Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
Seven months pregnant, and Christian still had me climbing up and down a step stool in the living room, hanging Christmas decorations.
All to welcome his childhood best friend, Chloe, who had just returned from living abroad.
His excuse? "She needs to feel at home."
At the welcome party, Chloe smiled sweetly and handed me a glass of red wine.
"Valerie, a little red wine actually improves your circulation. Pregnant women abroad drink it all the time."
The other guests chimed in, urging me to take the glass. I kept my face cold, shaking my head in refusal.
Chloe’s eyes immediately welled with tears as she tugged on Christian’s sleeve.
"Christian... does she look down on me? Is that why she won't drink it?"
With that single sentence, Christian flipped the dining table.
"Look at yourself—you're bloated like a pig! You sicken me! Who do you think you are, ruining everyone's mood?"
Outside, a blizzard raged. Barefoot, I was shoved out into the freezing snow.
Through the frosted window, I watched Christian pull Chloe into his arms, murmuring softly to comfort her.
"Don't cry. As long as I'm here, no one will ever mistreat you."
"Just wait. I'll make her come back on her knees and beg for your forgiveness."
What he didn't know was that the moment I struggled up from the frozen ground, I called my best friend, Nina, who worked as an OB-GYN.
Shivering violently, the first thing I said when I saw her was:
"Nina, I want to induce labor. I'm terminating the pregnancy."
If anyone wanted to have this bastard's child, they were welcome to it.
Because I was done.
Nina slammed her hands onto her desk.
"I support you a hundred percent!"
"I told you to dump that deadbeat years ago, but you were so head-over-heels you insisted on marrying him. Has the blizzard finally knocked some sense into you?"
I offered a bitter smile, saying nothing.
She scrolled through my prenatal records on her computer, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.
"You're seven months along, and all your scans have been completely normal. Have you considered just keeping the baby and raising it without him?"
I hesitated for a long time, then shook my head.
"No."
As an expectant mother, tearing this child from my body broke my heart.
Yet the thought of keeping the baby meant tethering myself to Christian forever. Just picturing that endless entanglement felt like an anvil crushing my chest, suffocating me.
Seeing my resolve, Nina printed out the pre-op consent forms and handed them over.
"I scheduled your procedure for next week. The tricky part is that clinic policy requires both parents to sign off."
I took the papers and tucked them against my skin under my sweater. The sharp edges grazed my flesh, leaving a stinging line of pain.
A thin sheet of paper, holding the entire rest of my life.
"I'll find a way."
I turned down Nina's offer to drive me back. Under her worried gaze, I stepped back out into the swirling snow, trudging forward step by painful step.
Snowflakes whipped against my face, quickly dusting my shoulders and hair. The biting cold seeped through my damp clothes, invading every inch of my body.
Yet I felt numb to the chill. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
When I pushed the front door open, Christian was sitting on the couch, carefully peeling an apple for Chloe. Chloe leaned against his shoulder, smiling sweetly, whispering playfully in his ear.
It was a picture of domestic bliss—a scene that drove a jagged blade straight through my heart, reopening wounds I thought had gone completely numb.
Hearing the door, both turned to look at me. Christian’s brow instantly knotted in annoyance.
"You finally decided to drag yourself back? I said two harsh words to you, and you threw a tantrum like a spoiled child!"
"Chloe just got back from overseas. Her habits are different from ours. She offered you a glass of wine out of courtesy, and you made a scene over nothing!"
"She's younger than you. Couldn't you be the bigger person? Look at yourself right now. You don't look anything like a mother. All you do is throw fits, completely selfish, never thinking about anyone else's feelings."
His sharp, cutting words felt like nails driven straight into my chest.
Every single time Chloe was around, he was like this. No matter how out of line her words were, no matter how inappropriate her actions, the moment I showed the slightest trace of hurt or anger, he leaped to her defense, ganging up on me to call me unreasonable.
It was as if I were the unwanted intruder in my own home.
Did anyone ever care about my feelings?
I was only three months older than Chloe.
