Chapter 3

“Is your son’s birthday August 13th?” I asked again. Chloe nodded. That confirmed the suspicion I had been harboring for a long time. 0813 was Ethan’s bank card PIN. I had asked him before if it was someone’s birthday, but he had insisted that it was just a random set of numbers he had thought of. Chloe took out her phone and showed me a photo of the three of them. In the photo, Ethan was holding a little boy and smiling happily at the camera. My world collapsed completely in an instant. The perfect marriage I had believed in, the husband who loved me—all of it was a lie. Seeing me too shocked to speak, Chloe achieved her goal and said to me contentedly, “Give birth to your child properly, then get out of here as far as you can.” Chloe wanted me to give birth so that she could use the umbilical cord blood to save her illegitimate child. After that, she wanted me to leave Ethan, so that she could be with him without any obstacles. “Otherwise, once my son recovers, I’ll find a way to make you run away with your tail between your legs anyway!” Chloe warned fiercely, then left triumphantly. Watching her leave, I slumped down on the bed. I didn’t sleep all night. The things that had happened in the past two days had completely crushed me, but I forced myself to face the truth. The next day, when Ethan came to see me with breakfast, he noticed the dark circles under my eyes. “Honey, did you not sleep well again last night?” Ethan asked, looking concerned. “The hospital food probably doesn’t suit your taste, so I brought you some of your favorite breakfast.” I nodded, not resisting his care like I had the day before. Seeing me calm down a lot, Ethan finally relaxed. The nurse next to us couldn’t help but praise him, saying, “Mr. Carter is so thoughtful. He’s handsome, treats his wife well, and even brings her love breakfast early in the morning.” Ethan just smiled faintly, not taking it seriously, and gently tucked the stray hairs on my forehead behind my ear. “Because my wife deserves all this kindness,” he said. My heart skipped a beat. I had had no appetite to begin with, so I put down the bowl and chopsticks directly. “I’m full,” I said. Ethan nodded and said in a doting tone, “Okay.” He picked up the lunchbox and said he was going to wash it. I quietly followed behind him. Sure enough, Chloe was waiting for him around the corner. They had only said a few words to each other when I rushed out. “Honey, is she that schoolmate of yours?!” I shouted. Before either of them could react, I slapped Chloe hard across the face. “You bitch, how dare you hit me!” Chloe screamed, swearing. She tried to hit me back, but Ethan stopped her immediately. Caught between us, he could only say to me helplessly, “Honey, why did you hit her out of nowhere?” Unlike Chloe’s anger, I pouted my lips, looking wronged. “I’ve always thought you were too close to her. Now that I see her here, did you have improper thoughts about her while I’m pregnant?!” I asked. Ethan quickly tried to soothe me, saying, “Chloe and I just ran into each other. She’s here to pick up some medicine.” “What kind of medicine do you pick up in the obstetrics and gynecology department?” I pressed, not letting it go. Ethan frantically signaled to Chloe with his eyes. Chloe’s face turned bright green, but she finally forced down her anger and said, “What else would I come to gynecology for? A gynecological illness, okay?!” “Honey, calm down. It’s all a misunderstanding. If you don’t like me talking to her, I won’t talk to her anymore. Let me help you back to the ward,” Ethan said. He left Chloe behind without a second glance, focusing all his attention on me as he helped me back to the ward. I turned my head and gave Chloe a provocative look. She was so angry that she threw the medicine in her hand onto the ground hard. “Honey, I saw that the medicine she was holding wasn’t for gynecological illnesses,” I said to Ethan, pretending to be casual. Ethan looked a little nervous and tried his best to change the subject, saying, “You’re not a doctor—how would you know what kind of medicine that is?” “You’re right. I was a little too impulsive just now. What if I made Chloe angry and she comes to take revenge on me?” I asked, pulling his hand and pretending to be scared. Ethan patted my hand to reassure me. “You’re pregnant, so it’s normal for you to be emotionally sensitive and impulsive. I’m sure Chloe, as a woman herself, will understand you. Besides, she’s not the kind of person to hold a grudge,” he said. I nodded and lowered my head, saying nothing more. But it was obvious that Ethan looked worried now, and he took even more care of me.