I pushed open the hospital room door and warm light spilled out.

Fredric was sitting up in bed,one arm wrapped in bandages,but his gaze was soft as he whispered comfort to the teary-eyed Deana beside him.

“I told you,it’s not your fault,”he said gently.“I shouldn’t have rushed like that.”

Deana sniffled,her eyes red like a weeping child.“But if I hadn’t slipped,you wouldn’t have gotten hurt…”

Her voice trembled and her posture was timid like she was trying to shrink herself into nothing.

His mother sat by the bedside,patting Deana’s hand with affection.“You’ve always been too kind.When you were younger and lived in our house,you cried over breaking a bowl.”

“And Fredric…he used to be so cold.If not for you,he would never have learned to smile.”

His father chuckled,nodding.“Exactly.You even cooked for him in high school.It was awful,but he always finished it clean.Said he couldn’t hurt your feelings.”

“Back then,we all thought the two of you were bound to end up together.”

The entire room radiated warmth,like they were one happy family.

I stood at the doorway,gripping the fruit bag until the plastic handles cut into my skin.

For years,I’d been the one cooking,cleaning,supporting Fredric through every storm.I’d taken care of his parents,endured their coldness and smiled through it all.

But not once did I receive a kind word.

Fredric finally noticed me and his expression cooled immediately as he questioned,“What are you doing here?”

Deana jumped up nervously,giving a small bow.“Brittany…I’m sorry.Fredric got hurt because of me.”

“Please don’t blame him.It’s my fault,not his.I…I didn’t mean to…”

Her voice was soft,birdlike and trembling with innocence.

Before I could even speak,Fredric stepped forward and gently pulled her behind him,blocking my view of her completely.

“Don’t say that,”he said,his voice firm.“It was my choice to protect her.It has nothing to do with Deana.Brittany,don’t take it out on her.”

His mother sighed when she added,“Don’t cause a scene.This isn’t Deana’s fault.Fredric chose to save her,so don’t need to be angry,okay?”

I looked at all of them standing on her side like it was the most natural thing in the world and I laughed.

Not out loud.Just a quiet,bitter twist of my lips.

As if I were the jealous ex-wife.The evil,possessive woman plotting against the poor,fragile mistress.

Deana stepped forward,wanting to apologize again,“Brittany…”

But I cut her off with a cold smile that could slice skin.

“Just be glad you’re not dead,”I said calmly.“I came to see for myself.That’s all.You can go back to playing house now.”

I turned on my heel and walked out without another word.

“Brittany!”Fredric called after me.

But I didn’t stop.

Outside,I pulled out my phone and dialed.“Edward?”

His warm voice came through the line.“Hey,long time no hear.Is everything okay?”

I stared at the blinding white lights in the corridor.

“I want to move out,”I said quietly.“Can you help me?”

“When?”He asked calmly,as if will agree with anything I said.

“This afternoon.”

***

Back in the hospital room,silence had fallen.

Deana’s eyes welled with tears as she wailed,“Did I upset her?I…I didn’t mean to…”

His mother grabbed her hand gently and calmed her,“Sweetheart,you’ve done nothing wrong.Fredric cares about you.He wouldn’t have risked his life if he didn’t,so don’t take this to heart.”

His father nodded as he added,“Exactly.Brittany’s always been…high-strung.”

Fredric stood there silently,staring at the closed door,a strange pressure tightening in his chest.

“Fredric…”Deana’s voice was small.“The apartment I’m staying in isn’t safe.My ex keeps showing up.I’m scared.”

“Can I stay with you for a while?Just like in high school?”

Before he could reply,his mother answered for him,“Of course,she can.Right,Fred?”

Fredric looked at Deana.

He hesitated.

Logic told him that this was wrong to bring a single woman to a married couple's house.

But when he saw the vulnerability in her eyes,he finally murmured,“Alright.You can stay with me for a while.”

***

That evening,he brought her home.

