Chapter 3

When they saw me, they froze. Lennox’s face shifted in confusion. “Are you sick? Why are you here alone?”

Before I could say anything, Anne stepped in, her voice dripping with concern. “Kelly, you can’t just brush off your health, no matter how young you are. You’ve got to take care of yourself, so Lennox doesn’t have to worry about you.”

Her tone was sweet, but there was an underlying coldness that I couldn’t ignore.

I pressed my lips together, nodding. “I’ve already had my check-up. Just need to pick up my meds and head out. You two go ahead with your prenatal appointment.”

Lennox’s eyes filled with concern as he took a step toward me, but Anne quickly pulled him back.

“Lennox, it’s almost our turn,” she said, rubbing her stomach like she was rehearsing it. “I’m worried—my stomach’s been bothering me lately. I don’t want it to affect the baby.”

She laid extra emphasis on the word baby, and just like that, Lennox’s worry turned to guilt.

“Kelly, you should head home,” he said quietly. “I’ll find you after the appointment.”

I couldn’t help but remember when he used to call Anne “sister-in-law” with such respect. Now, it was like they were already a family, so familiar with each other.

Looking at the two of them, I felt like a complete outsider. The man who once promised me forever had moved on without me, and here I was, just the last one to find out.

I thought back to the times he used to put me first, always. A bitter ache rose in my chest as I managed to say, “Alright. You two go ahead.”

I’ve known Lennox since high school. Back then, he was the quiet, bookish type, while I was the lively, mischievous one.

Since my parents were always working, they sent me to live on campus. I hated the cafeteria breakfast, so I would bug him to bring me food from outside. He’d sigh, but he never said no. That went on for three years.

After high school, we both ended up at the same university.

We’d spent so much time together that, naturally, I turned to him for comfort when we were in that unfamiliar new environment. I leaned on him for everything, and he never seemed to get tired of helping me.

My mom used to scold me, telling me it wasn’t fair to burden him so much. I’d just shrug and repeat it to Lennox. He’d laugh, saying, “Do you think I’m some kind of pushover? If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t bother.”

It was never a secret how he felt about me, and I’d always known. So I soaked it all in, shamelessly basking in his kindness.

When we finally got together, his love was even more unrestrained. With him by my side, it felt like nothing could ever touch me, like we were invincible.

My mom used to joke that the hardest thing I’d ever face was getting up and going to work.

But now, I realized she was wrong. The hardest thing I’d ever faced wasn’t work—it was discovering that the man I loved had married someone else, and I had been the last to know.

Tears blurred my vision as those memories flooded back. I didn’t even notice until it was too late, and my face was soaked with tears.

The taxi driver noticed and handed me a tissue. “Don’t worry, young lady. There’s nothing you can’t get through. Keep moving forward—good things are waiting just ahead.”

I took the tissue and mumbled a thank you through my sobs.

After paying the fare, I reached for my phone to call a friend, but something distracted me. I absentmindedly opened my social media feed—and there it was. Anne’s post, just five minutes ago.