A fire broke out in our apartment building. I woke up choking on smoke to find the apartment empty. Terrified, I called my husband, Ross, only to turn and see him burst through the front door, naked. He swept me into his arms and ran for the stairs. It was then that I saw them: the angry red scratches down his back, the countless dark bruises blooming on his neck. My vision blurred. "Why were you outside?" I sobbed, my pregnant belly tightening with a sharp, painful cramp. Through the chaos of the fleeing crowd, I saw a woman, her own clothes in disarray, clutching Ross's coat and shoes. I knew her. She was the new secretary at his company, the one with eyes so much like mine. The man who had once treated me as his entire world had cheated. "Mom," I said into the phone, a call that crossed an ocean, "I've decided to immigrate." It was the final, definitive end for me and Ross. 1 "Doctor," I began, my voice trembling, "I'm five months along. Is it still possible to terminate?" Ross had been by my side for every single prenatal appointment since I became pregnant. No matter how busy he was at work, he always made time. Now, as I watched his familiar silhouette pacing outside the examination room, a storm of reluctance and grief washed over me, but the question still escaped my lips. The doctor's hand paused on my stomach. I flinched, and she quickly apologized before asking in surprise, "You want to terminate this pregnancy?" Seeing the resolve in my eyes, she answered thoughtfully, "It's possible, but we'll need the father's signature." She tried to persuade me, her voice gentle, but I couldn't hear a word she was saying. Ross's explanation for that night was that he'd had too much to drink at a business meeting and had stepped outside to be sick, stripping off his clothes in the process. I didn't believe a word of it. Meanwhile, the story of Ross Mercer, the heroic husband who braved a fire to save his pregnant wife, was everywhere. The internet lauded him as the perfect man. The media dug up our entire love story—childhood sweethearts, married young, the wealthy CEO and his beloved wife. Photos of my priceless diamond wedding gown from our fairy-tale wedding went viral. Overnight, Ross's love for me became a modern-day legend. I knew the love had been real. But I also knew it was gone. Ross's heart had already strayed. After the check-up, he carefully helped me out of the room, his voice laced with concern for me and our child. I saw the furtive, cautious glances he kept shooting my way. I pretended not to notice and walked straight ahead. Though I planned to end the pregnancy, I still went through with the routine scans. As we were listening to the baby's heartbeat, his phone rang. A subconscious glance was all it took for me to see her name: Ashley. He didn't even wait to hear the rest of our child's heartbeat, something he'd never done before. He stepped away to take the call. His tone was cold, distant, but I could hear the effort behind it, the careful mask. He frowned and said, "I'll be right there." He came back, his arm wrapping around my shoulders, and whispered his excuse. "A major client just arrived at the office. I have to go back for a bit. I'll come pick you up later to take you home." The doctor, as always, smiled and praised him for being such a wonderful husband. I just lowered my head, unable to force a smile of my own. After he left, I lay on the examination table, the steady, healthy rhythm of my baby's heart echoing in my ears. I didn't wait for him to pick me up. I took a cab home. When he arrived, he launched into his usual routine, trying to charm me, apologizing profusely for abandoning his wife and child for work. But the playful antics and sweet words that used to make me happy now felt hollow and rehearsed. His over-the-top performance was just another layer of camouflage for his betrayal. The more he tried, the bigger his guilt seemed. I gently pushed him away, pretending not to see the flash of disappointment in his eyes, and told him to go shower. As the sound of running water filled the bathroom, I stared at his blurred silhouette through the glass and finally made my decision. I sent the message. 【Doctor, I've decided to go through with the induction. Please schedule it for me.】 The child I had once anticipated with so much joy was not destined to be mine. If I couldn't give him a happy, stable family, it was better for him not to be born at all. 2 Ross was laying out his clothes for the next day, a habit of his, his voice a constant stream of questions. "Honey, where's my black tie?" "Sweetheart, what about my white trousers?" I sighed and went into the closet, finding each item for him. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, his lips pressing against the nape of my neck. His heavy breathing felt like a poison seeping into my heart, making my skin crawl. "My love," he murmured, "what would I ever do without you?" His hands began to roam, but the moment he turned my face to his, he froze. "Ava? Why do you look so pale?" His eyes were still filled with that deep, adoring look, with no hint of insincerity. "Maybe you should come to the office with me tomorrow. I'm worried about you." I just shook my head, silent. "Are you still angry about that night?" he asked softly. We both knew what he was talking about, but we had an unspoken agreement not to mention it. "No, don't overthink it," I said, pushing down the wave of nausea and patting his shoulder. He clung to me for a while longer before finally heading into the bathroom. The second I heard the shower start, I picked up his phone. The password was my birthday. He hadn't changed it. The chat history was mostly business. On instinct, I opened Ashley's social media feed. 【Afternoon tea from the boss. So good!】 【On a business trip with the boss today, and he bought me a necklace! Absolutely in love.】 【Who else has a boss that gives them a six-figure bonus for their birthday?!】 Every post was about him. They had been to Paris, Italy, Japan… She had photos from countless landmarks, her smile radiant, her eyes full of adoration. Ross wasn't in any of the pictures, but I knew he was the one behind the camera. A sharp pain lanced through my chest. My gaze fell on his briefcase. From a hidden compartment, I pulled out his second phone. The password was my birthday again. A bitter, sickening feeling rose in my throat. He loved me so much, yet he couldn't stop himself from straying. I opened his chat with Ashley. The last message was from her. 【After Ava has the baby, will you still be this good to me?】 