Until I gave birth to our son, I had brought up buying a house again, but he still wouldn't budge.
So, like Wang Baochuan, I followed him, moving once again, from the southern part of the city to the city center, over and over.
With each move, I lost more than I kept.
In the end, all that remained was my willingness to give to them.
But I never expected that, in the end, they wouldn’t even want that.
I purposely bought a box of donuts, intending to give them to the nurses and doctors who had taken care of me all these years.
“Miss Emma, you’re so thoughtful,” the nurse said, taking the snack, her tone gentle. “Thank you.”
I forced a smile, one that lacked any warmth. “You’re welcome.”
Just as I was about to turn to find a seat in the waiting room, my steps suddenly faltered, and my breath was abruptly cut off.
There they were.
Chase, and Joyce.
They walked out of the gynecology clinic together, their movements natural, their intimacy undeniable. Chase’s hand rested gently on her small belly, with a tenderness and adoration I knew all too well. In that instant, my gaze seemed to be nailed in place, unable to look away.
Joyce was holding a pregnancy guidebook, its clean cover clearly displaying her name.
My mind went blank.
Countless thoughts exploded in my head, but I couldn’t find a single one that made sense.
“Is... is this their child?”
“How did it come to this?”
It was absurd and ironic.
Chase—he was the one who had personally introduced me to this gynecologist.
And now, here he was, openly bringing his mistress into the clinic, as if he was certain I would never run into them.
“So… even the doctor knows?”
As that thought crossed my mind, a sharp pain suddenly twisted in my chest, as if countless knives had simultaneously plunged into my heart, making it hard to breathe.
What about his family?
Had they known all along?
Joyce seemed to sense my gaze and finally looked at me.
But she didn’t even flinch. Instead, she curled her lips into a smile, one that was completely unguarded.
Chase suddenly stopped walking, glanced at me, and his tone became casual, though there was a subtle hint of wariness.
“What are you doing here at the hospital?”
I instinctively tightened my grip on my bag, my fingertips turning pale, but I still lifted my head and smiled at him, a smile so faint it barely held.
“Routine checkup.”
I said it casually, like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. After all, I was about to divorce him anyway.
“I’ve been feeling a little unwell, so the doctor asked me to come in.”
He furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze lingering on my face for a couple of seconds, as if searching for some sign of weakness.
But I lowered my eyelashes, avoiding his gaze, breathing lightly.
“No big deal, right?”
His question was dismissive, clearly no longer interested in probing further.
“Mm, it’s fine.”
I nodded, my voice steady. “I’ll leave once the checkup’s done.”
He simply muttered an “oh,” then turned to answer a call, his tone quickly shifting to a warm and patient one.
I stood there, watching his back, while my other hand, without my control, subconsciously fell onto my lower abdomen.
He followed my gaze, then seemed to finally realize who I was looking at, his tone so naturally casual, it felt almost like an explanation.
“She just came back to the country.”
“She doesn’t have any friends here, and her family isn’t around, so I’m the one accompanying her.”
He explained it with ease and thoughtfulness, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
I nodded, not exposing the truth, nor asking further.
It was clear now—he didn’t even think I deserved an explanation.
