Due to one phone call, Carl Lorde left me behind in a deserted area on the highway, even though I had been pregnant for four months.

I walked to a rest area to ask for help, but in the end, I was unable to keep the baby.

I broke down and called Carl, but he kept rejecting my calls.

The next day, his childhood friend posted an intimate photo of them lying side by side in bed, with a caption. [With just one call, you’d come over to my side no matter what.]

Everyone was waiting for me, Carl’s girlfriend, to make a joke of myself.

However, I just wiped away my tears, liked the post, and commented, [Congratulations, you two are a match made in the trash dump. I hope you rot in hell together.]

“Let’s break up, Carl.”

I never dreamed that I would be the one asking for a breakup.

I had a crush on Carl Lorde for three years and tried to win his heart for five. When we finally got together, I did everything he wanted and never even considered a breakup.

He cast me aside for Cynthia Winston, his childhood friend, repeatedly and put me on the spot constantly. Yet, I never made a fuss because I loved him and had spent five years winning his heart.

I could not bear to give up on him. But at this very moment, I was in despair because I had lost my baby.

Due to one single phone call from Cynthia, he heartlessly left me and my baby in a deserted area. In the end, I miscarried.

When I lay alone on the hospital bed and never received any replies on my phone, I gave up.

After staying in the hospital for half a month, I applied for a discharge despite the doctor’s protest.

I returned to Carl’s house and packed up my stuff. Just as I was about to leave, I saw him and Cynthia coming back.

They gave off such intimacy as they talked and laughed together. They looked like a perfect couple.

Cynthia was leaning against his embrace with flushed cheeks. As for Carl, he had no intention of letting her go, even after he saw me.

When he noticed my luggage bag, he said in displeasure, “Are you throwing another tantrum, Natalie?”

A tantrum? So, to him, I was always unreasonable.

Whenever I showed a shred of displeasure about Cynthia and argued with him, he would call me unreasonable. He claimed that he could not get through to me with words. He would then lecture me from a moral high ground and say that I was evil and irrational.

He said that he only treated Cynthia as his sister and that I should stop being paranoid. Even his friends said that I was being too suspicious of them. According to them, if there really was anything romantic between them, they would have gotten together long ago; I would never have been in the equation.

When Cynthia saw my sickly appearance, she gave me a fake, naive smile and said, “Don’t misunderstand, Natalie. I’ve been sick lately. Carl was worried about me, so he came over to take care of me for a few days. That’s why he took so long to get back. Don’t fight because of me.”

It seemed like an explanation on the surface, but it was actually a boast. Sadness welled up in me.

Carl had left me behind on a highway while it was pouring, all because Cynthia was sick. He ran off without hesitation to take care of her.

I found the entire situation hilarious.

Remembering how I had lain on the operating table alone and felt my baby leave my body, I felt a sharp pain in my heart.

Suddenly, I felt as if I could not breathe. I no longer had any strength to continue arguing with them and just wanted to leave.

Hence, I went straight to the point. “Let’s break up, Carl.”

Carl’s expression turned impatient. “Natalie, could you be more mature? You know that Cynthia’s always been a sickly kid. I’m her childhood friend, and I consider her my sister. It’s only right that I take care of her.”

I was being immature? Just who exactly was immature in this situation? Also, what exactly did I have to do to be considered mature? Carl had to take care of Cynthia simply because she was his childhood friend, and he considered her his sister?

Was that also why they behaved like lovers in the name of being “siblings”? But Cynthia was right. As long as she needed Carl, he would return to her side no matter what. He treasured Cynthia and would be extremely worried about her if anything happened to her. He constantly paid attention to her.

He kissed her, hugged her, and held her hand. All that was left was for them to sleep together, yet he called me immature.

I was his actual girlfriend, but he would give me the cold shoulder and always be impatient with me. As such, my self-esteem plummeted, and I even became mentally ill for a time.

If he gave me a fraction of the attention he had given to Cynthia, he would know about these things.

Carl remembered everything about Cynthia: her birthday, her period as well as all her likes and dislikes. He even remembered their various anniversaries.

When it came to me, I did not think he even knew my favorite food.

The last time we had a gathering with his friends, they put me on the spot, and I got mad. After the gathering, he told me not to take it too seriously because everyone had just been joking.

Yet, when someone teased Cynthia, he would smash a bottle against their head. He would not look as tolerant and unbothered as he did when I was mocked.

I thought about arguing back, but to my dismay, I realized that I had never won against Cynthia.

Hence, when he rebuked me again, I only felt emptiness in my heart. “Yes, you’re not wrong. I am. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with you or been with you. Congratulations, you’re free now.”

When Carl saw me dragging my luggage bag behind me, he finally realized that something was wrong.

He let go of Cynthia and stopped me. “What’s going on with you? We can talk about this. You’re still pregnant. Can’t you be more careful? Stop giving me trouble.

“Look. I’ll tag along during the next prenatal checkup. Stop being so willful already.”

I had already miscarried. What was the point of him saying these things anymore?

I broke free from his grasp. “No need. That won’t be necessary anymore.”

As Cynthia stood by the side, her eyes were full of jealousy. She pouted in displeasure and rolled her eyes with disdain. “Carl, she’s just kicking up a fuss because she wants your attention. You’re acting like a typical pregnant woman, Natalie. You’re even using your baby to your advantage.”

My mind went blank.

I did not want to talk with these two pieces of trash because I would just be wasting my time and energy. However, Cynthia should not have mentioned my baby.

Fury erased the last shreds of rationality I had left. When I finally returned to my senses, I found myself grasping Cynthia’s hair and slapping her nonstop.

Since this had happened too suddenly, both Carl and Cynthia did not manage to react in time.

Cynthia was stunned as she fell to the floor and cradled her cheek. Tears spilled out of her eyes. “Carl, I’ve never been hit before! You have to defend me!”

I did not expect my rage to give me such great strength. Her fair cheeks were swollen. That image, along with her pitiful expression, just made me want to laugh.

Carl immediately pulled a long face. “Natalie, apologize to Cynthia now.”

I flung my hurting hand and met his gaze squarely. “You want me to apologize to her? Dream on!”

Cynthia cried even harder. “Carl, look at her! I didn’t say anything wrong! If you hadn’t bothered Carl so much, he would’ve never gone to that prenatal checkup with you! What happened was all your fault!”

That fateful day, I had indeed pestered Carl into accompanying me to the prenatal checkup. He had only been slightly happy when he heard about my pregnancy. After that, he was indifferent toward the entire thing.

I did not want my baby to grow up in such a neglected state. So, while Carl was free, I convinced him to go with me for a prenatal checkup before going around to relax.

I wanted to strengthen my relationship with him, but in the end, I lost my baby.

When Carl saw that I was not yielding, he became displeased and warned me, “Don’t make me repeat myself. Apologize to Cynthia.”

However, I stubbornly refused. “Fine. Then, don’t!” Carl sneered and slapped me hard.

This was the first time he had ever slapped me.

My rage exploded. Who did he think he was? What gave him the right to hit me?!

“You slapped Cynthia several times, and I only hit you once because you’re pregnant. You’re even now!”

When I finally registered what had happened, I saw Cynthia’s smug face.

Carl’s actions did not surprise me. He would do anything for her.

So, I immediately slapped him twice.

He was stunned. Once he finally realized what I had done, he blew up. “You hit me?! I already gave you a chance! Don’t ever come to me about the baby again! It’s dead to me!”

He was threatening me with my dead baby again? The emotions that I had been bottling up instantly burst forth.

I broke down and yelled at him, “The baby’s gone, Carl!”