Chapter 1
The day I found out I was pregnant, my husband's first love shared a wedding invitation on Twitter, captioned: [Finally, I'm marrying my dear Derek Carter. Our wedding may be late, but it's finally happening.]
I liked the post and commented: [I'm so touched. This is true love.]
Derek saw my comment and immediately called.
He snapped, "It's nothing but a wedding ceremony. I'm not marrying her. Stop making such a fuss."
He had forgotten the promises we once made to each other. This time, I was letting him go.
*****
I ripped up the pregnancy test results from the hospital and let the pieces fall into the trash.
I'd had a feeling I might be pregnant, but Derek always dismissed it. "Your period is never regular, so stop worrying about it," he'd said. "I've got a ton going on right now, so please don't make things harder for me."
That was true. He'd been busy every day, out before dawn, back after dark, the strain written all over his face.
It wasn't until I saw Sophia's post that I realized where all his time was going. He was busy getting ready for the wedding with her.
But tonight, Derek came home early. Spotting me silently scrolling through my phone on the couch, he came over uninvited and tried to pull me into his arms.
"Are you jealous?" he teased.
He knew what he was doing. Just thinking about Derek and Sophia posing for those wedding photos while I was anxiously waiting at the hospital made me sick.
I scooted away, slipping out of his embrace.
"Didn't I already talk this over with you? You said yes, so what's with the attitude now?" Derek snapped.
His tone turned sharp, shooting right past annoyance.
His idea of "talking this over with me" was giving me a heads-up.
"I never agreed to any of this," I shot back.
My hand rested on my stomach, where a tiny life was starting to grow. I still held onto a sliver of hope that maybe he'd listen to me for once.
He snapped, "You're selfish. You know Sophia is sick. I don't even ask you to help take care of her, but you left that petty comment on her post. My friends saw it, and now they're all laughing at you. You're embarrassing me."
He didn't hold back anymore, his frustration spilling out as he jabbed a finger at me.
Then he added, "I even came back this early, leaving Sophia alone when she's vulnerable. And this is what I get? Your cold shoulder? Back when we married, I thought you were kind and considerate, but it turns out you're heartless. I'm sleeping at the office tonight."
He couldn't even stand to be in the same space with me anymore. Without another word, he slammed the door and stormed out.
I was left standing there, dazed. My hands trembled as I tried to hold him back, but he brushed past me.
There was no way he was headed to the office. He must be running straight to Sophia.
Sophia was Derek's cherished first love. She often said she was terminally ill and didn't have much time left. Her greatest regret was never having a wedding with him, so her dying wish became a lavish ceremony. Of course, Derek agreed without a second thought.
So this was the dream man I spent years chasing. He didn't love me. He just moved me from pathetic pursuer to long-term plan B.
I felt like roasting myself, convinced I deserved every bit of this mess.