Chapter 6

Joshua's POV

Five days before my departure, I handed in my resignation to the school.

Back when I still wanted to be with Renee, I'd turned down Professor Stark's offer to keep working with him on his research and chose to work as a teacher instead.

When my colleagues heard that I was leaving, they seemed extremely surprised.

"Why are you resigning, Mr. Downey? You were just telling us about your wedding two weeks ago. Are you planning to become a full-time househusband? Your wife must be one lucky woman!" one of them teased.

I smiled as I gathered my things. "Actually, the wedding's been called off."

…

When I opened my front door, I found Renee and Chad, whom I hadn't seen in a week, standing inside.

When Renee's eyes fell on the box I was holding, she instinctively asked, "What are you doing with all that?"

"I don't really need them, so I thought I'd bring them home," I said casually, making up an excuse.

She nodded. Then, she glanced around the house with a puzzled expression.

"I've only been gone for a week. Why does it feel like so much stuff is missing?"

I carried the box into the bedroom and put it down before answering calmly, "I just got rid of some unnecessary junk."

Before Renee could say anything else, Chad cut her off.

"It was awfully kind of Renee to accompany me on this trip for the past few days, Joshua. I really appreciate you letting her take wedding photos with me. You helped make a dream of mine come true," he told me.

Then he added, "How about I take you both out for dinner? It's the least I can do after everything you two have done for me. I'll probably still need to rely on you two for a while, so I hope you don't mind having me around, Joshua."

I met his gaze and caught the smug look in his eyes.

I could tell that he was getting impatient. Ever since I'd received that pregnancy test report, I hadn't reacted at all. In fact, I hadn't even confronted Renee about it.

I had no interest in getting dragged into another pointless fight with him. In five days, I'd be gone from Renee's life for good. For now, I just wanted to get everything in order so I could leave without any issues.

When I didn't reply, Chad paused.

"Is Joshua upset, Renee? The two of you are getting married soon, but…"

Hearing this, Renee instantly frowned. Turning toward me, she barked, "Chad is genuinely trying to thank us. Why are you giving him that attitude? It's just one dinner. It's not like he's going to poison your food. You're coming whether you like it or not!"

A split second later, she added, "And stop being so petty! You're a grown man!"

I hadn't said a word, yet she had already decided that I was in the wrong.

In the end, I was forced to have dinner with both of them.

…

At the restaurant, a waiter came over to take our order.

I hadn't even flipped through the menu when Renee said, "Nothing too oily or spicy, please. And no cilantro in any of the dishes."

Once our food arrived, Renee thoughtfully served Chad some of the dishes by placing them in his bowl. Then she pushed a plate of shrimp toward me.

"Chad can't have any shellfish at the moment. I ordered this for you," she announced.

The sight of the shrimp instantly killed my appetite.

"I'm allergic to shellfish," I declared, setting my utensils down.

How pathetic. We'd been dating for six years, yet she didn't know that I was allergic to shellfish. Meanwhile, she knew all of Chad's dietary restrictions by heart, and she even remembered that he disliked cilantro.

Renee clearly didn't know about my shellfish allergy. For a brief moment, her expression looked utterly blank.

By the time she looked at me again, an unusual hint of guilt flickered in her eyes. She ordered a few more dishes afterward, but I didn't eat anything for the rest of the meal. I simply sat there and sipped on my water in silence.

Just as we were leaving the restaurant, I received another call from Laurel.

"Hey, Joshua. I'm calling on behalf of Professor Stark. He just wants to make sure you're certain about joining the lab under its usual arrangements. Our first project is classified. There's a good chance you won't be able to contact anyone outside the lab for a year or two."

My gaze fell on Renee and Chad, who were both walking ahead of me. The pair were walking side by side. As Renee descended the steps, her hand instinctively moved to her stomach.

"I'm certain," I replied, my voice perfectly calm.

Laurel sounded relieved. "That's good to hear. Professor Stark was worried you might not be willing to part with your wife."

I looked away and started walking the other way. "The wedding's been called off. I can leave at any time."

Just then, a puzzled voice sounded from behind me.

"Who's leaving?"