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Chapter 3

Author: Pineapple Love
After spending time with my grandmother back home, I returned feeling completely lost.

At the hospital, she had held my hand the entire time, asking why I had come back alone. All I could do was grit my teeth and tell her Claire was too busy with work.

Three years of swallowing my anger and putting up with everything had gotten me nothing but disrespect.

Two days later, I went back home to make the final preparations. When I arrived at the house, Claire happened to be coming home at the same time.

"Why are you back so soon? I was actually planning to fly over tonight."

"No need. There's no point." My voice was completely emotionless.

"Then I'll go next time." She paused, then smiled. "I have a surprise for you."

She handed me a pregnancy test report.

"I'm pregnant." Her voice was soft as she looked at me.

I took the paper, my fingertips going slightly numb. Right there in the diagnosis section were the words: [Pregnancy, four weeks.]

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

"The baby... is mine?" I looked up at her, my emotions tangled.

Claire frowned, clearly offended. "Steven, what are you talking about? Who else could the father be? I may have neglected you in some ways, but I'm not that kind of woman!"

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just surprised." I sat on the couch, twisting my hands together as I sank into a kind of pain and confusion I had never felt before.

I had already decided to leave, but this tiny life that had suddenly appeared had left me completely at a loss.

If I stayed for the baby, should I give this marriage one more chance?

I looked up at her, my voice hoarse. "Claire, if we keep the baby, what are you going to do? Can you stay home and prepare for the baby without running off every time someone else calls you?"

Claire hesitated. Then, she walked over, sat down beside me, and took my hand. "Of course, I can. Once we have a child, we will build a good life together. And with a baby, my family will definitely treat you better."

At that moment, the wall I had built around my heart nearly collapsed. I even thought that maybe, for the sake of our child, I could swallow all the hurt and stay.

However, my hesitation did not even survive the night.

At 5:00 pm that day, Claire went out. She did not return until midnight.

When she finally walked through the door, her face was pale, and the strong smell of disinfectant clung to her clothes.

"Where did you go?" I stood up from the couch.

Seeing how weak she looked, an uneasy feeling rose in my chest.

Claire avoided my eyes and casually leaned against the wall before sitting down.

"I went to the hospital this afternoon and had the baby aborted. I stayed in the hospital to get an IV before coming home."

My mind went blank with a loud roar. I stood there, completely frozen. "What did you say?"

I walked toward her step by step, my voice shaking violently. "Say that again. What did you abort?"

"The baby."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Hank's million-dollar deal was being targeted by a competitor. If I don't personally follow up on it, the entire project would be ruined. I asked the doctor. With all the running around and drinking at business dinners, there was no way I could keep the pregnancy.

"The baby could even be born with health problems, so I had it terminated while I was there."

"While you were there?" I stared at her, my eyes burning red. "Claire, that was our baby! A human life! You had the baby aborted just for Hank's project? Did you even ask me?"

Claire was clearly angered by my reaction, and her voice rose.

"It was only an embryo. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it? If Hank loses this project, his entire career could be ruined! I was the one who supported him all this time. He's still young. As his supervisor, I have to help him!

"We can always have another child later, so stop acting crazy."

"Another child later." I stared at the woman standing in front of me, a woman who suddenly felt like a complete stranger.

All the pain and hesitation I had wrestled with that afternoon had meant nothing to her.

To Claire, it had been nothing more than a quick choice.

Seeing me laugh, Claire looked uneasy.

"Steven, don't be like this. I'm exhausted, and I don't have the energy to argue with you. Tomorrow, go with my assistant and pick out a gift—"

"No need," I cut her off.

Then, I turned and walked into the bedroom. A moment later, I pushed out the suitcase I had packed long ago.

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