“She’ll stay with us temporarily,”he told me.“Her place isn’t secure.Don’t overthink it.She’s just a friend now.”

“Oh,”I said simply,without looking at either of them.

His brows furrowed slightly,thrown off by my unexpected calm.

The old me would’ve been furious,argued and cried as if the world ended tomorrow.

But now,I looked at Deana’s faintly red eyes as if watching from behind a thick wall of glass,emotionless and detached.

That was when the door opened again.

Footsteps echoed into the hall.

“Finally done moving,”a familiar voice called out.“You hoard more crap than a prepper.”

Edward stepped inside,dragging two suitcases.

He walked straight over and draped his arm over my shoulder without hesitation.

“You owe me dinner for this,”he said with a teasing grin.“And I mean the expensive one.”

Fredric’s face darkened instantly.

His voice was low,tight with fury.“Brittany,what the hell is this?”

I didn’t flinch.

“What do you mean?I couldn’t move all my stuff alone.So,I asked a friend for help.”

I didn’t even lift my head as I explained more,“Relax.You know Edward’s like a brother to me.”

Fredric’s jaw clenched,throat working like he wanted to say something,but choked on it.

Because just yesterday,he told me Deana was“just a sister.”

Funny how it sounded so different when I said it.

Edward looked him up and down with a faint smirk,mocking,“Dinner?Nah,save it for the divorce party.”

“What did you say?”Fredric’s voice rose,eyes blazing.

I paused for a beat.

“My cousin’s father and stepmom are divorcing,”I said calmly.“We’re throwing a celebration.”

A flicker of relief passed over Fredric’s face.I also felt relieved since he actually bought it.

After all,in his mind,I would never divorce him.

In his mind,he only knew me loved him too much…right?

The next morning,I woke later than usual.

By the time I came downstairs,the kitchen was already filled with the heavy scent of pork broth.Deana was at the dining table,gently ladling soup into a bowl,her face glowing with effort and sweetness.

“Fredric,”she said softly,“I remember you loved this kind of pork rib soup.Back in high school,you used to drink two big bowls at once.I simmered it for three hours just for you.”

Fredric didn’t say anything.He simply took a sip,then another.His gaze,as always lately,was gentler when it landed on her.

He even let her fix his collar and adjust his tie like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I froze at the bottom of the stairs.

I had tied his ties before—clumsily,perhaps,but with love.He used to brush my hands away,feeling annoyed and saying I was too slow or that the scent of my perfume bothered him.

But now,with Deana,he didn’t flinch.Though he knew if her hands were still warm from cooking and directly touched his collar with those dirty hands.

I forced my eyes away and walked to the table.

I picked up my spoon and took a bite of Deana’s soup.

It was…awful.The smell alone turned my stomach and the taste made my throat burn.But I forced it down.

Seconds later,I couldn’t hold it anymore.

I jumped from the table and rushed to the sink,retching.

Deana gasped behind me,her voice trembling,tearful.“Was it…that bad?Did I do something wrong?Should I leave…?”

She wrung her apron,eyes shimmering and her voice barely above a whisper full of guilt and innocence.

I wiped my mouth calmly.“I’m just not used to it.I’ll make something else later.”

Before I could sit back down,Fredric slammed his spoon on the table.

Clack!

The sharp sound made the room still.

“She spent hours making this,”he said coldly.“If you didn’t want to eat it,you could’ve said so.No need to be so cruel.Cook your own food from now on.”

His words hit harder than any slap.

There was warning in his eyes,as if he felt annoyance and disgust at the same time.

I didn’t even have the energy to feel angry.

I simply turned away and walked to the kitchen.

Behind me,Deana whimpered,“Fredric,maybe I was too forward.I shouldn’t have…”

He didn’t go comfort me.Instead,he patted Deana’s shoulder and said,“Don’t overthink it.She’s just like that.”

I stopped in my tracks.

