Chapter 1

It was New Year's Eve, and I was five months pregnant when the hospital called me in for an emergency C-section.

I barely had time to change into scrubs before I was in the OR, hands steady, heart focused.

Halfway through the procedure, a rough, desperate voice suddenly cut through the tension.

"Luna! Don't be scared, I'm here, baby! Once the baby's out, I'll marry you. I'll take you home, okay?"

I froze.

My scalpel hovered mid-air.

That voice…

I knew it. I knew it.

The surgery went on, my body running on autopilot while my mind screamed.

When the baby was safely delivered and handed off to the NICU team, the man burst into the room. His eyes were red, his voice soft now as he pulled Luna Bennett into his arms like she was the only thing that mattered.

Then he turned, just enough for me to see his face.

And my world shattered.

Ethan Thompson.

My husband.

The man I'd been married to for five years.

...

The second I saw his face clearly, something inside me snapped.

I froze, the OR spinning for a split second before I found my voice, rough, tight.

"Congratulations. It's a healthy baby boy. Six pounds, three ounces."

Ethan Thompson didn't even glance at the baby.

Didn't even glance at me.

He rushed to her side like no one else existed.

"Thank you, my love," he choked out, brushing her sweaty hair back. "Thank you for giving me this child. You're the only woman I want. Luna, I love you."

And then he kissed her.

Soft. Tender. Like she was his whole world.

It was real. Heartfelt. The kind of moment most women only dream of.

The kind of moment I'd once imagined for myself.

Except I wasn't the one in that bed.

The nurses nearby were practically swooning.

"God, he's so sweet. That's real love right there."

"She's lucky. Most men don't even look at their wives after childbirth."

Lucky.

Yeah. So damn lucky.

Meanwhile, I stood there like an idiot, stomach churning, heart shattering in slow motion.

Just five hours ago, we'd been having dinner together. New Year's Eve. My pregnancy cravings had kicked in, and he'd peeled shrimp for me like always.

When a relative teased him, he just laughed and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"Sophia's cravings have been something else," he said, smiling like I was the center of his universe. "If I don't take care of her, she gets pouty and says I don't love her anymore."

I didn't say anything.

Because I'd never once pouted.

Later that night, when his boss offered him a drink, Ethan, always the people-pleaser, shook his head.

"Sophia's sensitive to alcohol lately," he said, all casual. "Can't have her feeling sick. Gotta look after the wife, right?"

Back then, my heart had felt full.

Now it felt hollow.

By the time Luna was wheeled to recovery, I was still in the OR, standing frozen, baby in my arms. A nurse gently took him from me. I hadn't even realized my hands were shaking.

Daisy Carter, my best friend, and the only one who knew the full truth, stepped in and pulled off my surgical mask. Her eyes searched mine.

"Sophia… is there something going on with Ethan?"

I didn't answer. Just stared at the floor as heat stung the backs of my eyes.

A memory hit me, Ethan's face when I told him I was pregnant.

He'd looked stunned. Frozen.

Back then, I'd chalked it up to surprise. Excitement.

But now?

Now I knew better.

He'd hugged me tight, kissed my forehead, said all the right things.

"Sophia! I'm gonna be a dad? That's amazing!"

But then I told him I wasn't quitting my job.

His smile had slipped. His tone turned cold.

"Isn't that too much for you? If you're not ready, we can just terminate it. It's not too late."

Terminate. Like this baby was a meeting we could just cancel.

I'd said no.

And now I regretted it.

He hadn't said those words out of concern. He'd meant them.

Because two kids? That would've been inconvenient.

Especially when only one of them mattered to him.

The one he actually wanted.

As I passed the recovery room later, I caught a glimpse of them through the window, Ethan and Luna curled up together, like some picture-perfect family.

My throat tightened. Bitterness burned its way down.

Outside, Daisy had her car waiting.

I climbed in, pulled off my scrub cap, and leaned my head back with a sigh. My hand rested on my belly.

"Daisy," I said quietly, "the hospital break ends on the seventh, right? Everyone's back on the eighth?"

"Yeah…" she said cautiously. "Why?"

I turned to look out the window, voice low but steady.

"Schedule me for the earliest induction on the eighth."