Chapter 2

"So, were you really trying to get pregnant behind my back?"

When he said this, the oppressive weight in his eyes was all too familiar.

It was the same look of reprimand he gave when an employee made a mistake.

I asked back:

"What if I was? Would you still force me to get my tubes tied?"

Ethan's tone instantly sharpened, and he blurted out:

"Not right now!"

Realizing his attitude was too harsh, he pulled me onto his lap and coaxed:

"Olivia said Lily became very insecure after the divorce. If we have a child now, it will affect her mental health."

"So, while you're not pregnant yet, get the tubal ligation done first."

"When Lily grows up and can take over the company, if you still want a baby, I can take you to reverse it, or we can do IVF. Olivia should be at peace by then, too."

Lily was six years old. I would have to wait twelve years.

And that was assuming Olivia would even agree back then.

Ethan gently kissed the side of my face.

I used to be deeply enchanted by his gentleness, which was hidden beneath his noble, cold exterior.

But at this moment, my heart felt absolutely nothing.

I pushed him away, stood up, and smiled mockingly.

"Is it going to be like this for the rest of my life? Do I always have to yield to your ex-wife and daughter?"

Ethan froze, annoyance flaring in his eyes.

"When you married me, didn't you know I was divorced with a daughter? What's the point of nitpicking about this now?"

"When Olivia and I split up, it was partly my fault. It's not easy being a single mother. I can't just leave her to fend for herself."

I found it laughable.

Even though Olivia had custody, Lily spent most of her time living here.

After all, Olivia was Ethan's first love, and they had been married for several years.

Despite divorcing due to incompatible personalities, Ethan always carried a sense of guilt toward her and let her have her way.

I was the one who took care of Lily while working. What exactly was "not easy" about Olivia's life?

Seeing that we were getting nowhere, Ethan grabbed a box of stomach medicine from the first-aid kit and walked toward the children's room.

His voice was indifferent.

"Calm down first. I'm going to check on Olivia. Her stomach flares up whenever she gets angry."

Maria, standing nearby, sighed softly.

"After all these years, Mr. Carter still remembers that only that specific brand of stomach medicine works best for Ms. Mitchell."

"It's an imported brand with all-English instructions, and the print is so small. I didn't even know it was stomach medicine before."

"But Mr. Carter remembers it better than anyone. Even after they divorced, he made sure to keep it stocked at home. He must still care about her a lot, right?"

I was the one who bought everything for the house; Ethan rarely got involved in such trivial things.

Only that stomach medicine was something he specifically demanded to buy.

I hadn't thought much of it before. It turned out this was the reason.

Realizing she had said too much, Maria quickly apologized.

"Mrs. Carter, please don't mind me. I was just talking nonsense."

"I didn't mean to keep quiet about your miscarriage earlier. It's just that Mr. Carter cares so much about Ms. Mitchell's feelings, I didn't dare cross her in front of him..."

"Since Mr. Carter married you, he must love you..."

I stared silently at the messy table.

Actually, besides the bottle of folic acid, there were two other medicine boxes.

The packaging clearly bore the bold label: "Medication for Depression Patients."

And folic acid, besides being used for pregnancy prep, is also used as a supportive treatment for depression.

But Ethan turned a blind eye to them. Or perhaps he saw them but simply didn't care.

As I passed the children's room, I heard Olivia and Ethan talking inside.

"I told you, stepmothers never truly care about their stepkids. How long has she been in this house? She's already learned to frame a child."

"I heard her fighting with you. Is this the sweet girl you fell for? When did your taste become so trashy?"

Ethan's tone was somewhat cold:

"It wasn't really about love. You kept dumping Lily on me back then, but I was too busy."

"Summer was gentle, family-oriented, and knew her boundaries. Plus, she was Lily's preschool teacher, so she knew how to care for children. She was the perfect candidate. If I knew she'd cause this kind of drama, I would have rather stayed single."

So I was just "suitable."

A sarcastic smile curled on my lips as I walked straight to the master bedroom.

To be honest, when I was diagnosed with mild depression, I was surprised myself.

I only knew that I hadn't been happy for a long time.

My chest always felt as if a heavy stone were pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe.

But when the doctor asked me when it started, I couldn't answer.

Was it when Ethan promised to make up our honeymoon but left me alone at an international airport again to go on a family trip with Olivia instead?

Or was it when he heard I wanted a baby and handed me a box of birth control pills the next day, telling me to wait?

It didn't matter anymore.

Since no one cared about my feelings, I had to learn to love myself.

I sent a message to my lawyer on WhatsApp:

"Could you please draft a divorce agreement for me? Thank you."

Putting down my phone, the bedroom door was gently pushed open.

Lily stepped in cautiously.

She looked at my stomach and whispered:

"I secretly asked Maria just now. She said the baby in your tummy is gone, and you bled a lot."

"But I only wanted it to disappear. Mom said... I didn't know you would fall down the stairs. Really."

"Summer, can we still be best friends who share secrets? I have another secret. If you want to hear it, I can stay."