At our engagement party, my sister said she saw my fiancee at the hospital for a prenatal checkup.

Inga Lane looked at me nervously, then smiled and handed the test results to our parents. “I’m one month pregnant.”

Both families were over the moon. I was the only one who could not smile.

After everyone left, Inga said, “I’m sorry. I’m pregnant. I was drunk that night. The baby is Xion’s.”

I clenched my fists and tried to stay calm. “Then, why did you come to the engagement today?”

She leaned toward me and said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to marry Xion. He has cancer. He doesn’t have much time left.

“We grew up together. He’s the only child in his family. I just wanted to give him a child to carry on his family line.”

I coldly pushed Inga away. My voice was low and rough. I was trying not to choke on my words. “So… you cheated on me, and now, you want me to raise someone else’s kid?”

She said hurriedly, “It’s not like that. Let’s get married after I give birth, okay? I’ll leave the baby with Xion’s parents. It won’t affect our lives.”

I let out a quiet, mocking laugh. “But both of our families know you’re pregnant. Everyone thinks the baby is mine. Inga, do you want everyone to laugh at me?”

Inga frowned. “That’s not what I meant. Your sister saw me at the hospital. She works there. Even if I didn’t say anything, she would’ve found out.

“I already figured it out. After a while, I’ll tell our parents I lost the baby. They’ll never know the truth.

“I’ll stay at Xion’s while I’m pregnant. After I have the baby, we’ll get married and be happy again, just like before, okay?”

Inga only meant for me to know, but she did not expect my sister to see her at the hospital.

I gave her a bitter smile and said, “Perfect. Your life runs just like a plan. You’ve got every step mapped out.”

Did she ever stop to think about how I felt?

Who could ever agree to marry someone who was carrying another man’s child?

When Inga saw me smile, she seemed to relax. She kissed me on the forehead. “Babe, thank you for understanding.

“Let’s move the wedding to six months from now. The baby’s due at the end of the year. We’ll get married after I recover.”

I felt like I had been hit in the chest. My throat tightened. I had a hundred cruel things to say, but nothing came out.

I walked out of the restaurant with Inga in a daze. She waved cheerfully at a Volkswagen parked outside. It turned out she had already asked Xion Zeller to pick her up.

Inga told me Xion had cancer and did not have long to live.

But Xion looked energetic. He was nothing like a sick person.

Inga got into the front passenger seat like she had already done it many times before. She leaned out of the window and waved at me. “Babe, it’s settled then. I’ll be staying at Xion’s until the baby’s born.”

I wanted to scream at them and call them names, but I did not have the strength.

When I found out Inga was pregnant with someone else’s child, it felt like all strength had been drained from me. I was nothing but an empty shell. I stood there and watched Xion drive her away.

Inga and I had been together for five years. Today was our engagement party. Our families had already agreed to hold the wedding next month.

Back when I was with Inga, all I ever dreamed about was marrying her.

But when we first started dating, my parents were against it.

They stopped supporting me financially. To buy Inga a necklace she liked, I took on two part-time jobs while studying. I pushed myself so hard I forgot to eat and ended up in the hospital for two weeks with severe stomach problems.

I was really happy at the time. Inga stayed by my side through those two weeks in the hospital, and I finally bought her that necklace with the money I had earned myself.

I was finally close to the life I had dreamed of, but it all fell apart.

She cheated on me! She was carrying another man’s child, and she planned to keep it.

On the way out, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I felt lightheaded and almost stumbled over a stone post near the entrance.

G

Just then, Olivia Sterling appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my arm to steady me.

She was small, and I was at least half a head taller than her. I had no idea where she found the strength.

I nodded and greeted her politely. I had not seen her in years. “Thanks. What are you doing here?”

I met Olivia back in college while I was working a part-time job. She confessed to me once because she did not realize I already had a girlfriend. After I told her the truth, we never saw each other again.

She looked a little embarrassed and brushed her bangs aside. “I had a business dinner here. I was walking by and accidentally overheard you and your fiancee talking.”

She found out I had been cheated on, and for a second, I did not know what to say.

Then, she smiled and held out her hand. “Want to try going on a date with me?”

I froze for a moment, then said, “Alright.”

We exchanged our numbers. She said she had to rush back to her firm to report on the meeting and left right after.

When I got home, I was shocked to see Inga and Xion inside.

Xion greeted me casually, “Hey man, you’re back.”

Seeing me frown, Inga said, “Xion’s place is a bit small. His parents are still making space for me. This place is bigger, so we’re staying here for now.”

I paid for this apartment in full. I handled the renovation myself, covered all the costs, and oversaw everything.

I could not believe she had the nerve to bring the person she had an affair with into our home, just so she could rest during her pregnancy.

I asked her with a cold face, “So, he’s sleeping in the nursery?”

The apartment had four rooms. Besides the master bedroom and the nursery, she had turned one room into a walk-in closet and the other into a gym.

Inga did not even flinch. “I don’t want your parents to get suspicious. You should stay at their place for now.

“Xion will sleep in the master bedroom with me. Don’t worry. There’ll be a pillow between us. I’ve been feeling sick a lot lately. It’s easier for him to take care of me if he’s close.”

What a joke! My fiancee was sleeping next to another man, and she thought I should feel at ease.

I could not believe she actually said that to my face.

I glanced toward the master bedroom. Xion’s suitcase was open on the floor.

His clothes were already hanging in the closet.

I smiled bitterly. Once again, they had already decided without even informing me.

“Sounds like you’ve thought it all through.”

Then, I packed up the clothes they had thrown off the bed. I folded them and placed them in my suitcase.

There was nothing left for me in that home.

Before I left, I shut off the electricity and water.

Then, I called a real estate agent and listed the apartment for urgent sale.

The view from this building was still the best I had ever seen, so I bought another unit in the same building.

Right after I finished everything, Inga sent me a text.

[Babe, the power and water are out. Can you pay the bill?]

I looked at her message, then put my phone down without replying.