Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
My ex-crush, Chloe, suddenly texted me to meet her at the hospital, claiming she was carrying my baby.
She specifically told me to wear a three-piece suit and come early, promising me a "life-changing surprise."
When I arrived at the hospital entrance, Chloe didn't look sick or pregnant at all. Instead, she burst into loud laughter, turning to her group of frat-boy best friends.
"Look at him! He actually wore a suit! And he’s holding organic nuts and custom gourmet donuts meant for pregnant women!"
"He really showed up! Go ahead, boys—order that Birkin bag you promised me."
Chloe turned toward me with a smug, mocking smirk.
"Julian, it was just a joke! Did you seriously fall for something so ridiculous?"
I stared quietly at Chloe and her giggling entourage, not uttering a single word.
One of the guys beside her sneered:
"Damn, what a pathetic simp. No matter how absurd Chloe's lie is, he still buys it hook, line, and sinker."
The rest of the guys chimed in, laughing at how obediently I trailed behind Chloe.
They thought that no matter how brutally she humiliated me, I’d always stick to her like a desperate puppy.
What they didn't know was that I was actually at this hospital to accompany my real lover for her prenatal checkup.
I saw right through it. Today was just another sick bet Chloe made with her boys to watch me make a fool of myself.
Having just lost an expensive designer bag in the wager, her guy friends glared at me with pure disgust.
"Fucking loser! Because of your stupidity, I just lost a ten-thousand-dollar bag!"
"Doesn't he have any self-awareness? He’s never even touched Chloe's hand, yet he thought he got her pregnant!"
"What an idiot! He must have a brain defect!"
They laughed uncontrollably, but their words couldn't hurt me anymore. I was completely numb to it.
Then, one of them noticed the bag in my hand.
"Wait, this clown actually bought prenatal snacks and premium donuts?"
"Perfect timing. We’ve been waiting out here forever and I'm starving! Julian, hand that bag over. Feed us!"
I pulled the bag closer to my chest and shook my head firmly.
"These aren't for you. They're for my wife."
The guys rolled their eyes aggressively. "Oh, playing hard to get when it’s time to serve us?"
"It’s just some cheap nuts and trash donuts!"
"Having us eat your food is a privilege! Hand them over, Julian, now!"
My expression hardened. "I told you. These are for my wife's energy boost during her checkup."
My wife, Serena, was still on her way from her parents' estate. I had just arrived ten minutes early.
Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms disdainfully. "Julian, drop the tough guy act. Give it here!"
Her guy friends immediately joined in the mocking. "Dumbass, weren't you dying to lick Chloe's boots? Here's your golden chance—take it!"
I hadn't spoken to Chloe in six months. I had long given up on her.
Refusing to waste any more breath, I turned to walk past them into the lobby.
Instantly, the guys stepped forward and blocked my path.
Chloe strutted right in front of me, glaring down at me like an entitled queen.
"Julian, me eating your food is doing you a favor!"
"Don't ruin my mood today. Don't be ungrateful!"
She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
I looked at her, my eyes cold and dead.
I had already known about their stupid bet last night.Last night, Chloe sent me a couple of voice notes.
In all our previous chats, her tone was always cold, bossy, or mocking.
Yet last night, her voice was dripping with unnatural sweetness.
"Julian, I think I'm pregnant with your baby. Meet me outside Central Hospital at nine tomorrow morning."
"Oh, and please dress up nice. See you there!"
If she hadn't messaged me, I would have completely forgotten she was still on my contacts list. We hadn't exchanged a single word in six months.
I already had a loving partner, and Serena was already three months pregnant with our baby.
My first instinct last night was to block and delete Chloe immediately.
The only reason I came to Central Hospital today was because Serena had an appointment for her routine ultrasound.
After blocking Chloe last night, I casually scrolled through Ins.
That was when I stumbled upon a video posted by one of Chloe's guy friends.
The video was taken at a hot spring resort. Chloe was lounging in the pool with a drink.
A guy behind the camera teased, "Chloe, that simp Julian hasn't hit you up in six months. Did he finally find a new girl?"
Chloe lifted her chin with arrogant pride.
"Impossible. That loser chased me for ten years. He'll never get over me."
The guys scoffed in disbelief.
Chloe waved her hand dismissively.
"Tell you what, let's make a bet. I'll tell Julian I'm pregnant and tell him to meet me at the hospital. Deal?"
Someone laughed. "No way! Even a brain-dead moron knows you haven't seen each other in half a year. He hasn't even touched you! Why would he believe you're having his baby?"
Chloe raised her head high like a spoiled swan.
"Julian has always been my personal dog. He hasn't seen me in months."
"No matter how insane the lie is, he’ll come running like a good boy."
The guys cheered loudly in the video.
"If that fool actually shows up, we'll pool together and buy you that Hermes bag!"
The Ins clip ended there. Watching it, my grip on my phone tightened.
That guy only posted the video because he wanted to scare me off so he wouldn't have to pay for the designer bag.
Looking at Chloe’s smug face on screen, my knuckles turned white.
Once upon a time, I loved Chloe unconditionally for ten whole years.
Anyone who knew us back then knew how devoted I was.
When she craved fresh pastries from New York, I booked a red-eye flight just to buy them straight from the oven for her.
