Chapter 3

When I pulled open the door to the motel room, the musty air rushed straight into my nostrils. For 50 dollars a night, the room was cramped and suffocating. Its walls and furnishings were tinged a dirty, faded yellow.

I pulled out a few pieces of clothing from my suitcase, spread them over the bed, and spent the night curled up in a ball.

…

As soon as day broke the next morning, I took the remaining cash in my wallet and rode three different buses to get to the city hospital. Little did I know, I'd run into two familiar figures there.

"I drove Elma away last night, so we can finally head to Gastonie this afternoon like you've been wanting to." Beck affectionately pinched Iria's cheek. "You're such a handful. Last time, you wanted to go to Verdagne. Before that, you wanted to go to Eisnerland. Then there's Zephyria, Oceana..."

He counted them off on his fingers, rattling off one place after another. In the end, he sighed. "Every time, I have to find a way to drive Elma off. It's exhausting."

My heart sank into my stomach. One after another, all those petty, even downright absurd arguments came flooding back to me.

Sometimes, it was because I arrived home late. Other times, it was because of a piece of clothing.

At times, it was because of a meal. Occasionally, it was over something as stupid as a pen.

Time and again, he had deliberately found ways to pick fights with me. Then, he used his mental illness as an excuse to send me to a hotel, just so he could take Iria on trips. In an instant, all those years of deception set me ablaze.

I was just about to take a step forward when Iria's next words froze me dead in my tracks. "In that case, what do you plan to do about the baby in my belly?"

"I'll find a way to bring the baby home and raise them. I'll have them recognize Elma as their mother first."

Tears welled up in Iria's eyes. "You want my baby to call Elma 'Mom'?"

"Don't worry. I'll buy you a house right next door to ours. Whenever you miss them, you can come over anytime. I'll send Elma off to hotels just like I always do. All of my resources and assets will also be left to our child."

The very next second, I couldn't take it anymore and struck Beck hard across the face. Our eyes met, and the air instantly froze.

Iria's sobs shattered the suffocating silence. She clutched my hand and choked out, "I'm sorry, Ellie. This is all my fault…"

I flung her hand away. Iria stumbled and fell, but Beck caught her. The anger and shock that had flashed across his face were already gone.

"That's enough. You've been with me for so many years. Of course, I won't shortchange you.

"Besides, you don't have a dime to your name right now. In other words, you can't survive without me."

Just then, Iria cried out, "It hurts... I think I hit my stomach when I fell!"

Beck immediately caught her. "Three years ago, the doctor said it'd be nearly impossible for you to ever get pregnant, so I'm definitely keeping the baby in Iria's belly.

"I'll have Milo deliver the divorce agreement to the motel tonight. Sign it. Once Iria and the baby are registered under my family household, we'll get remarried."

I clutched my pregnancy test report tightly in my hand. The hesitation and conflict I had felt about aborting my baby vanished into thin air.

…

I didn't even know how I made it onto the operating table. Then, I heard the doctor. "Alright, you can get up now. Make sure to avoid strenuous exercise and intercourse for a month, and keep a close eye on how you feel."

I endured the cramping pain from my uterus contracting after the procedure and made my way to the hospital entrance, where I saw Beck wheel Iria out.

"Beck, have you thought of a name for the baby yet?"

"I have. If he's a boy, we'll name him Ansel Callahan; if she's a girl, we'll name her Anya Callahan."

Those were the names Beck and I had come up with together when we were in college. I caressed my lower abdomen. It was empty now.

…

When I returned to the motel, Beck's assistant, Milo Long, had already delivered the divorce agreement.

He was accompanied by two bodyguards. One of them was on the phone.

Beck's voice came through the phone. "If she refuses to sign, find a way to make her sign it. However, be careful. Don't hurt her."

I sneered and picked up the pen. Under their watchful eyes, I signed my name without the slightest hesitation.

"Mrs. Callahan has signed it, Mr. Callahan."

The other end of the line went dead silent for a couple of seconds before Beck said softly, "Alright."

…

The following day, I dragged my suitcase to the train station.

Beck was unaware of my apartment in Florenza. I'd purchased it with my own savings before we got married.

Since I didn't need it, I had rented it out for five years. The rent was 2500 dollars a month.

I had accumulated 150 grand, which was enough to support me for a while. Hence, I wasn't dirt poor like he claimed I was.

I boarded the train to Florenza with peace of mind, with my debit card and the deed to my little apartment. It was merely a small, 700-square-foot apartment. However, I could clutch the key firmly in my hand.

…

Third-person POV

Every night in Gastonie, before going to bed, Beck would stare long and hard at the divorce agreement. For some reason, he began to feel uneasy.

He called Milo and asked him to deliver the new key to Elma. Then, he sent her two messages. "This divorce is just for show. We can still go back to how things were. I had Milo deliver you the new key. Go home and wait for me."

Just then, Milo called. "Mr. Callahan, it looks like Mrs. Callahan has been pregnant for about two months. I just ran into the psychologist who treated you, and he told me he bumped into her at the hospital recently and even saw her pregnancy test report."

After hanging up, Beck immediately packed his bags and booked the earliest flight home. He had not been this excited in years. He was like a lovestruck young man all over again.

…

However, when he returned home, an empty house was all that greeted him. Every single one of Elma's belongings had vanished.

His eyes were bloodshot as he called Milo. "Where's she? Didn't you give her the key? Didn't you say she was pregnant?"