Chapter 3

I froze, my heart skipping a beat.

I remembered how, just a month ago, Jessica suddenly told me her company was sending her overseas for further training.

Back then, I was dead set on having my only family member at my wedding, so I actually snapped at Curtis for the first time.

Curtis tried to soothe me, his voice gentle. "Jessica's been working so hard for this overseas opportunity. She's as ambitious as you are, and I couldn't say no. But I can make sure she leaves after our engagement."

After hearing that, I felt selfish and guilty, so I made sure Jessica had everything she needed for her trip, afraid she'd suffer or be mistreated abroad.

Turns out... this was the real story.

Inside the ward, Jessica snuggled up to Curtis, her voice sweet and teasing. "I know you care about me. Just use the business trip excuse like before and fly over to see me once a month. You've done it plenty of times, and Alina never caught on."

"You little troublemaker," Curtis brushed her nose gently, and went along with it.

Every word felt like they were tearing my heart apart, stomping it into the ground.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The two of them inside jumped in surprise.

Curtis was still holding Jessica's hand, totally forgetting to let go.

Jessica recovered fast. Putting on her best innocent act, she reached out to me, pouting as she whined, "Alina, can you please tell Curtis to stop nagging me? It's a little stomachache, and he won't shut up. He's even saying it's my fault you got caught up in all this."

Watching her fake it like that, I felt sick to my stomach.

"If he's such a pain and you're so bothered, maybe we should call off the engagement," I said.

Jessica's smile froze, and Curtis instantly got flustered. "Alina, what are you talking about? This isn't something you can joke about."

Jessica's eyes went red, looking like she might cry. "Alina, are you mad at me? I didn't expect my stomach to hurt so much... I'm sorry for messing up your dress fitting."

Curtis shot me a sharp look, sounding annoyed. "Alina, it was that other car's fault, not Jessica's. Why would you say something so harsh and upset her right now?"

I dropped my gaze and let out a small, bitter smile.

Then I reached out and gently brushed my fingers over the faint scar on Jessica's neck.

After I had the best doctor work on it, it was much lighter now.

"I was just joking. Look how flustered you all got," I said.

As I spoke, I reached for her wrist, my fingertips resting gently on her pulse.

I softened my voice. "You two mean the world to me. I don't want you bickering because of me all the time. From now on, we're family, so let's stop blaming each other."

Hearing that, they both visibly relaxed, but couldn't hide how nervous and guilty they looked.

Under my fingertips, her pulse was signaling for pregnancy.

That was it. The last shred of hope I'd been clinging to was gone for good.

I let go of her hand. "Alright, since Jessica's fine, I'll head out. I need to get back to the hospital and take care of my patients."

When I said I was leaving, Curtis suddenly seemed unsettled, like he didn't know what to do.

"Alina, let me take you," Curtis said, stepping forward in a hurry.

"You still haven't tried on your dress gown, and Jessica should be fine now. We can go together..."

Before he could finish, Jessica clutched her stomach and let out a pained groan from the hospital bed.

"My stomach hurts again..." she whimpered.

Curtis immediately turned back, grabbing her hand anxiously. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt? I'll get the doctor."

My fingers instinctively curled inward as I watched the scene unfold.

Judging by her pulse, Jessica was roughly three months pregnant.

Three months ago, I was drowning in work for my promotion, and Curtis claimed he was busy with some closed-door project.

I looked at them deeply, trying to make sense of it all.

Love was never simple, and hate was never absolute.

The engagement party? I would leave it to the two.

Back in my office, I started organizing my patient files and paperwork, making sure everything was ready for the handover.

My application to study at Nebulia Wellness Center was approved in no time.

I would be leaving the next day.

My phone kept buzzing on the desk. It was Curtis calling.

Curtis said, "Alina, where are you? I'll come and pick you up.

"Jessica's fine now. Let's go grab a bite together."

"No, thanks. I just got a critical patient, and his condition's pretty bad. I'll probably be stuck at the hospital for the next couple of days, so I'll be tied up here and can't leave," I replied.

There was a brief silence on the other end. When Curtis spoke again, he sounded pretty down. "What about your engagement gown? The party's in two days, and you haven't even tried it on yet."