Whenever she felt down, I played the fool just to put a smile on her face.
A dull ache pulsed through my chest. I locked my phone screen.
After taking a deep, steadying breath, I let out a long sigh of utter disappointment.
That was the girl I had wasted ten years loving.
Whenever Chloe felt bored, she summoned me like a court jester to amuse her.
Now, humoring herself wasn't enough. She needed an audience to laugh at me with her.
What she didn't know was that during our six months of silence, I had found real love.
We were already starting our own family.
Now that true happiness was in my hands, why would I ever look back at Chloe?
Facing the men blocking my way, I tried to step aside and take another door.
There wasn't just one entrance to the hospital.
Before I could move, Chloe grabbed my arm.
"Julian, playing hard to get now?"
"You think I don't know what you're doing? You're putting on a show to make me regret treating you like this!"
"Grow up. I invented that game."Staring into Chloe's face, I felt only pity and exhaustion.
When did she become so ugly inside?
I still remembered back in college, whenever I finished the 1,000-meter run, she would stand at the finish line holding a bottle of cold water, smiling softly.
That gentle breeze in early summer used to be the warmest memory in my heart.
I pulled my arm free from her grasp.
As soon as I tried to walk away, her friends cut me off again.
Chloe looked completely stunned. She never expected her loyal doormat to pull away from her!
"Julian! Haven't you pretended enough?"
"Give me the nuts and donuts right now. I'm starving!"
"Keep acting like this, and I swear I'll never speak to you again for the rest of my life!"
Chloe lifted her chin arrogantly, waiting for my usual panicked apology.
In the past, every time she made that threat, I folded instantly.
No matter how unreasonable her demands were, I complied.
Not anymore.
"I told you," I spoke each word clearly, shielding the paper bag, "these are for my pregnant wife."
Those donuts were a limited-batch flavor that sold out within minutes every morning.
I had placed an order twenty days in advance just to secure this box for Serena.
Chloe completely lost her temper. Her glare turned venomous.
"Wife? What wife?!"
"Enough with the fairy tales, it's pathetic! Hand it over!"
Her guy friends burst out laughing behind her.
"Look at him clutching that stupid bakery box! What's hidden in there, a dirty secret?"
"Probably a love letter for Chloe! Hahaha, once a simp, always a simp. Open it and show us!"
Encouraged by their cheers, Chloe grew bolder.
"Didn't you hear my friends? Open it! It's not like you haven't embarrassed yourself before. Entertaining my friends is an honor for you!"
She reached out and snatched the bag from my hands.
When I lunged forward to take it back, her male friend, Brock, shoved me hard against the wall.
"Back off! Trying to take back a gift? Are you even a man?"
Chloe sneered. "He's not a real man. He could never compare to you, Brock."
Brock grinned smugly, sliding his arm around Chloe's waist right in front of me. "A dog needs to know its place."
"See this, Julian? You simped for ten years and never even held her hand."
Chloe laughed. "He doesn't deserve to! He's just a dog. When I tell him to sit, he sits!"
With that, Chloe ripped the box open.
I rushed forward, but Brock kicked me hard in the knee.
"Don't touch my wife's food!" I yelled, dropping to one knee from the impact, my eyes blazing with fury.
The group erupted in laughter.
"It’s literally just a bunch of donuts! You acted like it was gold!"
Chloe deliberately dumped the entire box onto the dirty pavement.
I tried to scramble forward, but two men pinned my shoulders down.
Chloe stomped her designer heel directly into the frosted donuts, crushing them into messy mush.
"Trash like this isn't worthy of me! You're really failing as my simp lately, Julian."
She paused, as if struck by an amusing thought.
"Tell you what, Julian. I'll forgive you. But you have to get on your knees and lick every crumb off the ground. How about that?"
She gestured for the guys to release me. The rest of the boys cheered in excitement.
"Great idea! Let us step on it first, maybe it'll taste better!"
They took turns stomping on the pastries, howling with laughter.
"Come on, Julian! Don't you love serving Chloe? We made a special feast just for you!"
I pushed myself up from the ground, my chest aching. I had woken up at 5:00 a.m. and stood in line for hours just to buy Serena's favorite treat.
"Destruction of property. I'm calling the police."
I pulled out my phone, but Chloe rushed over, snatched it, and smashed it against the concrete.
The screen shattered.
"Oh, shut up! I gave you a way out, and you're still acting tough? First a imaginary wife, now the cops?"
She glared at me with pure disgust.
"Two choices: call your imaginary wife out here right now so we can all see her, or get on your knees and eat this mess! Otherwise... don't you dare ever text me again."
Chloe had absolute confidence in her eyes.
She had used this ultimatum countless times before, and it worked every single time.
Back then, I loved her too much, feared losing her too much, and dragged my own dignity through the mud.
"Julian, this is your last chance. Pick."
The boys pulled out their phones, filming the scene.
"Fifty bucks says he kneels and eats it! Where the hell is he going to find a 'wife' anyway?"
"Hurry up, Julian! Stop wasting our time, or you'll lose your license to be Chloe's dog!"
They were all waiting for me to hit the ground and beg.
I clenched my fists, about to speak, when a soft, delicate hand gently slipped into mine from behind.
"You wanted to see his wife? I'm right here. Any objections?"
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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