Chapter 2

The next morning, I booked an appointment for an abortion.

Before I left, Yosef handed me bread and milk—a rare gesture from him.

"Clara made these. She mentioned bread's your favorite and asked me to bring some over. She also said it's been a while since she saw you, so drop by her shop today if you have time."

I lowered my eyes at the food pushed into my hands.

My mind flashed back to four years ago, on a winter day when Yosef and I had just walked out of the office.

Clara Lawson was standing in the biting wind, shivering in paper-thin clothes. I pulled out a piece of bread from my bag—the one I'd forgotten to eat that morning—and gave it to her.

From that day on, I bought an extra piece every single morning.

As we grew closer, Yosef and I chipped in to help her open a bakery. She was driven, and business took off quickly. Soon, crowds were lining up for her cakes and pastries.

I opened the wrapper. It was my favorite kind.

I took a small bite, only to realize my throat was tight, and I couldn't swallow the bread. Still, I washed it down with a gulp of milk.

Swallowing hurt like hell.

At the hospital, I signed the consent forms and waited alone in the corridor.

I rested my hand on my slightly swollen belly, stroking it gently over and over.

Then, I was lying on the operating table. The harsh white surgical lights flickered on above me, and the life inside me was taken away.

Under partial anesthesia, I felt a stream of warm tears slip down my temples, soaking into my hair.

As I stepped out of the operating room, my hand went back to my stomach out of pure instinct.

I felt no regret or lingering attachment. Just relief.

My legs felt weak and unsteady, so I took tiny steps, afraid I would lose my balance and fall.

When I finally reached the elevators, I ran into two familiar figures.

The moment Yosef saw me, his expression stiffened, and he was speechless for a long moment.

It wasn't until he noticed my eyes shift to Clara that he snapped back to reality.

He stepped in front of her to block my view and muttered, "You're the one who reminded me last night. But don't get the wrong idea. I saw you leave early and assumed you had things to take care of, so I didn't bother calling you."

I pulled my gaze back and nodded faintly.

Yosef relaxed a fraction, but my unnerving composure clearly rattled him.

Taking in my deathly pale face, he opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but a voice cut him off.

Clara popped out from behind him, her face lighting up. "Renee! Long time no see! I missed you so much!"

As she said that, she darted forward to hug me.

I stepped aside, leaving her grasping at empty air.

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Renee, do you hate me now?"

Seeing this, Yosef frowned and pulled me aside. He placed both hands on my shoulders and hissed, "Renee Lowell, what is wrong with you? Must you make her cry? Apologize to Clara now."

I raised an eyebrow, pulled out my phone, and brought up the post Clara had shared on Instagram last night.

"You want me to apologize to her?"

The moment Yosef saw the contents, he froze completely.

Before he could process it, Clara broke into tears. "Renee, please don't misunderstand. I just wanted to document the moment. If it bothers you that much, I'll delete it right now!"

With that, she turned and ran off.

Yosef snapped back to his senses and glared at me coldly. "Look at what you've done! Are you satisfied now?"

He shoved me hard and sprinted after Clara without even bothering to look back.

Weak and exhausted, the sudden force knocked me right off balance. My legs gave out, and I slammed onto the floor.

A dull, throbbing pain radiated through my bones.

My fingers clawed against the cold tile as every breath sent sharp pains through my body.

Watching his unhesitating retreat, I lay crumpled on the ground, crying silently.

After leaving the hospital, I went straight to the office to hand in my resignation.

When I stepped inside, the chatter of my coworkers reached my ears. "Mr. Sinclair is ridiculously generous. He bought out her entire shop to treat us to afternoon tea just to win over that bakery owner."