Chapter 3

Hannah’s POV

The next morning, I dragged my heavy body out of bed like an empty shell.

The woman staring back at me in the mirror looked pale and unrecognizable.

I wished everything that happened last night had just been a bad dream.

I hadn’t slept at all. The shock of it kept replaying in my head.

With a foggy mind, I stared down at the divorce papers.

Was the ten million settlement a sign of how deeply he cared for Linda, or was it simply hush money for a woman he believed had married him for his money?

Did he want me gone that badly?

There was no answer. All I knew was that his heart was no longer anywhere near me.

I didn’t care about the settlement itself.

What hurt was realizing Ethan wanted the divorce so much that he put a number like that on the table.

I didn’t have the strength to fight him. And with the children growing inside me,

I chose not to resist his demands.

He wasn’t in the living room or the bedroom.

When I asked the butler, he said Ethan had come home for a moment last night, then left the house again right after.

I guess he really couldn’t stand the idea of seeing me.

Did he already assume I would pack up and disappear on my own?

Was that why he wasn’t here?

I had no appetite, but the babies needed something.

I forced myself to eat some toast and fruit.

Everything tasted the same, like cardboard.

"Hello, Dr. Mitchell? It's Hannah. Do you have a moment?"

"Hannah, how are you feeling? Any nausea or morning sickness?"

"I’m alright. Doctor… can stress affect twins?"

"It’s not always the direct cause, but it definitely doesn’t help.

And since yours is a high-risk pregnancy after fertility treatment, the chances of miscarriage are higher than average. Did something happen with Ethan?"

"No, I just figured he’s busy with work, so maybe I’ll be spending more time alone."

"I see. Your body is going to go through a lot of changes soon. You and Ethan should really talk things through."

"Yes… thank you."

I didn’t tell him about the divorce.

Aside from Dr. Mitchell, no one knew about the pregnancy, and he was the only person I could talk to.

Our families had been close for generations, and he’d been my doctor throughout the past three years of fertility treatments. I trusted him on every level, as both a doctor and a person.

I hadn’t been able to tell Ethan yesterday, but at the very least, I wanted him to know about the babies.

Even if he no longer loved me, maybe learning about them would make something inside him soften.

After three long years, the babies had finally chosen to come to me. Ethan had been waiting for this too. Even if he couldn’t share my joy completely, I still wanted him to know.

I drove to his office and parked in the underground garage.

As I headed toward the elevator, Ethan walked out of the building at the same time. I hurried forward to call out to him, but a voice I recognized called his name first.

"Ethan!"

It was Linda.

Were they meeting each other on purpose?

She ran over to him so naturally, so comfortably. I hid behind a pillar before they noticed me. Their voices drifted over.

"Ethan, I missed you. I’ve loved you for so long. I’m so glad you finally asked for a divorce."

"I told Hannah about the bank account, but she acted like she had no idea what I was talking about."

"It’s an act. She’s always been good at lying. She fools everyone around her and comes out on top every time."

"I can’t believe she’s like that. I hate lies."

"No one blames you. She’s fooled plenty of people. Even her own father doesn’t see through her. You poor thing, it must have been awful. Forget all about her. I’ll make sure you do. And unlike her, I don’t need fertility treatments. I can give you healthy children, lots of them. Your father will be thrilled, don’t you think?"

Linda leaned in closer.

A wave of nausea hit me.

I turned and left before I threw up.

They didn’t notice me. They were still talking as if nothing else in the world existed.

I hadn’t even signed the divorce papers yet.

Legally, we were still husband and wife.

And he was already talking about his future with Linda.

If he found out I was pregnant…

would he try to take the babies from me?

My breathing grew tight. I hurried back home.

Once inside my room, I pressed a hand to my stomach. The tiny lives inside me were real and warm and fragile. I couldn’t let Ethan or Linda take them away.

My hands shook as I opened a suitcase and began packing. His things, our memories, our home…

I wanted to destroy everything, but I forced myself to choose only what I needed from now on.

I packed everything and looked around the house one last time.

Photos from our engagement ceremony at the restaurant where our families met.

Our wedding picture.

The custom overseas-brand cups we ordered as gifts for the guests.

The three-carat diamond ring he gave me when we got engaged.

Every one of them was a memory of Ethan.

What had our days together even been worth?

I had been so happy. And now it was gone forever.

Tears kept falling, but I knew I had to be strong.

For the babies. And for myself.

The day I finally learned I was pregnant was also the day I learned Ethan no longer loved me and wanted me gone so badly he couldn’t even look at me.

With trembling hands, I signed the divorce papers and the settlement agreement. I placed my wedding ring on top of them and took one last long look around the home I had loved.

"Goodbye… to the man I loved.

Goodbye… to the home I loved.

I hope you live a happy life."

Holding a wound that would never heal, I quietly walked out of the house.