Chapter 4
Finally, I just couldn't take it anymore.
That day, when Jason said he was working late again, I called Valerie straight away.
"Hey, Valerie, are you busy?" I asked.
"Nope, just watching TV at home. What's up?" she replied.
"I miss you. Could you come over and keep me company? Jason's working late again, and honestly, being alone in the house kind of freaks me out," I said.
There was a pause on the other end. "Uh... Sorry, it's just not a good time today. Can we do it another day?"
"Why not?" I pressed.
"I... I'm supposed to meet a friend for dinner," she said.
"What friend? Do I know them?" I asked.
"No, you don't know them. Just someone I used to work with," Valerie answered, her voice a little shaky. "I really have to go. My friend's kind of rushing me now."
After hanging up, I let out a cold laugh.
Colleague? I didn't know she had a colleague called Jason.
That night, Jason came home really late, and he smelled super strong of perfume.
"Why'd you get home so late?" I asked him.
"Client wanted to hit up a bar, so I couldn't really refuse," he said, looking away from me. "Go to bed early. Don't wait up."
"Alright," I nodded. "Oh, and Valerie was super busy today too. She said she was meeting up with a coworker for dinner."
Jason paused mid-movement. "Oh, is that so?"
"Funny how you're both so busy tonight," I added.
"Yeah, what a coincidence," he chuckled awkwardly and hurried off to the bathroom.
Seeing him so flustered, I could barely keep my fury in check.
Still, I swallowed it down.
The time was not yet ripe. When the moment's right, I'd make sure they both get a payback they'll never forget.
When I was four months pregnant, I made up my mind.
I was going to see for myself what they were really up to.
That day, Jason said he was working late again. The moment he left, I slipped out and started tailing him.
This time, they decided to meet up at some fancy private club.
I bribed a waiter and got the info—they were holed up in room 208.
"Mind letting me take a look?" I asked, slipping him a stack of cash. "I think my husband's cheating on me."
The waiter shot me a sympathetic glance and quietly led me through the service corridor right up to their door.
Through the crack of the door, I saw a scene that I would never forget.
Jason and Valerie were wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing passionately like nothing else in the world mattered.
"Babe, I've missed you so much," Jason whispered with a tender voice that I'd never once heard.
"I miss you too, but Whitney's pregnant now. We have to be extra careful," Valerie teased, giving him a playful shove.
"Just hang in there for a few more months. When the baby is born, I'll come up with some reason to ditch her," Jason said.
"Really? You promise you're not gonna miss her even a little bit?" Valerie said.
"Miss her?" Jason snorted. "I've never felt anything real for her. If it wasn't for the kid, I wouldn't bother pretending for even a single day."
"And me? Do you love me?" Valerie pouted, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.
"Of course I love you," Jason said, gently holding her face. "Ever since I first laid eyes on you ten years ago, I knew you were the only one for me."
"But... she's my sister..." said Valerie.
"Which only makes it more thrilling, right?" Jason said with a wicked smirk. "Seeing how much she trusts us, sometimes, I honestly can't help but laugh."
"You're such a bad boy," Valerie giggled, giving him a playful punch. "But that's exactly what I like about you."
"Once the divorce goes through, we can finally be together out in the open. I want to see how much longer she can keep pretending to be so innocent," he sneered.
My hand clenched the doorframe tightly, and my nails cut deep into the wood.
This was my beloved Jason, and the sister I thought I could always count on.
They betrayed me and mocked my innocence.
I slipped away without a sound. Only one word echoed in my head—revenge.
When I got home, I sank onto the couch, gently caressing my barely showing belly.
I felt sorry for the baby.
I couldn't let the baby be born into a family like this.
That night, Jason came home late, and he wore a deeply satisfied smile.
"Why are you still up?" he asked.
"I was waiting for you," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "So, how was your night out with the clients?"
"Not bad," he replied, sliding onto the sofa next to me and reaching over to gently rub my belly. "How was our little one behaving today?"
"So well today," I replied, taking Jason's hand in mine. "Jason, who do you think our baby will take after?"
"Definitely as beautiful as you," he said.
"Do you have a preference—a boy or a girl?" I asked.
"Doesn't matter to me, as long as they're ours," he said.
Ours?
To him, this baby was just a pawn, just a way to set up your happy ending with Valerie.
"Jason, what would you do if one day we fell out of love?" I asked.
Jason froze for a second. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason, just crossed my mind," I shrugged.
"That'll never happen," he said, gazing at me with a gentle look. "I'll love you forever."
Forever? What a joke. His so-called forever would only last until the baby was born.
The next day, I went to the hospital.
"Doctor, I want to get an abortion," I said.
The doctor looked stunned. "Why? The baby's perfectly healthy."
"I'm just not ready to have a kid," I said.
"But you're already four months in. It's really risky," the doctor said.
"I don't mind," I told him, meeting his eyes with a steady gaze. "Just set up the surgery for me, please."
The doctor kept trying to change my mind, but in the end, he finally gave in.