Chapter 1
The day I found out I was pregnant, I was filled with hope and excitement, already envisioning how I’d share the news with Ray. I planned a quiet dinner, candles. flickering between us and the ultrasound image hidden in an envelope for him to discover. But before I could make my announcement, everything changed.
Returning home early to surprise him, I heard voices drifting from his study. I paused by the door, my heart pounding. It wasn’t unusual for Ray to have friends over, but something in his tone made me stay silent, listening.
“You’ve kept that young girl as a mistress for five years. Aren’t you planning to give her a proper status?” one of his friends. teased, his voice full of mockery.
Ray chuckled, a sound that felt like shards of glass cutting through me. “If Susan finds. out, she’ll leave me for sure. I can’t take
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that risk.”
Their laughter erupted, filling the room like a cruel symphony. One voice stood out, dripping with admiration. “You’re a sly one, aren’t you? Even your cheating is planned to perfection.”
Every word felt like a dagger, each one sharper than the last. My fingers trembled. as I pushed the door open, stepping into their circle of easy camaraderie. Ray looked up, his smile as smooth as ever, as though nothing had happened. He slid a ring onto my finger with practiced grace.
“The wedding is set for next month,” he announced, his tone brimming with rehearsed excitement. “I have to work late tonight, so you go have fun trying on wedding dresses. I’ll see you later.”
His touch lingered just long enough to make me sick. I knew why he was standing me up. It wasn’t work–it was Christine Brooks, the artist he had under contract.
He had booked a romantic suite for them
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tonight, another in a long line of betrayals.
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and forced a smile, playing the part of the oblivious fiancée. But inside, my heart was breaking into pieces I didn’t think I could ever put back together.
The next day, I made an appointment at Arlington Hospital. My decision was clear: I couldn’t bring a child into this mess. The thought of raising Ray’s child while knowing the truth of his double life was unbearable.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” my doctor asked gently, her voice tinged with concern. “At seven weeks, the baby’s heartbeat is audible. You’re already at ten weeks.”
I clenched my fists and nodded firmly, ignoring the ache in my chest. “Please schedule the procedure immediately.”
***
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While I sat in the sterile hospital waiting room, scrolling absently on my phone, a notification popped up. Christine had updated her Moments. I hesitated, then opened it, already bracing for the worst.
In the video, a man knelt before her, holding out a diamond ring that sparkled like betrayal itself. The caption below read: [To my dearest Mr. Palmer, I’ve always. believed that love will find a way.]
My breath caught. My mind reeled. Ray had commented below the post: [Happy five–year anniversary to us.]
The likes and congratulations from mutual friends poured in, their well–wishes a cruel mockery. They all knew. Everyone but me. I stared at the words until they blurred. Five years. The entire time I’d been with him. It wasn’t just an affair–it was a second
life.
Suddenly, everything clicked. The initials. [CB] tattooed near his heart last year that he’d claimed were “just something
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abstract.” The receipts I’d found in his bag for designer handbags and jewelry I never saw. The trips to Paris he said were work- related–Christine had been with him every
time.
Love doesn’t disappear–it simply shifts to
someone else.
***
After the procedure, I stayed in the hospital for three days. My body ached, but the real pain was in my soul. The loss wasn’t just of the baby–it was of every illusion I had about the life I’d built with Ray.
On the third day, he finally appeared, alerted by a friend about my hospitalization. He strode in, his face. creased with faux concern, but he wasn’t alone. Christine was with him, her beauty sharp and smug as she lingered a step behind, a shadow cast by malice.
“Susan, please don’t overreact,” Christine said, her voice dripping with mock
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sympathy. “Mr. Palmer has a lot on hist plate and your being hospitalized only adds. to his stress. Maybe you should focus on taking a better care of yourself.”
Her words stung, but what hurt more was Ray’s silence. He didn’t defend me. He didn’t even look at me. Instead, he merely instructed his assistant to handle my discharge paperwork, his focus already shifting back to Christine.
As the nurse left to fetch my medication, I felt a chill seep into my bones. Something told me they weren’t far. Dragging my weakened body, I followed the sound of their voices to the stairwell.
There they were. Ray had Christine pressed against the wall, their lips locked in a kiss. so passionate it left no room for doubt. My chest tightened as I watched him hold her the way he used to hold me. My hand flew to my mouth, suppressing a sob.
When their embrace ended, Christine nestled against him, her voice low and
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honeyed.
“Why is Susan always causing trouble?” she pouted, her fingers tracing circles on his
chest. “Tonight is my ovulation day. You promised me something to hold onto–you can’t back out now.”
Ray wrapped an arm around her waist, a smile of indulgence on his lips. “You’re that eager to have my child?”
Christine giggled, her voice sickeningly sweet. “I have to secure at least one thing- either as your wife or as the mother of your child.”
Ray leaned closer, his voice a murmur but still clear enough to pierce through the walls I had left around my heart. “Alright, see you at our usual spot tonight. I’ll do my best to satisfy you.”
