

She knew all along the IVF had worked; and she was already pregnant.

Right now, she was probably at the hospital, celebrating with Andrew.

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to say a single word.

The woman I'd loved for twelve years was pregnant with another man's child.

Just two months ago, she'd agreed to marry me, and now the wedding was just twenty days out.

The dress was chosen, the venue booked, and half the invitations had already been mailed.

All I could think about was that day, walking down the aisle with Anna, hand in hand.

Now, all of it was in vain.

My phone buzzed, pulling me back to reality.

I picked up without thinking.

Melanie Fisher's voice came on the line.

"Ethan, I heard you're getting married, but I just have to ask. Are you really not thinking about joining us at the institute?

"Professor Carter always regarded you as his best student. He wanted you to join the new drug project.

"Since you're getting married, he has made a special arrangement. Every six weeks you work, you'll get two weeks off to come home and be with your family," she said.

Six months ago, I heard George Carter was putting together a new research team overseas.

He called me himself and offered me a position.

But once I was in, I'd be totally off the grid—no contact with the outside world until the project wrapped up.

It could take just a few months, or drag on for two or three years.

I couldn't stand the idea of being away from Anna for that long, and the thought of losing her completely was just unbearable.

So I turned him down.

But now, that pregnancy report was all I could see in my mind.

Anna was already pregnant with another man's child.

She never gave a damn about our relationship or the wedding, so what was the point of going through with it anyway?

I gripped my phone tightly.

"Melanie, I'll join. No need for any special leave—just keep me on the regular schedule," I said.

Melanie's voice was practically bursting with excitement.

"That's fantastic! Professor Carter is going to be over the moon!" she exclaimed.

"So, when are you coming over? After the wedding? You could even squeeze in a honeymoon first," she suggested.

I said softly, "No need. I'll come on the wedding day."

After hanging up, my gaze fell on the calendar sitting on my desk.

The tenth of next month was marked with a big, bold circle in red marker.

Back then, it was just to remind myself how many days were left until the wedding, so I could plan everything.

Now, it was counting down to the day I'd walk away from Anna.

Twenty days left.

Just a final stretch for twelve years of love.

Twenty days from now, Anna, we'd have nothing left between us.

That night, Anna didn't come home.

I didn't call or text her.

Honestly, I didn't even need to ask. Andrew's social media post said everything.

After leaving the hospital that afternoon, Anna and Andrew went straight to his parents' house.

In the photo, Andrew's mom was holding Anna's hand, her face lit up with a gentle, loving smile.

Anna had her other hand resting gently on her belly, her smile so soft and tender.

We'd been together for five years.

She only came to my parents' house with me once, after she agreed to marry me.

My parents' house was just a half-hour drive from where she lived, but she'd never once gone there on her own in all that time.

She always said she just wasn't good with older folks, that it made her feel awkward.

Even that one time she visited with me, she acted like a total outsider, just going through the motions, nothing like the warmth she showed with Andrew's family in that photo.

I turned off my phone.

The next day, I got together with a few friends and told them the wedding was off.

Anna always thought weddings were just for show. She only agreed to a small ceremony after I kept insisting, and we only invited a handful of close friends.

They all knew how long I'd been in love with Anna, so when I told them it was canceled, they were completely floored.

David Brooks was the first to speak up.

"You've been after Anna for more than ten years, and now you're finally about to marry her. How can you just let her go?" he asked.

Did he truly believe I could walk away that easily?

Of course, I couldn't.

I spent twelve years going after her, waiting for her to finally say yes to marrying me.

Letting go of twelve years of love? That was not something you could just do overnight.

But honestly, this relationship was never equal from the very beginning.

I was always the one chasing after her, and she never once slowed down for me, not even for a moment.

It didn't bother me before. I figured that since she agreed to marry me, maybe with time, I'd finally find a place in her heart.

There would be a whole lifetime after the wedding. I could wait.

I could wait until the day she finally trusted me completely.

But ever since Andrew, her so-called hero, popped up half a year ago, everything changed.

That was when I realized Anna wasn't cold to everyone.

She could laugh so easily around Andrew, but she never gave me a genuine smile.