That night, Remi didn't come back to their room. Around midnight, Ariel woke up with a violent cramp in her thigh.
She dragged herself out of bed and struggled down the hall to Ella's room, hoping to find Remi.
She raised her hand to knock. "Remi, my leg's cramping. Can you…"
Before she could finish, she heard a woman's breathless voice from inside.
"Remi…"
"Shh, Ella. Keep it down. You'll wake the baby."
Ariel froze. The cramp spread through her thigh in waves. But the pain in her chest hurt worse than anything physical.
Through the wooden door, she could hear everything. Each sound hit her like a hammer blow straight to her heart.
She stared at the ceiling. Her mind drifted back to the early stages of her pregnancy.
Her body had been weak back then. She threw up constantly during those first months and barely slept at night, always running outside to throw up.
Every time she got sick, Remi would get up immediately and follow her out. He'd rub her back gently, his eyes full of concern. "Ariel, if I'd known pregnancy would be this hard on you, I'd rather we never had children at all."
Later, in the third trimester, she started getting cramps. When she couldn't move in the middle of the night, he'd patiently massage her legs for her.
For eight months, he'd done this day and night without complaint. But now, he wasn't by her side. He was with another woman, making love to her.
"Remi, I'm so happy! I can finally marry you. Even if it's only for a month, I'm completely satisfied."
"I'm sorry for putting you through this. I promise I'll take good care of you and the baby from now on."
"Remi, I love you. I love you!"
The sounds continued. The pain in Ariel's leg gradually eased.
She slumped to the floor as if all the strength had been drained from her body. She admitted she was completely defeated. But she was also grateful she could still walk away.
In the days that followed, Remi and Ella grew bolder. At meals, Remi would serve her food. During breaks, they'd sit together in the courtyard, laughing and talking under the sun. At night, intimate sounds always drifted from Ella's room.
Ariel ignored all of it. She quietly packed her things, contacted her parents down south, and bought a train ticket to leave.
She thought she could get through this peacefully until the divorce was final. But Ella clearly wasn't satisfied with that.
One evening, Ariel sat by the pond in a small chair, knitting a sweater for the baby. She was in good spirits. Tomorrow was the day she'd get her divorce papers, so today was her last day in the Callahan residence.
Though apparently, even the last day couldn't pass in peace.
Ella suddenly appeared in front of her with the baby. "You're in such a good mood, Ms. Slater! You're about to divorce the Commander and you can still sit here looking so content?
"Actually, I knew you were outside the door that night. I wanted you to know just how good things are between me and Remi now. I love him, and he loves me! He said he wants to devour me in bed. As for you, he said you're boring and rigid. He doesn't like you at all.
"Oh, and tomorrow is my son's one-month celebration. You'll be there to congratulate us, won't you? After all, you're the child's stepmother!"
