Bittersweet

He turned pale when he saw my expression. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”Instead of the chat box, his computer screen now showed my medical report. He instantly hugged me, looking nervous. “What happened, babe?”I looked at him and let the tears fall. “No news either this month.”He glanced at the screen and heaved a sigh of relief. “Geez, you scared me. Didn’t I say we could take it slow with having kids? You’re getting worked up again.”His eyes were loving as he pinched my cheek. “You’re the only baby I need in this family.”I fell silent, at a loss for what to say.He wiped away my tears gently and turned off the computer without a word before leading me to the living room.“It’s almost time for your period. I put the bed covers in the bedside drawer. “I made beef stew for dinner. You should eat more to replenish your body’s supply of iron.“The supplements are on the counter. I’ll check if you took them tonight, so don’t forget.”I still did not say anything

Three years ago, at our wedding, she sat alone in the hall next door and watched the entire ceremony.I asked Ethan if she was his relative. He glanced at her, paused, and said he did not know her.Seeing how devastated she looked, I thought she was here after having her heart broken. I even gave her some chocolates from our reception.I had no idea the one who broke her heart was my newlywed husband.My eyes lowered, I suddenly laughed. So it turned out the relationship I treasured so much had been full of lies from the start.My phone vibrated. I turned it on and saw a picture of Ethan’s desk.[Babe, I reached the company. See this stack of documents? I’m exhausted, and I need your kiss to recharge.]I fell back into the car seat, covering my face self-deprecatingly. He was exhausted, alright, but it had nothing to do with those documents. Anna drove away, and I followed her. I already knew everything I needed to know, so I had no intention of following her. However, the

All the blood drained from Ethan's face. He wanted to snatch away the stocking, but his trembling hand could not bear to touch it.“Jasmine, I…” He breathed heavily, unable to form a single sentence.Asking for the divorce had taken all my strength. My head hurt so much that the world spun around me. I closed my eyes and said feebly, “You should leave now. Prepare the divorce papers, and I'll contact you after I'm discharged from the hospital.”“No, I won't get divorced.” He seemed to return to his senses, saying resolutely, “I won't accept a divorce!“This is all a misunderstanding. Jasmine, you can't leave me!”I sighed. “Ethan, you know I won't make the same mistake twice.”Ethan and I had known each other since we were young. We could be considered childhood friends. However, we were not each other's first loves.When I was in college, I dated a senior. We were inseparable, indulging in our love.In my last year of college, my parents got into a traffic accident and went

Ethan did not dare to meet my gaze. A sweat broke out on his brow under the white fluorescent lights. “Don't do this, Jasmine. It's not that serious.”He tried to maintain his usual gentlemanly look and even forced a smile.“Anna… had an unhappy marriage. It took her ages to get a divorce and escape back here.“She's still an old friend of mine, so I couldn't just ignore her when she came to me for help.“I just wanted to help her… and she's done a lot for the company…“Jasmine, you helped me too when I was just starting out. You know how hard it can be to deal with those clients…“That's how we lost our baby…”My fingers dug into the sheets, and my chest began to ache.That child was unexpected. When I was out trying to procure a deal for the company, I got drunk, fell, and miscarried.I was upset for a long time after that. I was an orphan now, so I desperately wanted a family member who shared my blood. It was also starting then that Ethan no longer let me work. He to

I could not leave the hospital for the month after that. Ethan moved into my hospital room, taking care of my every need. He did not mind when I did not speak to him, happily talking to himself instead. He only slept after I fell asleep at night, and his hand would be holding mine when I woke up. He jolted awake the second I moved. His company employees reported to him every day. One day, Felix showed up too. He snuck a glance at me and then pulled Ethan out of the room. I went to the door and overheard a few broken words. “Anna… suicide…”After a moment’s silence, footsteps rang in my direction. I hurried back to the bed.As soon as I sat down, Ethan came in. “Jasmine, something went wrong at the company. I have to go out for a bit.”I ignored him. He rubbed my head. “Drink the soup later, okay? The nurses will be watching you.”After that, he hastened away. I read a book quietly, drank the soup, and then snuck out of the room when the nurse was scrolling through s