Chapter 1
The day Ryan Cooper accompanied me to my prenatal checkup, he ran into his first love, who was already pregnant.
He fussed over her, helping her run around the hospital and handle every single procedure.
He booked her high-end maternity care and bought every piece of baby clothing and equipment she might need.
Then he noticed my flat belly and raised an eyebrow in confusion.
He asked, "You're three months along. Why don't you look pregnant?"
I just sneered. "Do you forget who paid for my abortion? You did."
*****
In the third year of our marriage, I found out I was finally pregnant.
When the pregnancy test showed positive, Ryan broke down in tears of joy.
Two years ago, I had a miscarriage, and the doctor said I'd never get pregnant again.
That year was the hardest period of Ryan's startup, and we were behind on rent for months.
It was raining hard when we were kicked out.
Trying to save every dollar, I moved while pregnant, hauling our things on a battered car with Ryan.
The road was slick from the rain, and when we hit an uphill stretch, Ryan lost his footing, and we went down with the bicycle.
After we fell, I started bleeding badly and was rushed to the hospital. I survived, but we lost our baby.
The doctor said my body had been badly damaged, making future pregnancies unlikely.
Ryan stood by my side, his eyes rimmed with tears.
From that day on, he threw himself into work, chasing deals and seeking investors.
Eventually, the company started to take off, and our bond grew stronger.
We moved from a tiny apartment to a house, and then at last to a villa of our own.
Ryan never broke his promise. He found success, yet treated me the same as he always had.
I honestly thought that after everything we'd been through, we would stay this way forever.
It was not until I met his first love at the hospital that I realized how fragile our marriage truly was.
I got pregnant again. Ryan, worried the good news might not be real, insisted on blood work and an ultrasound before he felt at ease.
Even though I was perfectly fine, he stayed glued to my side at the hospital, shielding me like I was something fragile.
I laughed and told him he was overreacting, saying he could start worrying once I actually showed.
He paid no attention to the people around us and simply said that it was better to be safe than sorry.
However, as we got to the busy first-floor lobby, he suddenly released my hand and seemed completely spaced out.
I called Ryan's name a few times, but he didn't respond at all.
I glanced in the direction he was staring and saw a woman with a pronounced pregnant belly.
She held a cotton pad over the spot where blood had been drawn and carried a bag of test results, standing out as awkward and alone among all the women being escorted by their husbands.
"Do you know her?" I asked, glancing at Ryan.
And before I could get an answer, he was already heading straight for her.
"Louisa, where is he? Why are you here for your checkup all by yourself?" Ryan said, concern mixed with a hint of reproach.
He took the bag from her hand and gently pressed the cotton pad to stop the bleeding for her.
I followed behind him, feeling like I was just an outsider.
She was Louisa Barnes.
I had heard her name mentioned several times by Bethany, my mother-in-law.
She was Ryan's childhood friend and first love, someone he had been into for years.
After they got into the same university, they just naturally ended up together.
In Louisa's senior year, during an internship, she ended up with a rich guy from the company.
Bethany said Louisa's betrayal nearly destroyed Ryan.
She said that if it weren't for me, Ryan might never have recovered.
Back then, I was young and foolish enough to think I had saved him and found the right man, believing our love was unshakable.
I forgot that if the woman who once nearly destroyed him ever came back, I could never compare to her.