My hands,hovering over the cutting board,began to tremble.

He didn’t even try to hide it anymore.

For five years,I cooked,burned my hands and studied his tastes.I flipped through cookbooks until the pages wore thin just for one word of praise.

But I never got it.

Deana simmered a pot of lukewarm sludge and he calls it“effort.”He shielded her from my reaction like I was the villain.

When we arrived at the office,they stood side by side in the elevator.

I stood behind them and pressed the button for my floor.

A few colleagues joined us,whispering just loud enough for me to hear.

“Did you see that video yesterday?The way the CEO rushed to save that girl looked like a scene out of a drama!”

“She’s his old classmate,right?They look so good together,like a perfect couple.”

“I thought the CEO was secretly married?Don’t tell me,it’s her?”

Deana’s cheeks turned pink.She waved a hand,laughing softly,“No,no.We’re just classmates.Really!”

The way she said it in a gentle,shy and delicate way was worse than a confirmation.

She didn’t need to say yes.She let their imaginations run wild.

Fredric didn’t say a word to clarify or to stop the rumors.

I remembered the time I draped my jacket over his shoulders at work.He pulled me aside that night and said,voice like ice,“This is a workplace.Don’t do anything that could cause misunderstandings.”

But now?

He stood there while they guessed she was his wife and said nothing.

I turned,stepped out of the elevator and walked straight to HR.

“I’d like to hand in my resignation,”I said.

The HR manager blinked in disbelief.“You’re quitting?”

I handed over the envelope.“Yes.”

She lowered her voice.“Is it because of the‘new lady’?But I thought you were…”

I smiled faintly and said nothing.

Everyone in the company had already decided who the real‘Mrs.Gilbert’was.

And it wasn’t me.

Just as she was about to respond,a staff member rushed in and reported,“There’s a fight outside.Mr.Gilbert is in a fight for Deana!”

I bolted.

A crowd had gathered at the front gate.Three or four thugs surrounded Deana.One of them was swinging a metal pipe.

Fredric stood in front of her,shielding her with his own body.Blood dripped from a cut above his brow.

His voice was ice as he shouted,“Get lost!”

Then he lunged—fist connecting with one of the attackers,fighting bare-handed.

My heart nearly stopped as I saw this,so I ran toward him and yelled,“Fredric,are you crazy?!You could die for this girl?!”

He turned,eyes blazing and shoved me away.

“What?”I gasped.

He took a step forward,fury twisting his face the time he asked coldly,“Brittany,was this you?”

My breath caught in my throat.“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend,”he growled,teeth clenched.“You never liked her.Is this your revenge?Did you hire these thugs?!”

My world tilted.

I stared at him,disbelief ripping through my chest.“You think I would stoop that low?!”

He didn’t blink.

“You’re smart.You know people.It wouldn’t take much effort,right?”His voice was like a blade.“I never realized how cruel you really are…”

“Enough!”I screamed.

Pain exploded in my chest and I could barely breathe.

“You think I did this because I’m jealous you‘played hero’?You think I hired people to scare her?!Fredric,I have never ever sunk to that level.”

His eyes narrowed.“Everyone knows you hate her.Don’t act innocent now.”

I stared at him,blinking back tears and let out cold laughter.

“She cries and suddenly the world is bullying her.I frown once and I’m the villain?You only see her.You always have.”

He flinched and wanted to argue more,but behind him,Deana clutched his sleeve.

She innocently said,“Fredric,don’t.It’s not worth fighting.It’s my fault.I…I overreacted because back in high school,she had someone bully me.”

That was it.

That was the final spark.

I lifted my chin,my voice sharp as ice as I roared,“You think I’d waste my time plotting against you?!”

I turned to Deana,eyes blazing.“If I’d wanted you gone in high school,you wouldn’t have made it to graduation,let alone stolen my husband.”

“Enough!”Fredric roared and then he slapped me.

