Grace’s face turned deathly pale. She dropped to her knees and kowtowed before me.
In my previous life, I had never seen her so terrified. I had lost control then, demanding answers like a madman. But this time, I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm.
“Divorce is fine,” I said evenly. “But tell me why.”
I had never hurt her. I’d always treated her with patience and care. I wasn’t violent or cruel—so why was she so frightened after learning she was pregnant? I took a slow step toward her, confusion and disappointment churning inside me.
But Grace backed away as if she had seen a ghost. She rushed into the bedroom, slammed the door, and locked it. Her trembling voice came through the woods.
“It’s late. I’ll move out tomorrow. I’ll draft the divorce papers on the way.”
I stared at the closed door, feeling my heart tear apart.
In my previous life, I had stormed off to my friend’s house, desperate for comfort. But not this time. This time, I intended to stay quiet and verify my suspicions with a prenatal test first.
Just then, my phone rang.
It was my brother in all but blood—Lucas Lane.
I hesitated but answered.
“Ethan,” he said urgently, “I heard you and Grace are getting divorced! What happened? You two were everyone’s ideal couple!”
Lucas had grown up with Grace. In fact, he was the one who had brought us together. It seemed Grace had already called him. I saw my chance and asked, “Did she tell you why she wants to leave me?”
Lucas sighed heavily. “No. She just told me about the divorce. Brother, what’s going on? You two have been married three years without a single argument. Are you really ending it?”
I fell silent.
In my past life, I could never explain why Lucas’s attitude had changed so drastically after learning Grace was pregnant. He had become distant and terrified, just like my wife.
But in this life, he didn’t know she was pregnant yet—or so I thought.
I quickly changed the topic. “Brother, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you next time.”
There was a pause. Then Lucas’s voice turned sharp. “Wait… is Grace pregnant?”
I froze, caught off guard.
Before I could deny it, his tone grew frantic. “Ethan, listen to me. Take care of yourself. I’ll call you back later.”
Then he hung up.
I called him again immediately, but the line was dead. Blocked.
Exactly like before.
In both lives, the moment Lucas found out about Grace’s pregnancy, he cut all ties with me.
Why?
What was everyone so afraid of?
Neither I nor Grace had mentioned her condition this time, yet Lucas somehow guessed it from a brief conversation.
Was it instinct—or something else?
My hand trembled as I held the phone, my heart pounding.
Then the doorbell rang.
I opened the door and froze.
My parents stood there, carrying luggage.
“Dad? Mom? What are you doing here?”
They looked oddly uneasy. My mother stepped inside, clutching a bag of hometown delicacies. Her smile was strained.
“Ethan,” she began softly, “we came because we need to discuss something with you.”
I frowned. “What is it?”
She exchanged glances with my father before continuing. “You know your brother’s already past thirty. He’s planning to buy a house in the city.”
A dull ache spread through my chest.
“So, you came here to ask me for money again?”
My voice was flat, but inside, a cold dread crept in.
In my last life, this conversation had led to something far worse.
