Gone? Just like that?
A hollow laugh escaped me. It was strange, the mix of emotions swirling inside me. Relief. Guilt. Pain. The child was never James’, but it was still mine. It will really hurt me if I aborted the child. And now, it was gone before I could even decide what to do. Then my phone rang. James’ name flashed on the screen. I hesitated before answering.
“James—"
“Zoey, what the hell did you do?!” His voice was full of rage. My heart pounded.
“I-I'm sorry. But it wasn't yours. I was... raped the day I debut as a singer. I-I'm sorry..."
“But still our baby is dead! You let our baby die!” I flinched at the venom in his words. But something didn’t add up. He wasn’t just angry—he was furious.
Not over my supposed betrayal. Not over my lost virginity. But over the baby. Why? A chilling realization settled over me. There was something else James wasn’t telling me.
I spent days alone in the hospital, staring at the blank walls, my mind racing with thoughts I didn’t want to entertain. James never visited. Not once. The only person who showed up was Kate, but even her presence felt off, like she was only there out of obligation. I tried calling James multiple times, but his phone was either off or unreachable. Every unanswered call felt like another stab to my already shattered heart. Was he mourning the loss of the baby? Or was he just avoiding me?
The day I was discharged, I decided I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for answers. I needed to see him for myself. Still pretending to be blind, I asked one of his employees to escort me to his office at the canned goods factory.
The moment I reached his office door, I stopped in my tracks. I could hear voices inside. James. And someone else. Curious, I leaned in, my heart pounding in my chest as I recognized the other voice—Andrew, his stepbrother. Their conversation sent ice down my spine.
“She doesn’t know a thing,” James said, his tone smug. “She still thinks I’m just some loving fiancé who forgave her for getting pregnant out of nowhere.”
Andrew chuckled. “And you’re sure she has no idea that it was you all along?”