All Chapters of Not My Baby: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Not long after I posted the status, my phone rang. The name on the screen made my breath catch: Olivia Hart. I had not seen that name in a long time. Olivia was my childhood friend, and also the person I had fought with for as long as I could remember. We grew up together, but we were never exactly sweet to each other. Our relationship had always been loud, messy, and full of sparks. After I started dating Vanessa Grant, Olivia seemed to disappear from my life overnight. I answered the call, assuming she had heard about my failed relationship and had called to laugh at me. Instead, the first thing she said was, "I heard you're looking for a new bride. What do you think of me?" I froze for a second. "Are you serious?" But if I really had to replace the bride at the last minute, there was no one more suitable than Olivia. Our families were well-matched. We knew each other's backgrounds, habits, tempers, and preferences better than anyone else. There would be no need

"I already ate. I'm not hungry," I replied. Then I looked at the bouquet in her hands and added calmly, "We've been together for so many years, Vanessa. Did you forget I'm allergic to lilies?" If I remembered correctly, lilies were Logan's favorite flowers. For a second, the air went still. Vanessa froze. Then she quickly turned and threw the bouquet outside. "I just thought they looked pretty when I saw them," she explained. "I forgot about your allergy. When I get off work tomorrow, I'll buy you roses instead. Okay?" I thought, 'My resignation should be approved tomorrow. Once it is, I'm packing my suitcase and leaving. Olivia's flight is only delayed by a few hours, so she'll be here this afternoon. 'By tomorrow, we'll already be talking about the wedding. And those flowers? Vanessa can give them to that b*stard.' I didn't answer. I simply continued packing my clothes, ironing each shirt before placing it neatly into my suitcase. Vanessa set the pastries down and

I looked at her calmly and replied, "Breaking up with you is not up for discussion. This is a notice. Let go." Vanessa was furious. She took a hard breath, trying to hold herself together. "Daniel, I know you're jealous, and I know you're using a breakup to threaten me," she snapped. "But our wedding is only days away. You know how much this marriage means to both of our families." Her voice sharpened. "If you call off the wedding now, how are you going to explain it to your parents? Don't act like I don't know how hard it is for a man to find a wife these days." Then she lifted her chin. "Let me make this clear. If you leave today, I won't attend the wedding. Don't come crying to me when your family is humiliated, because that won't be my responsibility." I pulled my arm out of her grip and left without hesitation. 'Regret it? Why would I? Her wedding is canceled, but mine is going ahead exactly as planned.' I returned to Havenbrook with my suitcase, and as soon as I got h

"I'll marry you," Vanessa used to tell me. "I'll make you the happiest groom in the world." Back then, I believed her. I thought her busy schedule, my patience, and every compromise I made were all for the future we were building together. However, things were different now. This had crossed a line I could never accept. More than that, it had finally shown me who Vanessa really was. The love she kept talking about was worth nothing at all. I took a firm step back, stood beside Olivia, and reached for her hand. "Vanessa, we may have broken up, but I never betrayed you in this relationship," I said. "I hope you can respect my decision now, the same way I respected all of yours before." I glanced at Logan, then looked back at her. "And although my fiancee invited you both to the wedding, I'd rather you didn't come. It wouldn't be appropriate, would it? "Olivia and I grew up together, too. We have history and a strong foundation. Our decision to get married won't change."

"Daniel's favorite color is blue. His favorite movie is 'Departures'…" She kept reading for a long time. I stood downstairs and listened in silence, my face blank for so long that I almost went numb. So, she was aware of all these small details. She had simply chosen not to care. She had ignored my pain, ignored every time I swallowed my hurt and made myself smaller for her. For years, I followed behind her and compromised again and again, until she became convinced that I would never leave. I would never forget what she once told me, 'Friendships can fall apart, Daniel, but we're different. All I have to do is comfort you a little, and you'll come back to me.' Even then, I knew those words were cruel. But I had loved this woman for so many years that I lied to myself and pretended she had not meant it that way. Then the hurt came again and again, and every time, she chose to ignore how I felt. That was when I finally saw how pathetic I had been in that relationship.