Chapter 2

"We've been splitting everything down the middle, not covering each other's expenses."

"Equal, equal! So, if I have a baby, should I carry it for five months and then hand it over to you for the next five months? I'm the one who has to take unpaid leave for the baby, and you don't even consider that, just keep insisting on splitting everything!"

Gavin stared at me with a cold expression and said, "I can't physically carry the baby for you; it's not like I don't want to."

"But you can help with the expenses, can't you?"

"We had agreed to split everything down the middle!"

I hurled a pillow at him in frustration.

"Get out! If you won't cover for me, then I'll just starve. Worst case, both the baby and I starve to death."

Gavin muttered his discontent as he slowly left the room.

I heard him making a phone call in the next room.

"Mom, can you transfer me 30, 000 dollars? Isn't my salary card with you? Cindy's pregnancy is tough, and I need to cover the expenses. She'll pay me back later. She won't refuse. Once she goes back to work, I won't cover her expenses anymore; I'll make her pay."

Hearing this made my heart sink. Gavin's salary card was with his mom, Lucy Russell.

No wonder he never mentioned where his money went.

Then, he had needed 30, 000 dollars and had had to rely on Lucy.

How calculating he was, treating me like a stranger.

If we had ever had a falling out and divorced, our shared assets would have only been divided from my side, as he had had no money!

I turned to my mom, Lisa Clark, and gave her my salary card too.

She initially refused, but I insisted.

"Are you fighting with Gavin? You two should get along, especially now that you're pregnant."

"Nothing like that. He's very filial and taught me to be the same. Just keep it; I know what I'm doing."

My parents took my card but then bought me lots of nutritional supplements, a crib, and baby blankets.

I also sold my stocks and funds at a good time and reopened an account under my mom's name.

I could be carefree when I didn't care, but when I did, I could be very shrewd.

Gavin eventually noticed I had changed my account and password.

"Did you change your bank card password?"

"Yeah, why are you logging into my bank account? Aren't we splitting everything down the middle?"

Although we had split everything equally, we had known each other's account details. I had had a sense of caution, fearing that if something had happened to me, neither of us would have known how much money was left or where it was.

"No reason, just planning to buy a bigger car. A bigger car will be handy once the baby arrives."

I nodded. I had the same plan.

"Let's wait until I go back to work. These past few months have been tough."

Gavin quickly picked up on my issue.

"Did you sell all your stocks?"

"Yeah, I ran out of money."

"Where's your salary card?"

"With my mom."

Gavin's face changed instantly and he said, "Why did you give your card to Lisa? How are we supposed to live? I've already fronted so much. I can't keep doing it."

"I learned from you. Didn't you give your card to Lucy? I covered for you for months before."

Gavin ran his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth, clearly anxious.

He hadn't planned for this.

After a few laps, he finally came up with a solution.

"From now on, let's settle everything monthly and not cover for each other anymore."

That was my husband.

Credit cards were settled the next month. My husband settled everything within the month.

I finally gave birth to a big, healthy son.

It was a natural birth, saving us quite a bit.

Gavin was thrilled, and my in-laws came to the hospital to see me and the baby.

"Good, very good. Gavin, you should take good care of Cindy. This is your responsibility as a husband." Lucy said before darting out like a rabbit, afraid I'd ask her to help with postpartum care.

Gavin was momentarily stunned. "Your parents will help you during the postpartum period, right?"

"Let's hire a postpartum nanny and split the cost."

"I can't afford a nanny. Isn't Lisa retired? She's got time."

"Why not Lucy? Isn't she at home with nothing to do? Why did she run off?"