When Remi saw Ariel, he froze. He quickly put the baby back in the crib and strode toward the door.

"Ariel, what are you doing here?"

The other men saw her too. Their faces went pale.

"Ariel?"

"Ariel, let us explain! We heard Ella had a baby and came to visit. We just ran into Remi on the way and dragged him along."

"That's right, Ariel. Please don't misunderstand."

Even now, Remi's closest friends were covering for him. Hearing them say her name like that made Ariel feel sick.

She slowly lifted her gaze to Remi. Her voice came out flat. "What about you, Remi? How do you explain this?"

"Ariel, don't get upset. It's just like they said. We ran into each other by chance."

"You're still lying."

Her heart felt frozen, like it should have gone numb by now. But his lie still crushed her. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"You told me you were leading a month-long training exercise at the border. So what happened? Did the training get moved to the maternity ward? That was fast work, Commander."

Remi's face went white. "I… Plans changed. I'm sorry, Ariel. Please calm down. You're pregnant."

"It's my fault! Ms. Slater, please don't hit him anymore."

Ella clutched the baby and dropped to her knees. "Remi only stayed with me because he felt sorry for me! Ms. Slater, I'm not asking for anything else.

"I'm a widow. I just wanted someone to take care of me and a child to hold onto. I would never try to take your husband!"

"Shut up! You already have a child with him, and you're telling me you won't take him?"

Ariel raised her hand to strike Ella, but Remi caught her wrist. "Ariel, you can hit me, but don't touch Ella. She just gave birth. She's weak."

Watching him defend another woman made Ariel laugh bitterly. "So this is why you said you'd be gone for a month? So you could be here with her? How can you be this shameless?"

Ariel wrenched her arm free and raised her hand again. Ella scrambled up from the floor with the baby and rushed toward Remi.

Ariel couldn't stop. Her hand struck the child.

"Waaaah!"

The baby tumbled from Ella's arms. Everyone in the room went into a panic.

"My baby!" Ella sobbed as she lunged for the child.

"Why would you do this? He's only four days old! You're going to be a mother yourself! How can you be so cruel?"

The others rounded on Ariel.

"Ariel, how could you? The baby's so small! No matter how angry you are, you can't hurt a child!"

"A fall like that could cause serious damage. Mr. Callahan, we need to get a medic in here right now!"

Remi turned on Ariel, furious. "I know what I did was wrong! But that's my son! My own son!"

"Is he?" Tears streamed down Ariel's face as she pressed a hand to her stomach.

"Then what's this?"

"Sweetie, why did you stop crying? Baby! Remi, he's not breathing!" Ella's scream cut through the room.

Remi panicked. "Someone get a medic! Now!"

Ariel stood in the doorway, her expression blank. "Let them go. Remi, I'm giving you one last chance. It's me or Ella. My baby or hers. You can only choose one. Who do you choose?"

Remi frowned, looking torn. "Ariel…"

"Mr. Callahan, I'll disappear with the baby! You won't have to worry about us ever again! You won't have to care even if we die!

"We're not married anyway. When the baby grows up, people will mock him for being illegitimate! I might as well just take him with me and end it all!"

Ella clutched the baby and moved toward the window. Remi grabbed her and held on tight.

"Ella, I won't let you die. I promised Franklin I'd take care of you!" He turned to look at Ariel.

"You're bringing this up now? You're out of your mind! Ella gave me a son! I'm not going to stand here and watch something happen to him! You want a divorce? Fine! I've had enough of this for the past three years anyway!"

Remi rushed out with Ella in his arms. He knocked into Ariel on his way past and didn't even notice.

Heavy with pregnancy, Ariel lost her balance. She stumbled backward and hit the ground hard.

The pain made her vision go dark. She tried to get up but couldn't find the strength.

He'd had enough? She'd had enough too.

The other men saw her fall but didn't move to help. Instead, they blamed her.

"Women and their jealousy."

"The Commander never should have begged her to come back three years ago if it was going to end up like this."

"Do you think he regrets it now? Not that he can do anything about it. She's eight months along. What's he supposed to do, make her get rid of it?"

Everyone followed Ella to the clinic, leaving Ariel alone in the suddenly quiet room.

Her stomach throbbed. She flagged down someone passing by and asked them to find a medic.

At the clinic, Ariel's doctor, Taylor Hayes, examined her and frowned. "Ma'am, you're eight months pregnant. You need to be more careful. How did you end up falling like that?"

Ariel stared at the ceiling without answering. She hadn't been careless. Remi knocked her down.

"Where's Mr. Callahan? Didn't he come with you? He's always been with you for your checkups before."

Taylor spoke gently. "Do you want me to call him for you?"

Ariel didn't stop her. Taylor dialed quickly.

