Chapter 3

3.

I walked straight toward them, the clicks of my heels on the pavement sounding like war drums.

Hailey saw me first.

The smile on her face froze, then instantly morphed into the expression of a victim. She hid behind Elias like a frightened deer.

“Faye… Oh my god, what are you doing here?!”

Elias turned around stiffly, instinctively shielding her and the baby. It was the pose of a protector.

“Are you following me? Faye, have you lost your mind?”

I ignored his accusation, walking closer and closer, my eyes locked on the silver rattle in the baby’s hand.

“Give it back to me,” I said, holding out my hand, my voice shaking with rage.

“Faye, don’t be like this, it’s just a normal gift…”

Hailey clutched the baby tighter, her tone dripping with classic mockery. “You already have everything, Faye. You live in a Manhattan penthouse, and I just wanted a little something to make the baby happy. Why do you have to take this from me too?”

I lunged forward to grab it.

“That’s enough! We’ll talk about this at home!” Elias shouted, shoving me hard.

“Have you forgotten? That rattle was for our baby! The one who died!” I screamed at him, the tears finally breaking free.

Elias’s expression froze, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

But Hailey chimed in from the side, her voice full of fake sorrow. “I’m sorry, Faye. I just thought the rattle was pretty, so I asked Elias for it. I know your baby was an accident, and you haven’t gotten pregnant again in all these years… People have to move on, you know?”

“If you’re really going to be this petty, fine, I’ll give it back to you.”

She pretended to reach for it, but Elias stopped her hand.

“Enough! It’s a fifty-dollar rattle, Faye. When did you become so unreasonable? I’ll have my assistant buy you a whole case of them tomorrow!”

“I’m taking them home first. You need to calm down.”

He wrapped his arm around Hailey and started to walk away.

Just then, an out-of-control Uber skidded on the wet pavement, swerving wildly toward the sidewalk.

“Look out!” Elias yelled.

In that split second, human instinct revealed the truth.

He threw out his arm and violently pushed me―the one standing in front of him―out of the way, using his own body to shield Hailey and the baby.

The force sent me flying backward. My lower back slammed hard against the park’s cast-iron fence, and I collapsed onto the cold, hard concrete.

An excruciating pain shot from my abdomen and spread through my entire body. It felt like something vital was being ripped away from me.

I curled up on the ground in a cold sweat, my hands instinctively flying to my stomach.

“My baby…”

But Elias was only focused on Hailey, frantically checking her for injuries.

“Are you hurt? Baby, say something to me!”

Hailey burst into tears, sobbing in his arms. “Elias, I was so scared. Thank God you were here, otherwise the baby and I would have…”

That scene was more devastating than any words could ever be.

Elias didn’t even glance back at me.

My heart ached. I remembered the scar.

When he was expelled from Harvard for saving me, he had said, “Faye, as long as you’re okay, nothing I lose matters.”

Now, that same hand, the one marked with his false heroism, was gently stroking Hailey’s back.

And without a moment's hesitation, he had just pushed me into hell.

“Elias…” I whispered, my voice a faint plea for help.

He finally turned his head, his eyes filled with impatience.

“Faye, can you stop the drama? Hailey is holding the baby. What if she’d fallen? You’re an adult, can’t you be a little more considerate?”

I bit back the searing pain that was tearing me apart and managed a bitter smile.

He had no idea.

In that violent collision, our second child was also gone.

I used the railing to pull myself up, the last spark of light in my eyes extinguished.

“Elias, if you don’t want to have the wedding, then let’s not. Because…”

I was about to tell him that I wouldn’t be marrying him anymore.

But he cut me off, letting out a sigh of relief. “Good, I’m glad you see it my way. The wedding is just a formality. As long as we love each other, it doesn’t matter when we do it.”

He seemed to notice how deathly pale my face was and softened his tone slightly.

“Just call yourself an Uber home. I have to get them settled first.”

I watched him walk away without a backward glance, his arm around Hailey as they disappeared into his luxury car. I couldn't help but laugh at my own foolishness.

This time, we were even.

The wedding would still happen.

But he would not be the groom.