Chapter 1

Joshua's POV

"Renee, we've been together for six years, and we're getting married soon. Now you want to have another man's baby? What about me? Have you ever considered my feelings?"

My voice was hoarse, and a dull ache sat heavy in my chest.

Ever since Renee Flores told me a month ago that she wanted to have a child with Chad Patterson, I'd asked her those questions countless times. But every time, her answer was the same.

"How can you be so heartless? Chad has a heart condition. His dying wish is to have a child of his own. He saved my life. How can I possibly refuse him?"

Renee slammed the glass in her hand to the floor and screamed at me hysterically. Flying shards of glass sliced across the back of my hand, leaving thin streaks of blood.

I let out a bitter laugh, my heart sinking.

As expected, it was the same excuse she'd been giving me all along.

The first time Renee said those words, I thought the whole thing was absurd. I understood that Chad had a heart condition and had saved her life, but how could having his baby possibly be a way to repay him?

Yet despite my refusal, she wouldn't drop it. I started to realize that she wouldn't back down unless I agreed to let her have Chad's baby.

But how could I let the woman I loved have another man's child?

After a month of countless arguments, I was completely exhausted. With red-rimmed eyes, I looked at the woman I'd loved for six years and asked one last time, my voice hoarse.

"Renee, are you really going to do this?"

She hesitated when she saw the despair in my eyes. But the thought of having Chad's baby quickly won out, and she answered firmly, "Yes! I am!"

Perhaps my unusually calm reaction that day made her feel uneasy. For once, her expression softened.

"Joshua, I'm only going to have Chad's baby. Don't worry. I'm still going to marry you. You know I can't just stand by and watch the man who saved my life die with regrets."

"Besides, it's just artificial insemination. Nothing physical is going to happen between Chad and me. I'll still be yours when we get married."

But her seemingly reassuring words felt like a slap in the face.

Did she think marrying me was some kind of charity? Did she even care about me at all?

"Renee, you…"

Before I could finish, her phone suddenly rang and cut me off.

Renee glanced at the screen and immediately turned toward the balcony to answer it.

I watched her hurry away, my heart heavy with bitterness.

Renee and I grew up together. We'd been in the same class since kindergarten and even attended the same college.

I'd been trailing after her since we were kids. She'd been the center of my world for as long as I could remember. Even though she always kept me at arm's length, I was content just to stay by her side.

That all changed after we graduated from high school.

We'd just finished our graduation dinner and were walking home when Renee, who'd been walking ahead of me, suddenly turned around and asked, "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

At that moment, all the noise around me disappeared. Her words were the only thing left, replaying endlessly in my ears.

Then she clarified that she just wanted to experience what being in a relationship felt like. She didn't actually like me that way, and if I wasn't interested, that was fine too.

But how could I possibly give up an opportunity like that?

I agreed right away.

I thought that even if she didn't love me yet, feelings could grow over time. As long as I treated her well enough, I'd eventually have a place in her heart.

But I never expected that even after six years, she'd still never truly let me in.

We'd known each other for most of our lives. After six years together, we should have been each other's closest and most trusted people.

Yet in all six years together, she'd never once let me touch her phone. She even stepped away whenever she took a call.

I remembered one time she was resting in bed with a stomachache. Her phone kept lighting up with incoming messages.

I was worried the notifications would disturb her, so I reached out to put it on silent. But the moment my fingers touched her phone, her eyes snapped open. She immediately accused me of prying and refused to hear a single word of my explanation.

That night, I sat alone on the living room floor until morning.

Back then, I told myself she was just guarded and needed space because she didn't love me enough yet. I genuinely believed that one day I'd find a way into her heart.

But after all these years, nothing had changed.

Now she even wanted to have another man's child, without even considering my feelings.

When Renee came back inside, her face lit up with joy. She grabbed her coat, slipped it on, and headed straight for the door.

"Something came up. I have to go out for a while. Think it over carefully while I'm gone. Stop being so unreasonable."

I listened to her hurried footsteps fading away, feeling utterly numb. The only person who could make her rush off like that was probably Chad.

Sure enough, he sent me a photo soon after. I zoomed in for a better look, and my legs nearly gave out when I saw what was in the picture.