For the ninth time, my wife chose to have an abortion for the sake of her ailing first love. This time, I did not stop her.

Even when my grandfather flew into a fit of rage, his heart faltering as he called me a disgrace to the family, I stayed silent.

The truth was that I had already decided to divorce her.

In three days, I'd be leaving for Westmarch to begin my research. Until then, I have decided to grant her every wish.

If she wanted me to hand over a promotion so her first love could take the credit, I gave it up without hesitation.

If she wanted to bring him home to rest, I vacated the master bedroom on the spot.

She beamed with satisfaction, praising me for finally learning to be "sensible." She promised that once he recovered, she would give me a child of my own.

However, what she did not know was that there would be no next time.

For eight years of marriage, Hannah Larsen had ended eight pregnancies, chasing after some impossible dream of love.

Today marked our anniversary, and she breezed out the door, teasing me with promises of a surprise tonight.

I stumbled upon a pregnancy test tucked away in a drawer, and my heart soared, thinking we might finally have a baby on the way.

I had even brought Grandpa from the old family home, ready to celebrate.

However, instead of joy, I was blindsided by the ninth notice of a miscarriage from the hospital.

The shock hit Grandpa hard, triggering a heart attack right there and then.

I scrambled to get him to the hospital, my calls to Hannah disappearing into the void.

By the time I got back home, it was way past midnight.

The moment I opened the door, there was Hannah, dolled up in a skimpy skirt, snuggled up on the couch with Jack Freeman.

Jack gave me that smug look, like he owned the place.

I was about to lose it, but Hannah cut in, like nothing fazed her. "You know about the miscarriage, so let's skip the details.

"Jack's dying, and I can't just watch him leave this world with no one to carry on for him. I want to give him a child, so he's got no regrets."

Jack jumped in before I could even get a word in, oozing insincerity. "Marvin, I tried to say no to Hannah, but you know how close we are…"

Once upon a time, I would have decked him for that.

However, by now, I was just bone-weary, and all I could muster was a frosty question for Hannah.

"Why didn't you pick up when I called earlier? Don't you even care to ask about Grandpa?"

Hannah acted like I was the one out of line, her face hardening.

"I get that you're upset, but Jack's sick. What's with your attitude? Apologize to him, now!"

Jack, feigning concern, draped an arm around her shoulders as I kept quiet.

"There, there, Hannah. It's just a few words. I'm not bothered by it."

"At least you get it, unlike him, always stirring up trouble!"

With that, she led Jack away, but not before reminding me to clear out the master bedroom.

I sat on the sofa, feeling numb.

I could not forget how, right after we got married, Grandpa got into a car accident trying to calm down a fuming Hannah, which landed him in the ICU.

Hannah was a mess of tears, praying outside the surgery room.

She said she would trade years of her own life for Grandpa's safety.

When he pulled through, she clutched my hand, guilt written all over her face, promising to never let anything happen to him again.

However, the day Jack came back, everything changed.

No breeze stirred the room, yet my heart grew heavier by the minute.

I called my leader. "About that research support gig in Westmarch you mentioned, I'm in."

He picked up on my distress immediately. "What's going on, Marvin?"

"Grandpa's in the hospital. Before I head out, I want to make sure he gets top-notch care."

I left Hannah out of it, and my leader understood without a word. He sighed before hanging up. "I'm glad you're taking this well. I'll see to your Grandpa's care right away."

As I stared at the screen, waiting for the call to end, a text popped up.

[Marvin, Hannah's still upset. She's staying at the hospital tonight, won't be home.]

I had seen it coming, but Jack's smug update left me feeling all the more numb.

…

Come morning, Hannah was back.

She was still in yesterday's outfit, the neckline ripped open, revealing a few telltale bite marks.

Her eyes widened a fraction when she saw me, a flicker of guilt crossing her face as she spoke.

"Forget about last night, okay? When the baby comes, you'll be the one raising him. He'll call you 'godfather.' That's fair, isn't it?"

Inside, I was calm as the sea as I handed her the divorce papers I had prepped the night before.

"Please sign this."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than her phone erupted into life.

She scrambled for the call, and without a doubt, I knew who was on the line.

Hannah was all ears for that call.

