Chapter 1
After eight years of marriage, I finally got pregnant. I was so excited that I sent a message to my husband, Charles Rivers.
A glaring red exclamation mark popped up right away, reminding me I wasn't on his friends list anymore.
As I expected, this was the ninth time he'd blocked me.
Every time Charles lost a game to his secretary, Chloe Ashford, she'd throw a tantrum and demand that he block me and change the door code.
I rushed to Charles's office building and caught Chloe bouncing over to him.
He ruffled her hair and handed her a cup of milk tea.
"Your first milk tea of the autumn. Go on, open it up. I've hidden a surprise for you," he said.
Chloe lifted the lid and let out a squeal of delight.
Inside was a ring, so shiny it was almost blinding.
She threw her arms around Charles's neck and gave him a fierce kiss.
"Charles, I've had my eye on this ring for so long. You always know how to make me happy," she said.
Charles stumbled back a step, but his arm wrapped firmly around her waist.
"Happy autumn, Princess. Can you behave for a bit?" he said.
I didn't watch any longer.
The light turned green, and the traffic slowly moved forward.
I gripped the pregnancy test results tightly and finally made up my mind to walk away from this toxic marriage.
*****
When I got home, I found that the door code had already been changed.
After the third try, that icy error beep rang out, and my fingers prickled with frustration.
After eight years of marriage, I was once again locked out by my own husband.
The property manager, who knew me, stood awkwardly nearby.
"Mrs. Rivers, do you want me to call Mr. Rivers?" he asked.
I looked down. "Never mind. I'll wait for him to come back."
Half an hour later, Charles pulled his car into the garage.
He spotted me at the door, paused for a second, then knitted his brows.
"Why didn't you tell me you were back? Who are you trying to impress, standing out here?" he said.
I fixed my gaze on the milk tea bag in his hand.
Chloe's cup was already finished. There was still one left in the bag.
My chest tightened.
Charles punched in the new code and said irritably, "Chloe lost a game and made me change the code. You know how she loves to make a fuss. Why bother getting worked up over a young girl?"
The door swung open.
Charles handed me the other cup of milk tea. "This one's for you. Don't say I only care about her."
The cup of milk tea was ice cold.
I looked down and saw a receipt stuck to the side of the cup.
The second cup was half price.
Charles slipped off his shoes and walked inside, not noticing I was frozen in place.
"What do you want to eat for dinner? I'll cook," he said.
Suddenly, my stomach churned. I rushed to the bathroom, dry-heaving.
He came after me, his face dark. "Evelyn, what's going on with you lately? If you're not feeling well, go to see a doctor. Don't give me attitude every time you feel bad."
I gripped the sink, my eyes stinging with tears.
The pregnancy test results in my bag pressed against my arm.
Honestly, I'd pictured his reaction over and over.
Maybe he'd freeze.
Maybe he'd break into a smile.
Maybe he'd be so happy he'd pull me into his arms.
We'd been trying for this baby for so long.
Charles once held me close and promised that when the baby came, he'd spoil both of us rotten.
But now, I suddenly didn't want to tell him at all.
His phone rang in the living room. Chloe's custom ringtone started playing.
Charles picked up right away and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Take your time."
Whatever Chloe said on the other end, the tension in his face melted away.
"The ring doesn't fit? Your fingers are slender. Of course, it slips off. I'll take you to get it resized tomorrow. Why are you crying?" he said reassuringly.
I walked out of the bathroom and glared at him.
Charles noticed my gaze and covered the phone.
"What now?" he asked impatiently.
"Do you remember what day it is today?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
He paused for a moment.
Pathetically, I found myself hoping again.
But the next moment, he impatiently checked the date.
"It's our anniversary. Eight years, and you still want to go through all this ritual every year?" he said.
My heart sank.
Charles went back to soothing Chloe on the phone. "Don't take it off. I'll take you to get it resized myself tomorrow."
"Charles, I need to talk to you," I said, gripping the cup of milk tea in my hand.
His frown deepened. "Does it have to be right now?"
"It's important," I said.
Chloe suddenly burst into tears on the phone.
Charles's expression shifted in a flash, and he snatched up his car keys.
"Her ring fell down the sink. She's freaking out. I'm going over to check on her," he said.
The whole thing was so absurd that it made my chest ache.
I couldn't help but grab his wrist. "Is a ring more important than what I have to say?"
Charles yanked his hand away. "Evelyn, do you have to be so mean? Chloe's all alone here, with no family and no friends. If something happens to her, who else is she supposed to turn to?"
I stumbled back, my lower back slamming into the corner of the cabinet. The pain made my face go pale.
He saw it and hesitated for a second.
Chloe's voice came through the other end of the line again, thick with sobs. "Charles, I'm so scared. The water keeps pouring out, and I don't know what to do."
"Let's talk when I get back." Charles turned and walked out.
The door slammed shut.
I stood there, the pain making me slowly bend over.
The pregnancy test results slipped out of my bag. The line at the top made my eyes burn.
I was pregnant.
The baby Charles had waited for all these years had finally arrived.
But his father never gave himself the chance to know.
I picked up the sheet, but not a single tear fell.
Ten minutes later, I called the doctor. "Hello, I'd like to ask about terminating a pregnancy."