Before leaving the hospital, I took the initiative to ask the doctor for the tiny embryo. It wasn't fully formed, but you could faintly see the shape of a small baby.
Holding the glass bottle close to my chest, I couldn't help but tear up. I'm sorry, baby. I had longed for you for so long, but it seems we're not destined to be together.
Taking a deep breath, I resolved that since I was leaving, I wouldn't bear this pain alone. Before leaving, I had one last gift to give Troy.
Returning to the home I had lived in for six years, it was cold and empty. As expected, Troy was likely spending the night with his devoted secretary.
I had no appetite for dinner and my stomach was faintly aching as I lay down by the bedside. I must've dozed off without realizing it.
In deep sleep, I was startled awake by the sound of loud thunder outside. My phone on the bedside table buzzed several times, but I ignored it, annoyed and rolled over to continue sleeping.
Suddenly, I heard the door being pushed open. Frightened, I thought a thief had broken in.
Just as I was about to get up, I saw the soaked figure of Troy standing before me.
I rubbed my eyes, "Why are you back?"
Seeing me at home, he let out a long sigh of relief. Taking off his drenched coat, he rushed over to hug me, "Felicia, it's thundering outside. I remembered how scared you always are of thunder. So I rushed back from the hotel overnight."
His wet clothes touched my face, the cold dampness making me uncomfortable.
I subtly pushed him away, "You'll catch a cold. Go take a shower first."
For once, he smiled at me gently, "I'll join you later."
The sound of running water came from the bathroom, but I stared at the lightning and thunder outside the window, lost in thought.
Over the past three years, I had undergone countless IVF cycles and Troy had started leaving early and returning late. Sometimes, he didn't come home at all.
At first, I thought his work had simply gotten busier. Until one day, I found lingerie in our closet that didn't belong to me. And the condoms in the house inexplicably decreased.
Soon after, his secretary, Louise Clover, became increasingly brazen. Every so often, she would flaunt their 'love' on social media or subtly provoke me.
Now, I was tired of it all. The irony was that now, Troy remembered I was afraid of thunder.
Yet he didn't know that during countless unbearable nights, I had already learned how to endure the lightning and thunder alone.
I must have fallen asleep again, as I didn't notice when he finished his shower and came out.
He lay beside me in his bathrobe, trying to hug me from behind, his breath on my shoulder and neck growing warmer as he said, "Felicia … can we?"
I sat up and pushed him away. After composing myself, my gaze fell on the ambiguous marks under his collar and asked, "Did Louise not satisfy you?"
He froze, embarrassment flashing into anger on his face, "Felicia, can you stop being unreasonable? We haven't seen each other in days. Do you have to be so confrontational every time? I've told you, Louise is just my secretary. Taking care of my daily needs is her job! What's the point of you making a fuss every day?"
Calmly watching him finish his rant, I shifted a bit and lay back down, "Go to sleep," I said.
Frustrated, Troy couldn't fall asleep. He got up coldly, grabbed a pillow and said, "I came back to be with you because you're scared of thunder and you treat my kindness like dirt!"
He stormed off to the study, slamming the door shut behind him. His words only made me feel amused.
The last time I was scared of thunder, I huddled in the corner, teary-eyed, texting him to ask when he'd be back. But he didn't reply until the next day.
[You're a grown woman. Even kids aren't scared of thunder. Why are you pretending to be so weak?]
[Louise's water pipes broke. She's just a woman, she couldn't fix them herself. I was busy helping her!]
Tears slipped down as I let out a bitter laugh. I could never understand why a CEO would stoop to fixing his secretary's pipes in the middle of the night.
The memories quickly faded. I closed my eyes and thought about what to pack for tomorrow. With an early flight, I couldn't afford to be late.
