Leo's brow furrowed. "Honey, I love who you are now, but I can't let go of who you used to be."
"Can't you just give me this?"
"Let me have both—is that so wrong?"
"Love isn't a cage. It's letting someone have what they want."
I crouched on the floor, hands covering my face, tears streaming through my fingers.
Leo walked over. "Honey, is it wrong to love two people?"
"Besides, you're the one I've always loved. Delia is just the younger you."
I got up and headed downstairs, wanting to leave just like that.
But the fire in my chest had nowhere to go. Suffocating.
"Where is Delia Cobb?" I grabbed a senior staff member by the arm.
"Ah..."
A scream rang out from the media room.
Delia had hidden in here to lie low. The moment I walked in, she let out a shriek.
She fell to the floor, blood running down her forehead.
A shattered coffee cup lay beside her.
This woman was ruthless enough to hurt herself just to steal my place.
I swept a cold glance over her, then scanned the room for something useful.
If Leo was going to think I hit his new sweetheart anyway, I might as well actually hit her.
I grabbed a glass bottle of soda from the fridge and strode toward her.
"What are you doing?"
Leo appeared. He rushed toward me. "Are you crazy?"
He shoved me hard. I stumbled and fell.
The bottle shattered in my hand. My palm turned bright red.
Leo barely glanced at me before running to Delia. He scooped her up and rushed out.
As he passed me, he left one cold sentence behind: "When I get back, I'll settle this with you."
The stabbing pain in my palm was nothing compared to the pain in my chest.
On the way here, I'd told myself to stay calm. Handle it rationally.
But I couldn't.
I became the shrew I hated most—fighting back with hysteria—and in the end, I was completely defeated.
When I walked out of the media room, employees watched from a distance. I was the biggest joke.
Those looks might not have meant anything, but my face burned anyway.
My image had just collapsed. I'd be their gossip for weeks.
I went to the hospital alone. The wound on my hand could be treated. But the wound in my heart?
"Doctor, how is she?"
A familiar voice—Leo, talking to the doctor.
He'd never used that concerned tone on me. Even around the corner, I could picture the anxiety on his face.
"Don't worry. The baby is fine."
"That's great. Really great."
"Delia, did you hear that? The doctor said our baby is fine."
"You scared me to death. I don't want to keep sneaking around like this anymore. That hag from your family just tried to kill me."
"When are you going to give me a real status?"
Leo gently stroked Delia's face and kissed her forehead.
That gentle, careful movement—like he was afraid she might melt.
His voice was soft as a spring breeze. "Since she found out today, I'll lay it all out for her in the next few days. Don't worry—after this, I won't let you suffer anymore."
He and Delia turned around.
Our eyes met.
I stared at them in silence. I wanted to act strong. Act like I didn't care.
But my tears wouldn't stop.
My hand drifted to my belly. It had never grown round. I'd lost completely.
This battle—I thought I would win.
But the moment it began, I had already lost.
Fighting over a man—how could there be any winning?
And I fought anyway. And I still didn't win.
What a joke.
I turned around. Stopped being the third wheel.
Leo stared at my back. The moment I disappeared around the corner, he opened his mouth.
But he didn't say a single word to make me stay.
