I'd stayed home like a good wife, focused on the pregnancy, hoping the baby would bring us closer together.
The thought burned behind my eyes.
Every ounce of love I'd given Ervin Stephens had meant nothing to him.
The crew members nearby were starting to notice. I could feel their sidelong glances, the quiet curiosity sharpening into something worse.
I wiped my tears in a hurry, but there was no hiding how wrecked I looked.
I turned to leave, but Rose Sullivan's delighted voice rang out behind me：【Renata! You came to check up on him?】
【Don't worry, I've been keeping an eye on him for you. Nobody's getting any ideas about your man on my watch.】
Rose grabbed my arm, took the container of chicken soup right out of my hands, and waved it at Ervin across the set, calling out loud enough for everyone to hear：
【Look at this! Our Ervin is so lucky. His wife drags herself here while pregnant just to bring him homemade soup.】
【Meanwhile, my guy would never be this thoughtful. I'm so jealous.】
She shot Ervin a playful look, eyebrows raised, nudging him to come over and play the grateful husband.
But the first words out of Ervin's mouth when he walked over weren't for me. They were for Rose：
【If you want some, just say so. I'll have Renata make a batch for you next time. It's not like she has anything else to do at home.】
The cold sank through me like ice water, but I forced a smile for the sake of the baby.
【I'm a little tired. I'll let you two get back to work.】
Ervin noticed my swollen eyes and something guarded crept into his voice as he stopped me：【How long have you been here? Why didn't you text me? I would've come out to meet you myself.】
A stone lodged itself in my chest.
He was afraid I'd seen who he really was, yet every word came out sounding like the perfect, attentive husband.
So I looked him straight in the eye and asked, my voice flat：【If I'd texted ahead, you wouldn't have let me come at all, would you?】
Rose picked up on my mood instantly and turned on Ervin, her tone half-scolding, half-playful：【All talk and no action with you. Honestly.】
【She obviously missed you. That's why she came all this way.】
【But pregnant women tire out so easily. Why don't we have Renata stay and join me for a quick parenting segment on my livestream?】
Anything Rose asked for, Ervin delivered. Every single time.
He walked over to me, patient and composed, as if he were doing me a favor：【Well, you're already here. Might as well stay.】
【Be good. Go sit with Rose in the livestream room and chat for a bit. It'll help boost her numbers.】
Since the pregnancy, my body had ballooned beyond recognition, swollen and shapeless like rising dough.
For the baby's sake, I'd stopped using every cream, every serum, every product I owned, and the dark patches had spread freely across my face.
Even without a camera pointed at me, I knew.
I looked awful.
I kept my voice low, but clear enough for Ervin to hear：【I'm tired. I just want to go home.】
Rose let go of my arm with an awkward little laugh and immediately launched into an apology：【This is all my fault. I got so excited seeing Renata that I totally forgot pregnant women need their rest.】
Ervin couldn't bear to see Rose feel even a second of guilt.
His patience with me evaporated on the spot. His voice went clipped：【You insisted on coming, and now you insist on leaving.】
He caught the disappointment in my eyes and seemed to realize he'd gone too far. His tone softened, shifting back into something coaxing：
【Rose and I just don't want you running back and forth in your condition.】
【Come on, you've got nothing else going on. Go keep Rose company for one livestream segment.】
【Once I wrap up here, we'll head home together.】
And hearing that, it finally hit me. Ervin had always, instinctively, taken Rose's side.
