Chapter 1 Chapter 1

After hanging up the phone, I took a picture of the beautifully prepared dinner and the cake I had baked for our sixth anniversary and sent it to my husband, Ashton Martinez. His reply came back quickly. [Is it your birthday? I’m flying out, so I can’t make it home tonight. Just celebrate on your own.] I chuckled bitterly and tossed the cake into the trash. Whether it was my birthday or our anniversary, it did not matter because Ashton never remembered those things. However, when it came to Ruby Lowe, he had an entire notebook dedicated to her. He had been keeping notes of her life since high school. I glanced at the pregnancy test results on the table and quietly put them away. I had planned to surprise Ashton with them over dinner tonight, but now, it seemed pointless. We had been married for six years without any kids. I had gone through three rounds of IVF, each one more painful than the last, and they all failed. I had almost given up hope this time when, to my shock, I found out I was pregnant. Yet, before I could even be happy about it, I saw Ruby’s post on social media. For all I knew, she might have done her IVF on the same day, using my husband’s sperm, and here I was, the fool, kept in the dark, oblivious to everything. I pulled the food toward me, even though I had no appetite. For the sake of the baby, I forced myself to take a few bites. However, the moment the smell of the meaty steak hit me, I doubled over, violently nauseous. The retching would not stop, and with each heave, the pain in my lower abdomen grew sharper. Suddenly, I felt a warm, wet sensation between my legs. Glancing down, I saw small spots of blood seeping through my pants. Panic gripped me. Could that be a sign of a miscarriage? No matter how disappointed I was in Ashton, the baby was something I had fought so hard for. I could not lose it now! I grabbed my phone and tried to head downstairs to drive myself to the hospital, but as soon as I opened the door, the pain in my abdomen became unbearable. My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall. I had been feeling unwell all morning and had spent most of the day at the hospital for tests. After that, I rushed back, convinced Ashton would come home to celebrate our anniversary, and spent all my energy preparing dinner and the cake. Thinking maybe I could be having low blood sugar, I desperately reached for my phone to call 911, but my vision started to blur. I even felt too weak to press the buttons. Just then, I heard the sound of a door opening. My neighbor stepped out and, seeing my condition, rushed over in shock. “What happened?” he asked, supporting me. Relief washed over me as I requested him to take me to the hospital. After the tests, the doctor confirmed it—I was showing signs of a miscarriage. He prescribed a bunch of medications and spoke to me in a serious tone. “You really need to take care of yourself. This pregnancy isn’t stable yet, so you can’t afford to be too stressed or overworked.” Seeing the worried expression on my neighbor’s face, I explained to the doctor, “He’s not my husband. “My husband’s away… on a business trip,” I added. The doctor nodded and went over some other precautions. “Make sure you share all this with your husband. He needs to start learning how to take care of a pregnant woman.” I gave a bitter smile. Oh, I was sure Ashton was good at taking care of someone. It was just a pity it was not me.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

As I was told I needed to be hospitalized for a few days to stabilize my condition, Will Young, my neighbor who had driven me to the hospital, was incredibly helpful, running back and forth to take care of all the paperwork. “Clara, don’t you want to give your husband a call?” Will asked. My hand paused mid-sip. “There’s no need. I’m planning to file for divorce.” Will let out a surprised “Oh,” his expression momentarily awkward. Feeling bad for bringing it up, I said, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up with you.” Will simply gave me a bright, reassuring smile and waved it off. “Don’t worry about it.” His reaction made me think about Ashton. It had been a long time since Ashton treated me kindly. Whenever we talked, he either seemed impatient or gave me an irritated glare. It felt like every time I tried to say anything, he acted like I was a bother, questioning or doubting him. Just then, the buzz of my phone pulled me from my thoughts. It was a message from Ashton, and he had sent a photo of an ugly scarf. [I got you a birthday present. Are you happy now?] When I noticed the brand logo on it, I immediately checked Ruby’s social media. Sure enough, I found her latest post flaunting a brand-new Hermès bag. The post read: [I’m feeling sick from the pregnancy, but there’s nothing a new bag can’t cure! Thanks for the gift, Ash!] I sneered. The scarf was just one of those cheap accessories that came with a luxury bag. It was probably too ugly for Ruby to keep, so Ashton re-gifted it to me like it was something special. I typed back: [I don’t need it. You can give it to Ruby so she can clean her bag with it.] That response set Ashton