Chapter 4

The next day, I went to our marital home to pack up my things. The wedding decorations were still stuck on the windows. In a corner, deflated balloons lay abandoned. Even our wedding photo was still hung on the wall. Everything in sight showed that the place was once meant to be filled with warmth and joy. I sniffed and began packing. Joseph appeared by the doorway. "Yelena, how long are you going to keep this up?" I didn't bother to answer him. My hands paused when I came across a photo album. Right at the front was a faded class graduation photo. Our eighteen-year-old selves were so full of youth and passion. At the time, we had promised each other that we would be in love forever. Yet, things had changed. "Yes, what happened yesterday was my fault," Joseph said in exasperation as he rubbed his temples. "To make it up to you, I bought two tickets for a honeymoon trip to Frosia. We'll stop in Northern Auliese on the way and have time to explore it." He probably thought I'd be thrilled. After all, seeing the sights of Frosia and skiing in Aulises had always been a dream of mine. "Cancel it," I said, clearly catching Joseph off guard with my answer. I continued, "We didn't even get married, so why are you even talking about a honeymoon?" Joseph's expression stiffened. He walked forward and hugged me from behind. "Lena, I know you're angry and upset, but that's enough now, okay?" Joseph rarely acted this soft and submissive. It was something that I used to fall for all the time. He said, "I've already contacted the hotel about rescheduling the wedding for when we return. I'll explain everything to the guests." I shoved him away with all my strength. "Joseph, I told you what would happen if you walked away yesterday. I've made it clear that I'm not marrying you, so what's the point of all this?" Joseph stared at me with a heavy and unreadable expression. "Marrying you is my responsibility and duty. After all, you've been with me for seven years. It's what I should do as a man." So, time had worn down the love he felt for me until marriage was merely a responsibility. I laughed at myself and turned to leave, but just then, last week's prenatal checkup report slipped out of my bag. Joseph picked it up, and his stunned look quickly turned into one of tremendous joy. On one hand, he was genuinely happy about the baby. On the other hand, he naturally assumed that no matter how mad I was, I couldn't possibly leave him now. "Lena, take a few days to calm down first. I'll come pick you up later." He shoved the plane tickets into my hands, then left for work at the law firm like nothing had happened. When Joseph's parents heard I was pregnant, they came by with nutritional supplements, but they were sent away by my mom and dad. Yet, things were not meant to be. A few days later, there was a mishap with the baby, and I was rushed to the hospital. Coincidentally, Mandy had brought Frederick to the hospital for a heart checkup and ran into me. She begged me to make sure the child was safe. "The child is innocent. Make sure you do what's best for the child, and we can talk things through later, okay? You've been with Joseph for seven years, and he's always loved you deeply. Tessa will never take your place in his heart." I said nothing as Mandy called Joseph in front of me. But instead of the anxious concern she expected, Joseph's tone was filled with exasperation. "Is Lena still not done causing trouble? Fine. I'll come over later. I'm cooking for Tessa at the moment since she still hasn't recovered." Mandy was utterly stunned. "Your own child might be gone soon! Why are you still cooking for that woman instead of coming over?" Joseph was silent on the other end for a while before he said coldly, "Lena's just bluffing. She loves kids, so there's no way she would let anything happen to ours. I know what I'm doing, Mom. Just stay out of it." Then, he hung up. When Mandy tried to call back, the line was busy. Right at that moment, I got a new notification on my phone stating that an order for 999 pink roses had been confirmed. It was probably Joseph's latest gift to attempt to win me back. I didn't even flinch as I was pushed into the operating room, ignoring Mandy's tearful pleading. Three hours later, Joseph finally arrived with the bouquet. His face was pale as he asked, "Lena, what happened to the baby?"