I’m Planning A Comeback

Timothy froze mid-motion. After only a split second of hesitation, he said apologetically to Mia, “I’ll be right back.”

With that, he let go of her and hurried out the door without a single glance back.

Watching his retreating figure, Mia’s body went limp and slid slowly down the wall until she crumpled onto the cold floor. She felt no pain from the impact. Her heart had already frozen solid.

Soon, Maya’s whimpering voice soon drifted from the next room. She had had a nightmare, and Timothy was soothing her with tenderness.

Mia could faintly make out their murmured words, then even those faint sounds faded away.

The night was deathly quiet.

Mia did not turn on the light. The room was swallowed in darkness.

She just curled up numbly on the floor, repeating the same words over and over in her mind—it would be over soon.

She only had to endure seven more days. Then everything between her and Timothy would be over.

That night, Timothy did not return.

Mia had expected it, so when she opened her eyes at dawn on the freezing floor, she felt no heartache.

She checked the alarm clock: not yet seven. Still early. She climbed back into bed to rest a little longer.

But this bed was freezing, the mattress rock-hard—nothing like the comfortable king bed she was used to in the master bedroom. After a few minutes, the stiffness ached all over her bones. She gave up and got out of bed to continue packing.

She had moved in a hurry the day before, tossing things haphazardly into her suitcase. Now she intended to sort everything properly, making sure she left nothing behind—so she would never have to step foot in this house again.

She was in the middle of organizing when Timothy pushed the door open and walked in.

Since only Mia, Timothy, and the maid lived there before, they never bothered locking the doors.

Timothy used to knock before entering her room, which had felt too formal and distant. To bring them closer, she’d insisted he come in anytime without knocking.

Now that casual access had become a problem. Mia saw his gaze land on the stack of documents she was sorting.

Timothy’s brow tightened with faint displeasure. “Why are you packing? Going somewhere?”

Mia quickly stuffed the papers under her clothes. “Just organizing my things. I’m checking if I left anything in the master bedroom—better take it now so I don’t have to bother Maya later.”

Timothy’s tone softened. “She won’t be staying long.”

Mia smiled, but didn’t believe him for a second.

It was always like this. Whenever Maya made a request, Timothy agreed without question.

Mia was tired of it. This time, she would not let his betrayal break her again.

She stood up to take the aromatherapy diffuser from the nightstand. The bed here was too hard to sleep on anyway, so the diffuser was useless here. It was a gift from her best friend Gina Palmer, and she treasured it.

Just as Mia turned around, Timothy wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He rested his chin against her neck, his warm breath brushing her skin. His voice was thick with guilt. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep my word last night.”

He explained, “Maya had a nightmare. She can’t sleep alone, and the doctor said it’s dangerous to leave her by herself. So I...”

“I understand,” Mia cut him off.

It was the first time he’d ever explained himself so thoroughly, yet she didn’t care at all. The scent of Maya’s perfume on him was suffocating.

Her stomach twisted violently. Acid surged from her stomach into her throat. She swallowed hard, trying to hold it back, but failed.

She shoved Timothy away and ran to the bathroom, retching uncontrollably.

Mia bent over the toilet, heaving, feeling like her stomach might fall out along with the bile.

What was wrong with her?

She’d felt nauseous before, but never this badly. Was Maya's perfume really that overpowering? Or was Timothy's betrayal causing her such pain that her body was literally rejecting him?

She retched again and again, her mind spinning with confusion and tension.

Timothy stood behind her, rubbing her back worriedly, but the closer he got, the worse she felt. The strong perfume made her want to scream.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, pulling out his phone. “I’ll call the doctor.”

“No, don’t,” Mia gasped, shaking her hand. “Don’t bother. I just… ate something bad last night.”

She grabbed a towel to wipe her mouth and forcibly pushed him out of the bathroom.

Timothy stood in the hallway as Mia slammed the door shut.

He shook his head. Mia had always been strong, so he dismissed it as nothing serious.

