Chapter 3 Episode 3

"Unless I'm dead, you won't lay a hand on this baby."

He said nothing. Just looked through her like she didn't matter.

Without a word, he reached across her and pushed the door open. "The appointment's over. You can find your own way back."

Emma barely made it to her feet when a stabbing pain hit her belly. She gripped the doorframe, the world tilting slightly as her knees wobbled.

"Wait, Caleb..." she whispered, sweat beading on her forehead. "Can you take me back to the hospital? Something's wrong"

Before he could answer, his phone rang.

He glanced down, then answered with a softness she hadn't heard in years. "Hey, I'm here. I'll be there in five."

She froze.

That voice on the other end, she'd recognize it anywhere.

Sophie.

The woman who'd vanished two years ago, came back four months ago. And just like that, everything had changed.

Emma looked at Caleb's profile, the way his expression warmed for another woman. She felt her heart twist, but she didn't beg. She didn't even speak. Just stood there, silent, aching.

Caleb ended the call and looked at her briefly. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Barely.

"I've got somewhere to be," he muttered. "You'll be fine."

And then he drove off, leaving her alone in the parking lot.

Emma watched his car disappear down the street, until her knees buckled. Her arms wrapped around her stomach instinctively, the pain swelling in waves. But it was nothing compared to the hollowness in her chest.

She could survive physical pain. But this-this abandonment, this loneliness was unbearable.

The world blurred. Her vision darkened at the edges.

And then everything went black.

---

The sharp scent of antiseptic brought her back.

She blinked into the white hospital light.

"Emma?"

She turned her head toward the familiar voice. Her expression softened faintly. "Ethan?"

Caleb's older brother stood beside her bed, calm but concerned.

"I was leaving the hospital when I saw you near the gate," he said. "You're lucky. If I'd arrived a few minutes later, it could've ended differently."

Emma's hand flew to her belly. "The baby?"

Ethan gave a small nod. "The baby's okay. You're stable. But it was a close call."

She closed her eyes, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank God"

He looked at her gently. "You shouldn't be out on your own in your condition."

Emma let out a quiet laugh, bitter and dry. "That wasn't the plan."

He didn't press, but she could tell he understood. He always did.

"Does Caleb know I'm here?" she asked, hesitant, but hopeful. She hated herself for it.

Ethan's eyes flicked toward the door. "I have a surgery scheduled. I can't stay, but I'll check in later."

He didn't answer her question. And that was answer enough.

After he left, the silence in the room grew louder. Her hand drifted again to her belly. The weight of everything settled on her shoulders.

She wasn't a woman who cried over nothing. But lying there, in a sterile bed with no husband, no family, and no one waiting for her, she felt utterly disposable.

She wasn't just alone. She was unwanted.

Caleb hadn't come. Not once.

---

Even when she was discharged days later, Caleb didn't show. The housekeeper was the only one who came , dropping off a change of clothes in silence, like she was fulfilling an unpleasant chore.

Emma didn't wait for permission. She didn't tell anyone she was leaving.

She walked aimlessly through the city, letting her feet guide her. The weather was soft, the streets quiet. When she passed a large department store with baby clothes in the window, something pulled her inside.

Rows of tiny outfits lined the shelves, soft pastels, teddy bear prints, baby bottles and toys. The world inside the store felt warmer. Gentler.

Emma stared at a rack of newborn onesies, imagining what her baby would look like. Would it be a boy? A girl? Would they laugh easily? Would they smile like she used to?

A young couple browsed nearby. The husband held his wife's hand, helping her waddle between displays. He picked up a tiny blue jacket and pressed it gently to her bump. She laughed, glowing.

Emma froze.

She couldn't stop watching. Her throat tightened, eyes stinging.

That was what love looked like.

That was what a child should be born into.

And she... she had nothing to offer.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" a soft voice asked.

She turned. A store clerk stood beside her, smiling kindly.

"Oh. No, thank you," Emma said with a polite nod. "I'm just looking."

The clerk backed away, sensing her fragility.

Emma took a deep breath, willing her heart to settle.

And then she heard it.

"Caleb, let's get this one!"

She stiffened.

That voice.

Sophie.

Emma turned just enough to peek behind a nearby display. Her blood ran cold.

Sophie walked in hand-in-hand with Caleb, her body curled gently into his side. She was radiant. Joyful. She lifted a denim baby jacket from the rack and held it up.

"Do you think our baby will look cute in this?" she asked, beaming.

Caleb's lips curved into a rare smile. "If you like it, I trust your taste."

Emma stood still, barely breathing.

Our baby.

Her heart stopped.

Sophie was pregnant?

They already had a child?

Her mind raced, everything blurring together. Pain. Betrayal. Confusion. The floor beneath her feet didn't feel real.

She pressed herself further behind the counter, out of sight. Her fingers clenched the edge of the shelf to stay upright.

So that was it. She wasn't just unwanted. She was replaced.