Run into William at the Hospital

"William?"

I was shocked to see William accompanying another woman at the entrance to the obstetrics department.

William and I had been married for seven years and had never had any children.

My best friend checked this hospital for me and found out that this hospital's obstetrics department was very good. I was going to see a doctor today because I decided to have a baby.

I came to the door of the obstetrics department. I saw a scene I would never forget.

William was holding the woman with a slightly bulging belly, smiling.

She was in her early pregnancy, looking a little chubby.

But William carefully held her.

He put his hand on the woman's belly as if feeling the little unborn life.

"Honey, take these sheets. You're going to need them for the next checkup."

William's face was filled with the joy of being a new father. "Hey, slow down..."

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, not as good-looking as me, but the age difference still made her look younger and more lively.

"Honey, the baby just kicked me."

"Silly girl, right now he can't kick. Be careful..."

Every word seemed to stick in my heart. The pain was all I had now.

It was as if there was an additional invisible barrier between William and me at this moment.

He and the woman were a new, loving couple, and I was just a stranger.

With a trembling hand, I took out my phone and dialed William's number.

William was completely immersed in happiness. It took a long time before he took his phone out.

He stared at the name on the screen for a second, then pressed off.

"It's okay. A business call. Let's go."

I almost fell to the floor as I watched them leave.

I thought, 'William, you promised not to have any children.

'It's your choice.

'What about the happy face I see on you now?'

"What a jerk! I'll go teach them a lesson!"

Vivian wanted to catch them, but I stopped her.

"Never mind."

Vivian shook off my hand, anger and heartache in her eyes.

"Audrey, how much longer are you going to put up with him?"

Yeah, how long?

When would it end? Was it the day I stopped loving him?

I didn't know how I got home, except that everything made me feel cold.

I called William numerous times, and he rang off decisively.

And later he switched his phone off.

It was my birthday today. Had William forgotten?

Once he cupped my face, his eyes full of love.

He said that my birthday was the greatest day in the world.

Nowadays, in William's mind, today was not my birthday, but the day of that woman's maternity checkup.

I cried until I couldn't breathe and slumped to the floor.

Wiping my red, swollen eyes, I got up and walked to the kitchen to cook myself a simple meal.

Looking at the food on the table, I had no appetite. This was my first birthday without William.

Maybe they knew each other before my last birthday?

When did they get together? It looked like they had been together for a couple of months.

I felt a chill when I thought of William and that woman having sex and then he would kiss me too.

I finished eating and was washing the dishes when I heard the sound of the door.

There was a rustle behind me. William's hands encircled my waist from behind.

"Honey, why didn't you wait for me?"

There was a smell of baby soap on his body. It must be that woman's. A wave of nausea washed over me.

Unlike usual, I pushed him away immediately.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

William looked perplexed and took out his phone, pretending not to know what had happened.

"I had a busy day. And my phone died."

I couldn't help but sneer. "What a coincidence. You are busy on my birthday."

A trace of abnormality flashed in William's eyes. He then returned to normal.

He made a show of pulling out an elaborate jewelry box from behind.

"Happy Birthday, honey!

"Silly girl, do you think I forgot your birthday? How could I?"

Instead of looking surprised, I took the jewelry box in silence.

Opening it gently, I smiled.

Inside the box lay a gold bracelet.

It looked familiar. It reminded me of that woman next to William at the hospital.

I Want A Baby

William stayed out all night. And I didn't sleep all night.

I was not worried about where he was going. Of course, he was at the woman's, with her and their child.

I got off work in the evening and saw William standing in front of my company.

"Don't be mad."

When he saw me, William immediately came to me.

"We're going back to Mom and Dad's for dinner today. Be nice to them, okay?"

I frowned, should I tell them?

Their son had a mistress outside, and she was pregnant.

But they'd always wanted grandchildren. They were probably ecstatic to hear this news.

We arrived at the Cooper residence. Helen and Tyshawn were already waiting for us.

As soon as I walked in the door, Helen rushed over to see me.

I understood what she meant and shook my head. "Not pregnant yet."

Helen walked back into the living room in disappointment. We were in an awkward situation.

Halfway through the meal, we talked about the news of moms protecting their daughters.

"Moms protect their kids. That's instinct," I whispered.

Helen immediately said, "Yes, it's kind of instinctive for a woman to have children and be a mother."

Seeing that I didn't say anything, Tyshawn heaved his fork down.

"Audrey, I shouldn't have said this. But isn't it time for you guys to have a baby?

"When you grow older, it's hard for you to be pregnant."

I squeezed out a smile. "Tyshawn, William said he doesn't want kids."

William's face turned dark when he heard this. He swallowed the food in his mouth hard.

Helen tried to alleviate the awkward situation. "Audrey, forget about William. Let's talk about you. Do you want to see a doctor and have a checkup?"

I thought, 'Helen, there's no need for me to see a doctor. William already has a child.

'Just not in my belly.'

The words were on my lips, but I didn't know how to say them.

After a short time of silence, I suddenly broke into a grin.

"Mom, I can have a baby."

Helen stopped looking at me, and her eyes flicked away.

"It's always necessary for us to have babies. If I can't, won't I be useless?"

William took a bite of food. "Mom, could we stop this conversation?"

Helen's face darkened. "Am I wrong? Did I say something improper?"

She became more and more agitated. "Your father and I are old. We just want to have grandchildren. Are we wrong?"

I pressed my nails into my palms hard. "Helen, don't be mad. We are going to have a baby."

I then looked back at William.

"You decided to be a dink in the first place, didn't you?"

William didn't dare to look at his parents. "I want children too. But..."

This man had gotten so weak that he used me as a shield.

Helen said, "Audrey, it is William's idea. But it's not too late to have a baby, right?"

