Chapter 4

The light in Gwyneth's eyes dimmed little by little until nothing remained.

Before she found out, Preston had planned to keep Selene somewhere else, safely out of sight. Now that Gwyneth knew, he had simply decided to bring her home instead.

That text had not been a request at all. It was a notice.

The abortion had already been scheduled for that afternoon.

Gwyneth did not go home. She went straight to the hospital.

As she lay in the waiting room before the procedure, Rebecca sent her a message.

Rebecca: [Gwen, Pres told me Selene is going to stay at your place after she's discharged. You're the reason her baby is gone. As a way of making amends, please treat her well and stop making things difficult for her.]

Gwyneth's eyes slowly reddened. It felt as though a knife were twisting in her chest.

Gwyneth: [You're this worried about her? What about me?]

Rebecca: [After all this time, do you really think I don't care about you? Gwen, do you have any idea how hard these past few years have been for Selene?]

Rebecca: [To keep you from finding out, she could only meet Pres in secret. Last year, on her birthday, she wanted to spend it alone with him, so the two of them had to sneak out at midnight to see a movie without you knowing.]

Rebecca: [Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, even New Year's... all of us spent those days with you first, then went to be with her afterward.]

Rebecca: [You have no idea how much she's had to endure. You killed her baby, and you can't even bring yourself to share a little of Preston's love with her. Are you really our good friend?]

Gwyneth wanted to reply that no, she was not. Not anymore. Never again.

But as she read the messages, she only felt drained.

It was no wonder Preston always claimed he had work to deal with after spending the holidays with her, work that kept him out until the following day.

He had been with Selene all along.

It was no wonder Selene had started wearing couture and carrying limited-edition bags, though Gwyneth could not remember exactly when it had begun.

The money had come from her own husband the entire time.

She had been such a fool. They had deceived her for so long, yet they still had the nerve to blame her.

A nurse pushed open the door, interrupting her thoughts. "Mrs. Gallagher, the surgery is about to begin.

"Would you like me to call Mr. Gallagher over? A family member needs to sign the consent form for the procedure."

Gwyneth blinked, caught off guard. "You know where he is?"

"Mr. Gallagher is in the inpatient ward. I saw him there. He's surrounded by a whole group of people, all fussing over some girl and running back and forth for her..."

The nurse trailed off when she noticed the look on Gwyneth's face and did not dare say anything more.

"No need. I'll sign it myself."

Gwyneth signed the consent form.

In the inpatient ward, her husband was watching over someone else while she was about to be wheeled into an operating room for an abortion.

It was almost funny. She was the one who was actually his wife.

Then again, it hardly mattered. Soon enough, she would not be.

"Mrs. Gallagher, we're about to administer the anesthesia. It might sting a little. Just bear with it..."

The cold needle pierced her skin, and Gwyneth's awareness began to fade.

"Do you think Mr. Gallagher even knows she's having surgery today?"

"Probably not. The day they found out she was pregnant, the two of them were over the moon. I have no idea why they'd suddenly decide to get rid of it."

"Isn't it obvious? Preston's been cheating. I just finished a D&C on his mistress this morning. Apparently, she's even one of Gwyneth's best friends."

"Something this serious, an abortion, and Preston doesn't even show up? That says everything. It proves the one he really loves is the mistress."

Tears slid slowly down Gwyneth's face as she sank into unconsciousness.

…

When she woke again, the surgery was already over. She touched her flat stomach and knew the baby was gone.

Her nose stung. Holding back her tears, she asked, "When can I be discharged?"

"Mrs. Gallagher, you're welcome to stay the night, or you can be discharged right now."

"I'll leave now."

Gwyneth got to her feet and walked out of the room. She had barely taken a few steps when she came face-to-face with Preston and his group.