Chapter 3

After Julian slammed the bedroom door, I collapsed onto the sofa, feeling completely hollow.

I never thought our marriage would end like this.

All the sweet memories had curdled into arguments and betrayal.

I picked up the crumpled papers from the floor, my vision blurring.

All his promises felt so cheap now.

I tried to calm myself, but a sudden wave of intense nausea hit me. I ran to the bathroom, dry-heaving violently.

I had been feeling nauseous on and off lately. I opened the drawer, grabbed a pregnancy test, and took it.

When the two lines appeared, my hands began to shake.

I was pregnant.

In that moment, a rush of foolish hope blinded my logic.

I thought, Maybe if we have a baby, Julian and I can fix this.

Maybe this child could be the turning point we needed to rebuild our life.

I took a deep breath, walked to the bedroom, and knocked gently.

He opened the door, his eyes cold and exhausted.

"Julian, I just took a test. We're having a baby," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but my excitement leaked through.

His face froze. A flash of panic crossed his eyes.

He didn't say a word, his hand gripping the doorframe tightly.

"I know you might not feel ready, but I think we can start over for the baby's sake. We can fix our marriage and give this child a real family."

I was trying to convince him, but mostly, I was trying to convince myself.

He stayed silent for a long moment, calculating. Then, he forced a warm smile.

"Yeah... we're having a baby. You see? When you doubt me, it breaks my heart. How could you not trust how hard I'm working for this family?"

I stood there, frozen. The joy of the pregnancy was instantly drowned by a wave of guilt.

I actually started wondering if I had been too hard on him.

"Julian, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you," I whispered, seeing the fake moisture in his eyes.

Julian didn't answer. He just turned back into the bedroom and shut the door. I stood in the hallway, my mind in a whirl.

After that, I began doing everything for Julian, dedicating all my free time to him.

I bought him endless gifts and visited his office whenever I didn't have major meetings, trying to smooth things over.

His tone softened. We seemed to be reverting to the way we used to be. I even began to look forward to our future as a family of three.

Yet, deep down, a nagging unease remained.

He wasn't cold anymore, but he wasn't warm either. He always kept a strange distance, making it impossible to read his mind.

"Julian, what do you think we should name the baby?" I asked one evening, trying to spark a connection.

He gave a dry smile, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. "We can talk about that later. Right now, let's just focus on your health."

My heart sank a little, but I didn't push. I figured he was still holding a grudge about the divorce threat.

Today, I got off work early. I wanted to go for my prenatal checkup. I called Julian, but he said he was buried in work.

Being the understanding wife, I went to the hospital alone, navigating the crowded hallways by myself.

"Oh my god, they are so sweet! I want a husband like that. She said she felt sick, and he just kissed her forehead. I'm literally melting!"

A nurse walked out of a VIP room, gossiping happily with her colleague.

As I walked past the open door of that room, I casually glanced inside.

I froze.