The Woman Who Walked Away

Synopsis

At the party, my best friend suggested a reaction test. Send our boyfriends a message saying, [I'm pregnant.] Less than ten seconds after I sent the message, David Quinn transferred 30,000 dollars to me. Everyone started joking, "Claire, he really loves you." But I was the only one who saw the note on the transfer. [Same old rule: make sure it's taken care of.] We'd been together for seven years, and I'd had two abortions for David. After the second abortion, the doctor told me it would be hard for me to get pregnant again. David was busy with work that day and didn't come to the hospital, and I never told him what the doctor said. When it was Joanna Young's turn, she looked pale and said her husband usually didn't check his messages. One of our drunk friends didn't buy it, snatched her phone, and sent the message herself. The reply came instantly, and Joanna's husband's gentle yet anxious voice echoed through the room. "Honey, don't move. Mom's picking up our son. I'm coming to get you right now." Joanna hung up in a panic, not even daring to look at me. It turned out David didn't hate kids. He just didn't want to have a child with me. I accepted the 30,000 dollars and finally replied to my mom's message, which she'd been asking about for three months. [Mom, come pick me up tomorrow.] David already had a family. It was time for me to return to my own.