Chapter 2

After returning home and seeing the empty room, I knew Louis had gone to the hospital to take care of Sonya.

I pushed open the door to the nursery and stood there, lost in thought, gazing at the pink decor.

Inside, there was a pastel pink crib and a collection of toys in soft pink hues-a pink rattle, a pink strawberry plush toy.

The closet was filled with tiny pink dresses for every age from newborn to three years old.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was a bit stunned, not yet ready for motherhood.

But Louis was over the moon with excitement.

One night, I got up to use the bathroom and found he wasn't in bed. I walked to the study and saw him sitting in front of the computer.

The glow from the screen softened his handsome features.

He was searching "how to care for a pregnant woman" and had filled an entire page with notes.

It was then I realized I was going to be a mother.

Initially, all my anticipation for the child came from Louis.

Because I was carrying the child of the one I loved, I naturally shared that love with our child.

As my belly started to show, my affection for our child only grew stronger.

Louis became enthusiastic about shopping for baby items at every mall, but he insisted on buying things for a baby girl.

I teased him, "How do you know it's a girl? What if it's a boy?"

He gave a smug smile, pressing his face against my growing belly, his eyes sparkled with joy.

"You don't understand. It's like a father-daughter intuition. I have a feeling you're carrying a beautiful, sweet girl."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps brought me back to reality. I turned to see Louis returning home.

He looked tired, but he came over to help me to the sofa.

"Honey, don't stand for so long when you're pregnant. Your legs will swell."

When I didn't respond, he added, "Honey, today was unexpected.The situation was urgent over there.

Please don't be upset, okay? It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone at the hospital. It won't happen again."

His eyes were so sincere, as if he really meant it.

But this wasn't the first time he'd said that. Whenever Sonya had an "emergency, " he always chose her first.

He was about to massage my calves when I caught a whiff of a sweet, cloying perfume.

It was Sonya's favorite rose scent.

I felt a wave of nausea and couldn't help but throw up.

Louis looked panicked and brought me a trash can. "What's wrong? Is the morning sickness starting again?"

After composing myself, I spoke wearily, "It's not morning sickness; it's nausea."

"What did you say?" He didn't hear me.

"It's not morning sickness. It's the perfume on you that makes me nauseous."

He looked hurt.

"Honey, I... "

I interrupted him, "Let's get a divorce."

He was stunned, then suddenly leaned over to hug me tightly, his voice trembling.

"Honey, you can't just say the word 'divorce' lightly. It hurts. We have a baby now. How can we divorce?We're meant to grow old together, side by side."

I pushed him away, staring into his eyes. "Louis, didn't I say today that if you left, we were done? Didn't you hear me?"

He was flustered. "It's not what you think... "

I pushed him away, not wanting to hear his explanation.

Ever since Sonya came back, he never chose me over her.

I walked into the bedroom and locked the door, ignoring Louis's knocking. Tears fell silently down my cheeks.

The baby inside me seemed to sense my emotions and started to become restless.

I gently rubbed my belly to soothe the baby.

"I'm sorry, little one. It's my fault that you'll be born without a father.

But I don't want you to be like me, repeatedly abandoned by your father, watching him run towards someone else."