The sound cracked like thunder,making my cheek burn red.

I stumbled and hit the ground,resulting in my palms scraping the concrete and blood rising through torn skin.

He hit me?

How dare Fredric hit me?!

He didn’t come to help nor look at me.

Instead,Fredric turned and lifted Deana in his arms protectively and tenderly like she was made of porcelain.

He carried her away and the sound of the car door slamming shut echoed through my bones.

He left me there,like I meant nothing and no one for him.

My hands clutched my abdomen as a sharp,unbearable pain bloomed through my stomach.

I took a step and warm blood spilled down my legs.

“Ma’am,you’re bleeding!”A woman screamed,rushing to my side.“You’re losing blood!”

I opened my mouth to say,“It’s nothing.”But I never got the words out.

The pain swallowed me whole.

The ER was a blur of white lights and frantic voices.

“She’s losing too much blood!”

“Where’s her next of kin?We need a signature,fast!”

“She’s married,but her husband’s not answering.We’ve called over a dozen times.”

“Without a signature,we might lose the baby.”

I heard all of it as if underwater.

My body felt like it wasn’t mine.It was floating,broken and unraveling.

My chest also felt heavy and my throat burned like it was lined with glass.

But I forced myself to speak,so I forced my arm up,gripped the doctor’s sleeve with all the strength I had left.

“I’ll sign,”I rasped.“Let the baby go.I don’t want…I don’t want to keep it.”

The words fell like stones from my mouth.

The doctor froze.“Are you sure?”

I nodded,biting down the scream that threatened to tear from my throat.My tears finally broke free,sliding silently down my cheeks.

The operating room was cold,far colder than I imagined.The sterile scent of disinfectant clung to the air like frostbite.

I stared at the ceiling as metal instruments clinked into trays.A nurse whispered softly,“Stay still,it’ll be over soon.”

The anesthesia hadn’t fully kicked in,so I felt it every tug,every burn.

I bit down so hard on my lip that the taste of blood filled my mouth,mixing with the sob I refused to let out.

“I’m sorry,”I whispered silently to the child I’d never met.“I’m sorry,little one.”

You weren’t made from love.You were just a checkbox,something that Fredric’s mother asked for.

I only wanted to tell you that I didn’t want to bring you into a world like this.A home where your father would never look at you the way he looked at his mistress.

So,it would be better for me to let you go.

It was the only thing I could do that felt like love.

When I woke,the pain was dull,but constant.My stomach ached,empty and hollow,like something had been scooped out of me.

No one was beside my bed,not even him,my husband I loved for years.

Indeed,I didn’t expect him to come.But somewhere in my mind,I still hoped.

However,the reality was clear.Fredric never came.

Not for the bleeding.Not for the screaming.Not for the death of the child he didn’t even know he had.

The only thing waiting for me was my phone,buzzing on the nightstand.

A new Instagram post from Deana.

I opened it with trembling hands.

The photos were like knives.I saw her and Fredric at Disneyland,both wearing matching Mickey Mouse ears.

He was smiling gently and laughing as she clung to his arm.She looked radiant,like a girl in love.

They looked happy.

I stared at the screen,remembering the nights I begged him to take me to Disneyland.

“Please,Fredric?”I’d giggle.“Just once?I want to wear those stupid headbands and eat overpriced cotton candy.”

He’d always frown and said,“That place?Childish.”

But now he did it for her,just like everything else.

My fingers curled around the phone as the pain in my chest bloomed again.

It hurt so much I couldn’t breathe.

Letting go of Fredric hurts like hell,because he wasn’t just my husband.

He was my childhood crush.My teenage fantasy.My entire youth wrapped in one cold-hearted man.

But I was done lying to myself.

I pitied myself.

I turned off the screen and saw my own reflection that looked pale,hollow-eyed and lifeless.

A new message popped up.

It was from the lawyer.

[The divorce is nearly finalized.We can arrange the signing tomorrow.]