William's Secret

"William?"

I was shocked to see William accompanying another woman at the entrance to the obstetrics department.

William and I had been married for seven years and had never had any children.

My best friend checked this hospital for me and found out that this hospital's obstetrics department was very good. I was going to see a doctor today because I decided to have a baby.

I came to the door of the obstetrics department. I saw a scene I would never forget.

William was holding the woman with a slightly bulging belly, smiling.

She was in her early pregnancy, looking a little chubby.

But William carefully held her.

He put his hand on the woman's belly as if feeling the little unborn life.

"Honey, take these sheets. You're going to need them for the next checkup."

William's face was filled with the joy of being a new father. "Hey, slow down..."

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, not as good-looking as me, but the age difference still made her look younger and more lively.

"Honey, the baby just kicked me."

"Silly girl, right now he can't kick. Be careful..."

Every word seemed to stick in my heart. The pain was all I had now.

It was as if there was an additional invisible barrier between William and me at this moment.

He and the woman were a new, loving couple, and I was just a stranger.

With a trembling hand, I took out my phone and dialed William's number.

William was completely immersed in happiness. It took a long time before he took his phone out.

He stared at the name on the screen for a second, then pressed off.

"It's okay. A business call. Let's go."

I almost fell to the floor as I watched them leave.

I thought, 'William, you promised not to have any children.

'It's your choice.

'What about the happy face I see on you now?'

"What a jerk! I'll go teach them a lesson!"

Vivian wanted to catch them, but I stopped her.

"Never mind."

Vivian shook off my hand, anger and heartache in her eyes.

"Audrey, how much longer are you going to put up with him?"

Yeah, how long?

When would it end? Was it the day I stopped loving him?

I didn't know how I got home, except that everything made me feel cold.

I called William numerous times, and he rang off decisively.

And later he switched his phone off.

It was my birthday today. Had William forgotten?

Once he cupped my face, his eyes full of love.

He said that my birthday was the greatest day in the world.

Nowadays, in William's mind, today was not my birthday, but the day of that woman's maternity checkup.

I cried until I couldn't breathe and slumped to the floor.

Wiping my red, swollen eyes, I got up and walked to the kitchen to cook myself a simple meal.

Looking at the food on the table, I had no appetite. This was my first birthday without William.

Maybe they knew each other before my last birthday?

When did they get together? It looked like they had been together for a couple of months.

I felt a chill when I thought of William and that woman having sex and then he would kiss me too.

I finished eating and was washing the dishes when I heard the sound of the door.

There was a rustle behind me. William's hands encircled my waist from behind.

"Honey, why didn't you wait for me?"

There was a smell of baby soap on his body. It must be that woman's. A wave of nausea washed over me.

Unlike usual, I pushed him away immediately.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

William looked perplexed and took out his phone, pretending not to know what had happened.

"I had a busy day. And my phone died."

I couldn't help but sneer. "What a coincidence. You are busy on my birthday."

A trace of abnormality flashed in William's eyes. He then returned to normal.

He made a show of pulling out an elaborate jewelry box from behind.

"Happy Birthday, honey!

"Silly girl, do you think I forgot your birthday? How could I?"

Instead of looking surprised, I took the jewelry box in silence.

Opening it gently, I smiled.

Inside the box lay a gold bracelet.

It looked familiar. It reminded me of that woman next to William at the hospital.