Chapter 2

Tessa stared at the signed divorce papers, feeling like an invisible hand had clenched tight around her heart. Tania had actually pulled it off. Tessa thought it was perfect. The happy little family of three could be together now, and she would live for no one but herself from that day forward. "Tess, what was that gift you wanted most?" Clifford suddenly leaned in, his brows furrowed. "Why don't I know?" As he reached for the file, she quickly pulled it back. He raised an eyebrow before asking, "Are you keeping secrets from me now?" Tessa gave a faint smile. "Didn't you keep secrets from me, too? Didn't you let someone else carry your baby for three months before I found out about it by accident?" His expression instantly darkened. He glanced nervously at Tania and said in a low voice, "Didn't we agree not to bring that up again? I explained why I had to keep the baby..." He paused, then his tone softened. "The only reason I kept it from you was because I was afraid you'd leave me." Afraid she'd leave? But unfortunately, Clifford didn't realize that what one feared the most was always the thing one would lose first. Tania's eyes welled up with tears. "It's all my fault. I never should've helped him the night he got drugged, and I never meant for Isabelle to find out about the pregnancy. I swear that I never thought of coming between you two..." As she spoke, her eyes brimmed with tears that were about to fall, like she was the most pitiful creature in the world. Clifford immediately turned to comfort her in a voice so gentle that it didn't even sound like him. "How could this ever be your fault?" Tessa couldn't watch another second of the scene before her. She turned and headed for the door. That was when he finally realized what was happening and rushed after her. "Tess, where are you going?" "I have something to take care of." He frowned. "It's pouring out. I'll drive you." Before leaving, he turned to the housekeeper and reminded, "Tania shouldn't be touching cold water. Raise the room temperature by two degrees. Her appetite's been off lately, so watch what you cook for her..." For ten whole minutes, he listed instructions one by one, covering every possible pregnancy taboo like he was afraid to miss even a single detail. Tessa merely stood quietly at the doorway, just watching him. Finally, he finished speaking and got in the car. Tessa looked at him and suddenly smiled before saying, "Clifford, you're going to be a great dad." He froze, like he hadn't expected her to say that. Clifford reached out and grabbed her wrist with a trace of pain in his voice. "Tess, the only child I'll ever claim is the one you carry. You know that I had no choice. Please don't say things like that..." His palm was still warm, but the warmth no longer reached her. She didn't answer and just looked out of the window in silence. The car fell quiet. As it rolled down the road, he tried to shift the mood. He asked, "Tess, what were you doing on Rosemere Avenue in weather like this?" She was just about to answer when his phone rang. "Mr. Jones, my stomach really hurts..." Tania's choked voice came through the speaker. His expression instantly changed. "Don't be scared. I'm coming back now!" He hung up, then turned to her. "Tess, we're not far from Rosemere Avenue. Can you grab a cab from here?" "Yeah." She nodded calmly and stepped out. The downpour soaked her in seconds. She stood on the curb, watching his car speed off into the distance. And suddenly, she laughed. "You were this close to finding out what I was doing, Clifford," she thought. The storm was so fierce that there were no cabs in sight. Tessa walked alone through the pouring rain, her umbrella flipped inside out by the wind. Rain and tears mingled in her eyes, turning the world around her into a blurry sight. By the time she finally reached the courthouse, she looked like a complete wreck. "Hi, I'd like to file for divorce," she said, handing over the divorce papers she'd carefully protected, still perfectly dry. The staff looked her over, then glanced at the document. "You'll have to complete a one-month cooling-off period. After that, you can come in to finalize the divorce." When Tessa stepped back outside, the rain had stopped. She looked up at the sky, which was now bright and cloudless. The ache in her chest lightened just a bit. Perhaps her life after divorce would be like this too, clearing up little by little, day by day. When she returned to the villa, she found the living room empty. She heard Clifford's gentle voice coming from upstairs. "The Little Prince met a fox..." He was reading a bedtime story to Tania's baby bump. Tessa felt that her head was spinning, and she collapsed under the blankets without uttering another word. She didn't know how long she had slept, but she found her throat burning as soon as she woke up. "Water..." she called out several times, but the only thing she could hear was the muffled voice from the next room. "Mr. Jones, I hope the baby will be as smart and handsome as you..." Tania's voice was sickly sweet. "Don't sell yourself short." Clifford laughed softly. "Resembling you would be just as wonderful. You're kind, gentle, and pure..." Even without seeing it, Tessa could picture Tania's blushing face. They sounded like a real couple discussing their unborn child. Tessa dragged herself up and reached for her glass, but her limbs were too weak, and she knocked it over, causing the glass to shatter. She bent down to pick it up, but everything went black, and she collapsed onto the floor. Her hand was sliced open by a shard, and blood spilled everywhere. Gritting her teeth, she cleaned the wound herself, then popped a fever pill. The laughter from the next room never stopped. Lying back in bed, she suddenly remembered the year in college when she had a fever. Clifford had climbed over the female dormitory wall just to be with her, sitting at her bedside for three days and nights. Back then, he held her, his eyes full of tears, and said, "Tessa, seeing you in pain hurts me a lot." And now? It seemed that he didn't even remember saying that. Her tears silently wet the pillow. She closed her eyes and let the darkness swallow her whole.