Chapter 4

He didn't deny it.

"It was only that one time."

"I swear, just once! I never expected her to get pregnant and keep it!"

"Ethan, that 'colleague' you've been texting for three months—that's her, isn't it?"

His expression crumbled from desperate remorse to pure guilt.

Everything clicked.

Months ago, I noticed his text logs with a contact labeled 'Jordan from Work'. Nonstop messages from morning till midnight, packed with selfies and flirty memes.

When I asked, he claimed she was a new hire handling a handover.

I believed him.

We had fought so hard to be together; I didn't want petty jealousy to tear us apart.

So when he said she was just a colleague, I took his word for it.

"Ethan, you have a child with her. What's the point of these pathetic excuses?"

He stood speechless.

"We can move away," he pleaded.

"We'll move out. We'll cut off my mom and cut off that woman! Just the three of us. We'll start fresh."

I said nothing.

"You hold my cards. All my money is yours! You can have everything. Go wherever you want, buy whatever you want, I won't say a word!"

"We can relocate to that coastal town you always dreamed of. California, Florida, anywhere by the beach! We'll rent a house, you raise our baby, I'll work—"

"Enough."

He froze.

I looked right into his eyes.

"When you were betraying me, did you think about me once?"

His lips parted, but no sound came.

"When you texted her late into the night and told me you were working late, did you think about me?"

"When you laughed and played house with her, weren't you exhausted having to face me at home?"

Ethan reached for my hand, but I pulled away.

"I'm sorry,"

Tears finally spilled down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I really am."

"I'm leaving,"

"The shuttle from the retreat is waiting downstairs."

His face blanched. "Retreat? You booked a postpartum retreat?"

"Yes. Their top VIP suite. Paid with your card."

"Can you cancel it? Please? I'll nurse you! I'll take two months off work. I'll stay home and take care of you 24/7!"