I clenched the candy tightly, my chest tightening. This flavor was unique, Josh had crafted it himself, making a fresh batch every so often and always keeping some in his pocket.
He said, "Why don't we head home first? We can visit grandma another day when we have more time."
Before I could respond, his phone rang.
He hesitated before silencing it, but when a text came through, his expression changed instantly, "Natalie, something urgent has come up at work. You'll have to take a cab back later …"
He hurriedly started the car and sped off, leaving me behind without a second glance, even running a red light in his haste.
I turned away, hailing a cab to visit grandma's grave alone. Though it had only been a few days, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
Grandma's smiling face beamed from the photo on her tombstone, reminding me of the last time I'd seen her before my trip, "When you're back for Winter Solstice, grandma will make your favorite roasted turkey!"
Grandma, I was wrong. I shouldn't have trusted Josh or entrusted you to him …
After leaving the cemetery, I remembered there was a deposit from grandma's hospital stay that needed to be settled. On the way home, I stopped by the hospital.
Walking past the obstetrics department with the receipt in hand, I bumped into Josh's secretary, Tatiana Marley.
She blocked my way, brandishing a medical report and smirking at me, "Natalie, why bother pretending you don't know me? That night, I saw you hiding by the fire escape, watching your husband get intimate with another woman. How did it feel?"
She continued, "That night, as soon as you fell asleep, he couldn't wait to have me. We even used your couch, do you know how many positions we unlocked on it? How long has it been since you two were together?"
I ignored her, but she taunted me relentlessly, "I heard you planned to visit your grandma today? Too bad, one call from me and he came running. Guess why?"
She shoved the medical report in my face, "I'm pregnant with Josh's child. He's overjoyed!"
A buzzing filled my head, drowning out everything else. My mother had died during childbirth and my father, who adored her, despised me for it. My childhood memories were filled with his drunken curses, calling me a jinx who had killed my mother.
The trauma left me terrified of motherhood. Before agreeing to be with Josh, I had made it clear I never wanted children.