Chapter 3

My furious, screaming demands made Ronald stumble backward again and again.

He clenched his fists, guilt and regret all over his face. "Kyla, it was an accident. Everything happened so fast. If we hadn't done the C-section right then, Timmy wouldn't have survived. The doctor said if we did it early, the baby would just be a little weak, but he'd make it. But fate was cruel. Our baby got a lung infection as soon as he was born, and that's why we lost him."

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he'd just thought of something.

He told me, "You care so much about that baby. Once you're better, we can have another one. I swear, I won't ever push for an early C-section again. This time, I'll make sure the baby comes when he's ready."

Seeing the way he acted made me feel sick.

It sounded like our baby was just some stray animal, as if he could swap him for another as he wished.

I couldn't help but ask myself what kind of man I had been loving all these years.

My chest kept aching in waves.

I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.

"Get out! I don't want to see you!" I screamed.

Ronald dodged the pillow, then, in a fit of frustrated rage, slammed his fist into the wall.

"Kyla, don't you ever regret this!" he shouted.

As he slammed the door and left, I stood frozen for a moment, clutching the blanket tighter around me. My eyes blurred with tears, and one rolled down my cheek, heavy and unstoppable.

I reached up to wipe it away, but the harder I tried, the more tears just kept falling.

Ronald never came back after that night.

I started getting ready to leave in three days.

Honestly, it was pathetic. After two years living together in our home, there was not a single picture of Ronald and me as a couple.

Back then, when he said he didn't want a wedding, I just let him have his way.

I didn't want to make things difficult for him, so I even convinced Elsie myself.

I tried to schedule wedding photos twice, but Ronald always bailed, saying he was too busy with work.

I didn't even bother packing the jewelry Ronald gave me when I was pregnant, or any of the designer stuff Elsie gifted me.

The only things I put in my suitcase were the cheap clothes I'd brought with me when I first moved in.

Just then, Ronald's voice came from behind me.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

I jumped, startled by his sudden voice.

I turned around and saw Ronald cradling a little boy, about two years old, with Hattie at his side.

It was their son.

Hattie hooked her arm through Ronald's and flashed a smile. "Ms. Jennings, long time no see."

I didn't say anything, just kept my eyes fixed on Ronald.

Ronald set Timmy down, his voice stiff and uneasy. "Hattie, being a mom herself, understands how much it hurts to lose a child. So we discussed it and thought maybe Timmy could stay with you today. Maybe having him around will help with the pain of missing your own little one."

My breath caught in my throat.

I stared at the little boy on the floor, wobbling on his feet, holding a toy in his hand.

I wondered if my baby would also have been this cute if he had been born healthy.

My eyes grew misty at that thought.

It felt like my heart was being ripped straight out of my chest.

At that moment, I missed my baby so much that my heart ached.

Hattie smirked. "Ms. Jennings, Ronald and I have to go to the hospital for a check-up. Could you look after Timmy for us?"

Ronald looked at me, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Kyla, are you okay? Are you feeling sick or something?"

Hattie tugged at his arm. "Ronald, you just don't get it. Ms. Jennings is probably thinking about her own baby. Let's not bother her. Let her spend some time with Timmy. Kids have a way of healing people."

They didn't even give me a chance to refuse. Ronald and Hattie just left.

I'd always known Hattie was a handful, so as soon as she left, I told the staff to take Timmy downstairs to play and made sure they kept a close eye on him.

I never interacted with Timmy at all.

It wasn't that seeing him made me think of my own child, but I just didn't want to get blamed for anything I couldn't explain later.

But I still underestimated just how scheming Hattie could be.

That evening, I was in my bedroom when I heard a child crying downstairs.

It turned out Timmy had somehow gotten locked outside on the balcony.

It was autumn and raining outside. The air was cold and damp.

Timmy's face was turning purple from the cold, and he was crying so hard that he was gasping for air.

The staff were nowhere to be found.

I opened the balcony door, just about to bring Timmy inside, when Ronald's voice thundered behind me, full of rage.

"Kyla, what did you do to Timmy?" he shouted.

Hattie shoved me aside and rushed to scoop Timmy into her arms, bawling as if her whole world had just collapsed.

"Ms. Jennings, I know you hate me. If you have a problem, come at me! Timmy's just a kid. He doesn't understand anything. Why would you go after him? You lost your child, but does that mean you want mine gone too?" she sobbed, her voice trembling.

"It was your baby's cord blood that saved Timmy, and I really am grateful. I get how much it hurts to lose a child. That's why I thought letting Timmy stay with you might help. But I never imagined you could be so cruel. How could you even think of hurting a kid this little?" she cried.