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When I got off the cold operating table, my body felt hollow–just like my heart.
The anesthesia dulled the physical pain, but the ache inside was unbearable.
Tears slipped down my face as I shakily ripped the ultrasound report into pieces and
tossed it into the trash.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
The woman staring back at me looked like a stranger.
09:56 Plon 3 E
Straight black hair, a white dress, soft, understated makeup.
It wasn’t me. It was her.
I used to love staring into Ethan’s eyes, seeing the love and tenderness in them.
Now I knew that love had never been for me. He had always been looking at Natalie, even
when he looked at me.
I swiped on some lipstick to hide my pale lips and walked out of the bathroom.
In the hospital hallway, I ran into Ethan and Natalie.
They were holding hands, dressed in matching outfits, smiling like they were the happiest couple in the world.
Ethan held a piece of paper in his hand.
Even from a distance, I recognized it: a pregnancy report.
Natalie was pregnant?
The thought hit me like a thunderbolt, leaving me frozen in place.
“Anna, what are you doing here?” Natalie asked brightly, pulling Ethan toward me.
When Ethan saw me, a flash of panic crossed his face. He quickly folded the report in his
hand.
“Anna, are you feeling unwell again?” he asked, his voice overly casual.
Bitterness rose in my throat as I struggled to find the words. Finally, I shook my head. “No, I just ran out of my medicine and came to get more.”
“Don’t tell me you’re still taking those vitamins,” Ethan said, smirking. “You know they don’t actually work, right?”
I stayed silent.
r
But I lied to Mrs. Hayes, telling her they were just vitamins–I didn’t want her to worry.
I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the wave of emotions threatening to engulf me.
“Guess what, Anna?” Natalie said, beaming. “Ethan and I are having a baby!”
She placed a hand on her stomach and laughed. “At the gala earlier, I swore I felt the baby kicking. Ethan was so worried he dragged me here to get checked out.”
She playfully nudged Ethan, who smiled sheepishly. “You know how it is. The first three months are the most critical, and our baby’s only two months along. Better safe than sorry.”
Two months.
My baby was two months old, too.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
He had been with me one night, only to crawl into Natalie’s bed the next.
How could he so shamelessly have both of us at the same time?
