Semua Bab He Chose Her, So I Choose Me.: Bab 1 - Bab 10

"Denise Harper? She's back?"I snapped awake. My mind cleared in an instant, and something heavy shot up into my throat. I couldn't quite name the feeling.Jason Benson froze. He hadn't expected me to be awake. In the glow of the phone screen he hadn't turned off yet, I caught the flicker of something unnatural in his expression. He forced out a quiet "Yeah."My heart skipped. Almost instinctively, I reached out and tugged at his hand, my voice soft as I said, "Can't you send someone else? I don't want to be alone. I'm scared."The truth was, something didn't sit right. That gut feeling women get—sharp and unexplainable—told me there was more to this."Her kid's sick—why isn't she calling her husband? Why you? And aren't her parents still in the city…""Enough!" Jason suddenly snapped, his face darkening as he rubbed his brow in frustration. "They've divorced. Who is she supposed to call? It's the middle of the night. You think it's okay to bother her parents at this hour? Can yo

The Women and Children's Hospital in Alstor City was known as the best place in town for maternity care.Most expectant mothers ended up here.By the time I arrived, it was already past 8:30. Nearly every department had a line stretching down the hallway.All around me, I saw men standing patiently in queues while their wives rested nearby or went off for other checkups.It was efficient, really—saved a lot of time.I couldn't help but feel a quiet envy.With a sigh, I resigned myself and joined the end of a random line.After standing for a while, my legs started to ache.I hadn't eaten, hadn't slept well, and my stomach began churning violently.Acid surged up my throat—I doubled over with dry heaves, fighting the urge to run straight to the bathroom and throw up.But one glance at the long line behind me, and the courage vanished.Just as I was gritting my teeth, trying to endure it, a young man with bold brows and kind eyes stepped toward me, smiling."If you don't mind

Jason blocked Denise and deleted her number right in front of me.But my heart didn't feel the slightest relief. I couldn't shake the feeling that Denise wouldn't give up so easily—and I was right.That afternoon, I applied for annual leave from work. The doctor told me during my prenatal checkup that I was showing signs of a threatened miscarriage. Along with medication, I needed plenty of rest.After work, I picked up some healthy snacks—our favorites—and headed home with a light step.But as I stepped out of the elevator and approached the apartment, I found the front door ajar. From inside came the crisp voice of a child.I stopped in my tracks. Jason wasn't home yet. Who could it be?A bad feeling surged through me.I walked into the living room and there she was—Denise—lounging lazily on the couch, watching TV.The floor in front of her was littered with snack wrappers.A little girl beside her had been bouncing happily on the sofa, but the moment she saw me, she froze.

In the end, Ruby and I didn't go anywhere. We stayed home, chatting and scrolling through our social feeds.I hadn't brought her to the seaside because I didn't want her to spend the whole trip looking after a pregnant woman and miss out on the fun. And Ruby didn't dare take me out either. With the crowds during the holiday, she was worried someone might bump into the baby.When we stumbled across Denise's post, her update was simple: a picture of a tall man seen from behind, with a little girl perched on his shoulders, her hair done up in two braided pigtails.The caption read: [Life's like this—round and round in circles, through countless twists and turns, only to realize in the end that the beginning was the best after all. Grateful to Alison's dad for everything. We had such a happy day! Tomorrow—Baymount Park, here we come!]My heart dropped.Even though it was just a blurry shot from behind, it felt too familiar.Something didn't sit right.I couldn't stop myself—I called

How strange—Where was that tinkling laughter coming from?Clear, bright, like the soft chime of wind bells swaying gently in the breeze.Then, just like that, a little girl appeared before me in a pale yellow floral dress. Her features were strangely familiar, and she giggled as she ran up to me.Before I could make sense of it, she threw her arms open wide, her voice sweet and tender. "Mommy, I'm your baby!"In an instant, my heart melted into a puddle. Overcome with joy and surprise, I scooped her into my arms and spun around and around through a meadow bursting with wildflowers and birdsong.Our laughter echoed through the sky, drifting farther and farther away.But gradually, I felt her growing lighter in my arms, more and more translucent. Panic gripped me."Baby!" I cried."I'm going on a very long journey, Mommy," she said gently, fluttering her newly grown, delicate wings as she rose slowly into the sky. "Don't be sad. When you miss me, just look at the white clouds a