When I stayed silent for too long, Ashton's patience began to waver. "Say something," he demanded.

I bit my lip, feeling a pang of bitterness. His attitude toward me had shifted dramatically now that his first love had returned.

"I moved out—"

"Who told you to move out?" Ashton interrupted before I could finish.

A wave of frustration welled up in me. "Mallory is back. It doesn't feel right for me to stay."

He seemed to sigh, and his voice softened as he said, "Pip, come back."

Every time Ashton wanted to persuade me, he would use that same tone. It was gentle, almost coaxing, and hard to resist. For a moment, I nearly gave in, but I held myself back. "Ashton, we're getting a divorce."

His voice suddenly turned angry. "We're not divorced yet!"

I flinched at his outburst, and my chest was hurting. "Why are you yelling?! I'm the one being abandoned here! I should be angry, not you!" I shouted back at him, my voice breaking into sobs.

Hearing me cry seemed to throw Ashton off. "I'm sorry, Pip. It's my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Once I started crying, I could not stop. All of my emotions spilled over, and my sobs grew louder.

I heard faint shuffling noises on the other end of the line, but I could not tell what he was doing. Then, his voice came through, soft and steady. "Where are you? I'll come get you."

That was how Ashton was standing at my door 20 minutes later. Seeing my swollen, tear-streaked eyes, he pulled me into his arms without saying a word. In the end, I did not go back home. Instead, Ashton stayed with me at the hotel.

I did not ask where Mallory was. I only wanted him to be mine, just for a little longer.

Watching him sleep peacefully, I gently brushed my fingers through his hair while whispering silently in my heart, "Baby, this might be the last time you're this close to your dad. Remember him well."

The next day, I accompanied Ashton back to the Wallace family's estate.

Ashton's parents agreed to our divorce, but Ashton's grandfather, Elliott, absolutely refused.

Apparently, I bore a slight resemblance to Ashton's late grandmother in her youth, and because of that, Elliott had always been particularly fond of me as his granddaughter-in-law.

When he heard about the divorce, Elliott struck Ashton's leg hard with his cane. "You want a divorce? Fine! Wait till I'm dead!"

I winced at the sound, my heart aching for Ashton, but he did not even flinch.

When we left the estate, Ashton did not start the car right away. Instead, he rolled down the window halfway, retrieved a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment, and pulled one out with practiced ease.

The burning tip glowed faintly red as he brought it to his lips. Smoke curled around him, veiling his face in a hazy mist that even I could barely see him.

Ashton rarely smoked—only when he was troubled or facing something particularly difficult.

I clutched my bag tightly and said, "Ashton, we don't have to tell your grandfather."

His hand paused mid-air as he held the cigarette, and he looked at me.

"As long as we don't say anything, he won't find out about the divorce," I said earnestly, genuinely trying to offer a solution.

Ashton stubbed out the cigarette, and his expression was unreadable. "Pip, are you that eager to divorce me?"

I froze, caught off guard by his question. "I'm not." I just did not want him to find out I was pregnant.

He sighed deeply. "Let's talk about it later."

…

As we stepped out of the elevator, we ran straight into Mallory.

She casually looped her arm through Ashton's, ignoring me entirely as she said in a playful, coquettish tone, "Ash, I've been waiting for you forever."

I almost immediately instinctively stepped back, retreating behind them.

Meanwhile, Ashton hesitated briefly but then murmured, "Sorry, Mal."

Then, I watched as the two of them, looking close and inseparable, openly walked into the house together. It was as though I were the outsider intruding on their home.

Mallory casually sat on the couch. When she saw me standing hesitantly at the door, she called out, "Pip? Come in."

Feeling more like a guest in someone else's home now, I walked in slowly. The three of us ended up sitting facing each other on the couch.

Ashton spoke first, "Mal, the divorce needs to be put on hold for now—"

"Why?!" she interrupted, reacting as fiercely as a cat with its fur standing on end.

Her sudden outburst startled me. It seemed like ever since I got pregnant, I was easily frightened. My reaction time had gotten slower, and my courage had diminished.

Before Ashton could explain, Mallory turned her sharp gaze to me. "Did you change your mind again?" she snapped.

I quickly shook my head. "No, I didn't!"

"This has nothing to do with her," Ashton said calmly. "My grandfather's health hasn't been great lately. I'm worried the divorce might upset him."

Mallory's expression softened almost instantly. She looked at Ashton with tearful, pleading eyes. "Ash, if we get married right after the divorce, it'll be a happy occasion, won't it? Your grandfather should be glad!"

Ashton frowned at her words. "Mal, let's take it slow. There's no rush."

Mallory's eyes filled with tears. "Don't you love me anymore? Why the delay? We've already lost five years! Do you know how I've spent these past five years?"

He hesitated, unable to respond right away. After a long pause, he finally said, "Alright. We'll go through with the divorce next week."

Hearing those words, I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

Mallory beamed with joy, and she hugged Ashton's arm. Meanwhile, his gaze instinctively drifted to me.

I quickly looked away, swallowing the bitterness that rose in my chest.

…

On Monday morning, we went to the county clerk's office to finalize the divorce.

As we stepped outside, Ashton stopped me. "Pip, I'm sorry. She's been through so much. I need to take care of her."

I forced a smile and shook my head. "These five years were stolen time for me anyway. Thank you, Ashton."

His eyes were filled with an emotion I could not quite place.

My throat tightened as I requested, "Could you… hug me one last time?"

Ashton looked at me for a long moment before stepping forward and wrapping me in his arms. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and let my tears fall silently.

I felt a faint tremor run through his body.

After everything was said and done, I left Regensburg. Ashton left me with a substantial amount of money, but I did not touch any of it.

I moved to Zionsville, where I used my own savings to buy a small one-bedroom apartment. It was not large, but it had everything I needed. I quickly decorated the place and prepared for my new life as I awaited the baby's arrival.

The first few months were the hardest, with severe morning sickness. During the worst of it, I could barely keep anything down except water, and I found myself in and out of the hospital several times. I lost so much weight that I became almost unrecognizable.

Every time the doctor saw me coming in alone, he could not help but ask, "Where's your husband? Why isn't he here with you?"

I would simply smile faintly. "He's very busy."

The doctor frowned. "No matter how busy he is, he should be here for your check-ups. With your severe symptoms, someone needs to take care of you."

Even so, I brushed off his concern with vague answers.

Though I had mentally prepared for this, every time I saw other couples walking in and out of the obstetrics department together, I could not help but feel envious.

As I placed a hand on my slightly rounded belly, I whispered encouragingly, "You're the best baby ever. You'll grow strong even without a daddy!"

I thought my life would continue peacefully like this. But in my fourth month of pregnancy, Ashton suddenly reached out to me.