"Hannah, why'd you sneak out while I was still snoozing? You promised I'd wake up to your face," the voice on the phone whined.

Hannah shot me a look and hushed her voice. "Left my toiletries behind yesterday. Didn't want you to catch me looking a mess."

I couldn't care less about their lovey-dovey talk and headed out.

Last night, along with the divorce papers, I dropped my resignation at work.

A notification popped up: my resignation was already processed.

Stepping into the office, I was greeted by Jack's booming laugh.

"Marvin, you're late, man. Hannah said the latecomer has gotta treat everyone to coffee!"

I brushed him off and started clearing my desk.

However, Jack was itching for a scene, knocking my computer to the floor and stomping on it.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me? Go get that coffee, or I'll have to snitch to Hannah!"

I spun around, ready to retort, but Jack grabbed my arm. Without thinking, I clocked him right in the face.

He yelped and toppled backward, hitting the deck hard.

Hannah strode over with quick steps, pulling the fallen person to their feet, her face etched with annoyance as she glared at me.

"Marvin, what's gotten into you? Starting a fight in front of everyone?"

Jack, cradling his cheek, shook his head. "It's not Marvin's fault. I spoke out of turn and ticked him off. I shouldn't have asked him to run out for coffee."

Hannah's icy gaze cut to me.

"So, you're late and now you're making excuses? Get moving and buy everyone their drinks, or do you want me to make sure you're out of a job?"

Her words only made me smirk.

I shoved my resignation letter into her hand and spun on my heel to leave.

Hannah stood there, stunned, before chasing after me.

"Marvin, how can you just quit without a word to me? Do you have any idea how many strings I had to pull to land you this job?"

"My grandpa's sick. I've got to quit to look after him."

Hannah's grip on my arm was like iron, her voice rising to a screech. "Grandpa's important, sure, but I'm pregnant! If you quit now, who's going to cover all our bills? What about our future kid's expenses? How can you just shirk your responsibilities?"

Inside, I was thinking, 'She expects me to support her lover's kid and then calls me irresponsible.'

I could not help but let out a laugh.

That carefree laugh seemed to sting Hannah.

"Marvin, if you don't shape up, forget about me having your kids. You can kiss the idea of a godson goodbye."

When I stayed silent, Hannah mistook it for acquiescence and pressed on.

"Plus, I can't stand the hospital, but Jack needs someone, so he's moving in for a while. He hates small beds, so make sure the master bedroom is ready for him."

I just nodded, then hopped into a cab.

Back at home, I wasted no time in packing up my life.

I was on my way out when, to my surprise, Jack came in.

With a phony warmth, he offered, "Marvin, need a hand with anything?"

I ignored him, but that did not stop him. He reached into the closet and pulled out one of Hannah's underwear.

"Marvin, Hannah's got a killer body, you know. I've been jealous of you for the longest time…"

His words felt like a slap to my pride, and I reacted. I kicked the wheelchair out from under him.

"Crash"

Jack, scrambling to his feet, did not show any sign of pain. Instead, he smirked like he had won a prize.

Hannah came running at the noise, worriedly checking Jack over.

"Jack, are you okay?"

Then she turned on me, eyes blazing. "Marvin! Apologize, now! And if you don't, I'll call the hospital this instant to cut off your grandpa's meds, and he'll be gone for good!"

Her words hit me like a thunderbolt.

She was the one who had found the specialist for Grandpa's treatment.

I had thought she was doing it out of kindness, never imagining she would use it as leverage against me.

I hesitated, and she was already pulling out her phone, ready to dial.

"Alright, I apologize."

I balled my fists, staring daggers at Jack.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you. It's all on me."

However, Hannah was not about to let it go at that. She barked, "Is that how you apologize? Bow down!"

I took a deep breath and bowed deeply, saying sorry once more in front of Jack.

Jack, looking pleased as punch, waved it off. "Marvin, I'm totally fine. No need for all that, really."

Hannah did not even spare me a glance, her back to me as she said nonchalantly, "You'll need to find another place to stay for a while. Come back once Jack's better."

I grabbed my suitcase and walked away without looking back.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a call from my leader.

"Marvin, the chopper's landed at the hospital for your granddad. Where are you? I'll send someone to get you."