Chapter 2

The Twitter video showed Lucas in the hospital room, wearing gloves as he carefully peeled lobster, feeding it to Skye with a tenderness that felt like a slap to my face. "I made soup for you," he said softly. "It's on the table, eat before it gets cold."

The camera shifted to the steaming soup. My stomach turned. Just last week, after I had collapsed and bled heavily, nearly losing the baby, I lay weak in the hospital bed. I'd asked Lucas to make me some soup, but he'd frowned and refused. "Men don't cook," he had said. "Order takeout if you want soup." After a long wait, he brought me sour seafood porridge from some random restaurant. It was already cold, and I'd told him a hundred times about my seafood allergy, but he never bothered to remember.

Yesterday, I noticed some ingredients for soup at home and dared to hope. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to care. But no, he was making it for Skye. The bitter laugh that escaped my lips felt cold and hollow.

Outside, the snow was falling heavily, the night swallowing everything in darkness. I stood there, wearing nothing but a thin coat, shivering from the cold. My phone rang again.

"Where are you? My mom says you haven't come home. Are you giving us attitude?" Lucas's voice cut through the night, sharp and accusatory. "If you have any conscience, come to the hospital and check on Skye. Apologize to her!"

The snow was coming down harder, the road already covered. I knew I wouldn't be able to get a cab, and the thought of walking home in this weather made my chest tighten.

"I'm near the company," I replied, my voice shaking from the cold.

"Why are you still there?" Lucas asked, his tone softening just a little. "You're wearing so little. I'm worried about you. I'll come to get you."

Maybe it was the snowstorm, or maybe he was worried I'd walk home alone and catch a cold. Then Skye's voice cut through the line, faint but full of self-pity.

"Lucas, is Nadia still mad at me?"

"It's all my fault. I'm just a useless burden. Nobody likes me. I'm so annoying..."

"Go pick up Nadia," she wheezed. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine..." She coughed dramatically.

"Skye, are you okay?" Lucas's voice was full of panic now, but in the next breath, he snapped at me. "This is your fault! Because of you, Skye's suffering! How dare you play the victim? Quit trying to get sympathy!"

That was it. That was the moment everything broke. My last shred of affection for him shattered, and I cut him off, my voice colder than I felt. "Let's break up. You and Skye have my blessing."

I hung up, my heart heavy and raw. But Lucas didn't stop. He called me over and over. I was done, so I blocked him. For the first time in a long while, I felt a fleeting moment of peace.

But then, a strange number flashed on the screen. "Nadia, you've got some nerve," Lucas's voice was bitter. "How dare you block me! Get home now and grab a coat for Skye. She's cold, and she's been coughing. If you can make it in half an hour, I might consider forgiving you and continuing our engagement."

He hung up. The sleet was now coming down in sheets, soaking through my clothes. I knew I wouldn't be able to get a cab in this weather. But Lucas didn't care. He was venting his anger, using me as his punching bag just to please Skye. I stood there, drenched and staring at the gloomy sky. Did I still love him?

No. I didn't. Not anymore.

A taxi finally appeared, its lights flashing. I rushed into it, barely thinking. "Take me to the hospital."

When we arrived, I asked the driver, "Where's Mr. Madron?"

"Second-to-last ward, on this floor. He's with Miss Ingram," the driver answered.

I hesitated before asking, "Are you sure he doesn't know about the abortion?"

The doctor looked conflicted, as if struggling with the truth. "If Lucas finds out about the abortion, he'll make sure your name is erased from every record in the medical field."

I forced a smile, a hollow laugh escaping me. "He already proposed to her," I said quietly. "I'm done with him."

The doctor didn't press the issue. I lay back on the cold operating table, staring at my slightly swollen belly. The sadness was overwhelming. I had imagined a future with my child, watching them grow, hearing their laughter. But now, that dream seemed like a cruel illusion.

As the anesthesia started to take over, I heard familiar voices in the hallway, chatting casually.

"Lucas, I really regret going abroad..."

"Skye, you're the one I'll always love. That woman doesn't even compare to you."

"I'm scared of having kids... What if I can't marry into your family?"

"It's okay. After Nadia has the baby, we'll get married and raise it together."

"What if she doesn't let us?"

"I know her parents. They'll agree to anything if I give them enough money. Hell, they'd sell her if I asked."

Their plan was flawless, take everything from me. As the anesthesia pulled me into darkness, all I could feel was emptiness.