Chapter 3

I turned on my heel and pushed open the door to leave.

I broke down the second I crossed the threshold. I steadied myself against the wall, white drywall dust wedged under my fingernails.

I couldn't help but feel a constant, stabbing headache that made me catch my breath in pain, leaving me lightheaded. I went straight to the hospital, where the doctor arranged for me to be admitted for more detailed testing.

Thea didn't reach out with a single message, having gone off on her honeymoon with Hayden. They didn't even bother blocking me on their social media.

They posted plenty of photos, many of which were taken at places that I had brought up to Thea. The caption read, "Here with my soulmate."

Calvin followed up with his own post. "I'm their photographer for the day!"

He had studied photography back in university. He used to tell me that he wanted to be my best man and swore he would take amazing shots for us when I got married.

I turned off my phone and looked up as the nurse came in. "Your results aren't looking too great right now. You have a growth in your brain, so it's best to have your family here with you. You see, keeping your spirits up will go a long way in your recovery."

I looked out the window in silence before saying, "I don't have a family."

Ignoring the doctor's advice, I checked myself out of the hospital.

I had made up my mind to leave the city. I didn't even bother to bring a change of clothes.

I had just stepped inside the airport when I suddenly ran into Thea, who was just standing right there. I acted as if I didn't see her and made a point of veering around her.

Thea reflexively lunged forward and grabbed my hand in a tight grip, her gaze gradually taking in my pale features. "How could you just walk out on us after being together for nine years, William? Can you really bring yourself to do that? I'm carrying your child, William, and they need a father, too."

I forcefully yanked my hand away, my composure finally shattering as I snapped, "You actually remembered that we've been together for nine years, huh? You didn't give a damn about those nine years when you registered that marriage and held the wedding with another man!

"You certainly didn't care when you married him while knowingly carrying my child! Who are you trying to fool with this sudden show of concern, Thea?"

Thea paused, her breathing hitching. "I-I want you to stay by my side… I don't want to break up with you…"

I shoved her away indifferently when she lunged forward and threw her arms around my waist. I took a step back and barked, "How could I possibly stay by your side? Do you want to keep me around as your secret lover or your side piece?

"What will happen to the child after they are born? Do you want them to call another man 'Dad'?"

I couldn't stop myself from trembling as I said that. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists, doing everything I could to hold back my tears.

"If that's how it's going to be, then I'd rather not have the child."

Thea widened her eyes in disbelief, staring intently at me. "You don't want them anymore? That's your child, William! You've been looking forward to this for years! You should feel them first."

She took my hand after saying that and placed it on her stomach.

I closed my eyes, feeling a sharp pain in my chest.

Thea had always preferred her freedom, constantly claiming she wasn't ready and was in no rush for a family, which was why I ended up waiting year after year for this child to come along. I thought having a child would finally make her settle down, but look at where that got me.

She grabbed my hand and kept explaining, "Hayden and I met in grad school—he was my junior. He brought me food all the time, and our professor always had me take him along to events.

"We eventually ended up together as one thing led to another. I couldn't just turn around and screw him over, William…"

I jerked away from her grip, closing my eyes in pain. It turned out that while I was grinding away day and night to pay her tuition fees, she was over there snuggled up in someone else's embrace.

She lowered her voice and continued, "You know as well as I do that if I don't want you to go, you won't be able to, William…"

…

I ended up going back with her anyway. I absolutely refused to live under the same roof with her, so she rented an apartment for me.

She didn't have time to visit me, so she kept sending me messages instead. But I didn't reply to any of them.

One day, Hayden came by my workplace with Calvin, using a business deal as an excuse to drop in uninvited. He deliberately got close to my colleagues before saying, "I really don't get some people who constantly try to destroy someone else's marriage.

"I seriously have no idea what they're scheming by trying to father an illegitimate child just to leach off the family wealth."

One of my colleagues echoed the sentiment. "Exactly! These kinds of people deserve a beatdown! They should string him up and tear him limb from limb!"

Hayden approached me and stared me down. "You think so too, don't you, William?"

I ignored him completely.

He maintained his smirk. "What's the matter, William? You have the nerve to do it, but not the balls to own up to it?"

In that instant, hushed whispers broke out among my colleagues, and before long, word traveled to the supervisor. He couldn't stand office drama or personal scandals, so he didn't offer me a single second to plead my case before announcing my termination.

I looked up, embarrassed, and saw Calvin standing behind Hayden. I thought I finally had someone who could help me.

"You have to clarify this for me, Calvin! You know Thea and I were together for nine years! Hayden was the homewrecker here! I never—"

Calvin, however, betrayed whatever expectations I had. "That's enough. I barely even know you, so stop hitting me up in the future. You should really take my advice—change your ways and start over."

I had no choice but to leave. I tried to find another job, but I kept hitting dead ends. In the end, I could only return home in a daze.

Thea happened to be standing right outside my door. "I heard what happened, William. Hayden was just blowing off some steam; he didn't mean anything by it. You don't have much schooling, so your career path isn't really going anywhere. You should just stay home instead, William."