Chapter 2

Ethan rushed to open it.

Outside stood a woman holding a newborn in one arm and dragging a suitcase with the other.

Her face was pale, shivering like a withered leaf in late autumn.

Ethan immediately took the baby—a little girl—from her arms.

Then he grabbed her suitcase, his movements completely natural.

That face at the door mirrored the smug expression I'd seen in my hospital room.

It was Chloe.

As Ethan walked past me, he paused, offering an awkward excuse:

"Chloe has nowhere to go and no money. I'm letting her stay here temporarily until she gets back on her feet."

"Since you're recovering at home anyway, just make an extra portion when you cook. She prefers light meals."

Chloe had looked fragile just a second ago, but when she glanced up at me, triumph flashed in her eyes.

"Thanks for putting up with me, Nora."

My heart turned to ash.

It was as if someone had scooped out my insides, leaving only an empty void.

He had let our daughter die, yet here he was, cradling another man's child as if she were his own flesh and blood.

If he loved playing dad to someone else's kid that much, I'd let him.

I turned and walked into the bedroom to pack my things.

Chloe lingered by the doorway, clearly unsatisfied with my calm reaction.

"Nora," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Ethan bought me a seven-hundred-thousand-dollar condo. Paid in full. As soon as it's furnished, I'll move out. I'll pay you guys back once I start working."

She paused, leaning down to kiss her baby's forehead:

"Ethan saved both our lives. He's my hero."

Seven hundred thousand dollars. Paid in full.

My whole body turned to stone.

The down payment for this house had come from every penny I scraped together.

For eight years, I didn't even dare buy myself a cup of coffee. I wore clothes until the fabric frayed and pilled.

The monthly mortgage payments had weighed on me like an anvil.

He always told me that once he became a senior physician, he'd buy me a dream home.

I pressed a hand against my chest, feeling as though an invisible fist was crushing my lungs.

"Ethan," my voice shook. "I pinched every penny to pay our down payment, and you used your savings to buy your first love a luxury condo in cash?"

He frowned. "Chloe has a newborn and nowhere to go! We at least have a roof over our heads. She had nothing."

A metallic taste filled my mouth.

Back in college, I gave up a graduate school fellowship and abandoned my dream of becoming a fashion designer.

I woke up at 4:00 AM to work at a breakfast diner, shelved books at the library during lunch, and worked the graveyard shift at a convenience store.

My hands cracked in the freezing winter, and I fainted from heatstroke in the summer.

I worked three jobs just to fund his medical doctorate.

Now, he was a sought-after associate chief surgeon.

And I was the one who had saved every cent for this house.

And what did he do?

He handed every last cent of his seven-hundred-thousand-dollar savings to another woman.

"Once I get promoted to head of department, I'll pay you back double for the down payment," he said dismissively.

"Such a stingy attitude," Chloe muttered under her breath. "I thought Nora was supposed to be a good person. Turns out she's just like those petty, uneducated women, obsessed with money. How vulgar."

Ethan paused.

Yet, he didn't say a single word in my defense.

He carried the baby toward the end of the hallway.

Chloe followed close behind.

The door at the end was painted soft pink.

He reached for the doorknob, preparing to push it open.

"Stop right there!"

I screamed.