Taking in my soaked, shivering state, the corners of Chloe's lips curved into a subtle smirk before she spoke in a soft, gentle voice:
"Christian, that’s enough. Valerie came back, so she knows she was wrong. Let her go change before she catches a cold."
With one simple sentence, she cemented the blame onto me.
Christian scoffed, eyeing me with pure disgust.
"Don't waste your sympathy on her. She brought this entirely on herself."
I closed my eyes, a tidal wave of bitter disappointment sweeping through me.
In the past, I would have screamed at him, fighting for fairness and truth.
Now, I was just tired.
He was right about one thing: I brought this on myself. This was my karma for being blinded by love and insisting on marrying him.
Wasting another second or ounce of energy on this man, or this dead marriage, was simply not worth it."Oh, by the way, Valerie! I brought you a Christmas present!"
Chloe rose gracefully, walking over to her open suitcase to rummage through it.
I stared at her luggage in shock, then turned to Christian, demanding an explanation with my eyes.
He shrugged carelessly.
"Chloe’s back for good. She hasn't found an apartment yet, and I wasn't going to let a young woman stay alone in some shady hotel. She's staying with us for a while."
He said it so casually, as if it were the most trivial thing in the world.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Did you ever think to discuss this with me?"
His lips pressed into a hard line, his jaw tensing.
"I didn't have time yet. Besides, it's just a temporary stay. It's not a big deal. Why do you always have to blow everything out of proportion?"
Chloe held up a piece of clothing, looking at me with wide, innocent eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Valerie. I had no idea Christian didn't tell you. Please, blame me if you must. Don't fight because of me. I'll go pack my bags right now and check into a hotel. I don't want to be a burden."
Biting her lip, she extended the garment toward me.
"This is your Christmas present. Please take it as my apology for being thoughtless."
With that, she grabbed her suitcase handle and turned toward the door.
Christian exploded. In a single stride, he reached her side, snatching the suitcase handle while glaring at me with dark fury.
"Chloe, stop it! I already told you, you're staying right here. You don't have to go anywhere! Don't pay attention to her—she's just being irrational."
His voice dripped with resentment as he shot me a venomous look.
"Chloe went out of her way to bring you a designer gift from abroad. Instead of showing an ounce of gratitude, you try to kick her out into the cold!"
Heartache clamped around my chest like a vise, and a dull, pulling ache radiated through my lower abdomen. Taking a deep breath, I shook out Chloe’s gift.
An extra-small, bodycon silk mini-dress tumbled open. The waistline was narrower than the circumference of my swollen thighs. It was utterly absurd for a woman seven months pregnant.
This wasn't a gift. It was a blatant taunt—mocking my heavy, swollen body and parading her own slender figure.
I let out a cold laugh and threw the dress down at their feet.
"Chloe, this is the 'thoughtful' gift you picked out for me? Thanks, but no thanks."
Christian froze for a second, his mouth opening, but no words came out.
I didn't bother wasting another breath on either of them. I turned around and walked straight into the bedroom.Through the closed bedroom door, I could clearly hear Chloe's tearful sniffles from the hallway.
"I really didn't know she would gain this much weight during pregnancy... I picked that dress based on how she used to look. I honestly didn't think it through. I didn't mean to upset her, it's all my fault... ugh..."
Christian immediately hushed her, his voice soft and soothing.
"Don't cry. None of this is your fault. You had good intentions. Who knew she'd become so overly sensitive, flying off the handle over every little thing?"
"She's completely let herself go. Her belly is covered in hideous stretch marks—looks like a cracked watermelon. It's disgusting. She's just insecure and petty. Don't take it to heart."
Though he kept his voice down, every single word sliced cleanly through the door and straight into my ears.
Hearing his pure disgust, I began trembling with rage.
The only reason my body had changed, the only reason my skin had stretched, was because I was carrying *his* child.
And yet, to flatter and soothe Chloe, he trampled all over my dignity, reducing me to something hideous and worthless.
Outside, Chloe giggled through her tears, clearly thrilled by his harsh assessment of me.
He kept whispering sweet assurances to her for a long while before the hallway finally fell quiet.
