Chapter 1

I froze. And then the pain knocked me down completely. I collapsed, clutching my abdomen, the agony tearing through me. The kind of betrayal I had only ever seen in movies had finally happened—to me. Gritting my teeth, I dragged myself toward the front door and managed to yank it open. "Help…" I shouted. Then, everything went black. … When I woke, a tall figure was sitting by my hospital bed. It was Shane Lawson, the young doctor who lived in the apartment across from mine. He looked like he hadn't slept—dark circles hung under his eyes. "Alison… why were you alone? Where was your husband? Do you even realize if I hadn't been walking my dog last night…" He didn't finish. He looked at me, saw my state, and fell silent. I couldn't blame him. I stared at my swollen belly, still shaken. It looked like I was seven or eight months pregnant. I kept clinging to the faint hope that what I had heard through the phone last night—those tangled, chaotic sounds—had just been a bad dream. But when I unlocked my phone and saw the call log—15 seconds—I couldn't lie to myself anymore. My throat tightened, and tears spilled silently down my cheeks. "Dr. Lawson, thank you for bringing me here. I'll transfer the ride cost to your PayPal." I asked him to go home. I told him I was feeling better and that Vincent would be here soon. Shane hesitated but finally left. … When I was alone again, I opened WhatsApp. I couldn't do it while Shane was standing there—I was too afraid I would fall apart, too afraid of losing what little dignity I had left. Vincent hadn't come back last night. … However, an hour after that phone call, he began messaging me. There were over a hundred unread messages. "Ali, did you call me? I didn't see it—I was working. My coworker must've answered. Are you okay?" "Are you scared? I'm wrapping up soon, and I'll be home." "I miss you, too." After countless messages and declarations of love, two money transfers came through—143 dollars and 831 dollars. The time was 6:00 am. I broke down in tears, quietly at first. Then, I lost control completely and sobbed until my whole body trembled. Vincent knew. He knew exactly what I had heard last night. No one would feel guilty out of nowhere, and they sure didn't start declaring love all of a sudden. Vincent was never the type to be openly affectionate. He could go a whole year without saying he loved me. "Did you have a nightmare, darling? It's okay. I left a bouquet at the front door. Don't forget to grab it." "I'll come back as soon as possible, I promise." I stared at those messages for a long time. Then, I saw the follow-up texts he added later, the ones I never responded to. Nausea climbed up my throat. People didn't say "I love you" for no reason. They said it to silence the guilt—just a way to make themselves feel better. I sat frozen, one hand pressed against my swollen belly, when the door creaked open. A doctor stepped in. "Ms. Grant, you've developed severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. There's fluid in both your chest and abdominal cavity. Your albumin levels have dropped, and your heart is under strain. We had to perform emergency surgery last night. Do you remember any of it?" His voice echoed sharply in the sterile, quiet hospital room. I finally understood how critical things had been last night. They couldn't reach Vincent. His phone was off the entire time. There was no one to sign the consent forms. They could barely draw blood from me, and I had nearly died on that operating table. I remembered now—how they had taken me awake in the middle of unconsciousness. I had signed the papers myself, scrawling a signature with a barely working hand. This was our third IVF cycle. The first two ended in miscarriage. Each time, I clung to hope. I endured it all for Vincent's dream of having a child. I had lost count of the hormone injections. My stomach was covered in bruises and needle marks everywhere. I swallowed pills by the handful. Lying alone under cold machines, I was stripped of dignity, waiting for something that never came. The money drained away, and with each failure, his mother's words grew harsher—sharper, colder, and aimed straight at me. After each loss, Vincent's eyes held nothing but quiet disappointment. I had nothing to show for it—not a baby, not peace, not even the love I thought we had. Maybe I had been too confident. Even after surgery, my stomach was still bloated and round. The doctor looked at me, sighing. "It's past 9:00 am. Your condition is serious. Where is your husband? Hasn't he come to see you? He's being incredibly irresponsible. Do you want me to call him for you?" I shook my head and declined politely. I didn't want to trouble him. Before leaving, he reminded me, "You'll need to stay hospitalized for now. Someone should really be with you during recovery." I nodded and watched him walk out. Then I sat there, alone in that cold room, all day. Vincent didn't call—not even once. Eventually, I hired a caregiver on my own. I hadn't eaten all day and could barely manage a few spoonfuls of chicken soup when she arrived. It wasn't until evening that Vincent finally showed up—rushed, breathless, and far too late.