He Lost Me the Night Our Child Was Born

"I'm glad you've finally come to your senses, Sera!"

However, I didn't have the strength to answer. The pain in my abdomen was getting worse, and blood kept flowing from between my legs.

The panic in my heart grew heavier by the second. With every bit of strength I had left, I dragged myself toward the nurses' station and managed to whisper, "Please, save me. Save my baby."

My father's frantic voice came through the phone, but I'd already lost consciousness.

I collapsed at the doorway.

…

When I woke up, Orson was holding my hand. "Are you awake, Seraphina? Congratulations. We have a son."

The joy in his eyes looked genuine, but so was the fact that he'd publicly abandoned me yesterday while I was fully dilated, choosing instead to perform a C-section on a dog.

I quietly pulled my hand away. "Don't congratulate me. Let's take a break."

Orson's expression changed. He dismissed my words as if they meant nothing. "Stop this nonsense. If I hadn't gone yesterday, Cressie's dog and her five puppies would have died. Six lives were at stake. Quit being so heartless, will you?"

I froze for a moment, then anger surged through me.

"Me, heartless? You're the one putting those animals' lives above our child's! If the chief obstetrician hadn't been on duty yesterday, we could've lost the baby!"

To my surprise, Orson didn't even spare me a glance. His head was lowered as he stared intently at his phone. On the screen was a photo of Cressida Fairchild fussing over the puppies.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

When he noticed me looking at him, he raised his head. "Hm? What did you just say?"

A deep sense of helplessness washed over me. Exhausted, I leaned back. "The baby is mine. You can have everything else."

Just then, his phone rang.

"Orson, come quick! One of the puppies choked on milk. I don't know what to do!"

"Okay, don't panic. I'm on my way!"

Orson grabbed his clothes before heading out, pausing at the door before he said, "Think this through. We're married. I don't agree to this, so there's no way we're separating."

I watched his retreating figure and smiled bitterly to myself. "You must've forgotten, Orson. We had a wedding, but we aren't legally married."

I pulled the ring engraved with his name from my ring finger and tossed it into the trash. "I'm the one who's dumping you this time, Orson."