"Hello, Mr. Callahan. Mrs. Callahan just came to the clinic. She fell and the baby—"

"Did she tell you to call me? Ella's baby is being treated right now, and she's still using her pregnancy to make me jealous? Tell her to stop this. If something happens to that child, she'll owe Ella a baby!"

The line went dead. Taylor stood there, confused.

Ariel still said nothing. She slowly climbed off the examination table.

"If I wanted to induce labor now…"

"Mrs. Callahan, I don't know what happened between you and Mr. Callahan, but the baby is eight months along. He'll be born soon. If you induce labor now, it won't just harm your body. You'll be ending an innocent life."

Ariel nodded. "I understand. Thank you."

Taylor was right. The baby was innocent.

This child was hers. From now on, she would have nothing to do with Remi Callahan.

She would file for divorce. She would raise the child on her own.

Ariel left the clinic and walked slowly through the snow back to the family housing compound. When she reached the entrance, she found Remi standing there, his brow furrowed.

"Where were you?" His tone softened slightly. "Are you really not feeling well?"

He wanted to be angry, but her face was so pale that she really did look sick.

Ariel's voice came out flat. "Yes. You pushed me to the ground yourself just now. Don't you remember?"

Only then did Remi recall bumping into her earlier.

"I'm sorry. I was in too much of a rush. Are you hurt?"

Ariel didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "How's Ella's baby?"

"He's fine, thank heavens. That could have been a life lost."

Remi took a deep breath and stepped closer, his tone turning gentle. "Don't be so impulsive anymore, okay? The baby's so small. How could you bring yourself to hurt him?"

Ariel looked up at the man in front of her. He suddenly felt like a stranger.

"Is that who you think I am? What if I told you Ella deliberately held the baby out for me to hit? Would you believe me?"

"Ariel!" Remi's expression darkened instantly. "Stop slandering Ella. It's been three years. Why are you still like this?"

Just as she had expected, he didn't believe her.

She remembered when Ella first came to the house three years ago. Ella deliberately poured boiling water on herself and claimed Ariel did it.

Later, at the supply cooperative, Ella fell down the stairs and said Ariel tripped her. Once, Ella even stabbed herself with scissors and sobbed that Ariel tried to kill her.

It went on and on, accusation after accusation, and every time, Remi took Ella's side. Ariel thought things would be different after they remarried, but nothing had changed.

She was exhausted.

"Remi, you said you'd agree to a divorce. Does that still stand?"

Hearing her mention divorce again, Remi hurried to placate her. "Ariel, you're eight months pregnant. Why are you talking about divorce? What I said earlier was just talk. Don't take it to heart. I'm not divorcing you."

Ariel shot back, "Aren't you afraid your son will be called illegitimate?"

Remi stiffened. "I just don't want to divorce you. You're the only person I've ever loved. With Ella, it's only responsibility. Franklin and I served together. We were brothers. Before he died, he asked me to take care of her. I can't abandon her. She has depression. You know that."

Ariel laughed suddenly. "She has depression, so she sleeps with you? Has a baby with you? Remi, is there any line you won't cross for her?"

Of course Ariel knew Ella had depression. Three years ago, Ella's depression was the reason things had escalated to divorce.

After Ella's husband, Franklin Shepherd, died, Remi brought her into their home. During that time, Ella wouldn't allow Remi to have any physical contact with Ariel.

She forbade them from holding hands, hugging, or kissing. They couldn't even sleep in the same bed.

Whenever Remi ignored her, Ella would threaten suicide or hurt herself. Eventually, Remi spent more and more time with her. He even started spending nights in her room.

Ariel became jealous. She fought with him. But he brushed it off with a casual, "Franklin was my best friend. She's the person he cared about the most. I don't have a choice. Can't you understand?"

She kept enduring it until she walked in on them having sex in her own bed. That was when she finally couldn't take it anymore and demanded a divorce.

Three years later, he still thought he could use the same excuse to justify cheating. The thought made her sick.

"After the baby's born, I won't touch her again. If you don't like it, I can keep him away from here. We don't have to raise him together…"

The moment Remi finished speaking, the woman standing not far away burst into tears. "Remi, do you really mean that? You're going to abandon me and our son, aren't you?"

Ella stood there in thin clothing, looking frail, as if she might collapse at any moment. "I understand. I'll take the baby and disappear. We won't show up in front of you ever again."

Ella ran off crying. Remi frowned and started to follow her, but Ariel grabbed his arm.

Her voice shook as she begged him one last time. "Remi, don't go."

"Ariel, I'm sorry. I'm afraid something will happen to her."

Remi hesitated for a moment before pulling his arm free and chasing after Ella without looking back. Ariel stared at her empty hand. Her heart died completely.

If he truly couldn't let Ella go, then she'd keep the child and get rid of him.