"Easton, how much longer are we going to keep doing this?"
His back stiffened instantly, and at that moment, my breath stopped, too.
My nails sank deep into my palm, tearing the skin open. Drops of blood fell quietly onto the floor.
In the silence of the corridor, his sigh came, helpless, low.
"You know I can’t leave Avery. You're my wife. You should understand."
"In the future, I’ll spend more time with you. Please, stop hurting yourself. Even if not for me, at least for the baby inside you."
My heart cracked. Darkness closed in. And just like that, I lost all consciousness.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital room.
The doctor’s voice was blunt and cold.
"Two months pregnant, and you didn’t know? Why were you out in the rain? If you don’t want the child, just have the surgery early."
Pregnant?
I froze, unable to speak. Tears slid down uncontrollably.
During those three years abroad, my body had already been pushed to the edge.
After returning to the country, Easton had even arranged a check-up for me.
The diagnosis was cruel: after two miscarriages and delayed treatment, I would likely never bear children again in this lifetime.
That day, Easton fell silent for a long, long time.
Then he brought in specialists from all over, doing everything he could to save what was already slipping away.
For three years, I never stopped taking medication, even when I had already given up.
But Easton kept comforting me, again and again. "It’s okay. Even if you can’t have children, we’ll adopt. I’ll never blame you."
And now, the child I had waited three years for had finally come, just at the wrong time.
A selfish thought took root in my heart.
I wanted to keep this baby. Raise it on my own.
I had no family and no friends.
This child was the only reason I still wanted to live.
But before that, I had to leave Easton.
I gently placed my hand over my still-flat stomach and whispered, "Baby, don’t blame Mommy..."
At dawn, Easton sent a message. [Something urgent came up. I’m going on a business trip. I'll be back in seven days.]
[Don’t worry, I’ve already asked the staff to arrange the wedding. Once I’m back, I’ll take you to see it all.]
[Avery, take care of yourself. Don’t make me worry.]
The nurses often whispered about the VIP ward on the top floor.
I knew Easton was there.
Taking care of Addison.
Not wanting to stay a moment longer, I completed the discharge procedures.
In the entire seven days that followed, I didn’t receive a single word from him.
Wedding decorations piled up in the villa like mountains. Delicate. Beautiful. It was clearly expensive, but there was not a trace of sincerity in any of it.
In those seven days, I quietly canceled my official documents.
Booked a one-way ticket out of here.
And erased every piece of myself I had left behind.
Three years was a long time.
The gifts he had given me filled the walk-in closet, everything except the Carter family’s heirloom ring.
I sold it all at auction.
Donated the proceeds to mountain villages.
And just as I finished the last of it, Easton came home.
The moment he stepped through the door, he rushed toward me, eyes glowing with excitement.
He pulled me into his arms.
"Avery, the wedding venue is ready. The invitations are out. Let’s go try on your dress, okay?"
"Avery, I’ve waited five years for this day. Thank you for fulfilling my dream."
Before I could even say no, he had already taken me to the car.
On the way there, he spoke in vivid detail about our dream wedding. His eyes were sincere, his tone filled with longing as if he had cherished this moment all along.
I turned my head to the window, letting silent tears fall.
Panicked, Easton leaned over and gently kissed the tears from my cheek.
"Why are you crying? Avery, please don’t cry. It hurts me when you cry."
"Three days from now, we’ll be family. We’ll never be apart again."
