Chapter 6

"An abortion? Sophia, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I told you I'd come home once I wrapped up work! Are you seriously lying about something like this now?!"

"That baby, the one you wanted so badly, you're really just gonna get rid of it? You think this is funny? Using a pregnancy to guilt-trip me, don't you think that's just pathetic?"

I didn't answer.

I hung up.

Then I followed the nurse into the operating room.

When I came to, a dull ache pulsed through my lower abdomen.

Daisy was sitting at my bedside, her face pale with worry.

"Sophia, hey, you're awake."

I gave her a faint smile, ignoring the heavier ache in my chest.

This child… I had wished for it so long.

But it came at the worst possible time.

If I forced it into this world, it would never be happy, not with a father like Ethan and a home already cracked down the middle.

Better to let it go now… than let it suffer later.

I glanced at my phone. The screen was overflowing, dozens of texts and missed calls from Ethan.

[Sophia, seriously? Quit the act already. If you're gonna make up an excuse, at least make it believable.]

[You're still pissed about the baby stuff? I haven't even yelled at you for buying that cheap crap that gave the kid a rash. What right do you have to be angry?]

Even after everything, even after I'd finally let him go, those words still made my chest tighten, my eyes sting.

This was the man I'd loved for years.

And this was all that was left.

Exhaustion.

Five days later, I was discharged.

I filed for medical leave, two weeks. I needed space. Time to breathe.

I had the divorce papers drafted, signed them, and packed up everything that was mine.

That night, I moved out of Ethan's house.

As I loaded the last suitcase into the car,

"Sophia!"

That voice. Familiar. Desperate.

I froze but didn't look back. Just closed the trunk calmly, without a word.

Of course he wouldn't let me go that easily.

Ethan stormed over, grabbed my wrist, his expression dark with frustration.

"What the hell are you doing?! Ghosting my calls and texts, do you really want a divorce?!"

"Isn't this all just one big performance to get me to come crawling back? Well guess what, I'm here now. Satisfied? Can we stop this now? I've got work to do, I don't have time for your emotional games."

I looked up at him, silent. My face pale, but calm.

His gaze flickered. His hand lifted, brushing my cheek gently.

"You've lost weight…"

"Don't." I smacked his hand away, my voice ice-cold.

"You weren't at work. And you weren't on some business trip. So tell me, Ethan, was lying to me for four years part of your job description too?"

His body tensed. Guilt clouded his face.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

I let out a bitter laugh.

"You know what I was doing on New Year's Eve? Performing a C-section."

"Guess who the patient was."

His eyes widened.

I stepped closer.

"It was Luna."

"So how long were you planning to keep lying to me? Your so-called trips and late nights? They were all for her, weren't they?"

Then I reached up.

Pulled back his collar.

Fresh love bites. Still red.

"I know everything now."

"You're disgusting. I wasted years loving you. And now, just looking at you makes me sick."

Only then did his eyes finally shift to my stomach.

Flat. Empty.

The color drained from his face. His voice cracked.

"No… no, Sophia, it's not what you think. Please, listen to me, "

"Your stomach… you were five months. I, I felt it move last time. Where's the baby?"

I swallowed hard.

Curled my lips into a shaky smile.

Then I raised my hand, and slapped him. Hard.

"It's gone."

"Just like you wanted."

"You swapped my prenatal vitamins with hormone pills, didn't you?"

"The baby was deformed. The doctors said it wasn't viable."

"You got what you wanted, Ethan. It's over. Happy now?"