Erika’s Pov
I ended the call and slowly locked my phone.
“What wedding were you talking about?” Jacob asked again.
For a moment, my fingers tightened around my phone.
Just hours ago I had learned the truth. My husband and my sister had stolen my child’s heart to save their own.
The old Erika would have screamed. She would have demanded answers. But the old Erika was already dead.
I forced my expression to relax.
“A friend of mine is getting married,” I said calmly. “She asked me to help with some preparations.”
Jacob studied me for a moment before nodding.
“You always liked weddings,” he said. “You even planned our anniversary like another ceremony.”
I didn’t reply.
Three years of marriage.
Three years of begging him to announce me as his wife.
Jacob had finally agreed to make our relationship public on our anniversary this year.
He promised the world would know I was Mrs. Reed.
We were supposed to stand there together with our newborn son.
The anniversary was in two days.
Now my son is dead.
And the man standing in front of me was the one who killed him.
I lowered my eyes so Jacob wouldn’t see the hatred burning inside them.
“What did you come here for?” I asked quietly.
Jacob seemed relieved that I wasn’t arguing with him.
“I know you’re upset,” he said gently. “But I’ll make it up to you. Lily only has a few months left. If you can just be a little kinder to her, everything will go back to normal once she’s gone.”
Once she’s gone, the words almost made me laugh.
How ridiculous. I had already decided to leave. There was no “normal” for us anymore.
But I simply nodded.
“Alright.”
Jacob visibly relaxed.
“Actually,” he continued, “Lily will be discharged soon. Could you prepare that medicinal soup for her? The one you always make. It helps her recover faster.”
So that was the real reason he came.
To ask the woman whose baby had just died to cook for the woman who stole his heart.
For a brief moment, anger surged through my chest.
Then I remembered something I once read.
If you want to defeat your enemy, never show them your real thoughts.
I forced a faint smile.
“Of course,” I said.
Jacob blinked in surprise.
“You… agree?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I replied calmly. “Lily is my sister.”
He seemed satisfied with that answer.
“I knew I could count on you.”
Jacob stepped forward and tried to kiss my forehead, but I turned slightly and avoided him.
“I’m still feeling a bit unwell,” I lied.
He paused awkwardly, nodding his head in understanding.
“I’ll go arrange Lily’s discharge,” he said before leaving the room.
The door closed behind him.
The moment he was gone, my smile disappeared.
For a long moment, the room fell into complete silence.
The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the hospital room. The same room where my child had been declared dead.
I leaned back against the hospital bed.
My marriage has lasted three years. My escape would take two days but until then I would play the perfect wife.
—
Two hours later, I quietly left the hospital.
The afternoon sun was blinding after days inside the building. For a moment, I had to shield my eyes.
The world outside continued as if nothing had happened. No one knew that I had lost my child.
I raised my hand and hailed a taxi.
“Downtown,” I said calmly.
The driver nodded and pulled away from the curb.
As the city passed by outside the window, my hand slowly moved to my stomach.
The place where my son had once been. The child they stole from me.
A dull ache spread through my chest.
You deserved to live.
My eyes closed briefly but the tears never fell. If I cried now, those people would win and I would never let them win again.
My phone vibrated again. It was Barrister John.
I answered the call.
“Mrs. Reed,” his voice sounded concerned. “I received your message earlier. Is everything alright?”
“I’m fine,” I said calmly. “I need you to handle a few things for me.”
“Of course.”
“The divorce agreement must be ready today. I’ll sign it in two days.”
“Understood.”
“And another thing.”
“My legal identity needs to be restored.”
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.
“You mean the identity your grandfather mentioned?”
“Yes.”
“I want the name Erika Reed cancelled.”
Barrister John inhaled slowly.
“That process requires documentation and official filing.”
“I will send you everything you need.”
“That can be arranged,” he replied. “It may take some time to finalize, but we can begin the process immediately.”
“Good.”
I looked out the window at the passing buildings.
“My marriage has lasted three years,” I said quietly.
“My departure will take two days.”
Barrister John seemed to understand what those words meant.
“I will handle everything,” he assured me.
“Thank you.”
The call ended.
I lowered the phone slowly and leaned back in the seat.
For the next two days, I would continue playing the role of Jacob Reed’s obedient wife.
After that, Erika Reed would disappear and their perfect world would begin to crumble.
