Chapter 4

Serena’s current apartment was located in a luxury high-rise, not far from Ethan’s company.

I had been there once before. She told me it belonged to a friend and she was just staying there temporarily.

What a joke.

It wasn't a temporary stay. It was a love nest he bought for her.

The front door wasn't fully closed, and I could hear a child’s laughter coming from inside.

I stood at the door, peering through the crack. Ethan was sitting on the plush carpet, holding building blocks, helping a little boy build a castle.

Serena was sitting on the couch, peeling an apple.

The warm sunlight streamed in, bathing them in a picture-perfect glow.

They looked like a real family.

The little boy suddenly looked up and spotted me standing at the door.

He blinked, then grabbed his toys and ran to Ethan on his chubby little legs. "Daddy!" he called out in a sweet, childish voice.

Ethan looked up.

The moment his eyes met mine, the smile on his face completely froze.

I stood there, my feet feeling like they were glued to the floor.

*Daddy.*

The word felt like a physical blade plunged straight into my chest.

Ethan had promised me.

After my last miscarriage, when the doctor said my uterus was severely damaged and another pregnancy would be highly risky, I had sobbed in his arms.

He had held me, kissing my forehead over and over, saying:

"It's okay, Chloe. We don't need kids. I only need you."

But now, he was kneeling in front of another woman's child, listening to him call him Daddy.

Every single word he had ever said to me was a lie.

When I pushed the door open, everyone in the room stood up.

Serena's face drained of color, and she almost dropped the paring knife.

"Chloe... what are you doing here?"

I didn't even look at her. My eyes were locked on Ethan.

"Aren't you going to explain this?"

Ethan remained silent for a few seconds. He walked toward me, keeping his voice low.

"Let's talk outside."

I took a step back, avoiding his reach.

"We talk here."

The little boy was frightened by the cold atmosphere. He grabbed Ethan's trousers, looking at me with wide, scared eyes.

"Daddy, who is she?"

No one answered him.

I walked further into the room, staring at the boy's face.

His eyes and brow looked exactly like Ethan’s.

My chest tightened painfully. Before I could say anything, the boy suddenly took a step back in fear.

He stepped too fast, tripped over a loose toy block, and fell backward onto the carpet.

"Waaah—!"

The boy immediately burst into tears.

Serena gasped and rushed over, pulling him into her arms.

"Leo! Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

The boy sobbed hysterically, burying his face in Serena's neck while pointing a trembling finger at me.

"She pushed me... the mean lady pushed me..."

I froze.

"I didn't touch him."

My voice was quiet, but it rang clearly in the room.

But no one was listening to me.

Serena hugged the boy tight, her eyes red as if her heart was breaking.

"Chloe, if you have a problem, take it out on me! Leo is just a child!"

The boy cried louder, reaching his arms out to Ethan. "Daddy, it hurts..."

Ethan’s expression instantly darkened. He took the boy from Serena's arms, checking his knees.

There was a tiny red scrape on his knee.

Ethan’s frown deepened. When he looked up at me, his eyes were filled with suppressed anger.

"Chloe, control yourself."

I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"I didn't do anything."

Ethan pressed his lips together, his voice deep and cold.

"A child wouldn't lie about something like this."

Those words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

My throat burned. "So you believe him over me?"

He didn't answer. He just held the boy and instinctively stepped closer to Serena, shielding her.

That tiny movement hurt more than any words ever could.

It was instinct.

His instinct was to protect them and guard against me.

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it.

I was his wife.

"Ethan," I said, my voice trembling but clear. "The day I had my miscarriage, I called you dozens of times. Where were you?"

His face went pale.

"Chloe, let's talk about this when we get home."

"Home?" I whispered. "Which home?"

The boy was still whimpering, his small hands clutching Ethan’s shirt. "Daddy, I'm scared..."

Ethan patted his back, his voice incredibly gentle. "It's okay. Daddy's here."

Serena looked at me with tearful eyes, looking like the ultimate victim.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. Blame me, but please don't take it out on Leo. He doesn't know anything."

I looked at her, feeling utterly disgusted.

"He doesn't know anything, but you do."

Her lips trembled. "I didn't mean to..."

Ethan looked at me, his eyes filled with exhaustion and impatience.

"Chloe, Leo is already hurt. Stop making a scene."

*Making a scene.*

Again, those words.

The first time I lost a baby, he said I was being too emotional.

Now, when I caught him red-handed with his secret family, he still accused me of making a scene.

It seemed that as long as I expressed pain, as long as I demanded answers, I was the one in the wrong.

I looked down at my hands.

They were empty.

I had no baby, and I had no home.

I turned around and walked out.

Ethan put the boy down and chased after me, grabbing my wrist.

"I'll drive you back."

I slowly but firmly pried his fingers off my arm.

"Don't touch me."

His hand went stiff.

I didn't give him another look. I walked straight out of the apartment.

Behind me, the boy's loud cries and Serena's soothing voice echoed down the hallway.

As the elevator doors slowly shut, tears finally spilled over.

The most painful part wasn't the betrayal itself.

It was realizing that even though you still loved him, he wouldn't hesitate for a single second to choose them over you.