Chapter 1

1.

Elias's ex-girlfriend Savannah Pierce, post an ultrasound picture on Instagram.

The caption read: "Thank you to my closest friend for giving me the most amazing gift when I needed it most. I'm finally going to have a baby of my own. #NewChapter #Blessed #SecretAngel"

I quietly liked the post and left a comment: "Congratulations to you both."

Less than a second after I hit send, my husband, Elias, was on the phone. He was screaming, his voice frantic and chaotic: "What the hell is wrong with you? This has nothing to do with you! Stop acting like a goddamn stalker online!"

I silently hung up. It was time for a divorce.

…

I placed a hand on my own flat stomach and took a deep breath, a single thought echoing clearly in my mind: I'm so sorry, but I can't keep you.

The words caught in my throat, choked by a sob I couldn't hold back.

This baby was supposed to be a surprise for Elias's birthday. But now, it was clear he didn't need it.

I was two months pregnant. This was the baby he and I had talked about for so long, the one he finally agreed to have.

He never liked being intimate with me, and he didn't like kids. He said they were a messy combination of noise and trouble, a drain on your energy.

But recently, I’d seen his browser history filled with searches like "what to prepare for a newborn." He had even stayed up late creating two Excel spreadsheets: one titled "Mom-to-be hospital bag checklist" and the other "Newborn essentials list."

I was naive enough to think he knew about my pregnancy and was preparing for me. I was happy, like a complete fool. Now I see that I was never the star of his meticulous plan.

Elias came home unusually early today. I glanced at the clock; it was only eight in the evening. Normally, he wouldn't stumble in until after midnight, reeking of alcohol.

He called out my name, "Charlotte?"

I lay in the bedroom and didn't answer. He didn't call again.

A few moments later, the sound of the shower started. When he was done, he walked into the bedroom without turning on the light and carefully lay down beside me.

A tentative warmth spread from my waist. It was the first time he had ever put his arm around me on his own.

He buried his head in the crook of my neck, his voice laced with a forced, placating tone. "Hey, babe, I swear nothing happened between her and me."

"I was just helping her fulfill a wish. Savannah has always wanted a child. I promise, as soon as the baby is born, I'll cut off all contact with her."

I didn't say anything. I just reached down, removed his arm from my waist, and scooted toward the edge of the bed.

He felt my rejection, and his tone instantly soured with impatience. "I already explained it to you, what more do you want? This is the situation, so deal with it."

"You said you didn't mind my past. Are you going back on your word now?"

"You know, I could have hidden this from you completely, but I chose to be honest. And this is how you react. Fine, whatever."

He spewed out all his grievances in one breath, then threw a final jab.

"We agreed to have a baby, and I'm trying. You need to get your head straight. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."

The door slammed shut with a bang. I couldn't help but laugh―at my pathetic marriage, and at the choice I had made.

In his eyes, explaining himself was a gift, one I was expected to accept with gratitude. If I didn't, I was just the "control freak" he always called me.

He dared to treat me this way because of my past, all-consuming love for him―I had given him everything, only to be treated as a disposable backup plan.

So, in the end, I deserved all of this.