Chapter 3

3.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I was stunned.

It was the exact same spicy restaurant she had visited with Jared at lunch.

Same table, same waiter, and even the dishes Yvette ordered were identical to the ones in the photo.

The air was thick with the choking sting of chili oil.

I covered my mouth and coughed, my stomach churning violently.

"Order whatever you want," Yvette said, barely glancing at me.

"Didn't you say you wanted..." Before I could finish, she cut me off coldly.

"Kellan, I'm pregnant."

I froze. "What did you say?"

She repeated it with complete indifference. "I said, I'm pregnant."

A surge of unexpected joy rushed through my chest.

All throughout our marriage, I had longed for a child.

Yvette had always claimed her career came first, pushing it back year after year.

Now, she was finally carrying our baby.

I reached out excitedly to hold her hand. "Really? Is it... is it our baby?"

She jerked her hand back with disgust.

"Kellan, can you stop being so repulsive? I already booked a procedure for tomorrow morning to end it."

My smile froze instantly. "What? Why would you do that?"

I stared at her in utter disbelief, unable to comprehend her cruelty.

She crossed her arms, her voice dripping with venom.

"How are you going to support a baby, Kellan? Does your remaining bank balance even cover baby formula?"

To take care of her dying mother, I had quit my high-paying executive job years ago.

I had spent years in hospital rooms, draining nearly all of my personal savings on her mother's medical bills.

Yet she had never asked, nor had she ever cared.

I opened my mouth to tell her that I was finalizing a massive gaming deal that would bring in millions.

But she gave me no chance to speak.

"Let me make this clear, Kellan: I'm not keeping this child."

Her eyes were filled with unadulterated contempt.

"Don't even think about using a baby to trap me. I'd rather die than spend another day with a broke loser like you."

"You're nothing but a parasite, sucking my blood and holding my life back!"

Her words felt like serrated blades carving deep into my chest.

"A parasite? A burden?" I let out a dry, bitter laugh.

Had she forgotten that she hadn't contributed a single dime to our household in years?

Her mother's medical bills, our living expenses―everything had come straight out of my personal accounts.

"Am I wrong?! You sit at home all day like an unemployed bum pushing thirty with zero career!"

Yvette slammed her hand onto the table, drawing stares from the surrounding tables.

I shut my mouth and watched her performance in icy silence.

I had once been a star game designer who led top teams to develop chart-topping hits.

Back then, she was the one who begged me in tears to step down so she could pursue her career while I nursed her mother.

And now, she had the audacity to call me useless.

"Yvette, what's going on? Who made you this upset?"

A smooth, gentle voice drifted over from nearby. I didn't need to turn around to know it was Jared.

He was wearing a crisp white shirt and jeans, looking boyish and carrying a pleasant smile.

"It's nothing. Just someone who doesn't understand plain English."

Her expression softened slightly when looking at Jared, though her tone remained irritated.

"Don't stay mad, Yvette. Getting upset isn't good for your health," Jared said smoothly, sitting down beside her.

He turned to me with an innocent smile. "What a coincidence, Mr. Vance. Mind if I join? I'm dining alone tonight."

Before I could respond, Yvette handed him a pair of chopsticks. "He's done eating anyway. Ignore him."

Jared accepted the utensils with a warm smile, and the two immediately began chatting as if I didn't exist.

Watching their seamless intimacy, I felt only a sick sense of mockery.

When the server came over to refill the water, Jared gallantly stood up to help.

Suddenly, he "accidentally" bumped the server's elbow.

The metal kettle tilted instantly, pouring scalding hot water straight toward my lap.

My eyes widened, and I tried to dodge, but it was already too late.

The boiling water drenched my lower leg, and a guttural groan of agony escaped my lips.

My skin felt as if it were melting on the spot.

"Kellan, are you okay?" Yvette's eyes flickered, but her tone quickly shifted to blame.

"What is wrong with you? Can't you even dodge a kettle?"

"Yvette, you should drive Mr. Vance to the ER right away," Jared urged with fake concern, stepping forward to help me up.

I shoved his hand away, hissing through gritted teeth, "Keep your fake sympathy to yourself."

Jared's hand hovered awkwardly in the air as a flash of anger crossed his eyes before vanishing.

"Mr. Vance, don't misunderstand me. I only wanted to help."

"I don't need a single thing from you," I spat coldly.

Yvette cut in sharply. "Stop throwing a tantrum, Kellan! Jared was trying to be nice. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"

"Don't be too hard on him, Yvette. Nobody wants accidents to happen," Jared added sweetly.

The searing pain was too intense for me to argue, so I limped toward the exit behind them.

When we reached the car, Jared naturally opened the passenger door and slid into the front seat.

A throbbing headache hammered against my temples.

Jared acted as if he had just noticed me, offering an apologetic grin. "Sorry, Mr. Vance. Habit, I guess."

"The backseat is roomier anyway. Sit in the back so you don't bump your leg," Yvette added casually, without a shred of warmth.

I stared at them coldly, opened the rear door without a word, and got in.

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