Chapter 5

Dragging my suitcase, I walked aimlessly down the street like a lost soul.

My phone vibrated frantically in my pocket, Leo's name flashing on the screen.

I hung up, then blocked him.

The world was so big, and I suddenly had no idea where to go.

Go back to my parents' house? That place held even more memories of Serena and my father's favoritism. I couldn't do it.

Go to my best friend Chloe's? How could I explain this utterly absurd situation to her? Tell her that the man I loved for two years treated me as a stand-in for the person I hated most?

In the end, I just found a quick hotel that looked reasonably clean and checked in.

Once I closed the door, shutting out all external noise, I finally allowed myself to collapse, leaning against the door, slowly sliding down to the cold floor.

Tears finally welled up, late but unstoppable. Not loud sobs, but silent, desperate streams, soaking my shirt.

The next few days passed in a daze. My phone was off, cutting me off from the outside world. I just slept, stared blankly, and mechanically ate a little to sustain myself.

Until one morning, I rushed to the bathroom and dry heaved for ages, but nothing came up.

This happened for several consecutive days.

A terrifying thought suddenly pierced my mind.

I stared at the two clear red lines slowly appearing, and all the strength instantly drained from me, and I slid down the wall to the floor.

Pregnant.

Just as I decided to leave Leo for good, just as my life had been shattered into a million pieces, this baby arrived.

What a… cruel irony.