off immediately, and my phone rang with his incoming call. “Can you stop being so petty and jealous? Ruby and I are soulmates, not whatever trashy relationship you’ve convinced yourself of!” he snapped. “If I really had something going on with Ruby, do you think you’d be the one married to me, enjoying the good life?” Enjoying the good life? Those words made me feel lightheaded. Ashton and I started dating during my second year of college when Ruby had just left for her exchange program in Europe. Back then, Ashton’s family barely got by, so I did not “enjoy” anything special. After we graduated, he started his own business, and while it might have looked glamorous from the outside, in reality, we had to pinch pennies. He was constantly stressed, trying to cover the company’s huge expenses. It was not until two years ago that things finally turned around after a successful deal. However, by then, I had grown used to being frugal. I felt sorry for Ashton’s struggles, so I never spent money carelessly. Meanwhile, I had to endure daily harassment from his mother for not giving her a grandchild. How exactly had I enjoyed any of his success? “Clara, have some food,” Will said as he walked back into the room, holding the takeout he had just picked up. His voice reached Ashton through the phone. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Ashton’s fury erupted. “Who’s there with you? Clara, do you really think pulling some stunt like this will get a reaction out of me? Tell that man to get out of my house, right now! Don’t think I’ll tolerate having some random guy around!” I could not listen anymore, so I told him I was in the hospital because I was not feeling well. There was a brief pause, which was followed by Ashton laughing bitterly. “I see what’s going on. You’re so childish. Ruby gets pregnant, so now you’re faking a stomachache to get my attention, huh? Let me guess. You’re going to tell me you’re pregnant too? What a joke. I’ve never seen anything more pathetic or disgusting.” I gripped my phone tightly, repeating to myself not to get angry over and over again. More importantly, I could not afford to get upset because my baby could not handle the stress right now. "Ashton, I'm not trying to force you to come back. I hope you and Ruby are having a great time. I have people looking after me here, and honestly, things are going just fine without you. It’s actually a lot easier." It was the first time I hung up on Ashton before he could finish. Almost immediately, a flurry of angry messages came flooding in. Predictably, it was all about how unreasonable I was and making him upset for no reason. He warned me not to regret it and not to come running back to him crying and begging for forgiveness. I simply tossed my phone aside, picked up my food, and ate it. Two days later, the doctor told me everything had stabilized, and I was cleared to leave the hospital. Will came to pick me up. I told him it was too much trouble and that I could just call a cab, but he just laughed and said it was no big deal—it was what neighbors were for. His kindness hit with a pang of sadness. Ashton rarely ever drove me anywhere. However, if Ruby called, no matter how far she was, he would pick her up. “You have a car, don’t you? Why don’t you drive yourself?” That was what Ashton had thrown back at me the last time I asked him for a ride. "Ruby doesn’t have a license, so of course I have to go and pick her up. What if something happens to her while she's taking a cab? Are you going to take responsibility for that?" I had just opened the car door to get into the passenger seat when I felt a strong hand yank me back. Startled, I turned to see Ashton standing behind me, his face dark and angry. “What are you doing here?” I asked, confused. I had not heard from him for two days. Did Ashton actually care enough to come to the hospital to pick me up the moment he returned? Then, his eyes flicked over to Will, and his voice was full of anger. “You’ve got some nerve! I came home, and the whole table was covered in rotten, moldy food! What’s the matter with you, huh? Other housewives could at least manage to keep the house in order and raise their kids. You can’t even have a child, and now you can’t even take care of the house?” His accusations shattered the last bit of hope I had left. I pulled my arm from his grip, my voice turning cold. “I told you I was in the hospital, didn’t I? Yet, you showed no concern for your wife, a sick person—just complaints that I didn’t clean the house?” Ashton looked me up and down, his eyes filled with suspicion. "You look perfectly fine to me. Quit pretending." The only reason I looked better was because Will had been visiting every day, bringing me food to help me recover. Hearing Ashton’s comment, Will stepped out of the car, ready to speak up for me. However, I gave him a small shake of my head, signaling him to go. What I did not expect, though, was that Ashton did not plan on taking me home to rest. Instead, he drove us straight to a pub.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

