Seasons of Mourning

“You were the one who went overboard with matchmaking two months ago. The baby was never meant to come into the world in the first place.”

The moment Dominic Fletcher finished, Sabine Mercer slapped him hard across the face.

“If you dare say anything of that sort in front of Elaine, I’ll never forgive you for as long as I live!

“Her mother died in childbirth, and her father met death to save your life. Elaine loves children. I only wanted her to be happy…”

The boulder must’ve left a nasty cut on my back.

Now it throbbed with a searing pain that spread to my chest.

I gritted my teeth as tears quickly spilled over.

In the seven years I had been with Dominic, he had never once touched me.

Not until two months ago, when he staggered home drenched in alcohol.

That was the first time he had ever looked at me with such passionate, intoxicating desire.

Only because he had mistaken me for Sabine.

When I learned I was pregnant, I had been so overwhelmed with joy that I spent the whole night awake.

But the truth was ruthless.

I was the only parent looking forward to the arrival of our child.

“I don’t wanna keep sneaking around behind Elaine’s back. I’m just so exhausted…”

The moment Sabine finished her sentence, Dominic pulled her into a tight, frantic embrace, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

“Sabine, if you ever dare pull another disappearing act like you did three years ago, I swear I’ll end my life right then and there.”

I froze.

Three years ago, Sabine had gone abroad under the guise of negotiating a business partnership, vanishing for quite some time.

During that exact stretch of time, I noticed Dominic’s eyes were bloodshot every single day.

In the dead of night, he would slip away to hide in the bathroom and weep in secret.

At the time, I foolishly thought he was simply aching with empathy for my own pain.

Looking back now, it was nothing more than my own pathetic self-delusion.

They whispered a few more words with lowered heads until Sabine grew so angry she tried to turn and walk away.

Dominic suddenly cupped the back of her head, pulling her into a fierce, desperate kiss.

As the lovers lost themselves in passion, a violent wave of nausea brought on by betrayal and humiliation battered my mind.

I doubled over, unable to relieve myself.

It felt as if my heart were being torn open.

And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to hate either of them.

The moment they noticed me staring, both Dominic and Sabine froze in shock.

Sabine was the first to react.

With bloodshot eyes, she rushed into the room and grasped my hands tightly.

“Elaine, you’re finally awake…”

Gazing at my flattened belly, a flicker of guilt washed over her face.

“You’re both still young… There’s still plenty of time…”

Dominic stepped into the room with heavy, sluggish footsteps.

Bandages wrapped around his hands, and his face was covered in fresh cuts and bruises.

With awkward precision, he opened the thermal container on the bedside table, carefully ladling out a bowl of warm soup.

He then gently brushed the stray hairs from my forehead, placed a tissue across my chest, and meticulously adjusted the incline of the bed.

He then blew on every spoonful, cooling the soup before offering it to me.

Just as he had done every single day and night over the past seven years.

When it came to taking care of me, his devotion was unmatched as ever.

Despite the fact that the woman he truly loved was pushing him away.

Fresh tears spilled over before the ones I shed earlier could dry, dripping into the soup.

Dominic’s fingers stiffened for a second.

He quickly pulled out a napkin and wiped the tears from my cheeks.

Sabine tapped Dominic on the arm, forcing a tight, awkward smile.

“Look at you making a fool of yourself. It’s embarrassing.

“You two survived a near-death ordeal. Only good fortune from now on.

“Take good care of my bestie. If she sheds another tear, I will make your life a living hell for as long as I live.”

Dominic glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his face cold and silent.

Watching them try so hard to put on a show, exchanging anxious glances as they did, I felt as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me.

It was only now that I realized just how terrible their acting really was.

I had been the biggest fool on earth, never once noticed the burning passion in their eyes.