Chapter 3

My head spun violently.

It's no wonder my condition had deteriorated so rapidly.

Feeling my stomach churn, I scrambled into the bathroom and threw up violently into the bowl.

Charles dropped his phone and rushed over, pounding urgently on the door. His voice carried a sudden edge of panic. "Margo? Is it morning sickness?"

I stared blankly at the streaks of blood coating the toilet before quietly flushing it away. When I opened the door and stepped out, I brushed away the hand he extended to hold me.

"I'm fine."

The corners of Charles's mouth stiffened. My strange behavior throughout the whole evening was clearly driving him up the wall.

When his eyes landed on the unopened gift box, his temper finally reached its boiling point. He slammed his hand on the table. "I bought that for you. Why haven't you even opened it?"

Was I supposed to act eternally grateful for a cheap fake?

"I really like it," I said flatly.

Before the words could even settle, blood burst from my nose without warning, and my vision began to blur.

"Charles..."

However, he had already turned around, tossing back a cold remark about how a clueless bumpkin wouldn't know real luxury anyway, before grabbing his cane and slamming the door behind him.

Then I collapsed onto the floor.

…

Warm blood kept pouring from my nose and the corner of my mouth, quickly spreading into a pool beneath me.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed outside the window, lighting up the sky as bright as day. Through the delusional haze of unbearable agony, the words "Princess Nicole" illuminated the entire sky, casting light over the miserable state I was in.

I stared up with unfocused eyes. It was beautiful.

Suddenly, my phone began to vibrate wildly. The balance in my bank account rapidly dropped from four hundred grand to absolute zero.

I shook with a bitter laugh.

Charles was using the most painful method possible to punish me. However, what he didn't know was that every single cent of that money had been saved for him in the first place.

I had been stupid enough to fantasize about how moved he would be when he finally received that inheritance. Yet in the end, my everything was reduced to nothing more than a romantic gesture for another woman.

The phone suddenly rang, and I picked it up on instinct.

Without warning, the intimate, breathless groans of a woman spilled out from the speaker, followed by Charles saying "I love you" over and over again, words he had never once said to me.

Like a masochist, I listened to the entire call.

There wasn't a single trace of heartbreak left in me, though. Instead, relief washed over me, and I let out a light laugh.

For the next few days, Charles didn't come back.

Meanwhile, his "client's" social media feed was packed with updates: rock climbing at the Gondor Canyon and extreme skydiving.

So the calluses on his hands hadn't come from working at a massage parlor after all. Every single detail that had ever touched my heart was nothing but a calculated lie.

Nicole had her fingers tightly intertwined with his, his name tattooed across her chest, her eyes overflowing with sweetness.

The only things Charles sent me were a few icy voice notes.

"Do you realize what you did wrong yet?

"Have you put the necklace on? Snap a photo and send it to me."

I knew he was still waiting for me to apologize and beg him to come home. But I never would again.

Just then, the hospital director, Dr. Jones, called.

"What date are we scheduling the termination procedure?"

My eyes swept over the newly announced engagement date for the Coopers, and clarity instantly struck me.

"December 28th. Let's do that day."

Yet when that morning arrived, Charles unexpectedly showed up at the front door with an awkward look on his face.

"Go somewhere with me."

Inside the charity gala, elegant lights shimmered over crystal glasses as high-society guests mingled.

We were the only ones wearing faded, worn-out clothes. Yet Charles didn't seem to care.

He coaxed me softly, "Margo, these are all friends from the disability foundation. I know your pregnancy has been tough on you, so I applied for a donation on our behalf."

Even behind his dark sunglasses, I could spot the anticipation hidden in his eyes.

He was waiting for me to do what I always did and throw myself into his arms with tear-filled eyes, whispering, "You're so good to me."

Instead, I only offered a lukewarm "Okay."

Charles froze.

Nicole stepped forward, affectionately wrapping her arm around mine. "You have such great elegance, Margo! You look beautiful even while pregnant... Though this outfit is a little bit tacky."

Just as I was about to pull away, Charles smoothed things over with a casual hand wave.

"Margo, I've been hearing that you dress pretty low-class. Nicole has great taste. Why don't you let her help you change into something else?"

Snickers and muffled laughter immediately broke out around us.