Chapter 2

Cassandra's POV

I couldn't help but think back to seven years ago when Nathan and I were living in a tiny room in a rundown neighborhood.

Janice had kicked me out of the house. Meanwhile, Nathan was so poor that he couldn't even afford to buy a proper set of clothes for himself.

I worked three jobs so he could attend university, and I never complained once, no matter how much hardship I had to endure.

I was the first person that Nathan thanked during his graduation speech. He said that he would never be able to thank me enough even if he spent the rest of his life repaying my kindness.

Later, Nathan was promoted to a senior attending physician. When he found out that Janice was originally Dad's mistress and had bullied me relentlessly when I was a child, he held up three fingers and made a vow.

"I'll never treat Janice or Jessica even if I have to starve to death on the sidewalk."

I stared at his glimmering eyes as I hid in his embrace. "Okay. I believe you," I said with a smile.

Nathan's eyes still sparkled like before, but he had forgotten all about the vow that he made.

"What are you looking at, honey?" he asked, pinching my cheek. "Let's just forget about what happened today. I'll take you to the hospital for a prenatal check-up tomorrow."

Before I could get a word in, Janice's voice resounded from behind us.

"Jessica's drunk, Nathan! Dad and I have a flight to catch tonight so we won't be able to take care of her. Why don't you take her to your place so you can look after her?"

Nathan immediately agreed. He then scooped Jessica into his arms in a bridal carry right before my eyes.

Jessica was already in a daze. She wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck and giggled. She sounded incredibly smug when she said, "I've conquered the cold and aloof doctor today…"

"What drama have you been watching?" Nathan asked, looking at her helplessly.

He ignored my pale face and carried Jessica to the passenger seat, asking, "What have you been eating lately? You feel heavier than before."

Jessica shot him a disgruntled look. "You're not supposed to comment on a lady's weight, Nate."

"Fine. I shouldn't have said that."

The small interior of the car was filled with the sounds of their playful teasing. Their delighted voices grated on my nerves.

I reached out and tugged on Nathan's shirt. "You said that you'd never let her set foot in our home."

"Jessica's drunk," he retorted in a low voice as if he was warning me not to spoil the mood. "Where else can she go? You're her sister. Don't be so mean."

I wanted to say that there were plenty of upscale hotels around us. But the words were stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say a single word.

Nathan had forgotten again. When we first bought the house, I told him that I had to sleep in the attic because I was forced to give up my room to Jessica when I was a child. It was why I refused to allow her and Janice into our home.

Nathan had hugged me with a heartbroken expression. He had then taken the initiative to upgrade the front door lock to a fingerprint sensor.

Jessica pressed her hand to the fingerprint sensor when we reached the house. The door unlocked itself with a soft beep.

"I can open the door now since you logged my fingerprints last time," she mumbled as she stumbled unsteadily across the threshold and slumped onto the stool next to the door.

My lips quivered as my stomach churned uncomfortably again. It turned out that Jessica had been into my home behind my back. She had even stored her biometric data on the lock, which meant that she could come and go as she pleased.

Nathan looked a little guilty when we made eye contact. "I'll explain later, honey."

He then padded toward the kitchen to prepare some soup. He even knew that Jessica didn't like the taste of medicine and had specially prepared some eggs and tomatoes beforehand.

Jessica was completely dazed at that point. Nathan had to kneel by her bedside and feed her the soup, one spoonful at a time. He bustled about for a long time before finally entering the bedroom to turn in for the night.

When he noticed that I was still awake, he held my hand and asked, "Why are you getting jealous over your own sister, honey? It's late. You should get some rest, especially since you're pregnant."

I swatted his hand away and turned my back on him, burrowing deeper into the blankets.

Nathan sighed. "Jessica and Janice dropped by during your last prenatal check-up. They were carrying a lot of bags with them. I couldn't just leave them standing at the door. You're being too stubborn. You're not even giving me a chance to make you feel better. I'll let you cool off by yourself tonight."

He then turned around and eventually fell asleep.

I no longer had any desire to question him about why he would forget the vows that he made, knowing that he would simply answer that he had forgotten all about them.

I pulled out my phone and scheduled an abortion. I also contacted a law firm and asked them to prepare divorce papers for me.

Nathan had no idea that this was no longer about whether he could make me feel better.