"I'll accept the hospital's offer. I leave for Italvia in two weeks."

Vanessa Jahn stood by the window, pregnancy report in hand.

On the other end of the call, Rob Lambert, the hospital director, sounded thrown. "Wait—what? After all this time? I've been trying to get you on board for years."

She let out a humorless laugh. "Guess it finally felt like time for a change. Anyway, I've got a lot to wrap up before I go. We'll catch up later."

She hung up. The ache in her heart lingered as she glanced back down at the report.

"I'll accept the hospital's offer. I leave for Italvia in two weeks."

Vanessa Jahn stood by the window, pregnancy report in hand.

On the other end of the call, Rob Lambert, the hospital director, sounded thrown. "Wait—what? After all this time? I've been trying to get you on board for years."

She let out a humorless laugh. "Guess it finally felt like time for a change. Anyway, I've got a lot to wrap up before I go. We'll catch up later."

She hung up. The ache in her heart lingered as she glanced back down at the report.

Vanessa was an excellent OB-GYN—respected, award-winning, top of her field. She could've gone anywhere, climbed as high as she wanted. But instead? She stayed put, kept her schedule light, made room for her boyfriend, Scott Fabel.

Three years ago, Rob pitched her this same transfer—an overseas assignment, big promotion, the whole deal. And she'd turned it down without a second thought.

Long-distance with Scott? No way.

Until today.

Scott's secretary hadn't just come in for a pregnancy test—it was a declaration.

A power play.

Scott used to treat Vanessa like she was his whole world. People would go on and on about how deeply he loved her—how he'd move mountains just to make her happy.

Their relationship had that glossy fairytale sheen, especially in the business world. She was the one who'd stood by him when he was barely scraping by. She was the loyal, steady partner behind his rise to CEO.

They used to say a man settles down with the first woman who truly loves him. Vanessa thought she was that woman for Scott.

Vanessa used to think her love story with Scott was forever. She'd spent most of her life standing on her own, never leaning on anyone—until he showed up.

With Scott, everything changed. His love felt steady, solid.

For the first time, she let herself believe it was safe to hand someone her whole heart.

Until now.

Lately, he'd been "busy" way too often. Their time together kept shrinking. Vanessa brushed it off, figuring he was drowning in work. She even felt bad for him, so she'd stay up after long shifts to make dinner, waiting for him to walk through the door.

But today, the truth smacked her in the face.

Scott wasn't busy with work. He was busy with Cindy Saun.

Cindy casually spilled everything. They'd been hooking up for a year. It started when Cindy was just an intern. No wonder she scored a full-time spot before her trial period ended—and climbed the ladder straight to Scott's secretary.

Scott had called Cindy "highly capable." Yeah, right. Turns out, he was talking about her skills in bed.

Vanessa's fingers tightened around Cindy's pregnancy report. She folded it neatly and slipped it into her pocket. For seven years, she'd been building a future with Scott, even thinking of asking if they should get married this year.

Now? No need to ask.

When Vanessa stepped out of the hospital, there he was—Scott, leaning casually against his black luxury car. The car was impossible to miss.

Her colleague nudged her, eyes wide with envy. "Ugh, your CEO boyfriend's here again. I'm so jealous. After all this time, and he's still crazy about you. But wait—aren't you leaving for Italvia in two weeks? Doesn't he care you'll be gone for, like, three years?"

"As long as I don't mind," Vanessa said flatly, already walking toward Scott.

Scott looked like a freaking ad for success—tall, over six feet, with a jawline sharp enough to cut glass. And that suit? Perfectly tailored. No wonder women flocked to him.

Vanessa didn't blame Cindy. If anyone deserved the blame, it was the guy who couldn't keep it in his pants.

When she got closer, Scott pulled out a bouquet of blue roses from the car, flashing his signature grin. "Tough day at work, babe?"

She stared at the flowers. Since last year, he'd been showing up with bouquets, like clockwork.

Back then, she used to smile and take them, thinking it was sweet. Now it was obvious— Cindy must've been into flowers, and Scott just lumped Vanessa in with the same routine.

This time, she didn't take the bouquet.

"That's for younger women. I'm past that."

In a twisted way, Vanessa felt thankful to Cindy. Without her, Vanessa would've stayed blissfully clueless.

Because one thing was certain—Scott would've never walked away on his own.

But love poisoned by lies? She wasn't sticking around for that.

Back in the car, Scott must've picked up on her mood. He reached over and grabbed her hand. "What's wrong? Another tough patient?"

Vanessa had always been empathetic, often feeling deeply sorry for her patients.

"Yeah..." She paused, then looked at him. "Saw a pregnant woman today. She's someone's mistress. Crazy, right? Makes me wonder—why do people cheat? Is trash from outside really that tempting?"

Scott's eyes flashed with panic, but he covered it fast, tugging her into his arms. "Babe, you're too sensitive. You always take on other people's problems. But... look, people are people. They have impulses. Sometimes they just want something different. It's human nature."

Vanessa met his gaze, her emotions tangled.

At noon, she'd been wrecked—seven years of loyalty, down the drain. Anyone would've crumbled. But after hours of letting the betrayal simmer, something inside her shifted.

Now, hearing Scott's smug little life lesson about "impulses," she wasn't hurt anymore.

She was done.

"So, you thinking about trying something new?"

His hand twitched on her shoulder. Just for a second. Then came the practiced answer. "You're all I need," he said softly. "What we have? Can't be replaced. I don't need anything else."