Once he was gone, Mia retched a few more times. Only after opening the window to air out the room did she finally feel better.

Just then, Gina called and invited her shopping. Mia had been dreading spending the day under the same roof with Maya and her provocations, thinking of excuses to escape. The invitation was perfect, and she agreed immediately.

She took a quick shower, sat at the tiny vanity, and did her makeup. She curled her soft golden hair into loose, sexy waves and slipped into a figure-hugging red dress that highlighted every curve—her full chest, slender waist, and rounded hips. Then she grabbed an elegant leather clutch and left.

She didn’t notice Timothy’s gaze following her.

Mia met Gina at the Golden Age Mall downtown. Gina was also stunning today—her soft flaxen hair complemented her tanned skin perfectly, and her tight jeans and backless halter top looked effortlessly sexy.

Gina practically pounced on Mia the moment she saw her. She hugged her friend so tightly that Mia could barely breathe.

Mia laughed and pulled away, suggesting they get coffee first.

“I haven’t eaten anything today. I’m starving,” she whined playfully.

Gina was always kind and generous. She led Mia to an upscale café and ordered two chocolate muffins and two cappuccinos. “Their scones are incredible—my treat,” she said.

Mia didn’t argue. Her stomach was growling.

After finishing one muffin, she felt a little stronger. She wanted to tell Gina everything that had happened, but the whole situation felt so complicated. It would be simpler to just share her final decision.

“I’m planning a comeback,” Mia said, taking a sip of coffee, confidence bright in her blue eyes. “Back to the interior design industry. Time to carve out my own path with my own hands.”

Gina froze mid-sip, then lit up with pure, shocked delight. “Really? Mia—oh my dear—do you have any idea how huge this is? The top interior designer who chose to step away is finally going to shine again!”

Eleven Weeks Pregnant

Mia laughed at her friend’s dramatic words. She told Gina that she wasn’t confident about reclaiming her former status as a prodigy, but she would try her best.

Gina kept reassuring her, pumping her up. “As the most mysterious figure in the interior design industry, you suddenly retired at the peak of your career three years ago. Your decision sent shockwaves through the entire industry. Everyone agreed that no one would surpass your achievements for a hundred years.”

“So trust me, Mia. If you decide to return, that throne is still yours,” Gina said, patting Mia’s shoulder encouragingly, her eyes full of certainty.

Then a more pressing question occurred to her. “Wait—have you told Timothy about this? Did he actually agree?”

Mia swallowed the last bite of scone and nodded.

The truth was, Timothy knew nothing of her secret identity. In his eyes, she was just a thoughtful, meticulous little caregiver who knew how to keep Laura happy.

To him, her only talents were probably doing housework and tidying rooms.

Mia sighed. She knew it was time to tell Gina everything that had happened lately.

Then she told her friend about Maya’s return, the closeness between Maya and Timothy, and the compromising photo she’d received from Maya—all in the simplest, most neutral tone she could manage.

“If there was still a tiny bit of hesitation in me when I brought the divorce papers home, it completely vanished the moment I saw Maya in my house, already allowed by Timothy to stay with us,” Mia said, taking a sip of coffee, her face as calm as she could manage. “At that moment, I knew divorce was the best decision I’d ever made.”

Gina froze completely when Mia finished her words. Her mouth fell slightly open, her blue eyes filled with disbelief.

But she knew Mia was telling the truth—Mia would never lie to her.

And most of all, Mia’s expression revealed the truth: a heart fractured beyond repair by her marriage.

Damn them! Timothy and Maya—they had broken Mia. Completely.

Gina cursed furiously. “Listen, darling, I swear God will punish them severely in the future. Not even death could redeem them. They should lose everything, be despised by everyone—they deserve it all! But we should do something too.”

With that, Gina pulled out her phone. “God’s punishment is God’s business. We’ll also teach them a lesson. How about I find some media outlets and expose their love affair?”

