Chapter 3

When the doctor handed me the ultrasound report, her face was grave. "The embryo is implanted very low, right near your previous scar. Continuing this pregnancy carries a massive risk."

I stared at the blurry shadow on the screen, unable to speak for a long time.

The doctor's tone softened. "In this situation, it's best to make a decision with a family member. Should we contact your husband?"

I opened my mouth, only to realize that the only name I could call was Ethan.

My parents had passed away early. When I finally got married to Ethan, I thought I finally had a family.

But now, when the doctor asked for family, I was holding the paper with freezing fingers.

Leaving the clinic, I stood on the steps and called Ethan. No answer.

I sent him a text. "I have an emergency. Come home now."

I took a cab back. When I walked in, a pair of pink ballet flats was kicked off at the entryway.

In the living room, Chloe was curled up on our sofa, one leg resting on the coffee table, her ankle wrapped in an elastic bandage.

Ethan was kneeling in front of her, his fingers gently tracing her foot, massaging it with professional care.

"Did you twist it again during rehearsal?" he asked.

"I didn't land cleanly," Chloe said, frowning, her voice dropping into a soft whine. "Ethan, am I going to be out for another two weeks?"

"The fascia is tight. Don't rush back to the stage." He pinched her ankle. "Does this hurt?"

"Yes," Chloe whispered, her eyes curved as she looked at him. "But it doesn't hurt when you're here."

"I'm here," he said.

Those two words.

Since we got married, I had almost never heard him say them to me.

Another wave of pain hit my abdomen. I gripped the entryway cabinet, my knuckles turning white.

Only then did Ethan look up and see me.

"Where have you been? You look pale."

I opened my mouth to say "I went to the hospital," but Chloe spoke first with a sigh.

"Avery, please don't misunderstand! My ankle was so swollen I couldn't walk. Ethan was worried about me taking an Uber alone, so he brought me here to treat it."

I didn't look at her. I only looked at Ethan. "I need to talk to you."

Before he could answer, Chloe suddenly let out a sharp gasp. "Ethan, my toes are going numb."

He immediately looked down to check her ankle joint again, his voice softening even more. "Don't move. The ligament is still loose. Give it a minute."

I stood there, clutching my purse strap. I tried again. "Ethan, can you please take me to the hospital?"

Chloe grabbed his wrist at that exact moment. "Did I break a bone? Why is it hurting more and more?"

Ethan frowned as he examined her foot, not even looking up. "Avery, if you're not feeling well, go lie down for a bit. I'll come check on you once I'm done here."

"No need."

I turned and walked back to the bedroom, shoving the ultrasound report into the very bottom drawer of my vanity.

That night, Ethan knocked on my door.

"The guest room is too damp. Let Chloe sleep in our bed tonight. You can crash in the guest room for one night."

I opened the door. Chloe had already walked into our master bedroom with a glass of warm water.

She sat directly on the edge of my bed, reaching into the nightstand drawer to look for pain patches.

The very bottom drawer held my ultrasound report.

I pressed my hand against the drawer. "Don't touch that. I'll get it for you."

But Chloe's fingers had already brushed against something else in another compartment.

A box of unopened birth control pills.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You guys have been married for so long, and you're still using these?"

She shot Ethan a meaningful look.

"Didn't you use to hate these? You always said you never wanted kids in this lifetime."

Ethan's face shifted. "That's enough."

"Did I say something wrong?" Chloe's smile didn't fade. "You said it yourself. If you ever have a child, it would only be with me."

The room fell dead silent.

I looked at Ethan. He avoided my gaze.

So, all these years, he wasn't being considerate by not pressuring me to have kids. He had already made the decision for me.

My abdomen seized with another sharp pain. Clutching the edge of the cabinet, cold sweat beaded on my forehead. I pulled the ultrasound report out from the drawer and walked toward the door.

"Avery, where are you going?" he called out from behind.

I didn't look back.

Where else could I go?

To take care of a child he never planned to have, and never deserved to know about.