I waited on the first floor of the mall for a long time, but Daniel never came after me.
Instead, my eyes caught a yoga studio ad plastered on the wall.
In it, Daniel and Vanessa wore tight workout clothes, their bodies pressed together in provocative partner poses.
So he had no time to accompany me to my prenatal checkups, but he had plenty of time to shoot ads with her.
My heart ached again, this time with a bitter aftertaste.
Daniel and Vanessa had met through deep-sea fishing.
I still clearly remembered how exhilarated Daniel looked the day he came back from that trip.
He told me it was rare to meet such a bold, carefree woman, so he’d sworn brotherhood with her on the spot.
He even brought her along when he proposed to me.
But when Daniel was about to kneel with the ring, Vanessa suddenly collapsed, claiming she fainted from blowing up balloons too hard.
So there I stood, in the middle of a heart made of flower petals, while the man who was supposed to propose to me carried another woman away.
When I looked upset, his group of “brothers” jumped in to cover for him.
“C’mon, sis-in-law, life comes first. Don’t be so petty.”
“If it were Vanessa’s proposal today, she’d never throw a fit like this.”
I hadn’t said a word, but already I was branded as narrow-minded.
From that day on, Vanessa’s name wedged itself firmly between Daniel and me.
At our wedding, she insisted on trying the bed first, and left bloodstains from her period on the sheets.
That night, instead of spending it with me, Daniel and his groomsmen comforted her until morning.
When we bought our house, she supervised the renovations.
The nursery became a “brother’s room.”
And the walls were plastered with photos of her and Daniel, like it was their marital home.
Ever since she appeared, my life had been filled with “You don’t mind, do you?”
But I minded. I minded deeply.
This time, I decided I needed to sit down with Daniel and talk things through.
But I sat on the couch all night, until dawn, before he stumbled in reeking of alcohol.
“Babe? You stayed up all night waiting for me?”
He hugged me, gently touching my belly.
My heart softened again—after all, he was the father of my baby.
“I’ve been thinking about yesterday. If you truly want to apologize, then cut ties with Vanessa. I’m not unreasonable. As long as you—”
I didn’t finish, because Daniel was already grinning at the door, signing for a delivery.
He unboxed a brand-new fishing rod, admiration shining in his eyes.
“Babe, look! Vanessa got me this new carbon-fiber lure rod. Isn’t it awesome? She just gets me.”
It was like a thorn stuck in my throat—I couldn’t say another word.
Daniel didn’t notice, continuing cheerfully:
“Vanessa said yesterday wasn’t your fault. She even invited you to join us for deep-sea fishing today.”
“You should learn from her—stop sulking all the time like some whiny girl.”
The door lock beeped. Vanessa walked right in, shoes on, leapt onto the couch, and wrapped herself around Daniel.
“Danny, like the gift I got you? Call me grandpa and let me hear it!”
His buddies followed in, teasing her indulgently.
“With a gift like that, we’d call you ‘wifey,’ not just grandpa!”
But Daniel’s face turned cold in an instant.
“Back off! My Vanessa isn’t someone you can mess with.”
The others smirked knowingly.