It was accompanied by a cute, pouting selfie. Ross had replied with a simple, "Yes." I didn't have the courage to scroll up. The moment the water in the shower stopped, I turned off the screen and put the phone back. He came out and wrapped me in his arms, whispering the usual sweet nothings, telling me how much he loved me. But my mind was drifting away. Ross, when you say you love me, who are you really thinking of? When you look at me, whose face do you see? Thinking back, I should have known something was wrong the first time I met Ashley. She was practically my clone. At the time, Ross had dismissed it as a coincidence. But then, the calls from his "secretary" became more frequent, the reasons more trivial. A broken pipe, a burnt-out lightbulb, a lost cat, a missing ID… she could summon him with a single, insignificant phone call. He said she was just a young girl trying to make it on her own in the big city. He said she reminded him of me when I was her age. Each time, he would hold me and swear that I was the only one he would ever love. But this time, I couldn't believe him anymore. His lies, his genuine affection for Ashley—they had become the blades that were tearing me apart. The next morning, I woke to the sound of her voice. I opened my bedroom door to see Ashley and Ross standing at the dining table, playfully arranging breakfast. "Stop it, you," she giggled. "Boss, feed me!" she pouted, leaning closer. Ross smiled, a look of helpless indulgence on his face, and picked up a small dumpling to feed her. She playfully nipped his fingers, her eyes sparkling with flirtatious charm. He reached out to tickle her, trying to make her let go, and in that moment, our eyes met. 3 He pushed Ashley away instinctively, a look of panic on his face as he rushed toward me. "Did we wake you?" I pretended not to see, just shaking my head. Ashley darted out from behind him, squeezing between us. "Ava, the boss really, really loves you. Look, he went out and bought all this breakfast for you himself. Your favorite crab roe buns and taro cakes." She pouted at Ross. "All I get are these boring old dumplings. What a mean boss." She clung to my arm, making a face at Ross, who just smiled, a fond, doting look in his eyes. I stared at her, and the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace around her neck seemed to burn into my vision. The receipt for it was still in the pocket of Ross's coat. I had once thought it was a gift for me. "It's alright if the boss isn't good to you," I said coolly. "After all, Miss Lee is very good to herself. Buying such an expensive necklace on a whim." With that, I turned and sat down at the table. The two of them were still frozen in place, one tense, the other still smiling. I couldn't taste a thing during that breakfast. Before we left for the day, Ross insisted I come to the office with him. I had no interest, but no energy to refuse. But Ashley beat me to it, slipping into the passenger seat and rolling down the window. "Ava, I get carsick in the back. Would you mind sitting back there today?" I looked past her, my eyes meeting Ross's. All I saw was his discomfort. "Ava," he started, "Ashley hasn't been feeling well..." I didn't wait for him to finish. I just opened the back door and got in. The jolting of the car made my stomach clench, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. I had to grip the handle just to stay upright. In the front, Ross and Ashley chatted and laughed as if I wasn't even there. "Ava, why are you sweating?" Ross finally noticed me during a red light, turning to look back. I shook my head, pushing through the discomfort. After that, he kept looking back at me, so distracted he even ran a red light without realizing it. The whole world knew how much he loved me. But only I knew that his heart held another woman. Without even being aware of it himself, his heart was slowly, inexorably tilting toward Ashley. The girl who he said was "just like me." At the office, Ross was constantly by my side, hugging me every few minutes. To any outsider, we looked like a deeply devoted couple, inseparable. But when I looked into his eyes, I could see Ashley's face, her every smile and frown, filling his thoughts. I was just a tiny, 5% sliver. I felt sick. I made an excuse about needing some air and escaped his grasp. He looked hurt, a wounded expression in his eyes. 【Wow, this is the first time I've seen the boss's wife. She's so beautiful.】 【I know, right? They're a perfect match.】 【But she and Ashley look so much alike!】 【Oh my god, is the boss such a romantic that he had to hire a clone of his wife as his secretary?】 I stood a short distance away, listening to the gossip, watching Ashley stare at Ross, her eyes red-rimmed. Our gazes met. Hers was full of resentment. I couldn't tell if she was resentful about being my replacement, or just being a replacement in general. In the company breakroom, I pushed a freshly brewed cup of coffee toward Ashley. She shook her head. "I'm pregnant." The coffee cup suddenly felt scalding hot in my hands. I almost lost my balance, but I forced myself to sit down. So, that was why he was always so concerned, so caring toward her. "I don't know if I should congratulate you," I said, my voice flat, "because... I'm terminating my pregnancy." I pushed the surgical consent form and the divorce papers across the table to her. "If you can find a way to get Ross to sign these, his position is all yours." "Really?" Ashley looked skeptical, her surprise mixed with suspicion. I nodded again. I had no tolerance for this kind of betrayal. A marriage couldn't hold five people—me, him, her, and our two unborn children. I don't know how she did it, but a few days later, she sent back the signed documents. I checked them carefully. It was definitely Ross's signature. Somehow, though, I don't think he knew what he had signed. On the day of the procedure, my mother flew back from overseas to be with me. "Your brother is back too," she said. My heart skipped a beat. She was talking about Ethan Jiang, her second husband's son, my stepbrother. My only childhood playmate. I nodded, feeling a strange unease. I had refused to immigrate with them because of Ross, and Ethan had been so angry he'd blocked me. We hadn't spoken in ten years. But I didn't have time to dwell on him. The most important thing now was the termination and the divorce. Fate, it seems, is a mischievous old man who loves a good show. At the hospital, my mother and I ran into Ross, who was there with Ashley for a check-up. Across the crowded waiting room, he saw me.
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