His feelings for her had shifted. From pity and
guilt, to outright favoritism.
く
I kept track of every time he abandoned me for
them.
Today was number 75.
I thought about that leftover seafood congee, and nausea rose in my throat again.
Lately, I’d been feeling breathless, nauseous,
and constantly tired. I didn’t know what was
wrong with me.
Ethan hadn’t come to check on me after I
stormed off to the bedroom. I pushed the door
open. The thermos was in the trash, alongside the gift. Ethan was gone.
I picked up the trash can. Underneath, barely
visible, was the anniversary gift I’d gotten him.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes.
It was that obvious, and he hadn’t seen it.
<
I called Ethan a few times. No answer. I went to
the hospital alone. After a battery of tests, the
doctor smiled at me.
“Congratulations! You’re pregnant!”
Pregnant?
We’d been trying for a while, but of all times,
why now?
I stared at the test results, then dialed Ethan’s
number.
“Ethan, I need to talk to you.”
It was noisy on his end, filled with children’s chatter. He raised his voice. “I’m at the mall
with Zach. Can it wait until we get back?”
He hung up before I could respond.
I glanced at the name of the mall. It wasn’t far
<
10:43
from the hospital.
62
I walked over. I was about to call Ethan when I
heard his voice.
“Zach, you don’t need another race car. You
have tons at home! You’re going to be spoiled.”
It was Ethan, in a suit, holding hands with a
little boy clutching a toy race car. Ashley stood
beside them, playfully scolding Ethan.
Ethan chuckled. “It’s just one car. If Zach wants
it, he gets it.”
The little boy looked smugly at his mother.
“See? Daddy loves me best!”
Their smiles vanished the moment they saw me.
“Anna? What are you doing here?” Ethan
looked flustered. He let go of Zach’s hand and
came toward me, reaching for mine.
<
10:43
Ashley forced a smile. “Zach, this is… Auntie
Anna.”
Ethan was Daddy. Ashley was Mommy.
I was Auntie.
I looked at Ethan, his hand gripping mine. He
was embarrassed, caught in the act.
62
Zach scoffed. “I’m not calling her Auntie. She’s
the mean lady trying to break up Mommy and
Daddy!”
He ran at me, toy race car raised, muttering,
“You’re a bad lady! Go away!”
I thought about the baby growing inside me.
Instinctively, I put my hands over my stomach
and stepped back.
Zach, caught off guard, stumbled and fell.
<
10:43
Ethan dropped my hand and rushed to Zach’s
side.
62
His hand, letting go of mine, caused me to lose my balance. I fell back, landing hard on the
floor.
Zach wailed. Ashley fussed over him. Ethan frowned at me. “Anna, you’re being ridiculous. He’s just a kid.”
I sat on the floor, struggling to breathe, a sharp pain stabbing at my abdomen.
Ethan and Ashley hovered over Zach, oblivious
to me.
I finally managed to pull myself up, only for
Ethan to grab my wrist.
“Apologize to Zach.” His voice was hard.
I could barely stand.
<
10:43
He didn’t seem to realize how tightly he was
gripping me. My wrist was turning red.
76, I thought.
I raised my left hand and slapped him hard
across the face.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my voice ice cold. “That child has a filthy mouth. You won’t make
him apologize, but you want me to? You say
you practically raised Zach. He called me a
mean lady, told me to go away, and
intentionally ran into me. I won’t hold it against
a child, but you and Ashley, as his guardians,
should be apologizing to me.”
I stared at Ethan, my face like ice.
He touched his cheek, stunned, staring back in
disbelief. “Anna, you…”
He started to speak, but I couldn’t hold it back
Lomitad right thann
the mall
62
10:43
any longer. I vomited, right there on the mall.
floor.
I’d held on for so long, but I’d finally reached
my limit.
Just like with Ethan and Ashley. I was done.
