Sophie's POV
Faced with Connor's accusations, I didn't say a word.
If this had happened earlier in our relationship, I probably would have already apologized and maybe even begged for his forgiveness, thinking it would somehow fix things.
But not anymore. And definitely, never again.
Connor stared at me for a while, clearly thrown off by how quiet I was. There was this moment, a flicker in his eyes, like he couldn't figure me out.
He seemed confused that I wasn't crying, arguing, or pleading as I had before.
"Are you done? I'm tired."
That was all I said before I turned and walked off to the bedroom.
I didn't feel the need to explain myself, and I wasn't afraid of anyone walking away—not even him.
...
Later that night, Connor came into the room and lay down next to me like nothing had even happened.
He slipped his arms around me like everything was fine.
"Sophie, I've just been so drained lately. Can you please just not start anything with Gretchen? The wedding's in a month. I meant what I said. I'll give you everything I promised, okay?"
Connor nuzzled into my hair, one hand drifting down, lightly brushing over my stomach.
"Mm."
That was all I could manage—a flat and distant reply.
Because the truth was, I didn't want the wedding anymore.
I didn't want the baby. I didn't want any of it or anything that tied me to him.
Whatever Connor thought he owed me, he could keep it.
None of it meant a damn thing now.
...
The next day, Connor brought both me and Gretchen to one of his friends' get-togethers.
He told me I would be more comfortable in the backseat. So I closed my eyes and listened as he and Gretchen chatted and laughed up front like some perfect couple from a shared past.
They talked about old memories, their voices bubbling with inside jokes and stories that belonged to just the two of them.
I wasn't part of it. Never had been.
And honestly, compared to before, I didn't even feel angry anymore.
Just numb.
Like I'd given up trying to fight for my place beside him. For my place at all.
When we got to the private room, I already knew what kind of crowd we'd be walking into.
The usual crowd. Connor's drinking buddies were many of whom were also longtime friends of Gretchen's.
"Well, would you look at that? The main chick and the side chick are showing up together!" one of the guys cracked the joke with a big grin.
"Don't be ridiculous," Gretchen answered quickly, smiling sweetly as she covered her face like she was embarrassed. "Sophie's the one carrying his child. How could I possibly compare to her? It's not what you guys think."
She didn't look upset at all. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying it.
Connor gave a halfhearted frown. "That's enough."
He turned toward me and pulled out a chair.
"Sophie, sit here."
Then, without missing a beat, he pulled out a seat for Gretchen, too.
When the drinks came around, the server reached to pour Gretchen a glass of wine.
Connor shut it down right away.
"Don't pour for her. Gretchen turns bright red when she drinks."
I glanced at my own glass. It was already full.
I smiled a little, but it didn't touch my eyes.
Then someone suggested a game. "Hey, let's spin the bottle! Whoever it landed on had to do a dare."
Everyone agreed, and the bottle spun and landed on Gretchen first.
Connor's friends leaned in, excitedly curious.
"Pick someone to eat a cookie with!" one of the guys called out, already laughing. "Like that Pocky game!"
Gretchen let out a shy little giggle and covered her mouth, like all the attention was just too much.
Then she slowly lifted her finger and pointed at Connor. "Connor, will you do it with me?"
He glanced at me.
Seeing that my expression was calm, Connor replied, "Sure."
Their faces drew closer and closer, as the cheers around them grew louder.
Everyone was having a great time.
I sat there quietly, one hand resting on my belly, the other folded in my lap.
It felt as if I had disappeared and everyone had forgotten I was the woman Connor was supposed to marry.
After the cookie game, Connor's ears were tinged red, and someone teased him from across the table.
"Connor, man, it's such a shame you two never tied the knot! I always thought you would. You're perfect together. And dude, I still remember all that crazy stuff you did for Gretchen back in the day."
Connor shot him a sharp and cold look. "Hey!"
The guy shut up immediately.
Then Connor reached across the table and took my hand.
He tried to reassure me by saying, "Sophie, don't mind them. They're just messing around."
I met his eyes and gave him a faint smile. "It's fine. I don't mind."
Seeing my reaction, he nodded in satisfaction with my answer.
The bottle spun again.
This time, it landed on me.
I looked up and felt every pair of eyes in the room land on me, waiting like they were watching the next scene in a sitcom.
"How about this?" one guy said with a grin. "Sophie, why don't you do a kangaroo boxing impression? That would be hilarious. Your hair kinda looks like fur already, and you've got a joey in your pouch. You even have the body type for it."
The table erupted in laughter.