William suddenly raised his head. "Audrey, I regret it."

"What did you say?"

William didn't dare to look me straight in the eye.

"I said I regretted it, and now I want a child."

I sneered. "I know, you..."

That secret was about to be exposed, but the laughter of Helen and Tyshawn stopped me.

"That's great, William. You and Audrey should try harder.

"It's good that you changed. We're waiting for your good news."

I felt like an outsider when I watched the three of them talking happily.

The feeling was just like seeing William and that woman yesterday.

After dinner, I was in the kitchen washing dishes.

Helen came over and said.​

"Audrey, I don't want to force you, but I hope you can get pregnant soon.

"You'd better have a baby next year."

My nose was sore, and tears fell in the sink.

I wanted a baby too. That was why I went to see a doctor.

If I didn't go to the hospital, I wouldn't have met William and that woman.

"Okay, Helen, I'll talk about it with William."

I raised my hand and wiped my eyes secretly.

When I got home at night, I shrank under the covers and didn't move.

I never questioned William's love for me until I saw him with that woman.

Once upon a time, he was a good husband. I believed he was too busy working.

It turned out he was cheating on me.

William and Tyshawn had a few drinks. Now there was a smell of alcohol all over him.

He hugged me through the covers. Before long, he was about to get in.

"Not now. I have no mood."

My voice was very small, and his hand stopped.

"But I want, honey."

His breath was warm on my ear.

If it was before, I would have agreed.

But knowing that he had already slept with another woman, I wanted him to stay away from me.

"I'm not in the mood, sorry."

Perhaps it was the alcohol that made William lose his mind.

I fought and kicked him hard.

"Audrey! What's wrong with you?"

I stared at him in the dark.

"Don't you know what's wrong with me?"

William froze for a moment, then cursed lowly.

He got up and walked out of the room, grabbed the covers and pillows, and threw the door heavily shut.

It was the second time.

During seven years of marriage, this was the second time William had slammed the door on me.

It was two days after I found out he was cheating on me.

I opened the door to follow him. William was already lying on the couch, his back to me.

"You didn't come home yesterday. Where did you go?"

"Slept in the car."

William answered in a harsh and low voice.

It was hard to believe he ever said he loved me in that voice.

I wanted to ask him who that woman was.

What if it was not like what I had seen?

I went back to bed alone and wept until dawn.

All I could do now was lie to myself.

A Lipstick in the Car

In a daze, I had a dream.

I dreamed that I poked the woman in the belly with a harpoon, blood flowed down, and a baby came out of it.

In the dream I was furious, and the baby laughed and jumped on me.

William came home even later. For the first time, we hit a rocky patch.

After a few more days, he offered to make peace and bought me a bunch of roses.

"Honey, forgive me."

He sat on his knees on the couch and looked at me, his eyes shining like a puppy's.

Before, I would have accepted his apology. Now, my mind was full of that woman's bulging belly.

"Let's have dinner, or the food is getting cold."

He took my hand, and the moment he touched me, I felt my whole body stiffen.

"Honey, don't be mad at me. Cheer up."

William always said nice things to me.

He hugged me gently. My eyes reddened again as I felt a warmth I hadn't experienced in a long time.

"We will celebrate your birthday again in a few days, okay?"

He rested his head on my shoulder.

"Is it that you don't like my gift? That one is the best seller, you know."

William held my face. "If you don't like it, let's buy another gift, okay?"

Was it a coincidence?

Was that bracelet just a best-seller?

I felt a little relieved. Could it be that I was overthinking?

On a weekend, William took me out, saying it was to make up for my birthday.

I smiled and got in the passenger side when I suddenly felt something in the back.

Reaching over, I got a long object.

It was an expensive lipstick that I'd always wanted to buy.

"Wow, honey, is that your surprise?"

I held the lipstick up to William, who stared ahead without looking away.

I couldn't see his expression.

"What is it? I've never seen it before."

He cocked his head and looked away for less than a second.

"Maybe my colleague left it behind. I didn't know."

As if he was afraid I wouldn't believe him, William deliberately raised his voice.

I turned my head, my face pale.

There were scratches all over the lipstick. It looked like it'd been used for a long time.

Just as I looked at it, I smelt the familiar baby soup scent.

"Honey, where do you want to go for a walk?"

William asked me several times before I responded.

"I want to go home."

"What?"

"I said I wanted to go home."

I turned my head, gritting my teeth and blushing miserably.

William frowned. "Audrey, what are you mad about again?"

I reached out and tightened my grip on the handle. "I'm going to jump out of the car if you don't stop."

William pulled over. I opened the door and got out of the car.

I thought he would stop me, but he drove the car away without hesitation. The car quickly disappeared.

I sat on the roadside, tears falling.

At this time, my phone rang. I picked it up, and it was Vivian.

"I finished my task."

She sounded tired.

"That woman's name is Abril, William's business partner."

I fought the urge to cry out. "Thank you."

Vivian seemed to feel my sadness. "Don't be sad. Maybe William doesn't take her seriously.

"I'm sending you the information I found out. Where are you now?"

I shook my hand hard. "I'm near my home. I'll tell you later."

Was I overthinking this?

But from their intimate behaviors and the way they addressed each other, how could it be nothing between them?

It was late at night before William returned. We still didn't talk to each other.

I couldn't sleep and suddenly had the urge to check his phone.

William faced the backrest of the sofa and slept soundly.

I quietly picked up his phone and typed in my birthday.

Wrong password?

I felt stunned.

When did he change his password? Why didn't I know?

I entered William's birthday again. It was still incorrect.

I bit my lip. Several numbers came to me, and I didn't wish my guess was true.

Flipping through the information Vivian had sent me, I got Abril's birthday. It was the 25th of October.

I entered each of these four numbers...

It was correct.