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.