“Ruby's hosting a party tonight to celebrate her pregnancy.” Before I could refuse, Ashton cut off any chance I had to say no. "She's been thinking about you a lot. She wants you to come and share in her happiness. Don’t be ungrateful!" I simply sneered and agreed. Anyway, it did not matter to me anymore. My heart was dead. I had contacted a divorce lawyer, and nothing Ruby did could hurt me now. After we arrived, Ruby showed up fashionably late, perfectly dolled up, while I looked like a mess, having spent days in the hospital and not had a chance to clean up. In contrast, Ruby looked like a blooming flower, perfectly put together. Everyone around her was fawning over her, showering her with compliments. "Our beautiful artist Ruby is always so forward-thinking, turning down all those suitors just to become a single mom on her own terms.""Well, Ruby’s rich and independent. She can raise a kid by herself! She’s unlike those stay-at-home wives who ask their husbands for money." All eyes in the room slowly drifted toward me, some with mockery. Ruby laughed and ordered a round of drinks, saying it was her treat for the night. Someone then suggested we play Truth or Dare to liven up the mood. When the bottle spun, it landed on Ruby first. She pouted playfully. "I’ll pick truth." With a knowing grin, her best friend asked, "Ruby, since you’re having a baby through IVF, are you ever going to let the kid call Ashton ‘Dad’?" Ruby placed a hand on her belly and flashed me a sly smile. "Clara, I know this bothers you, and you’ve been upset with Ash lately, but don’t worry. I would never come between the two of you. After all, you know, if I wanted to marry Ash, you wouldn’t have stood a chance. "But, if you can’t have kids, I’ll make sure my son takes care of Ash and you when we’re older. I wouldn’t want you to end up all alone." Everyone around the table praised Ruby for being kind and considerate, but I felt nothing. Especially in the past two years when Ashton’s company began taking off, Ruby had stormed into my life, constantly showing up around Ashton. At first, I was so shocked, angry, and jealous that I would get upset and argue with Ashton. However, time and time again, Ashton had chosen her over me. He told me I was being unreasonable and petty. He had even accused me of slandering them, so much that I had long since grown numb. “I don’t mind. In fact, if you want to go down to the courthouse right now and file for divorce, I have no objections.” Ashton’s face immediately darkened, and he snapped, warning me to stop saying things to upset him. I gave a calm smile. “You shouldn’t flatter yourself so much. Do you really think you’re that important to me?” There was a flash of panic in Ashton’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. “Alright, enough with the attitude. Look at Ruby. She’s considerate, understanding, and always thinking about you. I know I haven’t been around much lately, but I’ll be home for the next few days. Does that make you happy?” Sensing the tension in the room, someone suggested we move on to the next round of the game. This time, the bottle landed on me. Just as I was about to choose ‘truth’, Ruby chimed in before I could. “I chose ‘truth’ last time, so let’s mix things up and go with a dare this time!” she suggested. I gave her a cold stare, watching her stir up trouble, but I did not care anymore. My dare was to kiss the first guy I saw when I walked out the door. Without hesitation, Ashton shoved three bottles of alcohol in front of me. “She’s not doing that dare. She’ll just take a penalty and drink these instead.” Everyone laughed, agreeing with him. After all, kissing another guy while your husband was sitting right there was not exactly appropriate. Still, I stood up. “Why should I back down? Ruby’s the one who suggested I do it, and I’m not one to chicken out.” Ashton jumped to his feet, his expression darkening immediately. “Clara, are you trying to fight me on purpose tonight?” I could not understand it. He did not seem to mind giving Ruby his sperm for her IVF, telling me not to make a big deal out of it, yet he was now furious because of some silly game. Ruby quickly stepped between us, trying to diffuse the situation, but her gaze kept drifting to my stomach. “The alcohol isn’t that strong. A little won’t hurt.” As soon as she said that, Ashton’s temper worsened. He popped open one of the bottles and tried to force it into my mouth. “Everyone’s trying to make this easier on you, but you just have to ruin the mood, don’t you?” Caught off guard, I choked on the alcohol as it spilled into my mouth. At the same time, thanks to Ashton’s rough movements, it splashed all over my face and into my eyes. Then, remembering the baby inside me, I panicked. I tried to pull away, waving my hands to get him to stop. However, in my haste, I tripped on something behind me and fell hard onto the cold marble floor of the private room. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and I cradled my stomach, screaming in agony. Ashton’s face showed a flicker of concern as he reached out to help me, but he said dismissively, “It’s just a fall. You’ll be fine.” That was when one of the girls screamed, “Blood! There’s so much blood on the floor!”