Chapter 3

Chloe leaned weakly against the back of the chair, her voice trembling with tears.

"Ethan, my chest feels so tight. Please don't leave me."

She looked up at him with tearful, puppy-dog eyes, though a malicious glint flashed in the dark.

"Besides, 'Serena' is a very common name. It's probably someone else."

"Serena only went for a routine prenatal checkup today. Why would she need emergency surgery? The hospital must have made a mistake."

A few simple, groundless words were all it took to put Ethan's mind at ease.

He gripped her hand back, squeezing it reassuringly.

"You're right. It's probably just a coincidence. Don't be scared, I'll stay with you."

Down in the emergency room, the intercom kept calling my name,

but my husband never showed up.

The nurse was drenched in sweat. Seeing my bleeding grow worse by the second,

she knew she couldn't wait any longer. She leaned over and looked at my deathly pale face.

"Ma'am, we can't reach your husband. It's too dangerous to wait. By law, in an emergency, the patient can sign for themselves. Can you hold a pen?"

Waves of agony tore through my abdomen. I forced my eyes open,

and with the absolute last drop of my strength, I scribbled my name on the paper.

The surgical lights were blindingly white, casting a cold, clinical glow over my freezing body.

My baby is leaving me.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

At that moment, I knew. This man, this marriage—I was done.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I finally woke up.

When I opened my eyes, the room was empty.

My phone buzzed. There were two texts from Ethan sitting quietly on my Snapchat.

"You only have a few scratches. Just get them bandaged and go home."

"Chloe still has a few tests to run. She's unfamiliar with this hospital, so I'm going to stay and help her out. I'll be home late."

This was the first time Ethan had ever sent me such a long message,

yet every single word was about another woman.

But right before I lost consciousness, I had clearly heard the doctor tell Chloe that all her vitals were perfectly normal and she could go home.

It was Ethan who insisted on paying out-of-pocket for a luxury private suite just so she could be hospitalized.

Just then, a nurse walked in with a billing statement.

"Mrs. Vance, given your condition, you need to stay in the hospital for at least a week."

"Could you please settle the initial deposit?"

I pulled out my phone to pay,

only to remember that I had spent all my savings on the down payment for the new car Chloe was driving.

Currently, my bank account balance was exactly $35.

When we got the car, Ethan had claimed his money was locked in long-term investments. He asked me to pay first, promising he'd pay me back double later.

He had also promised to be my personal chauffeur so I'd never have to take a taxi in the rain again.

Yet, since the day we bought that car, I hadn't ridden in it even once.

Whenever I asked to drive it, he would make up various excuses.

He said my driving skills were terrible and that I would scratch it.

But Chloe had only gotten her driver's license yesterday.

And today, he had handed over my car to let her "practice."

My chest heaved violently as I fought down the raging fire in my chest.

I dialed Ethan's number.

Just like every other time over the past five years, it went straight to voicemail.

The nurse stood there, holding the bill, looking at me with awkward pity.

Left with no choice, I called Chloe.

The call was answered almost instantly. Before I could even speak,

I heard a faint rustling sound over the line,

and in the next second, a familiar, icy male voice spoke.

Ethan had snatched the phone away.