Chapter 3

In our second year of marriage, I got pregnant.

During those ten months, Ethan and I had the only warm, peaceful period of our marriage.

He would come home early to walk with me, accompany me to every prenatal checkup, and carefully watch my diet.

He would rest his ear against my belly and talk to the baby, just like any normal, loving father.

Those days were so beautiful that I actually believed he had started to care about me.

I thought our love had finally bloomed, and that he would be a great husband and a wonderful father.

Ten months later, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Ethan named him Leo. Looking at Ethan holding the baby with such warmth in his eyes, I was sure I had finally found my place in his heart.

I thought my suffering was over. Our little family was going to be happy.

But the day before Leo’s Christening party, Chloe returned to the country.

After Ethan’s grandmother passed away, to prevent Chloe from causing trouble around Ethan, the Reed family had pressured her family to send her abroad.

I never expected her to come back.

But she did, and she showed up right at my son’s Christening.

Her arrival instantly drew all of Ethan’s attention.

I could see the lingering affection and longing in Ethan’s eyes when he looked at her.

But after being apart for so long, neither of them made a move.

Until Chloe walked up to me, holding a handmade organic lavender sleep pouch. She said she had made it herself to help the baby sleep peacefully.

I didn't want to accept it and was about to decline, but Ethan snatched it and hung it over Leo’s crib.

He told me not to waste Chloe’s sweet gesture.

I felt uncomfortable, intending to take it down after Chloe left.

But after that day, Chloe kept visiting under the excuse of wanting to see the baby.

Every time she came and saw the pouch wasn't near Leo, she would cry to Ethan, claiming I despised her and her gift.

Ethan would then throw a massive fight, demanding that I keep the lavender pouch next to Leo at all times.

Little did I know, that was the start of my worst nightmare.

Slowly, Leo’s health began to deteriorate.

He would startle awake crying, vomit, have diarrhea, and break out in severe red rashes.

I took him to the hospital countless times. The doctors said it was an allergic reaction.

But Leo was only a month old, and he was exclusively breastfed.

I knew he had a severe peanut allergy just like Ethan, so I was extremely careful with my diet, never touching anything containing peanuts.

We ruled out every possible allergen, but Leo only got worse.

I had to watch my baby boy waste away, crying in pain every single day, without knowing what was killing him.

Until one night, he went into shock from a high fever and was rushed to the ER. He never opened his eyes again.

When the doctor told me they couldn't save him, my soul left my body. I collapsed completely.

I had already lost my parents and my grandmother. I thought I had no blood relatives left in this world.

And when I finally had this baby, God snatched him away too.

I fell into a dark, endless depression, losing twenty pounds in less than a month.

But deep down, I knew Leo’s death wasn't an accident.

I ruled out every single possibility, and my maternal instinct told me there was something wrong with that lavender pouch.

I ripped the pouch open. Inside, there was no organic lavender. It was stuffed with peanut powder.

A blinding, murderous rage consumed me.

I wanted to tear Chloe to pieces.

I found Chloe at Ethan’s office. After returning to the country, Ethan had hired her as his personal assistant.

I didn't even need to think to know why.

He just wanted an excuse to keep her close.

But I didn't care about that anymore.

I barged into Ethan’s office like a madwoman. In front of all the employees, I threw things at her, screaming and asking why she murdered my baby.

To show Ethan the true, evil face of his beloved first love, I slammed the peanut-powder-filled pouch onto his desk.

But all I got in return was a hard, ringing slap across my face from Ethan.

"Stop using our dead child as an excuse to go crazy!"

"Leo is already gone. What is the point of you harassing Chloe like this?"

I couldn't believe my ears. He spoke so casually, as if the one who died was just some stray animal, not his own flesh and blood.

"Ethan! That was our son! How can you be so cold-blooded?"

I screamed at him, tears streaming down my face. The sheer injustice and rage almost choked me.

Chloe cowered behind him, her delicate face covered in tears and innocence.

But underneath that act, I saw the venomous, triumphant smirk on her lips.

Back then, I didn't understand how she could be so fearless.

Now I knew.

It was love.

She had all of Ethan’s love and protection.

And I had absolutely nothing.