Chapter 3

Aria POV

That afternoon, I started running a fever. Drifting in and out of consciousness, my head throbbed with a dull ache.

In my dream, I saw Julian, alone, working construction. A privileged rich kid, yet he was ordered around by workers, covered in dirt. But he seemed utterly oblivious, using his hard-earned wages to buy a silver ring, just to come see me.

Before coming to find me, he'd even taken a shower and changed into clean clothes.

"Aria, I have no money, no power right now. I'm not asking you to accept me. But could you please not date anyone for three years? Just three years, that's all I need."

I put on the ring without hesitation.

"Julian, I'm willing to work with you to earn your family's approval. But if one day you get tired, just tell me, and I'll walk away without a second thought."

I woke up from the dream. The high fever made the allergic spots hot and itchy, like a thousand ants crawling all over me.

Suddenly, a burning sensation below, and a terrifying realization hit me-the baby...

I instinctively dialed Julian's number.

It rang a few times, and then a woman's voice answered.

I knew it was Sera.

"Hello? Make it quick. I just saw a kitten hit by a car, and I'm rushing to film it to find the culprit. I don't have time to chat."

A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I couldn't care less about anything else and quickly said.

"Please tell Julian I might be having a miscarriage. Tell him to come back immediately and take me to the hospital."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then her nonchalant voice spoke again.

"If it can't be saved, it wasn't meant to be. It's people like you, making a fuss over nothing, that give doctors such a heavy workload."

I clutched my stomach, wondering if I was hallucinating.

"Aren't you a woman? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Give the phone to Julian, I need to talk to him!"

Sera on the other end answered casually.

"Miss Hayes, reincarnation is a two-way street. If the fetus wants to leave, you should respect its wishes."

Just as she was about to hang up, I heard Julian's voice on the other end.

Enraged, I shouted, "Julian!"

But Julian didn't respond to me. I only heard Julian and Sera's conversation.

"Sera, what's wrong? Is your heart bothering you again?" Julian asked anxiously.

"My heart hurts so much! Julian, maybe you should go back and talk to Aria. What if something really happened to her baby..."

He listened quietly, then picked up the phone, his voice calm but sharp.

"Aria, you're infertile. How could you be pregnant? Stop acting."

"And stop being so dramatic. Sera has a heart condition; you'll cause her serious trouble like this..."

I couldn't speak. The woman on the other end kept babbling, finally just saying.

"I'm too busy these past couple of days, so I won't be coming back. Don't call me for such trivial matters."

The phone clicked, and my heart sank deeper and deeper.

I had to call emergency services myself, then ask my best friend, Brianna, to rush to the hospital to sign the papers.

After the surgery, I was unconscious for three days and three nights before I finally woke up.

Brianna said she'd rushed to the hospital after my call, but it was too late. The doctor said if she'd signed just ten minutes earlier, they could have saved the baby.

Then, Brianna sat by my bed, cursing that scumbag for half an hour straight before finally calming down enough to buy food.

I pulled out my phone to scroll through Ins. Less than a minute later, I saw a video Julian had re-posted.

The two-minute clip showed Sera advocating for animal welfare, urging people to cherish life.

Below the video, Julian commented, expressing his full support for her philanthropic work.

I gently touched my abdomen. My heart was numb with pain, leaving only a bitter irony.

At Brianna's insistence, I rested for two more days before being discharged.

When I got home, Julian wasn't back yet. I didn't care. I went about my routine of work and home.

It wasn't until the evening of the second weekend that he returned home.

When he walked in, I was looking for my lawyer's license.

Julian said mockingly, "Well, look at you. Perfectly fine, aren't you?"

Before I could explain, he grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom.

A short while later, his phone rang in the bathroom.

Even though he kept his voice low, I still heard his conversation with Sera.

"Mm, don't worry, she wasn't pregnant. Probably just being petty."

"Okay, whatever you say. I'll stay home tonight. Don't kick off your blanket in your sleep while I'm gone!"

I chuckled softly, pretending not to hear, and went about my business.

We were divorced anyway. He could think whatever he wanted; there was no point in explaining.

It just meant he was staying home tonight, and I'd have to find an excuse to sleep in separate rooms later. The thought of sharing a bed with him now felt utterly repulsive.

Lost in thought, he walked into the bedroom and told me, "Sera's interview ran into a bit of a problem..."

I cut him off, saying, "Go check on her."

A flicker of unease crossed his face, but he ultimately just said, "I'll be back soon."

That night, he didn't return, and I slept soundly.