Chapter 16

Ethan's eyes were rimmed red. "You don't like roses. You don't like jasmine. But houses, cars, stocks, whatever I have, I'll give it all to you."

His voice cracked. "I don't know what else to do. Just, don't divorce me, please. You can yell, throw things, whatever you want. Just… don't leave."

Not wanting to cause a scene on the sidewalk, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the car.

But once the engine started, the nausea came back with a vengeance.

I must've looked pale, because Ethan glanced at me, worried. "Are you feeling sick? I'll call your office, get you some time off."

"No need. Zack already helped me request leave."

His expression darkened. He didn't say anything, but the tension was palpable.

I leaned back, took a slow breath, and for the first time in a while, felt oddly calm.

"Ethan, you don't have to do this," I said quietly. "I'm not blaming you anymore. Except for that day… the day you chose to save Olivia and left me behind, that still hurts. But the rest? I've let it go."

"We just don't work. We're not a good match."

"I didn't feel secure with you, and I guess I didn't have enough confidence in myself either. That's why I was always suspicious, always picking fights. I wasn't innocent in all this. We both messed up. That's how we got here."

Looking back, I found it almost laughable, how desperately I clung to him.

The way I used to orbit around Ethan like he was the sun. My whole world revolved around him. Love blinded me, made me lose myself.

I couldn't even stand that version of me now. How could Ethan have liked her?

"I didn't dislike you," he said hoarsely. "Yeah, I got impatient sometimes, but I never once thought about leaving. I figured no matter how bad the fights got, we'd grow old together."

"But that's not the kind of life I want anymore."

I shook my head. "Olivia was just the final straw. The real issue is that we're from different worlds. I can't fully trust you, and you can't fully accept me. That kind of imbalance…it wears you down. We'd end up resenting each other."

"We're adults now. Let's not drag this out."

The black Cullinan drove through the city. I made him drop me off early, I didn't want him walking me back.

Standing outside my building, watching the SUV disappear, I let out a breath.

"If I really am pregnant…" I murmured to myself.

The next morning, I took the test I'd bought the night before.

First morning urine was supposed to be the most accurate.

Sure enough, two lines.

I stared at it, not surprised, not panicked. Just quietly… expectant.

I never had strong family ties. My parents divorced early, then each remarried and moved on. There was never really a place for me.

After I met Ethan, I used to dream about building a picture-perfect family, husband, wife, child. I clung to that dream like a lifeline.

But the tighter I held on, the faster it slipped away.

I'd always wanted a child.

So when Ethan said those things yesterday… something inside me just snapped.

I was done with him.

If I could raise this baby on my own, maybe that was enough.

It was my day off, so I went straight to the hospital for a check-up.

Bloodwork confirmed it, I was pregnant.

And I had gotten pregnant before the memory loss. Thank God that suicide attempt hadn't harmed the baby.

Staring at the prenatal report, I felt a strange warmth rise in my chest, like hope, small and trembling, but alive.

But just as I was heading home, I spotted someone on the street I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Aria! What's that in your hand?!"

I jumped. Olivia came out of nowhere, looking completely unhinged.

Her hair was a mess, makeup smudged, same clothes from God knows when. Her whole body screamed chaos.

Instinctively, I stuffed the report back in my bag. "It's none of your business."

Her eyes narrowed. She lunged for my purse.

I didn't fight her too hard, I didn't want to hurt the baby. She yanked out the paper and read it.

Her face twisted into something feral.

"You're pregnant?! How dare you! You got pregnant while I lost everything?! I was supposed to be the golden girl. I'm Ethan's childhood sweetheart. How dare you take the spot that belongs to me!"

"How dare you! How dare you!"

I took a step back, voice steady. "If you have a problem, take it up with Ethan. This has nothing to do with me."

I didn't want to argue. Not with her. Not like this.

This wasn't my problem anymore.

Back then, I was so naive. I thought as long as I stayed by Ethan's side, no other woman could come between us.

But for men like him… cheating isn't some moral failing. It's just convenience.

Trying to police other women? A waste of time.

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" Olivia hissed, lips curling into a twisted smile.

"You know he cut ties with the James family. You know I'm ruined. And now you're standing here gloating!"