Chapter 2

"Nothing." She let go and walked away.

She was very good to me. Too good, even.

I had just moved my laptop to the dining table, preparing to handle a difficult work report.

Sunlight streamed through the window, making my eyes water. I instinctively squinted and raised my hand to shield them.

As I focused intently on the data on the screen, a figure approached silently.

Lily brought over a cup of freshly brewed green tea and gently set it by my hand---exactly the strength I preferred.

What made me freeze was that she reached out and smoothly adjusted the angle of the blinds behind me.

"This way, it won't be so bright."

She said softly, then retreated to the kitchen counter, picking up a book she was reading, as if she'd just done the most ordinary thing.

Looking at her, my heart suddenly felt so soft.

I didn't know why she was homeless, but at that moment, I really considered adopting her.

But toward Marcus, she was completely different.

When Marcus served her food, she wouldn't eat it.

When Marcus spoke, she kept her head down and stayed silent.

When Marcus tried to chat with her, she went straight to her room.

"Does that child hate me?" Marcus asked me one night, his tone aggrieved.

"She's just shy around strangers."

"It's not just that." Marcus hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Serena, I know you're kindhearted, but letting a child of unknown origin live in our house really isn't safe, and..."

He paused.

"And what?"

"The way she looks at me is wrong." Marcus's voice lowered. "I can't explain it, but... it's creepy."

I turned to look at him.

Under the lights, his face remained gentle, his brow slightly furrowed. He was genuinely worried.

At that moment I wavered.

Maybe Lily really did have problems? Maybe I should listen to Marcus?

But this thought was quickly dismissed.

Because the next day, I found Lily going through the trash.

She was squatting by the kitchen trash can, holding Marcus's vitamin bottle, examining it carefully against the light.

Hearing my footsteps, she whipped around, a flash of panic in her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, hiding the bottle behind her back.

I walked over and held out my hand. "Give it to me."

After a few seconds of standoff, she handed over the bottle.

It was ordinary multivitamins. I watched Marcus take them every day.

"What's wrong with this?" I asked.

Lily bit her lip and only spoke after a long while. "Don't let him take these."

"Why?"

"There's... more than just vitamins inside."

I thought it was absurd. "Lily, these are from the hospital---"

"Then get them tested."

She looked up at me, her eyes stubbornly intense. "Find a trustworthy lab. Don't tell him. Test them secretly. If there's nothing wrong, I'll leave immediately and never bother you again."

Her tone was so serious, so serious that my heart trembled.

I didn't get them tested.

But I put the bottle away and didn't let Marcus continue taking them.

When Marcus asked about it, I said I accidentally knocked it over.

He smiled and said it was fine, then opened a new bottle.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

In the darkness, I kept replaying Lily's expression.

I turned to look at Marcus sleeping beside me. His breathing was steady, his lashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyes.

I'd looked at this face for seven years, kissed it countless times, once thought it was the most reassuring place in the world.

Now, I felt an inexplicable chill.

Two more weeks passed, and life seemingly returned to calm.

Lily remained silent but started helping with housework, even learning to cook dishes I liked.

Marcus kept his distance from her, but remained polite on the surface.

I thought things would continue peacefully like this.

Until I discovered I was pregnant.

Two clear lines on the pregnancy test.

I stared at it for a full minute, then rushed out to hug Marcus, crying and laughing.

"Really?!" Marcus's eyes lit up as he picked me up and spun me around. "I'm going to be a dad? Serena, we're having a baby!"

He immediately called his parents, then booked the best restaurant to celebrate.

All evening, he held my hand without letting go, his eyes full of light.

I was glowing too.

I felt like I had the whole world---a husband who loved me, a baby we'd been hoping for, a perfect life.

In the car on the way home, I touched my still-flat belly and suddenly thought of Lily.

"We should tell her," I said to Marcus. "She'll definitely be happy."

Marcus's smile faded slightly, but he quickly nodded. "Right, we should tell her."

I imagined Lily's surprised expression.

She was so good to me. She'd definitely be happy for me.

I was wrong.

When I handed Lily the ultrasound photo, she didn't take it.

The photo fluttered to the floor.

She stared at the black and white image, her face visibly paling, her lips beginning to tremble.

"You..." Her voice sounded forced. "You're pregnant with his child?"

"Yes," I picked up the photo, still immersed in joy. "Look, even though it's still small, the doctor said it's very healthy---"

"Get rid of it. Get rid of this baby right now!"