Chapter 1

At eight months pregnant, I bumped into my husband accompanying his first love to her prenatal checkup, right after I received my cancer diagnosis at the hospital. "Dad, I've made up my mind about what you said the other day. I'm taking the baby and leaving the country. The baby will take my last name." "You've finally come to your senses. The Hayes family might be powerful, but we're not exactly nobodies either. Instead of staying there and suffering, it's better to raise the child on your own." "You're right, Dad." After ending the call, I looked at Timothy, who was gently supporting Eva. He had told me earlier that he had a work meeting, which turned out to be an excuse to come to the hospital with her. And in all my eight months of pregnancy, he had never once come to the hospital with me. That realization made me smile bitterly. I was done hoping. "Timothy, won't Tessa be upset if she finds out you're here with me for the checkup? She's pregnant, too. Aren't you worried…" Eva said with a concerned look, but I caught the smugness flashing through her eyes. Timothy gently kissed her belly and replied, "She doesn't know about this, and I'm not planning to tell her. Maybe it's the pregnancy, but she's been more emotional lately. If she throws a tantrum, it'll only make things worse for you." Eva said, "But keeping this from her forever isn't a solution either. What if she catches us like this? She's pretty far along. I'm worried…" "There's nothing to worry about. It's only right for me to be here for your appointment. The baby you're carrying is mine, too. If Tessa wants to cause a scene, I'll just divorce her." The cold expression on his face when he mentioned me made my whole body go numb, like I'd fallen into a block of ice. Eva's engagement had been broken off three months ago, and ever since she returned home, Timothy had been going out of his way to see her. Since she came back, I hadn't had a single moment alone with him. Whenever she called or sent a text, he'd drop everything and run to her. He had even hugged her affectionately right in front of me. Of course, I confronted him before. But every single time, he would shut me down with the same excuse. "Eva's been through a lot." According to him, everything he did was to help her regain her dignity. And since she was pregnant, she needed more support. As if I wasn't pregnant, too. As if my due date wasn't even earlier than hers. As if I didn't need care. At first, I didn't think the baby in Eva's belly was his. I'd tried bringing it up in roundabout ways, even told him that if he didn't love me anymore, he should be honest about it. But he brushed me off impatiently every time. He even got angry when I asked who the father was. And yet, I believed him, thinking that he was just being kind, that he was not cheating. But everything was clear now. He was the father of the baby in Eva's belly. They'd been sneaking around behind my back for God knew how long, using me as their cover. When I heard him say he'd divorce me, I saw Eva's eyes narrow just a little. "If I hadn't been dumped, I wouldn't be competing with Tessa for you. I just needed someone to make me feel like I still mattered. Timothy, I'm so lucky to have you. I don't know what I would've done without you after I got back," she said, eyes glistening with tears. He pulled her into his arms gently, looking at her with warmth and pity. "Eva, I told you that I'll take care of you. If it weren't for you back then, I… "Anyway, you deserve to be looked after. As my wife, Tessa should know I'm in a tough spot and be understanding. Even if she finds out, I'll still be here for you," he said softly, patting her back to soothe her. Just then, the doctor came out of the exam room and smiled brightly. "Mrs. Hayes, you're so lucky to have such a wonderful husband! He comes with you to every appointment and treats you like a queen." Eva lowered her head with flushed cheeks as she smiled, while Timothy gave a matter-of-fact nod. I stood there watching the whole disgusting scene, my fingernails digging into my palms.