Chapter 3

In the back of the cab, I yanked a sanitizing wipe from my purse and scrubbed my hand raw where he had touched it.

My skin burned a fierce red.

All I felt was a suffocating wave of disgust.

The second I unlocked my front door, an unsaved number lit up my screen.

I swiped to answer. Julian's raspy voice came through the speaker.

"Chloe. You still feel something for me, don't you?"

He sounded so smugly confident.

"Otherwise, why would you freak out like that tonight?"

Skipping dinner had triggered a sharp, twisting cramp in my stomach. I didn't even have the energy to curse him out. I pressed a hand to my abdomen and gritted my teeth.

"Julian. I'm married."

A harsh laugh crackled through the phone, thick with ridicule.

"Married? If you're going to make up a lie, make it believable! Who else could give you the lifestyle you want?"

"On your hospital paycheck, can you afford a penthouse? A luxury car? Designer bags and couture dresses?"

"Chloe, you're just mad that I didn't call you all these years."

"Well, guess what? You didn't reach out to me either."

A dry laugh escaped my lips as I rummaged through the drawer for my antacids.

"Julian, when two adults stop contacting each other, that's called a breakup."

"Lose my number. Don't ever call me again."

I hung up, tossed my phone onto the sofa, and swallowed two pills with water.

Curling up on the couch, the pain finally began to recede.

The stomachache kept me tossing and turning all night. I woke up with a pounding headache, but I still had rounds to make.

Midway through my morning shift, the clinic door swung open. Julian walked in, supporting Gemma by the arm.

I didn't even look up, keeping my tone completely neutral.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Gemma leaned coquettishly into Julian's chest.

"Doctor, I've been feeling nauseous and dizzy lately. Could you check me out?"

I printed out a lab requisition slip, my eyes fixed on the screen.

"Go to the lab for a blood draw first."

An hour later, I glanced at the lab results, my voice steady as stone.

"You're pregnant."

Gemma's face lit up instantly. She gripped Julian's arm with both hands.

"Julian, I'm pregnant! We're having a baby!"

Julian didn't look at her. His eyes were glued to my face, entirely unreadable.

Acting as if he weren't even there, I went through the standard protocol, explaining prenatal care and scheduling her first ultrasound.

"Did you catch all of that?"

I looked down, clicking my pen to jot down the chart notes.

Suddenly, Julian spoke up.

"You can't keep it."

The smile on Gemma's face froze. Her eyes went wide, welling with tears.

"What? Julian, what are you talking about? Why can't we have our baby?"

Julian merely repeated himself, cold and flat.

"I said no. That's final."

Gemma followed his gaze, which was still pinned directly on me.

"Is it because of her? Julian, look at me! Is it because of this bitch?!"

"You two broke up years ago! I'm your girlfriend now!"

Julian frowned, his patience visibly wearing thin.

"Now isn't the right time for a kid. Work comes first."

"Bullshit! That's an excuse!"

Gemma shrieked, lunging across the desk at me.

Rip!

She snatched the chart from my hands and tore it to shreds.

Paper scraps fluttered around us like dirty snow.

"You home-wrecking whore! Did you throw yourself at him behind my back? Why else would he abandon his own child?!"

Slap!

A stinging palm struck my cheek with full force.

My glasses flew off, shattering against the tile floor.

My ears rang with a deafening screech, pain throbbing across my face.

Julian's expression snapped. He rushed forward, pulling Gemma into his arms and murmuring,

"Alright, that's enough. Don't work yourself up. It's bad for your health."

"If you really want to keep it, fine. We'll keep it."

With that, he wrapped an arm around the sniffling Gemma, turning to leave.

"Freeze."

Their footsteps stopped dead.

I bent down, retrieved my shattered frames from the floor, and pulled out my phone right in front of them to dial 911.