Chapter 5

The morning I was set to leave for Nord, I sent an email to my supervisor.

I hesitated before adding the last line—

I’m pregnant.

For a few minutes, I just stared at the blinking cursor, wondering if this would change everything.

Would they still want me?

Would they see me as a burden?

Then his reply came almost instantly.

“My goodness, Wendy! That’s wonderful news! Congratulations! Don’t worry about a thing—I’ll arrange your accommodation, prenatal checkups, everything. Someone will meet you at the airport and take you straight to your new home.”

The words blurred before my eyes.

No judgment. No disappointment.

Just kindness.

For the first time in months, I felt safe.

Safe enough to cry.

When I packed that morning, I chose a loose cotton dress—something soft, something that could hide the small swell of my belly.

Each fold of fabric felt like a goodbye.

Goodbye to the girl who waited.

Goodbye to the wife who begged.

Goodbye to the woman who kept loving a man who had already stopped.

At the airport, a young man waved as soon as he saw me.

“Wendy Morgan?”

He had warm hazel eyes and a smile that felt like sunlight.

“Hi, I’m Shaun Rivers,” he said, taking my suitcase before I could refuse. “Welcome to Nord’s research program. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

He spoke with a quiet confidence that eased my nerves.

It was my first time leaving home alone—and I wasn’t alone anymore.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

Shaun smiled. “You’ve done enough thanking for a lifetime. Just breathe, Wendy. I’ll handle everything.”

While we waited near the gate, I suddenly froze.

A voice I knew better than my own broke through the crowd.

“Jane, be careful.”

My heart stopped.

Zayne.

I turned instinctively, and there he was—tall, composed, walking beside Jane Dunn.

Her hand rested on her belly.

His gaze was protective, gentle.

I ducked my head so fast I nearly dropped my passport.

“Zayne,” Jane’s voice rang out, sweet and casual. “I want to try that new café. Come with me?”

He hesitated. “Wait, I thought I heard—Wendy—”

My pulse thundered in my ears. I bent lower, pretending to fix my luggage.

Don’t see me. Please, don’t see me.

Jane tugged his arm. “She’s probably at the lab. You’ll just distract her. Come on, Zayne.”

And just like that, he let her pull him away.

I exhaled shakily, my chest tight with something that wasn’t quite relief and not quite sorrow.

He hadn’t even looked twice.

I watched their figures disappear into the crowd, realizing how strange it was—

how, even at the end, it was Jane who helped me escape.

“Wendy?” Shaun’s voice pulled me back. “It’s time for security.”

I nodded, clutching my passport.

At the checkpoint, Shaun handed me a small postcard.

“Here. You can mail this home once you settle in. Just so they know you’re safe.”

The photo showed a vast glacier—blue and endless.

A new world.

I smiled faintly and dropped it into the trash.

“I don’t have anyone to send it to.”

On the plane, Shaun double-checked everything for me, kind and professional.

“The lab’s already prepared your workspace,” he said. “And your new place is near the research center. Just focus on your health, okay?”

I nodded, trying to hold back the tears.

Because in four years of marriage, Zayne Ford had never once said those words to me.

When the plane began to move, I looked out the window.

The city stretched beneath the clouds—cold, glittering, beautiful, and full of ghosts.

I pressed my hand gently over my stomach.

“Zayne Ford,” I whispered, “we’re truly over.”

The engines roared, and for the first time, I didn’t flinch.

The city grew smaller, then vanished entirely beneath the clouds.

And just like that, I was free.