Chapter 3

The moment Julian saw Zoey collapse, he panicked. “Zoey, please be okay! Zoey!”

His friends were just as frantic. “Call an ambulance! Hurry! Call 911!

“She’s in her third trimester! The baby could come at any time! Tell the doctors to get ready!”

Even Ruby, Zara’s best friend, burst into tears. “Please, Zoey, you have to be okay. You said you were going to give Julian a beautiful, healthy baby. Please, don’t die!”

Zara watched the chaos unfold before her, and her heart felt like it was being torn apart.

Julian picked Zoey up and carried her away. He walked past Zara without even looking at her.

Everyone else followed. Ruby stopped beside Zara for a moment and glared at her.

“Julian already told you to shut up. Why did you have to say all that? Do you have any idea how much Zoey’s been through? She has no parents and no other family. Julian and the baby are all she has left! Zara, you’re being unbelievably cruel!”

Zara gritted her teeth and slowly got up from the floor. “So you knew Julian was cheating on me all along and kept it from me?”

“We all knew, but none of us wanted to tell you. You always make a big deal out of everything. Zoey’s different. She knows how to let things go. We all like her!”

Those words from her best friend hurt almost as much as Julian’s betrayal.

Zara let out a soft laugh, but there was no warmth in it. Her heart felt ice-cold.

“On the tenth of last month, I had acute gastroenteritis. I was alone at the hospital, getting an IV from the evening until after midnight. I told everyone in the group chat that I was in so much pain, but no one replied.

“Later, I messaged you privately. You told me Julian was in a meeting and that you were busy too. Tell me, Ruby. What were you so busy with that day?”

Ruby turned to look at her. “Zoey had a prenatal checkup that day. The baby’s umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck. We were all afraid something might happen, so we stayed at the hospital with her. We didn’t have time to deal with you.”

Zara continued, “Last week was my birthday. Julian told me he had to go out of town for work—”

Ruby impatiently cut her off, “Zoey was in a bad mood that day. We stayed at the club with her and sang karaoke all day.

“Don’t ask me anything anymore. All those times we didn’t answer you over the years, we were with Zoey. She’s been our friend for a long time.

“Zara, you’re our friend too. But Zoey is pregnant, and we need to take care of her. There’s no point in dwelling on all this now!”

Ruby rushed out.

The huge hall was empty. Zara was the only one left.

Only then did Zara realize how foolish the love and friendship that she had cherished were.

She had no idea where to go or what to do next when a phone rang from the floor.

It was Ruby’s phone.

Zara bent down and picked it up. The password had not changed. It was still Ruby’s birthday.

She opened WhatsApp, and a group chat immediately popped up. The group was called “Protect Zoey.”

New messages kept coming in.

[Zoey had the baby! It’s a big, healthy boy! He’s 6 pounds, 10 ounces!]

[I can’t believe someone so petite gave birth to such a big baby! Zoey really went through a lot.]

[Yeah. Julian needs to take good care of Zoey and the baby from now on!]

[He needs to protect them too. What if Zara causes trouble for Zoey again?]

[Julian, why don’t you just divorce Zara? She already asked you for a divorce, didn’t she?]

Then, Julian replied, [Don’t worry. I won’t give Zara another chance to hurt Zoey. If she does it again, I’ll divorce her and give Zoey the wedding she deserves.]

Zara read the message and smiled bitterly.

When she asked him for a divorce, he refused.

But right after Zoey gave birth, he wanted to divorce her so he could give Zoey a wedding.

Zara picked up her phone and called Liam Jefferson, the hospital director.

“Dr. Jefferson, I’ve made my decision about the training program you mentioned last time. I want to attend.”

“Oh? What changed your mind? I thought you couldn’t bear to leave your husband.”

“A woman should always have a career of her own. Besides, it looks like we’ll be getting divorced soon anyway.”

Zara had always worked hard to build her own career. No matter how successful Julian’s company was, she never wanted to depend entirely on him. She refused to become a woman who relied on her husband for everything.

Thankfully, even if her marriage was falling apart, she had a future of her own.

“In that case, you’ll leave in three days. Will that be a problem?”

“No.”

After she hung up, Zara drove back to the house she shared with Julian.

She needed to pack her things. She was leaving that place for good.