Chapter 3

Jay glanced back at me.

"Julia's leg is injured. I'll take her first. Wait for me in the consultation room," he said, then strode away, carrying Julia in his arms.

Leaning against his shoulder, she looked at me and flashed a triumphant smile.

I wasn't surprised by his choice.

The so-called devotion he had faked for me collapsed the moment Julia appeared.

And yet he still thought he hid it well.

I couldn't stop the mocking curl of my lips.

Turning away, I forced myself toward the consultation room.

The doctor warned me to keep calm. My body was fragile after the miscarriage. Too much grief would only make things worse.

That was when a message popped up on my phone.

Julia: [The moment I beckon, he comes back to me. What do you have to compete with?]

The loved are always fearless.

But I wasn't going to compete. I admitted defeat.

Pocketing my phone, I went alone to collect my medicine. Jay never came. Not a single call, not a single text.

This time, I didn't wait.

Back home, my screen lit up with a message from my father: [Your visa is ready. Once your records are canceled, you can leave anytime.]

I replied with a single word: [Okay.]

While packing the last of my luggage, I happened to see Julia's latest post.

A candlelit dinner for two. Hands clasped across the table. On one long, slender finger gleamed a ring.

I recognized Jay's hand instantly.

Without hesitation, I tapped "like."

A moment later, his call came through. His voice overflowed with apology.

"Emma, I'm sorry. I meant to drop Julia home first, then go back to the hospital for you. But her stomach started hurting, so I took her out to eat instead."

Before he could finish, a woman's voice drifted clearly through the receiver.

"Jay, who are you talking to?"

"Work," he answered quickly, muffling the phone—yet I heard it all.

Then came his gentle coaxing. "Emma, just rest. If your stomach hurts, take your medicine. I'll explain everything once I'm back."

I had no interest in his lies anymore. I hung up.

After resting through the night, my strength returned. I went to the company the next morning to resign.

My colleagues were warm and insistent, clamoring for a farewell meal.

Unfamiliar with restaurants, I chose one Jay had often brought me to with good food and a decent atmosphere.

Halfway through, I excused myself for the restroom.

And there, I overheard a familiar voice—Julia's—speaking with her friend.

The friend sounded worried. "You've secretly gotten back with Billy. If Jay finds out…"

Julia replied, utterly unbothered, "He wouldn't believe it even if he did. He's my biggest simp. One wave of my hand, and he abandoned the woman who'd stayed by his side for seven years without hesitation. Of course, he'll forgive me.

"Besides, if you don't tell and I don't tell, who will know the baby in my belly belongs to Billy?"

I sat frozen in the stall, waiting until their voices faded, then finally switched off my phone's recording mode.

A simp who grovels in love never meets a good end.

I was one. And so was Jay.

Back in the private room, I saw everyone had nearly finished eating. I rose to my feet, ready to settle the bill.