Chapter 3

"By the way, we need to visit Mom tomorrow," Gunnar said.

As soon as Gunnar mentioned Mom, all the fury I'd built up just drained away, like a balloon popped in an instant.

Gunnar really got me. He knew exactly how to hit my weak spot.

Since I was little, Mom had always doted on me. No matter what went down between Gunnar and me, she was pretty much always on my side, no questions asked. Honestly, I'd always thought of her as my real mom.

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, Gunnar had barely let me out of his sight, making it nearly impossible to find a moment alone to deal with the baby.

If I wanted any chance to make a move, I just had to hold it in and put up with everything.

Just then, Ronald texted me that the new company was officially registered, along with a wedding checklist.

I put away my phone, turned to Gunnar, and replied coolly, "Okay."

The next day, Chelsea ended up joining us at the Shepard villa.

Sasha Shepard, Ronald's mother, narrowed her brows. "Why is an outsider attending the family dinner?"

Chelsea's eyes welled up with tears in an instant. She looked over at Sasha with a pitiful gaze and said softly, her voice trembling, "If you aren't happy to have me here, I'll go."

But as she turned to leave, she suddenly staggered, almost collapsing as if she couldn't hold herself up.

Gunnar immediately dashed forward and caught Chelsea around the waist before she could fall.

But all Gunnar saw was Chelsea. He completely ignored me and accidentally bumped me so I slipped and landed hard on the couch.

That was when they finally snapped out of it, both of them blurting out in a panic, "Is the baby fine?"

I held on tight to the armrest, breathing heavily, as a freezing chill washed over me.

Seeing this, Sasha was so furious that she reached out and smacked Gunnar.

"You only ever ask about the baby! Why don't you care how Isabella is doing?" she snapped.

Only then did Gunnar snap back to reality. He rushed over and held me close, worry all over his face. "Isabella, are you alright? Are you hurt? You scared me!"

I instinctively broke free from his embrace and gave him a frosty glare.

For a second, his eyes dimmed with disappointment. His lips parted, like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't say a word.

At the dinner table, Gunnar finally put his cards on the table. "The real reason I called everyone here is for an announcement—I'd like Chelsea to be our baby's godmother."

He glanced at me, carefully picking his words. "Chelsea's been a close friend to Isabella, and with her being pregnant, Chelsea's really stepped up. If our baby gets another mom looking out for them, that just means more love."

Sasha looked my way without saying a word, just waiting for my response.

I took a deep breath, met Gunnar's gaze head on—and out of the corner of my eye, caught the flash of smug triumph in Chelsea's eyes.

I really couldn't stand her gloating, so I shot back with a biting sarcasm, "Oh, so after becoming the godmother, are you planning to audition for the role of mom next?"

Gunnar froze, like I'd just hit a nerve he didn't want anyone touching. His face turned bright red.

"Isabella! What kind of nonsense is that? No one could ever replace a real mother! I just want Chelsea to take care of the baby better. That's all," he snapped.

I fired right back without hesitation, "So what, she can't take care of the baby unless she gets to be the godmother?"

I'd known Gunnar for more than ten years, but this was the first time I'd ever seen him blow up at me like this.

"Isabella! What's wrong with you these days? Why are you so hostile to Chelsea? She's put her whole life on hold to look after you, working herself to the bone without a single complaint. Can't you just be a little grateful?" he shouted.

I stared at the man I'd shared a bed with for four years, and for the first time, he felt like a total stranger.

I was carrying their baby, and in the early days of my pregnancy, I suffered so much. Morning sickness and acid reflux were like a never-ending nightmare, haunting me day and night.

My body was so swollen that I had to cancel all my work. Even the one job I'd finally landed, I had to hand over to Chelsea.

Meanwhile, she was out there living the glamorous life of a superstar, riding high on all the support my husband was giving her, using the whole company's resources to boost her career.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white and the veins stood out on the back of my hands.

Sasha noticed something was off with me and snapped at Gunnar, "Gunnar! How can you talk to Isabella like that? You know better than anyone how hard she's struggling with this pregnancy. And now you're taking the side of an outsider over your own wife? Have you lost your mind?"

As she spoke, Sasha raised her hand, ready to slap Gunnar.

Chelsea immediately stepped in front of Gunnar, shielding him.

The sharp sound of a slap rang out. His eyes went red—either from shock or worry. Gunnar immediately wrapped Chelsea in his arms, fussing over her face like she was made of glass.

Anyone who didn't know any better would think they were the perfect husband and wife, and I—the actual wife—was just some extra, like I didn't even belong in the scene.