Chapter 2

2

Furious and restless, I stormed back to our apartment and stood under an ice-cold shower until my skin went numb.

It was late into the night when Maren finally unlocked the front door.

With an icy expression, she tossed a bag of prenatal vitamins onto the sofa and headed straight into the bathroom to wash her face.

Throughout the entire process, she treated me like I was invisible.

"Kian, I'm out of cleanser," her irritated voice called out from the bathroom.

Ever since she found out she was pregnant, I had handled every little chore to keep her comfortable.

I had even knelt down to swap her socks whenever her feet felt slightly swollen.

When I didn't answer, she poked her head out of the door. "Kian, what is wrong with you? Didn't you hear me talking to you?"

"Maren, don't you have anything to say about what happened today?"

"What is there to explain? You saw it yourself! My stomach started cramping out of nowhere today."

"I was terrified something would happen to the baby, so I panicked and called him to drive me to the hospital. The doctor thought he was my husband, so of course we played along. If I told them another woman's husband brought me in, what would they have thought of me?"

I stared at her, stunned by her twisted logic.

"If your stomach hurt, shouldn't you have called me first? I'm your boyfriend!" I demanded.

"Kian, can you stop being so insecure and petty? You're always swamped with work. How many times have you missed my calls before?"

"I only called Gavin because I was worried about the baby! Besides, we're just friends. He's married! Stop making up cheating scenarios in your head!"

"He just gave me a ride to the clinic. It's not like we slept together! Who are you putting on this dramatic act for?"

"If you're going to keep throwing a tantrum, fine! I won't go to any more doctor visits. Is that what you want?"

She slammed the bedroom door shut, leaving me standing alone in the dark living room, speechless.

Somehow, she had twisted the entire situation into my fault.

It was as if I was supposed to shut my eyes, swallow the humiliation, and pretend nothing happened because she had magnanimously decided not to hold a grudge.

My heart ached as if it were bleeding out.

How did our relationship turn into this?

From day one, I had catered to her every whim, believing that a man should be patient and accommodating.

Yet somewhere along the way, our compromise had turned into a one-way street where only I yielded.

Even when she was undeniably in the wrong, she would stubbornly dig in her heels until I backed down, apologized, and comforted myself into keeping the peace.

To put it bluntly, I had been nothing more than an obedient puppy to her.

The kind that wagged its tail the moment she tossed me a smile.

Even when she just snapped at me about skipping her checkups, my gut reaction was still a surge of worry for her health.

That wasn't how a healthy relationship was supposed to work.

It hit me with crushing clarity: I had spoiled her beyond reason.

She had gotten so used to my unconditional devotion that she no longer valued anything I gave her.