Lying in bed, my entire body felt chilled to the bone. Exhausted, drained of every drop of energy, I slipped into an uneasy sleep.
I don't know how long I was out, but I suddenly felt a warm, heavy hand touch my bare stomach—only to jerk away immediately, as if touching an electric wire.
Drowsily, I opened my eyes. Christian was sitting on the edge of the mattress, looking awkward as he stared at my exposed, swollen belly.
Glancing down, I realized my pajamas had unbuttoned in my sleep, leaving my stomach completely bare. Under the dim lamp, the jagged purple stretch marks were on full display.
Christian quickly averted his eyes, clearing his throat uncomfortably.
"How are you... and the baby?"
A wave of bitter nausea washed over me. I let out a mocking sneer.
"Oh? Now you remember you have a wife and a kid?"
A flicker of guilt crossed his face.
"You're carrying a baby, Valerie. You shouldn't stay so angry—it's bad for the child. It was supposed to be a fun night with friends. There was no need to take everything so seriously."
He leaned in to kiss my forehead, but I jerked my head away, dodging his touch.
His hands hung awkwardly in mid-air before he pulled back.
"Come on. Get up. Let's go to the kitchen."
I grabbed my phone to check the time. It was 2:30 in the morning.
Seeing my blank stare, he scratched his head and explained, "Chloe felt so guilty she couldn't sleep. She stayed up half the night cooking you late-night soup as an apology. Just do me a favor, get up, and eat a little."I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
In the dead of night, he woke his heavily pregnant wife from a warm bed just to entertain this little performance?
"Guilty? Does anything she does look like genuine remorse? Waking me up in the middle of the night—is that her idea of an apology, or is she just looking for new ways to torment me?"
Impatience flashed across Christian’s face.
"Don't be ungrateful! She did this out of the goodness of her heart. She feels awful about earlier. Can't you be gracious enough to accept her apology?"
"Do you know she spent over two hours standing over the stove for you? Get up and eat. Don't break her heart again."
Before I could even speak, a piercing shriek echoed from the kitchen.
"Ahhh!"
The sound cut through the dead of night like a razor.
Christian panicked. Forgetting our argument entirely, he bolted out of the room.
I forced myself up and followed. When I reached the doorway, Chloe was standing in the center of the kitchen, clutching her thigh in apparent agony. A pot of piping-hot soup had splattered across the floor, steam rising into the air.
Seeing us, she burst into dramatic sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Valerie! I just wanted to make you some nourishing broth, but the pot slipped... not only did I make a mess, but I burned myself too... I'm so clumsy..."
She hiked her nightgown up to her hip, revealing her fair skin. There was a faint redness on her upper thigh. Paired with her tear-filled, wide eyes, she looked like a defenseless, wounded deer.
I let out a dry, scornful scoff. The acting was laughably transparent. The soup was all over the floor; there was no way it had splashed that high onto her upper thigh.
Christian, however, was consumed by panic. Seeing my smirk, his rage boiled over.
"Valerie, do you have a single shred of human decency?!"
"Chloe got burned trying to do something nice for you, and you're standing there gloating?!"
"Get in the car! You're coming to the hospital to stay by her side in the ER!"
He grabbed my arm violently, pulling with enough force to dislocate my shoulder.
I fought back, but his grip was iron.
He dragged me out the door and shoved me into the passenger seat.
He drove like a madman through the slick, icy streets. The second we screeched to a halt outside the emergency room, he slammed on the brakes, scooped Chloe into his arms, and sprinted inside.
Left behind, I had to support myself against the hospital walls, moving forward one agonizing inch at a time. The violent, reckless drive had triggered sharp, wrenching spasms in my lower belly. By the time I reached the hallway, I could barely stay upright.
Christian, who had just demanded that the intake doctor admit Chloe immediately, turned and glared at me.
"What are you playing at now? Chloe is hurt, and you're dragging your feet like an invalid! Can you stop being so damn dramatic for once?"
Cold sweat poured down my face. Pain choked the air from my lungs. I tried to lean against the wall to catch my breath, but he grabbed me again, dragging me into Chloe's private room.
