Chapter 3

The next day, Michael came home early, taking care of both breakfast and lunch.

At the dining table, he took out a jewelry box and proudly opened it in front of me.

Inside was a necklace I had once admired in a shop window, casually mentioning how beautiful it was.

At that time, Michael's company hadn't gone public yet, and all the money my family had given me had been invested in it. No matter how much I liked it, I didn't dare to even think about buying it.

But now, seeing it, I felt no joy at all.

Seeing my reaction, Michael's smile faded a bit, and he cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

I shook my head, took it, and put it aside, saying, "I do like it. Let's eat first, I'm hungry."

Michael's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he started putting my favorite dishes into my bowl:

"If you're hungry, eat up. Here, Sophia, have some more. You've gotten so thin."

However, Michael's phone kept ringing incessantly, annoying me.

I glanced at it and said flatly, "You should answer it. It might be something important."

Michael observed my expression, and seeing how calm I was, he hurriedly went to the balcony to take the call.

After a while, Michael came back, starting with an apology: "Sophia, I can't stay with you today. The company..."

"Go ahead. The company's matters are important. I'll be fine on my own."

I smiled, letting him put his guard down, and watched him leave in a hurry.

What Michael didn't know was that as soon as he hung up, I received an audio file.

In the conversation, Michael and Anna addressed each other intimately. Anna was complaining about feeling unwell in a coquettish voice, and Michael sounded very concerned.

I left the house right after him and headed straight to the hospital's obstetrics department. At the hospital entrance, I ran into Lucas.

He glanced at the registration slip in my hand, then looked behind me, frowning as he said:

"You're having this procedure, and Michael didn't come with you?"

I ignored him and followed the doctor for various examinations. Lucas kept following behind me, asking questions.

I felt a bit annoyed: "What do you want? Are you here to laugh at me?"

Lucas snorted: "I'm afraid you'll die on the operating table with no one to claim your body."

I rolled my eyes at him and entered the operating room as arranged by the doctor. Lucas just stood at the door, watching me go in.

Fortunately, my body was in good condition, so I could go home the same day without staying in the hospital.

When I came out, Lucas was gone, and Anna sent another message.

Around her slender neck was the necklace I liked, with Michael standing behind her, smiling as he put it on her.

The pain in my abdomen intensified at that moment, reaching deep into my heart. I could barely stand.

A hand steadied me as I was about to fall.

Lucas held onto me and helped me sit down nearby, opening a thermos flask and handing it to me.

A rich, savory aroma and steam hit my face. I looked at him in disbelief, but he just handed me a spoon.

"It's a nutritious soup. Drink some, it's good for you. It's still hot. I heard that you feel cold after an abortion, so..."

It wasn't until he reached out to wipe the tears from my cheeks that I came back to my senses, realizing I had just lost my child.

And the man I had loved for ten years.

I took the spoon and drank the soup while crying. Lucas sighed helplessly: "Slow down, I'm not going to fight you for it."

Catching sight of the ring on my hand, I felt even more miserable. I took it off and threw it into his lap:

"Don't you have a jewelry business? Help me sell this. This piece of junk isn't worth keeping. Might as well get some money for it."

Lucas seemed to want to say something but hesitated. His gaze shifted between me and the ring. I heard him take a deep breath before saying:

"Sophia Sullivan, let me marry you."

0