Because I once blocked a knife meant for Gary Hodge, he has been chasing after me for ten years.
On the day I accepted his proposal, I looked straight into his eyes and said firmly, “Gary, if you ever betray me, I will disappear completely from your world.”
At that moment, he held me tightly and, with tears in his eyes, swore, “Mary Guzman, I will never betray you.”
After we got married, he became a man obsessed with doting on his wife. He insisted on personally handling everything, no matter how small.
When a young, beautiful woman confessed her feelings to him, he was so terrified I might misunderstand that he had her sent out of the country.
To proclaim his love for me to the world, he spent ten years—and half his fortune—building the skyscraper Stars.
Everyone knew how deeply he loved me, and I believed it too.
But for a man like that, when I was three months pregnant, I found freshly opened condoms in his car.
I didn’t hesitate. I canceled my ID, erased every trace of myself, and disappeared entirely from Gary’s world.
So why is it that the one who broke the promise is now the one acting so crazy?
——
Since I became pregnant, Gary personally accompanied me to every prenatal check-up.
The high-powered company president effortlessly managed the smallest tasks, like lining up to pay bills at the hospital.
Even though the baby growing inside me was just a tiny embryo, Gary was overjoyed beyond words. His cheeks would flush red, and his eyes would glisten with unshed tears.
More than once, he’d hold me tightly and exclaim, his voice brimming with happiness, “Mary, am I dreaming? We’re going to have a child of our own.”
I’d always tease him for being silly, laughing at his childlike excitement.
But he would laugh and cry simultaneously, burying his head in the crook of my neck. “Mary, I’m just so happy,” he’d whisper.
I’ve never been good with words, so in those moments, I’d simply hug him back tightly, letting my actions tell him how I felt.
It was him who pulled me out of the darkness—the shadow of my father’s infidelity and my mother’s breakdown that led to her tragic fall.
I believed he was my salvation, my only light in this lifetime.
But recently, things began to change. He was always so busy, leaving early and coming home late.
Not wanting to burden him further, I decided to drive myself to the hospital for a check-up. That’s when I saw it—the box of condoms in his car, freshly opened, with a date that was impossible to ignore.
A single tear slid down my cheek as I sat on the examination table.
The cold gel touched my belly as the doctor cheerfully said, “Mrs. Hodge, it’s surprising Mr. Hodge let you come alone for the check-up today!”
His love for me was so intense that everyone around us knew it. But at that moment, all I felt was bitterness.
I murmured a soft "hmm" in response to the doctor and followed his pointing finger.
As I stared at the tiny embryo on the screen, my voice trembled. “Please help me arrange an abortion.”
…
I had barely arrived home when Gary rushed in right after me, his face tense and full of worry. Seeing me lying quietly on the bed, his shoulders relaxed, and the anxiety drained from his face.
When I opened my eyes, he approached softly, his tone filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, Mary. I’ve been too busy recently. Why didn’t you wait for me to take you to the hospital? But the Mary Building will be finished in half a month. Think of it as my tenth wedding anniversary gift to you.”
His sincerity seemed impossible to fake. Over the years, he’d always been meticulous, blaming himself for the smallest oversights even when I wasn’t upset. And when he did something well, he’d look forward to my praise.
In front of me, he was open and genuine, as if he wanted to bare his heart to me.
But why would someone like him cheat?
My throat tightened painfully. I couldn’t speak, so I just watched him silently.
Uneasy, he asked tentatively, “Which Cullinan did you drive today?”