"Christian, stop, please... it hurts so bad! Can't you see I can barely stand?!"
I begged him, my voice cracking with tears, praying for even a sliver of mercy.
He acted as if he were completely deaf. He dragged me straight to Chloe's bedside, then shoved me hard.
I lost my balance and crashed violently to the linoleum floor right in front of Chloe.
Pointing an accusing finger down at me, he barked:
"Apologize to her!""If you hadn't thrown such a fit tonight, Chloe wouldn't have burned herself and ended up in the hospital! Take a good, hard look at yourself and your attitude!"
Ignoring me as I curled on the floor, convulsing in pain, Christian took Chloe’s hand with tender devotion.
"Don't worry, Chloe. I won't let anyone treat you unfairly."
From the bed, Chloe looked down at me, tears sparkling on her eyelashes.
"I'm so sorry, Christian... it's all my fault. You two are fighting because of me. I always seem to make Valerie angry. Maybe I should just disappear... I won't bother you ever again."
Christian’s eyes flared with protective fury. He looked down at me, his gaze venomous.
"Valerie. Apologize to her. I'm not saying it again."
I remained curled in a tight ball, both arms wrapped desperately around my stomach, my entire body shaking violently. I didn't even have the strength to lift my head.
Pain tore my vision into blinding black static. Cold sweat drenched my hair and clothes, pooling beneath me on the icy floor.
Seeing me motionless with my head down, Christian assumed I was simply giving him the silent treatment. Enraged, he stepped forward and kicked me hard in the hip and thigh.
A muffled groan tore from my throat. My vision blacked out entirely, pushing me to the brink of unconsciousness.
Christian scowled in disgust.
"Stop faking it for sympathy! I barely tapped you. Besides, I kicked your leg, not your stomach!"
"If you won't apologize with words, you can feel the same pain Chloe felt. Maybe then you'll realize how twisted you are."
Dropping those vile words, he scooped Chloe up bridal-style and placed her into a transport wheelchair.
"I'm taking Chloe down for scans. Call your own cab home. I don't have time to baby you."
Without casting a single backward glance, he wheeled her out and walked away.
I lay abandoned on the freezing floor. My womb felt like it was being scorched by an open flame, the pain ripping through my insides until my consciousness began to drift into darkness.
It wasn't until an hour later, during routine rounds, that a floor doctor discovered me.
"Ma'am?! Can you hear me?!"
The doctor rushed over, attempting to lift me, but her gloved hand immediately came away soaked in dark, heavy blood.
She gasped in horror and shouted down the hallway for an emergency crash cart.
As I was lifted onto the gurney, the ceiling lights blurred into streaks of blinding white. The medical team ran alongside me, calling out urgently:
"Stay with us! Keep your eyes open! Don't fall asleep!"
"Why were you on the floor alone?! Where is your husband?! Your condition is critical—the baby is in severe distress, we might not be able to save it! What's your husband's phone number?! I need to call him!"
Hearing the words *might not be able to save it*, my mind snapped into sharp, agonizing clarity.
Tears spilled uncontrollably from the corners of my eyes.
Even though I had already resolved to terminate the pregnancy, facing the reality of losing this life tore a massive, bleeding void inside my soul. The grief was so overwhelming I couldn't breathe.
This child had lived inside me for seven months. We had shared the same heartbeat, the same blood.
How could I not mourn?
Yet, there was no other choice. Before I could ever be a mother, I had to save myself first.
Continuing this nightmare with Christian would only drag me into an inescapable abyss.
With trembling fingers, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the crumpled termination consent form—the one bearing only my signature. Earlier, I had agonized over how to force Christian to sign it.
Now, none of that mattered anymore.
"I don't have a husband," I whispered.
I pushed the paper into the doctor's hands. A violent contraction ripped through my abdomen, as if my body were tearing itself apart from the inside out. I grabbed a fistful of the doctor's white coat with whatever strength I had left.
"Please... call Dr. Nina... from OB-GYN..."
With those final words, darkness swallowed me whole.
Chapters (5)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Watch & Promotions
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