Gone Like It Was Never Here

"Mrs. Connolly, I've finished your check-up," said the doctor, Owen Aldinger. "Your health has been poor from the beginning, so carrying the baby this far hasn't been easy. But these last two months are critical."You'll need to take extra care, or you might lose the baby.""I understand. Thank you, Dr. Aldinger."Lily Rosenfelt bowed her head. Her gaze drifted to her swollen belly. A hollow ache unfurled in her chest."Oh? Mrs. Connolly, you've regained your sight?"Owen had only just noticed. He looked genuinely pleased."Yes. My vision started to come back during my last check-up. The doctor said it might be the pregnancy hormones.""That's wonderful news. Mr. Connolly must be overjoyed. Why didn't he come with you today?"She hadn't told Zeke Connolly yet. She wasn't sure he'd even be glad to hear it.She offered a faint smile. "He's busy."He was with the woman he loved most—Sophie Cruz. Of course, he didn't have time to bring her to a prenatal checkup.She unfolded the

That night, Lily and Zeke lay in bed with their backs turned to each other. Silence stretched taut between them. Her belly had grown so large that it left her breathless more often than not.She shifted uncomfortably, turning to her other side, on the verge of asking Zeke to hand her the oxygen canister. When it got this bad, breathing through it was the only relief.But as she rolled over, she caught sight of him leaning against the headboard. The glow of his phone was lighting his face, and his fingers were busy tapping out messages to Sophie on WhatsApp.They were deep in a cheerful exchange. His smile cut clean through her.She didn't know what they were talking about, only that Zeke suddenly looked down and glanced her way.Lily shut her eyes at once, pretending to sleep. A moment later, she heard the soft click of the light switch, then the creak of the bed as he got up.He thought she was blind, that she couldn't see anything at all. It was the only reason he dared to be s

Once the divorce papers were signed, Zeke left with Sophie. Lily returned to her room and started packing her things.The wedding ring on her finger had become a glaring eyesore, something she desperately wished to remove. Yet, with pregnancy came swollen hands, and try as she might, the ring wouldn't budge.Resolving to seek help, she headed to the jewelry store where she had purchased it. But before she even entered, she spotted Zeke and Sophie standing inside."Mr. Connolly, this pair of rings was designed by the famous jewelry designer Robert Edelman himself. What do you think?" asked Perry Dempsey, the sales associate."It's beautiful. Zeke, let's take this pair, okay?" Sophie said eagerly, holding out her hand for him to slip the ring on.Lily stood nearby, watching as Zeke dropped to one knee and slipped the ring onto Sophie's finger. Cheers rose from the crowd as the two held each other tightly.Lily had just signed the divorce papers, and Zeke was already here, picking o

Zeke was on the verge of leaving when Sophie's sobs broke the silence."Are you really going? I don't want to be alone. Please, stay with me. I just had the baby, and my whole body aches.""Alright, I'll stay." He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "You just had a baby. You shouldn't cry.""Okay, I won't if you stay with me."Relief washed over Zeke when Sophie finally settled down, yet Lily's face flashed vividly in his mind."Zeke, please, save our child…"Her desperate pleas haunted his ears like a lingering echo, tightening the knot in his chest. She'd seemed injured then, and he had no idea how she was doing now.Footsteps echoed outside the door, and Zeke caught fragments of nurses' voices."Aren't you off yet? The night shift ended some time ago. Why haven't you gone home?""I'm tied up. A pregnant woman was brought in last night. She was bleeding heavily and struggling through obstructed labor. Dr. Lambert has been fighting nonstop to save her.""How far al

Sophie's recovery after a natural birth was smooth, and she was discharged just three days later.Throughout those days, Zeke never left her side. Occasionally, his thoughts drifted to Lily, but each time he checked his phone and saw no missed calls, he told himself she must be alright.What he never realized was that Sophie had erased every trace of Lily's calls from his phone. She wanted Lily to believe Zeke never spared her a single thought, to push her to surrender and walk away.That very morning, Lily was also discharged from the hospital.Her body was frail, and the pain made each step a struggle, yet she insisted on going to the funeral home. Rhonda pushed her wheelchair steadily along the way.There, Lily watched her child being cremated and placed the ashes into the urn with her own hands.A drizzle fell as she stepped outside. She glanced up at the sky, and a hollow grief stirred deep in her chest."Take me home, Rhonda," she said.Back at the Connolly residence, the