Chapter 3

When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital.

From the nurses' conversation nearby, I learned I'd been in emergency surgery for an entire day.

I lay on the bed, utterly deflated.

My belly, which hadn't yet gone down, ached sharply.

I knew—the baby was gone.

Before I could even process my grief, Logan walked in.

Behind him was Melissa, holding her cat.

Logan casually tossed a pack of diapers onto the nearby couch.

"Willow, you really do love making trouble out of nothing. Didn't you say you were in labor? Where's the baby!"

Seeing his completely indifferent expression, I laughed bitterly to myself and said nothing.

Melissa stroked her cat's fur a couple times and glanced at me dismissively.

"Melissa, there's really no need for this. Logan and I are completely innocent. To target me, you deliberately made such a huge scene—aren't you embarrassed?"

Embarrassed?

I gripped the bedsheet so hard my nails nearly dug into my flesh.

"If giving birth to my own husband's child is embarrassing, then what about you—begging someone else's husband to find your cat? Isn't that even more shameless!"

Her eyes immediately reddened.

"I know having a baby is the most important thing, but Whiskers may be a cat, but she's still a living creature!"

"If Logan hadn't arrived in time, I might never have seen Whiskers again!"

Right. The cat was still alive.

Logan had arrived in time, so her cat survived.

But...

I couldn't hold back my grief and fury anymore. I grabbed the water glass from the bedside table and hurled it at them.

"But my child is gone! I'll never see him again!"

Logan's face instantly darkened.

"What do you mean the child is gone? Saying things like that on New Year's Eve—aren't you ashamed! You're not fit to be a mother!"

If only he'd asked the nurse one question when he arrived.

Or if he'd shown even a moment of concern for my condition, he would know what actually happened.

But he did nothing—just blamed me without reason.

"Whiskers is the only thing my brother left for Melissa. Since I promised him I'd take care of her, I can't let her lose that connection and be heartbroken!"

"Besides, you lied and made a scene just to compete for attention, getting the entire traffic patrol unit mobilized. You may have no shame, but I do!"

I found it laughable and pathetic.

My poor child.

He should have been born with everyone's anticipation, welcomed into the warmth of this world.

But instead, because of a cat, he died on that cold highway.

He never even got a chance to see this world.

My heart turned to ash as I closed my eyes, my trembling finger pointing at the door.

"Get out!"

Logan looked at me in disbelief. "You're telling me to get out?"

He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.

"You really think being pregnant means you can do whatever you want, don't you! I heard you were in labor and rushed here overnight, and this is the attitude I get?!"

He was too agitated. As he spoke, his collar trembled slightly.

Just enough to reveal the red marks on his neck.

The sight stabbed at my eyes.