Chapter 2

Although I couldn't manage more meetings with Zachary before leaving, there was a silver lining. His absence allowed me to pack undisturbed. Raising a child was profoundly expensive. Without Selene's money or Zachary's support, I'd have to rely on myself once the baby was born, so until I had a steady income, I couldn't afford to spend recklessly. I found an agent online in the city that I planned to move to. Then, I quickly and remotely rented an apartment. Before leaving, I planned to ship everything I owned there in advance. That should save me a fair amount of money. The day after I found out about my pregnancy, the morning sickness started. I tried everything Mr. Gardner had taught me, but nothing worked. Even a sip of water would make me nauseous. Moments after eating dinner, I threw up all of the contents. That was when regret hit me—hard. Why in the world had I chosen a restaurant for my last private meeting with Zachary? The physical discomfort and fear of him noticing my condition made it hard to control my emotions. Curled up on the couch, I couldn't stop crying. With my phone in hand, I hesitated moving my flight up and leaving immediately. Just then, Zachary appeared on television. Amid a group of senior government officials, his sharp features and aloof demeanor made him stand out. Though he stood toward the back, I could still pick him out in the panning shots. Then, I rewound and replayed the part featuring him over and over. Slowly, a sense of calmness washed over me. Gently stroking my flat belly, I spoke softly, as if negotiating, "Baby, can you stop making me feel so sick for a bit? Dad can't know about you, so please behave until we leave, okay?" Perhaps it was a case of mind over matter, but after saying that, I made myself another meal. When I finished, I still felt queasy, but at least I didn't have to run to the bathroom. I was so relieved that I patted my belly lightly and thanked my unborn child. With some rest, I sped up my packing. Just before Zachary returned, I managed to send out the first batch of parcels. Just as I was watching the delivery guy leave, my phone rang. It was Xavier. When I picked up, his polite yet distant voice came through. "Ms. Mitchell, Mr. Henderson will have an hour free at 5:00 pm. Please be ready ahead of time." As soon as the call ended, I contacted the restaurant manager and ordered a few dishes according to Zachary's taste. I specifically requested that they be served quickly. … At exactly 5:00 pm, Zachary walked into the restaurant. The moment I saw him, I couldn't help but smile. However, I remembered what I had come to say, so I calmed myself down as he sat across from me. "You don't look well," he commented, frowning slightly. "Are you feeling unwell again?" I hadn't expected him to be concerned about me after days apart. At that, my heart thumped wildly. Clenching my hands tightly under the table, I maintained a perfectly composed face and remarked, "It's probably the heat. I haven't had much of an appetite lately." Zachary nodded. He glanced at the order chit, after which he called the waiter over. "Please add a plate of sliced cucumber salad and make sure it's not too spicy." I took a deep breath discreetly and reminded myself. "This is just him being polite. It doesn't mean I matter to him." Aside from that cucumber dish, I barely touched any of the food. However, since I'd said I wasn't hungry earlier, Zachary didn't notice. … After putting down his cutlery, he said he had work to handle that evening. As he stood to leave, I finally spoke, one word at a time. "I want to get married, so let's end this between us."