Right. Sure. Vanessa gave a bitter smile to herself.

If she hadn't met Cindy today, maybe she'd still buy that lie.

Then his phone rang.

Scott glanced at the screen, his expression tightening before smoothing out. With a quick look at her, he answered and angled himself toward the door, putting space between them.

Subtle.

But not subtle enough.

His Bluetooth earpiece beside her was still on.

Vanessa heard everything.

Cindy's voice rang through the earpiece.

"I've been feeling so sick today," Cindy said. "Morning sickness is brutal. Come have dinner with me? I even bought that little uniform you like."

Vanessa's nails dug into her palms as she held it together. Barely.

Scott wrapped up the call fast, turning back to her with that apologetic grin. "Sorry, babe. Something urgent came up at work. I gotta go. Let me call you a car, okay?"

Vanessa's head buzzed. She couldn't even process how casually he was lying to her face. Urgent at work? Right.

Feigning concern, she said, "I'll come with you. I'm not busy."

His face tightened instantly.

"You've had a long day," he said. "I'll be tied up for hours. You'll just get tired waiting around. Be good, okay? I'll come home as soon as I can."

There it was—his 'thoughtful' act. But Vanessa already knew everything.

She didn't push it. She was too drained—emotionally wiped.

She told the driver to pull over, got out of the car, and stood by the roadside, watching Scott's luxury car disappear into the night.

Her heart felt like ice.

She wandered under autumn night, her mind dragging her back to the early days.

Scott quit his stable job to chase a startup dream, full of big promises and bigger risks. She'd supported him through it all—quietly, patiently.

She'd used her own paycheck to keep them afloat.

She could still feel the sting of those brutal winter mornings, biking to work through the freezing cold, shivering just to save cab fare. All so Scott could eat a decent meal.

And back then?

He used to tell her:

"Vanessa, trust me. I'll make it big. I'll buy us a house. We'll have everything."

And:

"I'll never let you down. Not in this life. Never."

Vanessa let out a bitter smile as she walked.

Scott had kept his promise. He gave her the big house, the fancy life.

But somewhere along the way, he forgot the part about never letting her down.

When Vanessa got home, she took a hot shower to shake off the cold, then started packing.

She folded her clothes into a suitcase and booked an international courier to pick it up.

A housemaid noticed and asked, "Ma'am, going on a business trip?"

"No." Vanessa wasn't about to share her plans with anyone tied to Scott. She offered a quick excuse. "Just sending old clothes to charity."

"You're always so kind. Oh, I made you some rice pudding—Mr. Fabel called earlier. He asked me to make it. Said it's your favorite."

Of course, he did.

Vanessa let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

Scott. The master juggler. Balancing her and Cindy like some twisted circus act. Even while doting on his pregnant mistress, he still found time to play the "perfect boyfriend" card. No wonder everyone thought he was such a catch.

All those years of her support and sacrifices, reduced to nothing more than background noise in his carefully curated image. She finally saw him for what he was—a good actor.

Her gaze landed on the bowl of rice pudding. Her stomach twisted.

The nausea came fast, and she couldn't tell if it was from the thought of Scott's smug face or the realization that she'd been breaking her back for a man who never deserved her. Either way, it hit hard.

Vanessa barely made it to the bathroom before she threw up.

Gripping the sink, she blinked through tears at her reflection.

Then a thought sliced through her daze.

She opened the cabinet, pulled out a pregnancy test, and took it.

Her hands shook as she set the stick on the counter.

Her period had been late for a few days, but she'd assumed it was due to stress from work.

Now, as the minutes ticked by, her heart pounded.

Then, finally, the result appeared.

Two lines.

Vanessa's hands trembled as she held the test.

No joy. No excitement. Just a crushing weight, heavy as concrete, settling on her heart.

If she'd found out even yesterday, she would've been thrilled. She would've run to Scott with baby plans and wedding talk.

But now?

Scott was at Cindy's.

How could she feel happy?

Vanessa dragged herself out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing. Hours slipped by as she sat there, her mind spinning.

A baby.

She loved kids—always had. She used to dream about having a family with Scott. Wondering whose smile their kids would have, imagining bedtime stories, family vacations. But in none of those dreams did it end like this.

Her phone rang, cutting through the silence.

Scott.

"Hey," he said. "I've got to leave for a last-minute business trip. I'll be gone about a week. Make sure you eat on time, okay? And be careful commuting to work."

Vanessa caught a faint voice in the background:

"...confirming two tickets to Bali. Thank you for booking with us."

"Got it," she replied, her voice steady. "You take care too."

That calm, gentle tone always put him at ease. Scott bought it.

The moment the call ended, Vanessa let out a soft chuckle.

A few hours ago, she'd been torn about what to do.

Now, she knew exactly what had to happen.

She picked up her phone and requested leave from work. Then she scheduled a doctor's appointment.

The baby had to go.

That night, she didn't sleep.

***

By morning, Vanessa was at the hospital.

After her check-up, the doctor led her to the procedure room.

She lay down on the operating table, her body stiff against the metal. The cold air bit at her skin.

But the real cold wasn't from the room—it was inside her. Deep in her heart, spreading like frost, numbing everything.

And just like that, every tie to Scott snapped.

From now on, they'd go their separate ways.

When Vanessa woke up, the IV drip was in place. Her hand instinctively drifted to her stomach, pressing lightly.

Flat.

Empty.

Was it really over?

Her pale lips curved into the faintest smile.