Chapter 2
Late that night, Ethan was sleeping deeply.
I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. Then I carefully slipped the phone he had been charging beneath his pillow out from under him.
We had been together for years. Maybe because I had never checked his phone, Ethan had never felt the need to guard it from me.
His password hadn’t changed.
I unlocked the phone without trouble.
I opened the delivery app.
The special-order notes were packed with details, a clear sign of how much effort he had put into them.
【My baby loves cilantro. Please add extra!】
【The scrambled eggs with tomatoes should be sweet.】
【My baby’s from the South. The rice balls need to be savory. Absolutely no black sesame filling!】
…
Then I opened SnapChat.
I barely had to look.
There were only two pinned conversations.
Mine, and another girl’s.
I started reading from the beginning.
It felt like watching Ethan’s affair unfold in front of my eyes.
It began with a message from the girl.
“Manager Carter, can I try some of your fennel dumplings?”
“We don’t eat these where I’m from. I’m curious, and now I’m craving them. The delivery’s late, and I’m starving to death.”
Ethan hesitated.
Even with our matching couple’s profile picture still on his account, he agreed.
He personally divided the dumplings and gave half to the girl, silently allowing their first boundary to be crossed.
After that, she came up with all kinds of excuses to eat with him.
“Manager Carter, try my clay-pot rice. You can give me a few of your sticky bean buns!”
“Ethan, you’re my favorite food buddy!”
“Then it’s a deal. From now on, we’ll order food together and share it. That way, we can try lots of different dishes!”
“Baby, I have to finish a proposal. You’re the best. Can you order me some food? I’m craving sweet scrambled eggs with tomatoes.”
…
In just three months, they had gone from food buddies to calling each other “baby.”
The light from the phone washed over my face.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, holding back my sobs.
I didn’t sleep at all that night.
The next afternoon, I carried a thermal food container to Ethan’s office.
Maybe I just couldn’t accept it.
Ethan and I had been together for seven years. We were supposed to get legally married at the end of the month. Both our families had already booked the wedding venue, planning to hold the ceremony during the fall holiday.
I wanted to see what kind of girl she was.
What kind of girl could make Ethan stray after seven years together?
The receptionist looked surprised when she saw me, visibly pregnant.
“Hello. How can I help you?”
I touched my slightly rounded belly.
“I’m here to see Ethan Carter from the engineering department.”
“I’m his fiancée. I brought him lunch.”
The receptionist’s expression changed.
“His fiancée? Manager Carter is engaged?”
“Then why would he…”
An older coworker beside her nudged her with an elbow, signaling her to stop talking.
She glanced sympathetically at my stomach, then stood up with a smile.
“All right. He’s downstairs eating with some coworkers in the break area.”
“It must be difficult for you to walk around with your pregnancy. I’ll take you there.”
I followed her to the office building’s break area.
Each company had its own designated section where employees could eat their takeout. It was easy to find.
From a distance, I saw Ethan sitting beside a beautiful girl.
She was laughing and gesturing animatedly as she talked. Ethan watched her with a tender look and a faint smile on his lips.
Anyone who saw them would’ve thought they were a couple deeply in love.
Maybe Ethan was worried she would get hungry from talking so long.
He picked up his fork and speared a piece of fried fish. Then he brought it to her lips, his voice filled with affection.
“Lily, open up.”
“I ordered these fried fish bites especially for you. They won’t stay crispy once they get cold.”
Lily looked blissfully happy as she opened her mouth.
Then she saw me standing behind Ethan, my belly clearly showing.
Her face changed instantly.
The receptionist called out, “Manager Carter, your fiancée brought you lunch.”