Chapter 3

I didn't sleep at all that night. Instead, I spent the whole night packing my things.

Continuous work was the only thing I could use to distract myself from the painful emptiness in my chest.

When it was almost dawn, I opened the door to our storage room and dug out the photography equipment that I hadn't touched in years.

I picked up the camera and pressed the power button.

There was a faint startup sound, and the screen came back to life.

At that instant, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

I thought, "Thank goodness it's still working. It's still not too late."

With the camera in my hands, I returned to the living room.

I was halfway through organizing my things when my phone rang.

It was the real estate agent. "Ms. Watson, I've already talked to the owner about the house you and your husband viewed last week. If all goes well, you'll be able to sign the contract next weekend."

I stopped what I was doing. I almost forgot.

A while ago, Keith got promoted, and his salary was quite substantial. He said our current house was too small and wouldn't be the best fit for us if we had a child in the future. So, he wanted to get a bigger one.

He was the one who suggested the idea. But throughout the process, be it viewing properties, selecting houses, contacting agents, comparing floor plans, or calculating loans, I was the only one actively contributing.

He only accompanied me for a viewing once.

That day, I excitedly brought him to see what would be the children's room in the future. I asked him what style he'd like the room to be in.

But he just kept his head lowered as he stared at his phone. He answered half-heartedly, "It's nice. Just go with whatever you like."

I had a clear view of his phone, and I noticed he was texting Sonia.

We didn't even get to see all the rooms in the house before he got called away by Sonia.

At that thought, I calmly said to the agent, "I changed my mind. I'm not buying the house."

"What?" The agent was stunned. "Why not? Mr. Reed really liked the house, didn't he?"

I looked down at the camera in my hands.

After a short silence, I sighed. "Because we're getting divorced."

Things instantly fell silent on the other end of the line.

I didn't offer any more explanations as I hung up right away.

By the time I was done packing up, it was already noon.

I put the divorce agreement in an envelope and took it with me as I drove to the hospital.

A few thin sheets of paper were enough to end our marriage of five years.

As I held the document in my hand, it felt ironically light.

It was lunchtime then. I figured Keith would be in his office, so I went there straight away.

I raised my hand and knocked on the door, but the person who opened the door was none other than Sonia.

A look of bewilderment flashed across her face. "Clara?"

I instinctively looked inside to see if Keith was around.

But Sonia moved into my line of sight and said in a low voice, "Keith was exhausted last night, and he was doing consultations all morning. He had just fallen asleep. What brings you here?"

I looked at her. Her hair was slightly tousled, and her clothes were wrinkly.

Also, she was in Keith's office right now.

For some reason, I felt my stomach churn.

Tightening my grip on the envelope, I forced myself to avert my gaze. "There's a document I want him to sign."

Sonia looked down at the document in my hand. Then, she smiled. "Keith is really tired out, and he finally has the chance to sleep for an hour. I really wouldn't want to wake him up. Why don't you pass it to me? I'll hand it to him when he wakes up."

My first instinct was to decline, but I soon realized that at that moment, I didn't want to see Keith at all.

So, I handed the document to Sonia. "Thanks."

With that, I turned around and left the office.

The scene at the office kept replaying itself in my mind.

She was in his office, and they were taking a lunch break together.

It was so natural and familiar to them, as if that was how things were meant to be all along.

The discomfort in my stomach grew stronger.

I felt sick, like I wanted to throw up.

I dashed into the bathroom. Leaning onto the sink for support, I began retching.

My stomach was empty, so nothing came out.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but the nausea finally went away.

I splashed some cold water onto my face.

I had just walked out of the restroom when I suddenly felt like the world was spinning.

With no say in the matter, I ultimately passed out.

By the time I came to, the smell of disinfectants invaded my nostrils.

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying on a hospital bed.

A nurse nearby let out a sigh of relief when she noticed I had woken up. "Ma'am, you're finally awake."

I propped myself up on the bed, still feeling a little dizzy as I asked, "What happened to me?"

Smiling, the nurse handed an examination report to me. "It's nothing serious. You just needed some rest. Also…" She paused for a moment, and her smile widened. "Congratulations, you're pregnant."