Chapter 4

As I walked out of the pawn shop, I noticed Cassandra had been waiting for me outside.

"Wendy, I think we need to talk," she said.

I didn't refuse. I followed her to a nearby café. Cassandra wore a look of deep guilt on her face, and it wasn't until our coffees were served that she finally spoke, her voice timid.

"Wendy, I just found out recently that my boyfriend... is actually your husband."

But before I could even muster a word of comfort for her, her tone shifted into a pathetic, tearful plea. "Wendy... could you please divorce him?"

I froze, staring at her in complete disbelief.

Ignoring my shock, Cassandra kept on talking.

She told me that what she and Edward spent in a single day was more than what he had spent on me in our entire five years together. She told me that Edward wouldn't have the heart to see her suffer even the slightest. She told me that lately, he couldn't keep his hands off her.

Finally, she stood up and looked down at me.

"Wendy, the one Edward truly loves is me." She paused, her eyes locking onto mine. "And, in truth, the one who isn't loved is the actual homewrecker, right. So please... leave us alone."

Her tone was ridiculously proper, yet every single word was coated in poison.

I grabbed my cup from the table and splashed the coffee right on her face.

"You knew exactly who you were sleeping with, and you still played the part. You have absolutely no shame, Cassandra."

The dark, sticky liquid ruined her perfect makeup, leaving her looking utterly pathetic and messy. But through the dripping mess, I saw the corners of her mouth slowly curl into a smirk.

A split second later, Edward's furious voice boomed from behind me. "Wendy! What the hell are you doing?"

He rushed past me, wrapping his arms protectively around Cassandra before turning to scream at me. "You didn't listen to a single word I said, did you? Keep acting like this, and you can kiss your position as Mrs. Gale. Goodbye!"

Nestled safely in Edward's embrace, Cassandra’s eyes practically sparkled with triumph. She silently mouthed the words to me ‘You lose.’

Trembling with absolute rage, I raised my hand to slap her, but Edward caught my wrist in a vice grip.

"Stop making a scene, Wen," he snapped, throwing my hand away in disgust. "Have some dignity. Everyone is watching."

His eyes held nothing but cold impatience.

Beside him, Cassandra suddenly burst into tears. "Edward... I'm pregnant."

Those few words shocked me to the core.

"Edward, my stomach hurts so much..." she sobbed, clutching her belly as she sagged against him. "Am I... am I going to lose our baby?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted dead away.

Panic seized Edward. He scooped her up without a second thought and rushed out the door to get her to the hospital.

In the end, I stood locked onto my place completely alone. God knows for how long, before I knew, Edward's text messages started popping up on my phone.

Edward: [Wen, the baby in Cassie's belly is still my flesh and blood.]

[When the time comes, we can put the child under our name. I'll make sure he calls you Mom.]

I typed back a reply: [You really think I'll agree to that??]

The typing indicator on his end danced for a long time. Finally, he replied.

Edward: [No matter what, that is my child.]

A sharp ache pierced my nose, pathetic tears soon spilled over.

I wandered back to our apartment like a ghost. The pain was slowly giving way to a hollow numbness. The place looked as warm and cozy as it always had, yet for some reason, it felt colder than a freezer.

Five years…

Five whole years of my life. It wasn't worth it. None of it was worth it.

Fueled by a quiet anger, I went to the study and printed out a massive stack of divorce agreements. I took them and taped them to the walls, one by one, until they covered the entire apartment. Even the front door was plastered in stark white paper.

If Edward liked tearing them up so much, he could tear them to his heart's content.

Once I was done, I grabbed my suitcase, walked out without looking back, and headed straight for the airport.