Chapter 3

"You're right, Marvin. It was shameful of me to get my girlfriend pregnant before we were married. But she had a miscarriage three months ago, right after we got engaged.

"The doctor told her to rest so she wouldn't risk losing the baby, but she insisted on going out of state for work. She ended up overexerting herself, and we lost the baby. The doctor said it was a boy who had already begun to take shape," I said wistfully.

At that point, I glanced at Ruth. Her head was lowered, making it impossible to read her expression, but her fists were clenched tightly.

I turned back to Marvin and continued, "Marvin, what were you and Ruth doing three months ago?"

Marvin jutted his chin proudly. "Three months ago, Ruth took me on an outdoor adventure for my birthday. No matter how exhausted she was, she insisted on staying by my side. She said nothing in the world was more important than making me happy on my special day."

His voice was bright and clear, but every word struck me like a sledgehammer.

It turned out Ruth hadn't been exhausted from a business trip at all. She'd actually been off on an adventure with Marvin.

And because of that, we'd lost our baby.

I forced a faint smile, but inside, my heart was bleeding. I gave Ruth one last look, then turned and walked away.

I'd barely stepped out of the hotel when my phone chimed.

Ruth texted me, "I can explain what happened tonight."

Just like before, she was certain I'd give in.

But what she didn't know was that the moment I saw how much she cared about Mr. and Mrs. Knapp, my heart had already died.

I ignored her message and put my phone away. Then I contacted a moving company and made arrangements to move out of the apartment Ruth and I shared.

But the moment I arrived home, I froze.

All the photos of Ruth and me that had once hung in the living room had been replaced with pictures of her and Marvin.

The vase we'd made together, the souvenirs we'd bought on our trips, and every single reminder of our relationship had been packed away.

Even the luggage Mom and Dad had left in the guest bedroom were gone, replaced by Mr. and Mrs. Knapp's personal belongings.

Suppressing my anger, I called Ruth and demanded to know where my parents' things had gone.

When Ruth answered, she went silent for several seconds before moving somewhere private and speaking in a hushed voice.

"Mr. and Mrs. Knapp are staying at our place for a few days. I was worried they'd start asking questions if they saw Mr. and Mrs. Goodman's luggage, so I put it away for now."

My nose stung. "Then what about Mom and Dad? Where are they supposed to stay?"

Ruth hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Isn't Mrs. Goodman in the hospital? Why don't you ask your father, Samuel Goodman, to rent another hospital bed?"

I was so furious that I actually laughed.

"Ruth, Mom ended up in the hospital because of you! You're the reason she had that allergic reaction!"

"But nothing serious actually happened to Mrs. Goodman, right? Besides, it's only for a few days. Once I'm done entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Knapp, they'll leave. Can't you just listen to me for once?"

The impatience in Ruth's voice over the phone made my heart sink. I no longer cared about ending things on decent terms.

I told her wearily, "Ruth, come home right now and give me Mom's and Dad's belongings. I'm breaking up with you."

Ruth's voice hardened. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Yes, completely."

Half an hour later, Ruth arrived home in a hurry.

By then, I'd already packed my bags and called the moving company. All I was waiting for was Ruth to hand over my parents' belongings.

When she walked in, I didn't even look up as I asked, "Where are Mom's and Dad's things?"

Ruth's expression darkened. Without saying a word, she marched over and snatched the luggage out of my hand.

"I don't agree to this breakup," she snapped angrily.

"You don't get a say in that." I looked her straight in the eyes and told her firmly, "The movers are already downstairs. I'm leaving today, whether you agree or not."

Ruth's eyes reddened. "There's really nothing going on between Marvin and me. I was just doing him a favor by playing along for his parents' sake. He's the one who keeps clinging to me. If you don't believe me, I can call him over and have him explain everything himself."

I let out a mocking laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Would someone who was merely pretending remember every single thing Mr. and Mrs. Knapp liked and disliked eating?