Chapter 3
The firelight flickered brightly, and for a moment, I seemed to see a young child waving at me.
She wore the white princess dress I had just burned for her. She smiled happily as her eyes met mine, babbling softly, as though calling: “Mom…”
I instinctively reached out to touch her, but my palm was scorched by the heat of the fire.
It was then I realized–my child had completely left me. Her brief appearance wasn’t to linger but to help me let go, urging me to leave this sorrow behind and face life again.
“Baby,” I murmured, tears streaming,
“thank you for coming to me, for giving me the greatest comfort in life. With you by my side, even for this brief journey, I have no regrets.”
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I steadied myself, packed my emotions, and began preparing my luggage. With quiet resolve, I booked a flight for the end
of the month.
That same day, Annie posted another update on her Moments:
“Everyone is welcome to attend my housewarming~”
The accompanying photo showed Dwayne and Annie locked in an embrace, gazing at each other.
Coincidentally, her housewarming was on the same day as my flight.
Over the past eight years, there had been countless quarrels, each one ending with me lowering my head to make peace.
But this time, I didn’t bow my head.
And this time, Dwayne didn’t look back either.
I couldn’t help but recall how uneasy Dwayne had been when he first confessed
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his physical condition.
I remembered the surprise and excitement on his face when I agreed to be his
girlfriend. He once told me I was like a candy, sweetly melting into the bitterness of his heart.
Back then, we changed our lives for the sake of love, determined to have a child of our own. Even after countless setbacks, our bond remained unshaken.
But now, standing at this moment, we had let the chance for happiness slip away.
After leaving home, I cut all ties with Dwayne and stayed in a hotel for three days.
Grief consumed me, weakening my body to the point where I had no choice but to seek
medical attention.
It was at the hospital‘ s obstetrics and gynecology department that I unexpectedly ran into Dwayne and Annie.
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Annie had just stepped out of the examination area, clutching a film from her check–up. When she saw me, her innocent eyes blinked, and she smiled sweetly, “What a coincidence, Tricia! I wasn’t feeling well, so Mr. Doyle insisted on bringing me to the hospital for a check- up. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I didn’t have the energy to wonder what had made Annie feel unwell–or why Dwayne had accompanied her to the obstetrics and gynecology department.
“I heard that Tricia had abdominal pain a few days ago. Is she feeling better now?” Annie asked with feigned concern, her tone syrupy sweet, yet only I could detect the mockery hidden within her words.
I pulled out my registration slip and replied calmly, “It’s fine now. You don’t need to worry.”
Just as I finished, Dwayne appeared behind her, holding a bag of prescribed medicine. When our eyes met, he showed no trace of
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shame at being caught in such a situation. Instead, he stormed toward me, anger flaring in his voice as he demanded, “Where have you been these past few days?”
I stayed silent, taking a deliberate step back to maintain my distance.
This small action enraged Dwayne further. He snatched the registration slip from my hand, towering over me with a cold, condescending gaze.
“As a pregnant woman, running around recklessly with your baby–do you even care about basic safety?” he barked. “Your prenatal check–up isn‘ t due yet. Did you come to the hospital today just to follow me?”
Ever since meeting Annie, Dwayne’s mindset had turned stubborn and accusatory. No matter what I said, he would twist it to fit his narrative, refusing to believe anything I explained.
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“I’m here to see a doctor,” I replied plainly, though I knew my words would fall on deaf
ears.
Predictably, my response only
strengthened his suspicion. He became even more convinced that I had followed them to the hospital. His sharp, scrutinizing eyes bore into me, searching for confirmation of his baseless
accusations.
Despite his abrasive attitude, he still offered to take me home.
I shook my head and refused, walking past him toward the registration kiosk to sign up for my appointment again.
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