Mia quickly stopped her. “Don’t. Please. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore.” She sighed, her voice carried profound exhaustion. “I just want to end this quietly, then start a new life with my family.”

Gina’s heart ached for her friend. She wanted to argue, but the pain in Mia’s eyes made her hold back.

Mia had always been kind. She had loved Timothy so deeply. Even now, after deciding to leave him, she still didn’t want to cause him trouble.

Gina sighed helplessly and could only comfort Mia, telling her to let go and stop crying over him.

“Oh, I remembered your birth family has been looking for you. Did your aunt mention what your parents do? How many siblings do you have? When can you meet?” Gina deliberately changed the subject.

Mia’s brow furrowed deeper. She took a sip of coffee and shrugged. “I don’t know. She won’t tell me anything. She says my family wants to surprise me, so it’s a secret for now.”

“But this is way too mysterious,” Gina whispered, curiosity burning inside her. “Do you think they could be some billionaire tycoons? Or some powerful politicians?”

Mia pinched her cute round nose. “Come on, nothing that good ever happens to me.”

The mere thought of reuniting with her family filled her with gratitude. She only hoped they were all healthy and happy, and that they could live peacefully together once she returned.

Still, she was wildly curious about them. She lifted her coffee cup. “We’ll meet soon. Then I’ll know who they are.”

Gina lifted hers too, clinking it against Mia’s. “Good luck, my dear friend.”

They planned to finish their coffee and hit the shops. Mia wanted to surround herself with new things, to chase away the sadness in her heart.

Nothing could break her. Though her marriage had crumbled, there were still other things worth her attention.

With that thought, Mia quickly drank the rest of her coffee in one go. She stood up excitedly, about to announce their departure—when a sudden, uncontrollable wave of nausea hit her.

“Ugh.” Mia clapped a hand over her mouth and sank back into her chair. Her stomach churned violently. She swallowed hard several times, barely managing to hold it down.

Damn it. What was wrong with her? Nothing upsetting had happened today.

And she was sure she hadn’t eaten anything unusual—just ordinary café food.

Suddenly, Gina grabbed her wrist tightly, her voice turning grave. “Mia… you couldn't be pregnant, could you?”

What?

Mia stared at her in shock.

Then fragmented memories flooded back.

She remembered how she had longed for a child with Timothy over the years. She had visited hospitals frequently for fertility checks, taken countless ovulation-stimulating drugs, but nothing had worked. And perhaps because of those treatments, her periods had always been irregular. But now that she thought about it... when was her last period?

Her brow tightened. Over two months ago.

She had missed periods before, but never with such intense nausea. Gina's question planted a seed of doubt. She decided to go to the hospital and get checked.

Mia stood up, grabbed her clutch, and said hurriedly to Gina, “Rain check.” Then she rushed out of the café.

She called an Uber and headed to the nearest hospital.

Her heart was in knots the entire ride. She twisted her fingers anxiously, wondering over and over: what would she do if she really was pregnant?

And if it was just a false alarm…

Mia couldn't finish that thought.

She had always wanted a child. But she wasn’t sure she wanted one at this moment.

Gina called twice, worried, offering to go with her. Mia didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. She begged Gina to keep her possible pregnancy a secret, then hung up.

At the hospital, the doctor ran several tests.

Three hours later, Mia received the results.

The paper clearly stated: eleven weeks pregnant.

You’re Back

Mia stood outside the hospital, holding the pregnancy test results, completely dazed.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined getting pregnant just as her marriage was falling apart. It felt as if this tiny life was trying to pull her away from thoughts of divorce.

But... should she really undo what she’d decided?

Was there any point in staying married to Timothy now?

Images of Timothy’s handsome face flashed through her mind again and again—the way he shaved in the morning, the way he focused on his work, the way he laughed at her teasing… and the way desire burned in his eyes when they made love.

Every version of him had once made her heart race.

And before Maya returned, he had always been good to her—he never broke his promises, and he prepared gifts for her on every anniversary.

