Chapter 2

I stayed at the hospital pulling overtime and didn't get home until past midnight.

Being a doctor meant crazy hours. Usually, I was forced into it, but tonight, I had voluntarily taken a colleague's shift.

Since I had already decided to leave, I wanted to minimize the number of times I bumped into Callahan.

That way, when it was finally time to go, it wouldn't hurt as much.

When I arrived, the entire mansion was pitch black.

I assumed everyone was asleep, but suddenly, a voice called out my name. "Brielle."

I turned around and saw a familiar silhouette.

Gemma was standing in the shadows. She had one hand supporting her lower back and the other cradling her stomach, staring at me with a mocking smirk.

Honestly, I wanted to tell her that since she was only three months along, her stomach was still perfectly flat. There was absolutely no medical need for her to waddle around holding her back like that.

But I quickly figured out her game.

Why else would she stay up this late in the dark? She just wanted to show off her pregnancy to my face.

Sure enough, she smiled and slowly walked toward me. "My baby is doing perfectly fine, right?"

As a doctor, I swallowed my annoyance and gave her a professional answer. "All your vitals are normal. Just get some rest. I'm going upstairs."

I headed toward the staircase, wanting to escape to my bedroom on the second floor.

But Gemma lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. "I'm carrying your future nephew in here. Once he's born, he's going to call you Auntie. Don't you even want to touch him?"

I had been on my feet all day. I was physically and emotionally exhausted.

I didn't want to play her twisted games, but knowing she was pregnant, I didn't dare yank my arm away. I just replied coldly, "We can talk about that when the baby is born. Let go of me. I need to sleep."

"Brielle!" Gemma dug her nails into my skin, her sneer dropping into a vicious glare. "Drop those filthy, pathetic feelings you have for Callahan! He only sees you as a little sister."

She leaned in closer. "You've lived with him for over twenty years, and has he ever touched you? If a man doesn't want to rip your clothes off, it means he doesn't fucking love you!"

"That's enough!" I snapped. "We used to be best friends, and you're pregnant right now. I don't want to fight with you. Let go!"

"What are you two doing?"

From the top of the stairs, Callahan walked out of his bedroom, looking down at us.

Instantly, Gemma's face morphed into an expression of pure, innocent sweetness. "Callahan! Brielle works so hard at the hospital. I figured she hadn't eaten yet, so I saved her some dinner and was just asking her to come eat."

The moment he appeared, I noticed it.

He was wearing a black silk pajama set. The one Gemma was wearing was bright pink.

They were matching couples' pajamas.

Callahan looked at me. "Brielle, come down and eat. Your sister-in-law went out of her way to save you food."

"Sister-in-law?"

Gemma giggled softly. "Oh, right! I haven't had a chance to tell you yet. Your brother and I talked about it, and we want to have the wedding before my bump gets too big. Otherwise, I won't look pretty in my wedding dress."

I stared dead at Callahan.

A pathetic part of me was praying he would deny it.

But I waited one second, two seconds, three seconds... a full ten seconds passed, and he didn't say a word.

His silence was his admission.

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. I finally understood everything.

"Your wedding is your own business. Plan it however you want. I'm exhausted, I don't want to eat, and I'm going to bed."

I gently pushed Gemma's hand away so she would release me.

But in the very next second, as if shoved by some massive, invisible force, Gemma hurled herself backward and tumbled down the stairs.

"Gemma!"

Callahan roared, taking the stairs two at a time to catch her as she hit the floor.

I stood there, completely frozen. I hadn't even applied any force!

How could she just dramatically throw herself down the steps from a gentle nudge?

"Callahan, please don't be mad at Brielle! I just lost my footing!" Gemma wailed, clutching her stomach in feigned agony. "She's just tired from work, she didn't mean to push me that hard..."

"Brielle!" Callahan snapped, glaring at me with murderous fury. "You know damn well she's pregnant! She could have lost the baby!"

"It wasn't me! I didn't push her―"

"And you call yourself an OB/GYN? Is this how you treat a pregnant woman? Are you totally lacking in basic human decency?"

While Callahan was screaming at me, I was the only one who could see Gemma's face hidden against his chest. She flashed me a triumphant, evil smirk.

That smirk was mocking me. *See? He loves me, not you.*

At that moment, the last shred of my hope shattered.

Seeing me standing there in shock, Callahan barked, "What the hell are you just standing there for? Get down here and check if she's okay!"

Suddenly, I felt incredibly pathetic.

My duty as a doctor meant I couldn't just walk away and let a pregnant woman suffer, even if it was fake.

But why was this my burden to bear?

Gemma had intentionally thrown herself down the stairs just to frame me, risking her own child just to secure her victory.

Yet I was the one being painted as the villain.