“You’re jealous over this? Do you want my brother to die restless in his grave?”
“We hid it from you because we knew you’d be jealous. And look, we were right.”
“If you’re going to throw a fit over this, you don’t deserve to be my wife.”
I inhaled sharply, my whole body trembling.
“My husband marrying his sister-in-law—and I’m wrong for being jealous?”
Sarah patted his thigh, her legs draped casually across him.
“Girls get jealous, that’s normal. You can’t expect everyone to be as generous as me.”
“She just doesn’t understand your good intentions. Explain it to her, then let’s keep drinking.”
Sarah lifted his chin, pressing her half-empty beer to his lips. Ryan drained it in one gulp.
I closed my eyes, nose stinging, too exhausted to argue anymore.
Thunder boomed outside. I grabbed my bag and stormed out into the rain.
Before I could leave, Ryan seized my hand.
“It’s late! It’s raining! What if you slip? You’re being ridiculous!”
“There’s nothing between me and Sarah. And if there was, it’s in the past.”
“You’re always jealous. I can’t even take you out anymore!”
My icy, disappointed gaze swept over him.
He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated.
“Sarah is my sister-in-law. My brother’s gone, so it’s my duty to take care of her.”
“You and Sarah are the two most important women in my life. And besides—we’re legally married. What are you jealous of?”
Sarah, face flushed from drinking, collapsed into his arms, looping her arms around his neck and whispering sweetly.
Ryan instinctively let me go, holding her tightly instead.
I let out a bitter laugh, stepping into the downpour as tears mingled with the rain.
I took a cab straight to the hospital.
The doctor looked at me in shock when I asked for an abortion.
“An abortion? But you were so happy when we told you you were pregnant. It’s only been a day. Why change your mind?”
“You’ve gone through so much to get pregnant. Are you sure about this?”
I had a condition that made pregnancy difficult, but Ryan loved children.
I was terrified of pain, yet for him I endured countless herbal treatments and acupuncture sessions.
Even now, my hands were covered in tiny needle scars.
I nodded, my chest heavy as if weighed down by stone.
“Yes. Please schedule the surgery as soon as possible.”
After paying, I headed out—only to bump into Ryan, scattering medical forms across the floor.
He froze. “What are you doing here? Your hair’s wet, you’ll catch a cold.”