As I was about to go through with a procedure to end my own loss, I stumbled upon my husband, guiding his childhood friend into a prenatal check-up. The moment our eyes met, his expression stayed cool and unmoved.
"Well, what are the odds of bumping into each other here?"
I managed to offer a hollow congrats, but when I whispered that we should get a divorce, he fell apart and swore he loved me.
---
I was at the hospital, my mind racing with worry over my dad's condition, when a familiar voice sliced through my thoughts.
"Ronald, can you stick around a little longer? I'm kind of scared..."
A chill swept down my spine. I turned around slowly, already knowing what I'd see. There was my husband, Ronald, standing with his childhood friend, Fernanda Riley.
Ronald met my eyes without a hint of surprise, just a nod. Fernanda, on the other hand, lit up the second she spotted me and tugged Ronald closer.
"Colette? Oh my god, what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice dripping with false innocence. "I'm pregnant, so I asked Ron to come with me to my appointment. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him."
She was glowing, her grip on Ronald's arm tightening as she gazed up at him with pure adoration. To anyone watching, they were the picture-perfect couple.
But the arm she clung to belonged to my husband. And it was painfully clear that the baby she carried was his.
My knees nearly buckled, and my vision blurred from the shock. I held Ronald's gaze stubbornly, silently begging him to say something—anything. But he gave me nothing. Just dead silence.
"Congratulations," I choked out, my voice trembling. "I have to go."
I spun around and walked away fast, refusing to let them see me break. Staying any longer would've just twisted the knife.
I ducked into a stairwell and sank down onto the cold steps, my mind completely blank. I had thought all the sacrifices I'd made would finally show Ronald what I was worth. Instead, it led to this—a betrayal that cut even deeper.
Tears blurred my sight. When I tried to stand, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I lurched forward, a sharp, searing pain slicing through my abdomen.
Somehow, I pulled myself up and stumbled into a nurse's station. The nurse took one look at my wrecked state and rushed to help.
She guided me into an emergency exam room. As the doctor's face grew more and more grim, dread settled heavy in my chest.
"How could you be so careless when you're pregnant?!" he snapped. "Where's the father? The baby's chances are slim—the fall was too severe. We need to act now."
My brain couldn't process his words. "Pregnant? What do you mean, I'm pregnant?"
He stared at me, caught between disbelief and frustration. "You didn't know? You're over a month along!"
I was carrying Ronald's child?!
"Call the father right now. You need the procedure today, or this is only going to get worse."
Ronald? How on earth was I supposed to explain that the father was too busy at another woman's prenatal appointment?
Picturing him at Fernanda's side, I realized just how pathetic and absurd my situation really was.
Maybe losing this baby was meant to be.
Defeated, I whispered, "It's fine. I'll handle it myself. He... he's tied up. He can't come."
The doctor muttered something about messed-up priorities, but I was already slipping away.
---
Our marriage felt scripted from the very beginning. I came from a humble background and ended up in a posh school, always hyper-aware of how different I was from my wealthy classmates.
It didn't take long before I became the perfect target for their cruel jokes. To them, I was entertainment.
I was sure high school would be a nightmare from start to finish—until the day a sliver of hope walked into my life.
I still remember it so clearly. Ronald stepped in front of me, warning off the bullies like they were nothing. His presence was like a breath of fresh air in my suffocating world.
From then on, I couldn't help but admire him. I watched his every move from afar. But he came from a whole different universe, and standing beside him, looking like she belonged there, was Fernanda Riley.
My crush stayed silent, an endless ache I never dared to voice.
When graduation came, I thought our paths would never cross again. But Ronald found me.
He offered a marriage of convenience. To keep his family off his back, he said, and in return, he'd cover all my father's medical bills.
Facing impossible debt for my dad's treatment, I didn't hesitate. I said yes.
I knew a deal that good had strings attached. I figured Ronald chose me because I'd be easy to manage as a wife.
---
When I finally climbed off the cold operating table, it was deep into the night.
I dragged my exhausted body home, only to find a familiar silhouette waiting on the couch.
I hesitated in the doorway, hoping to just ignore him and head upstairs, but Ronald grabbed my arm.
"Why are you back so late?"
I didn't want to talk. I just wanted to sleep, praying it would dull the ache burning in my belly.
"I was looking after Dad. I'm wiped out. If you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to bed."
He followed me up the stairs and into the bedroom. "You look terrible. Did something happen?"
I didn't answer. I just changed into my sleepwear and crawled under the covers. I could hear him moving around before he finally settled in beside me, his body radiating warmth as his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tight like a child.
I wanted to push him off me, but the aftermath of the procedure had drained every ounce of my strength. I just closed my eyes and let the darkness swallow me.
---
The next morning, I woke up alone.
I wasn't surprised. I made my way downstairs for breakfast, only to find Ronald already at the table, his face stormy.
"Where exactly did you go yesterday?" he demanded the moment I sat down.
"I told you, I was with Dad."
"Is that so?" He stood up, his eyes boring into mine. "Then why did I hear you had a miscarriage yesterday?"
My fingers clenched the edge of my shirt. He knew?
I took a shaky breath. "Yes. I had a miscarriage."
"You—why?!" Ronald erupted, his voice cracking with fury. The gentle eyes I once knew turned hard as stone. "Was our child that unwanted?"
His words were cold, cutting right through me. "Colette, I can't believe this. You're heartless!"
He stormed out without another word, leaving me drowning in a grief I didn't deserve.
He was the one who'd gotten another woman pregnant. Yet somehow, the blame landed squarely on me.
Did he really think I didn't want that innocent baby?
Heartbreak crashed into the physical pain, and a sob tore from my chest. I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face in my arms as the tears soaked through.
Ronald, you really are the coldest.
