Chapter 5

A few days later, Ryan, for once, acted halfway decent.

He said he wanted to accompany me to pick out baby items.

He was incredibly attentive along the way, playing the part of a devoted husband perfectly.

Everyone who saw us was incredibly envious, gushing about how lucky I was to have such a wonderful husband.

Only I silently endured it all, a cold laugh bubbling in my heart.

I wondered if they'd want this 'blessing' if I offered it to them.

I ignored them and walked into a baby boutique.

The boutique had soft lighting and was filled with the sweet scent of baby formula.

The neatly arranged baby clothes, bottles, and tiny shoes on the shelves brought a lump to my throat.

If this were truly my child, how desperately I would want to keep him.

Ryan didn't notice. He carefully surveyed the baby items around us, then casually, almost too casually, asked, "Aria, what if... I mean, what if we don't keep this baby with us?"

I was holding a light blue baby blanket, and my movements paused. "Don't keep him? Where would the baby go?"

Ryan rubbed his hands nervously. After a long, awkward pause, he finally blurted out.

"My cousin, he... he's always wanted kids, hasn't he? I was thinking... maybe we could let him have the baby."

"Why would we send him away?" I looked up at him, pressing him, step by step.

He avoided my gaze, pretending to examine a nearby crib, his voice dripping with insincerity, "I was just asking casually, you know."

"After all, our finances are tight, there's a lot of pressure, and your pregnancy isn't stable. And if... my parents decide it's best to let him go, try not to be too upset."

I gave a faint smile, my gaze turned icy, "Ryan, if you truly wanted this baby, you wouldn't be so quick to talk about 'giving him away'."

He flinched, then offered a sheepish laugh, "I was just worried you'd be too tired."

I coldly watched his performance, and suddenly realized that heartache, after aching for so long, eventually numbs.

That night, Marcus, my husband's cousin, called Ryan again.

"I heard your wife's pregnancy is a bit unstable, so I transferred more money over. Make sure Aria eats well!"

"I've waited for this precious son for so long, he mustn't suffer!"

Ryan eagerly agreed on the phone, then immediately handed the money over to his family.

I, the supposed recipient of the funds, didn't see a single cent.

Ryan's family had never seen such a large sum of money, and the moment they got it, they indulged in a spending spree.

Brenda bought new gold bracelets and earrings, and Chloe, my sister-in-law, flaunted a limited-edition designer handbag.

The whole family paraded their new purchases in front of me, smug as can be.

Chloe swayed her handbag strap, her eyes gleaming with triumph:

"Don't get the wrong idea, sister-in-law, this was a gift from my boyfriend."

I gave her a cold smile and retorted:

"That boyfriend of yours, he wouldn't happen to be a secret ATM, would he?"

Their faces drained of color.

Arthur, my father-in-law, yanked Chloe away.

Brenda tried to smooth things over.

"What are you saying? It's just that luck has been on our side lately. Ryan's been getting lots of clients, and Chloe's just naturally radiant. It's all thanks to the precious baby you're carrying, isn't it?"

"Once you've given birth, Mom will definitely get you some nice things, just like this!"

I said nothing, only sneered inwardly. What a utterly hypocritical family, they were so stingy, even their empty promises felt cheap.

So I composed myself and deliberately said to them with a look of apology.

"I'm actually very happy that the family is doing so well now, but since my pregnancy was fragile, my family found me the best specialist for high-risk pregnancies, and she's already here, so I was thinking..."

Before I could finish, Brenda excitedly cut in, "Yes! Of course, you can! Your family can take excellent care of you. After all, you're their own daughter; they'll certainly be more dedicated than us 'outsiders,' won't they?"

Ryan hesitated slightly. Brenda tugged him closer and whispered, "Are you really going to use all that money Marcus gave you to buy expensive supplements for your wife?"

Sure enough, Ryan fell silent.

He seemed to avoid my gaze, so I clutched the termination of pregnancy consent form in my hand, giving him one last chance to prove himself.

"So, will you come with me to my prenatal appointment tomorrow?"

"Yes! Of course, I'll go!" Ryan quickly said.

"But..." He suddenly looked extremely awkward. "Which hospital? What time again?"

"Eight o'clock." I said faintly.

Then he solemnly set multiple alarms and even made a memo on his phone.

It read:

[Accompany my darling wife to her prenatal appointment.]

Watching his serious expression, my resolve wavered for a split second.

But reality slapped me hard, right back to my senses.