Chapter 2
“I’ll be heading back now,” I said politely, letting them know I was leaving.
But no one paid any attention, and no one cared to listen to me.
They were all busy attending to Hiral, serving her tea, massaging her legs and shoulders, coaxing her to eat, peeling fruit for her, feeding her…
My role was merely to keep Hiral happy.
I quietly left the hospital room, closing the door behind me, shutting away their laughter and joy.
“Family of Hiral, please take care of the fees.”
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Chapter 2
+5 Points
A nurse hurriedly approached, shoved a stack of papers into my hands, and then rushed off to the next room.
“I’m not…” Before I could finish, the nurse was already out of sight.
Holding the stack of papers, I glanced back at the joyful family inside the room and made my way to the payment desk.
“Sorry.”
Just as I turned a corner, a man bumped into me without even looking up, scattering the papers everywhere.
“It’s okay.”
I rubbed my sore shoulder, feeling annoyed, and resigned myself to squat down and pick up the scattered forms.
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Chapter 2
5 Points
+5
“Let me help you,” the man immediately crouched down to assist.
There weren’t that many papers, so between the two of us, it didn’t take long to gather them up. I stood to retrieve the forms he had picked up.
“Vallyn?”
I froze, my hand extended, looking up at the man’s face. It was somewhat familiar but also a bit strange.
After searching my memory for a while, I recalled his name: “Fawzaan?”
“It’s me, you remember me?” The man beamed with surprise, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
3/8
Chapter 2
5 Points
“I remember” I replied with a forced smile. Honestly, I barely remembered him; he just sat behind me for three years of high school and we probably exchanged fewer than ten words.
“Oh, right, these are yours.” He fumbled to hand the forms back to me.
“Thanks.” I nodded in gratitude, collected the papers, and headed to pay the fees.
After paying, I walked back towards the hospital room. Looking at the scene inside, I couldn’t summon the courage to enter.
I released my grip on the doorknob and slumped into a chair outside.
Perhaps meeting Fawzaan earlier was the reason my thoughts drifted back to high school.
4/8
Chapter 21
+ 5 Points
That was when I first met Hiral, radiant and vivacious, so beautiful one couldn’t look away. Even just a week after enrolling, she was already well–known, voted the school beauty.
Nearly all the boys had a crush on her, including Teon.
He always said to me, “Vallyn, do you think I have a chance with her?”
At the time, I was worried about math and couldn’t help but tease him, “With your looks? Maybe in your next life”
“You’re one to talk, Vallyn. You’re even uglier than me.”
Teon wasn’t one to back down easily and shot back.
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Chapter 2
+ 5 Points
“Who are you calling ugly?”
“Who’s ugly?”
As a young, attractive girl, I couldn’t stand Teon calling me ugly, so I immediately jumped up and started playfully beating him.
“Okay, okay, you win. You’re the prettiest, alright?” Teon said, shielding his head and running away.
And just like that, we continued our playful banter until we got married, completely forgetting about Hiral.
Until I went to the hospital for a check–up and saw Teon accompanying Hiral for a prenatal appointment.
“Lyn, I, she…”
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Chapter 2
+ 5 Points
The moment he saw me, Teon instinctively shielded Hiral behind him, nervously
watching me as if afraid I might do something to her.
But I did nothing, only tightened my grip on the report sheet before turning to “flee.”
Yes, I was the one who acted as if I’d done something wrong, retreating and unable to ask a single question.
That night, Teon came home with a bouquet, cautiously approached me, and suddenly knelt down, slapping himself.
“It’s all my fault. I had too much to drink that day and ran into Hiral being harassed. I couldn’t just leave her, so I stepped in, and somehow it led to… the bed. I’m to blame, but the child is innocent. Please, spare the
7/8
Chapter 2
+5 Points
unborn child.”
He appeared to slap himself over and over, with his face swelling, but in truth, he knew how to manipulate me. He knew I couldn’t handle seeing such a scene, knew I would eventually relent.
Without a word, I returned to the bedroom, collapsed weakly behind the door, gazed at the wedding photo hanging above the bed, wrapped my arms around my knees, buried my head in them, and cried the whole night.
