Jrue's phone lay neglected on the couch; he hadn’t taken it with him to the bedroom. It kept buzzing, and after what felt like an eternity, I picked it up. I tried several passwords without success until I recalled Lilian's birthday from his diary. I hesitantly entered it, and the screen unlocked immediately. I laughed quietly at myself. This relationship must have meant the world to him; after all this time, he still used her birthday as his password.

The messages in their group chat kept tagging Jrue repeatedly, and I browsed through their past conversations. My mind went blank and my head felt empty, but my heart was pounding fiercely in my chest.

"I originally thought that by marrying Melanie, Lilian would get jealous and come back to me. But when she didn’t, I went ahead and married Melanie anyway."

"Lilian can't have kids, but she really wants one. I need to make that dream come true for her because a child would be the only thing connecting us."

The impact of those words struck me like a bolt of lightning. My heart turned cold instantly.

"But this is unfair to Melanie. After all, the child would be hers, born through her own effort and pain."

"Melanie is healthy; we'll have more children. But Lilian will never have any in her lifetime. She can be expected to stay quiet about it."

I suddenly looked up towards the bedroom. Jrue must be asleep; soft snores floated down from upstairs. Tears streamed down my face. My fists clenched so tightly that my nails cut into my skin. My chest heaved violently, and my lips trembled beyond control.

No wonder Jrue suddenly started talking about wanting a child. I naively believed that my years of perseverance had finally touched him, but now I realized it was only because Lilian couldn’t have children. Jrue wanted to give her one. A bitter smile appeared, and the hatred in my eyes seemed to materialize.

Their scheme was meticulous, but how could they assume I would let my child call another woman 'Mom'?

Early in the morning, I arrived at the hospital to check in for my stay. Having the medical staff nearby meant I had someone to look after me; at home, I could only rely on myself.

As I made my way upstairs to my room, I ran into two familiar faces—Jrue and Lilian. Jrue was wearing a tailored black shirt, the one I had given him not long ago. His face was etched with concern as he carefully supported Lilian in his arms.

We crossed paths on the stairs. Jrue's eyes widened with surprise when he saw me, and he instinctively turned to Lilian.

"Must be work-related," he said, "you should head to your room first. I'll come by once I handle this."

With that, he grabbed my wrist and led me towards the stairway, not even giving me a moment to regain my balance before he brusquely pushed me aside.

"I'm just here with her for a check-up, and you tracked us to the hospital?" he said with a sneer. "How did you know we were here? Been stalking my friends' social media again? Can't bear to be without me, can you?"

His words cut deep. I forced a smile, steadying myself against the railing. "I'm just feeling unwell and came for a check-up. Running into you both is purely coincidental; you're overthinking it."

At my explanation, Jrue laughed coldly. "Come on, you couldn't have come up with a more convenient excuse. I've seen your check-up report; you're perfectly fine. Why play the fragile act in front of me, Melanie? Why all the theatrics? Wouldn’t it be more sensible to stay home and rest than trail me?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself when a nurse, Lakelyn, hurried over. "Your wife fainted, you need to come quickly."

I realized that when she said "wife," she must have meant Lilian. Jrue didn’t correct her. Anxiety creased his face as he shot me a look, shaking off my hand to leave.

"Are you happy now? I've had enough of you, Melanie. Go home. I'll return once I'm done. Stop bothering Lilian; she's unwell."

With that, he hurried after Lakelyn. I watched him go, rubbing my wrist, which was red from his grip. "You won't have to endure this anymore," I whispered to myself.

The procedure was over quicker than I had anticipated. Lying in the cold, sterile operating room with bright lights glaring down on me, I felt something leave my body. Even though I was under anesthesia, a sharp pain pierced through me. A single tear slid from the corner of my eye as I gazed into the blinding white light above.

I failed this child.

As I was wheeled out of the operating room, I saw Jrue ahead, his focus entirely on Lilian. He didn't even notice his wife being pushed past him.

"This couple is stunning. I've seen her come in often for check-ups, and her husband is always with her," one nurse remarked.

"I heard she can't have kids because of health issues."

"But who cares if she can't conceive? Her husband doesn't seem to mind. It's something to envy."

I stared up at the ceiling, numb to the discussion about my husband and another woman. My heart was heavy.

Since I got pregnant, I'd attended every prenatal appointment alone. Jrue always had the excuse of being swamped with work. Now, it was obvious: it wasn't about his job; he simply didn't want to be there with me.

Jrue seemed to harbor resentment since our last encounter at the hospital, and after our unpleasant exchange, he hadn't reached out. Meanwhile, Lilian had been admitted too, in the room right next to mine.

Even being so close, during all my time in the hospital, Jrue hadn't noticed I was there. Of course, with Lilian being his perfect ideal, how could he see anyone else?