Maybe if Timothy found out she was pregnant, he would reevaluate his relationship with Maya and choose to return to his family?

As for herself… Mia wasn’t sure if she could ever forgive Timothy’s betrayal, even for the sake of their child.

People hurried in and out of the hospital, cars roared past the roadside, and the noise only muddled her mind further. She couldn’t find any definite answer.

“Anyway, I have to tell him first. Timothy is the father, after all. He has the right to know,” Mia thought to herself. She took a deep breath and made up her mind silently.

She then ordered an Uber and headed home.

She decided not to overthink, but to act quickly—tell Timothy she was pregnant, then wait for his response.

Whatever answer he gave her, Mia believed she could bear it.

Mia opened the front door, intending to look for Timothy in the study. It was Saturday, and he was usually there working.

But as she approached the first-floor study, a coquettish voice drifted down from the master bedroom upstairs.

It was followed by a soft, gentle reassurance.

Timothy was not working in the study as usual; he was with Maya.

Mia’s fingers, clutching the test results, tightened until her knuckles turned white.

She could not bear to see them being intimate. For a moment, she even wanted to keep the pregnancy from Timothy entirely.

But in the end, reason overcame emotion. She picked up her phone, ready to send him a text and ask him to come down.

He was the father of her child. And she had once loved him so deeply.

As Mia sat down, typing, Maya’s voice drifted down the stairs nonstop.

“Oh, Tim, I heard from the maid, Fiona, that Mia threw up this morning. Is she alright?” Her voice dripped with false concern, as if she genuinely cared.

Mia’s stomach lurched again. She typed faster, desperate to get this over with.

“It’s nothing serious.” Timothy’s voice rang out. “She just ate something bad. How are you doing today? Did you take your medicine as the doctor ordered? Any discomfort?”

Maya’s voice turned syrupy sweet. “Of course I took it. I feel a bit off… but it’s okay. As long as you’re here, I am good. I’m still worried about Mia.”

Her tone suddenly turned anxious. “Do you think she could be pregnant?”

At those words, Mia’s finger froze over the send button.

Her hand holding the phone trembled slightly. She waited nervously for Timothy’s response.

Would he consider the possibility? How would he feel about the child they might have? Would he tell Maya he didn’t want a child with her… or say something else?

Mia’s heart climbed into her throat. Her hand instinctively went to her belly, waiting for the answer—she and her unborn child together.

Moments later, Timothy’s voice came through, sharp and certain. “Impossible. She can’t be pregnant.”

Mia’s eyes widened.

What… what did he mean?

Timothy didn’t hesitate for even a second before casually declaring she could never conceive. How could he be so sure?

In that instant, goosebumps broke out all over Mia’s body. A terrifying dread seized her throat, making it almost impossible to breathe.

A horrible thought consumed her. She wanted to run—even though she could not explain why.

Maya’s voice continued, innocent yet cruel. “Why? Tim, you really hate her that much.”

“It has nothing to do with that,” Timothy said coldly. “I’ve been making sure she uses contraception.”

“Mia agreed?” Maya sounded surprised. “Why would a gold-digger like her go along with that?”

Timothy’s tone remained light. “She doesn’t know. I just had Fiona slip some mild contraceptives into her water dispenser. Now come on, take your vitamins for today. Your health comes first.”

Their voices became a distant murmur, then nothing at all—lost to Mia entirely.

All strength drained from her body. She was just an empty shell, hollowed out completely.

Her child seemed to vanish in that moment too—as if it understood that its father had never wanted it.

Timothy didn’t want a child with her.

Tears slid down Mia’s cheeks. She closed her eyes in despair, holding back the flood.

No. She would not cry for Timothy.

He didn’t deserve her tears.

Mia knew it was all over. She no longer needed to ask anything.

She stuffed the test results into her clutch and turned to leave.

Suddenly, a surprised voice called from behind her. “Mia, you’re back.”

Fiona had just walked out of the storage room and stopped her.