Chapter 2

Marcus froze for a moment, then affectionately ruffled my hair.

"Wendy, you're Xavier's woman now. Don't bring up the past anymore. If Xavier found out..."

I closed my eyes, unwilling to see his false concern any longer.

"I want to rest. Please leave."

Seeing that I didn't press further, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I heard you have a prenatal checkup tomorrow? Let me take you."

I laughed softly and tilted my head back, refusing to let my tears fall.

I'd only agreed to this pregnancy out of guilt. Now that I knew it was all a lie, what reason was there to keep going to checkups?

"We'll see tomorrow."

After he left, I furiously wiped away my tears.

Ten years ago, we had a brief encounter. He protected me throughout my senior year of high school.

He still has a scar on his ribs from when he fought off street thugs for me.

At the freshman welcome party, he stood on the stage and confessed his love for me through a passionate guitar solo.

Once our jobs stabilized, he proposed to me without hesitation.

"Wendy, give me two years. I'll make you the happiest bride."

I was completely intoxicated by the vision of our future together.

I even told him my secret—that I had exceptional fertility—right before our wedding.

Who knew it would become the beginning of this nightmare?

My father-in-law walked in from outside, contentedly playing with his bank card.

When he saw me, his eyes shifted, and he sat down beside me with a smile.

"Wendy, Marcus came all this way to see you. Now that he's getting married, it wouldn't be right if you didn't send some money as a gift, would it? We're all family, so you don't need to give much—thirty thousand should do."

I just wanted to escape as quickly as possible, so I went along with what he said.

"Fine. I'll definitely attend the wedding. I'll prepare a big gift."

My father-in-law's face creased with his smile. I stood up and went straight to my room.

He had no idea that day would never come.

The next day, I wanted to return to the place Marcus and I used to live together to retrieve my belongings.

The moment I pushed open the door, the blood in my veins began to freeze.

Torn clothes were scattered across the floor. The trash can was filled with used condoms.

My eyes instinctively scanned the room. The guitar he'd used to confess his love to me was now covered in childish stickers.

Three words were crudely carved into the body: "Vivian Fletcher."

A faint burning smell drifted from the balcony.

I walked closer and looked down. Only scattered ashes remained, with a few fragments of paper showing the words "Love Wendy Forever."

The last thread in my mind finally snapped.

These were the love letters Marcus had written to me.

They'd been my spiritual anchor, read countless times over these three years.

A scream suddenly came from outside the door. "Who are you? How dare you break into my house?"

I turned around to find a girl in a tank top and short skirt standing in my line of sight.

Before I could speak, she began crying and shouting loudly.

"Marcus, where are you? Someone broke into my room!"

Marcus ran over and embraced her, his voice carrying a tenderness I'd never heard before.

"Vivian, don't cry. I'm here!"

His sharp gaze stabbed toward me, but softened when it touched me.

"Why is it you? Vivian's been sick. Don't upset her like this—her body can't take it."

"Wait, I should be questioning you. Why are you crying like that?"

I stood there in a daze, wiping my face only to realize tears were already streaming down my cheeks.

"My letters were all burned. Even this room has been defiled!"

Marcus frowned impatiently, his expression darkening.

"Is that all? You're dredging up ancient history? Wendy Turner, I'd advise you not to make a scene with me."

I glanced at Vivian making faces at me, unable to say another word.

Forget it. It was all fake anyway. What's there to miss?

I turned and left the estate, heading to the hospital for the procedure.