Chapter 3

Maya's POV

Chloe stood in front of the full-length mirror wearing an off-white gown, its long hem sweeping the floor.

Ethan stepped behind her to adjust the sash at her waist, looping the ribbon twice before tying it into a neat bow.

Once it was set, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head.

Yet his eyes cut through the mirror's reflection, locking straight onto mine, as if bracing for me to rush forward and cause a scene.

I understood that look completely.

He was waiting for me to break down, waiting for me to make an embarrassing spectacle in public just to prove that his little rule from last night was entirely justified.

A sudden wave of nausea rolled violently through my gut. I clamped a hand over my mouth, spun around, and bolted into the restroom, gripping the edge of the sink as I threw up.

I hadn't eaten anything all morning, so nothing came up except bitter bile that burned my throat and brought hot tears to my eyes.

In the mirror, my face was ghost-white.

The restroom door clicked open behind me and swung shut.

Ethan stepped in, gripping my arms and pressing me against the counter, his voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "Pull yourself together before you walk back out there. Don't go flashing that miserable look around Chloe. This is her very first dress fitting, so don't you dare ruin her mood."

I looked at his reflection in the mirror, my shoulders trembling as a bitter laugh broke from my throat.

I was heaving over a sink, and the only thing that crossed his mind was whether someone else's mood would be ruined.

"Ethan, what do you even take me for?"

"Let me ask you something," he cut in, his grip tightening around my arm. "What are you playing at, sneaking around behind my back to hang out with my mother? She handed you a box of wedding favors yesterday, and you show up here today. Are you trying to corner me and claim I mistreated you?"

"Tattling to your mother?" I yanked my arm from his grasp, whipping around to face him. "You really think I have that much free time on my hands?"

I had shared coffee with her countless times, and not once had I dared mention his name.

I had guarded his dirty little secret for years, and now he was treating me like a scheming opportunist.

A light knock sounded against the door.

Chloe pushed it open, taking in the sight of us standing close. She let out a soft, theatrical gasp and pulled the door shut behind her.

Gliding over to Ethan's side, she looped her arm through his and looked up at me with an innocent smile. "Maya, I know all about you. Ethan told me everything. He said you were just someone fun to keep him company outside, and that you've always been very sensible. That's why I never bothered holding it against you."

Her manicured fingers trailed over Ethan's cuff as her smile turned sugary sweet. "Still, you really ought to know your place. I'm the one who's going to be Ethan's wife."

"You spent all those years with him, and he gave you money and a place to live. He’s treated you more than fairly. Stop reaching for things that will never belong to you, or we’ll all end up embarrassed."

"Reaching for things that don't belong to me?" I stared at her, then shifted my gaze to Ethan. "Is that what you told her?"

Ethan’s brow furrowed, and he looked away.

He didn't deny a single word.

*Someone fun to keep him company.* *Sensible.* Those were the exact words he had used to describe me to this woman.

I gave a curt nod, turned around, and pulled the door open to leave.

I didn't even care to hear an explanation anymore.

Chloe followed right behind me. We walked one after the other toward the second-floor stairwell.

The moment my foot touched the top step, fingers clamped hard around my wrist from behind.

"Hold on a second," Chloe hissed under her breath. "I wasn't finished talking to you. Who said you could walk away?"

"Let go of me."

I ripped my arm back, using a bit too much force.

Chloe stumbled as if knocked off balance, crying out in alarm before shoving both hands hard against my shoulders.

I pitched forward, scrambling to catch the handrail.

In the chaotic blur, I heard Ethan shout my name from above—"Maya!"—as he lunged forward. His hand clamped down hard around mine, his knuckles turning white with the strain.

In that split second, a breath of relief hit my chest.

He called my name. He reached for me first.

A foolish thought crossed my mind: deep down, he still knew who he cared about most.

Right then, Chloe screamed out in tears, "Ethan!"

His hand hesitated.

I watched in sheer disbelief as his fingers unclenched from mine, turning completely around to grab the woman slipping behind him.

The weightlessness lasted only a second.

In that single second, everything became sickeningly clear.

He knew exactly what would happen to anyone who fell down those stairs. He weighed it in his mind, and he chose her.

The very next instant, I tumbled down the staircase.

Step after step battered my spine and slammed against my skull.

Screams echoed in my ears, mixed with Chloe’s hysterical sobbing.

I tried desperately to curl my arms over my stomach, but my limbs refused to obey.

My body collided heavily against the cold marble floor of the lobby. A sudden, terrifying wave of warmth flooded between my thighs, staining my light-colored trousers crimson.

I curled up on the cold floor, mouth open, but not a single scream could escape.

Before darkness swallowed me whole, I looked up toward the landing. Ethan was kneeling beside Chloe, calling out her name over and over again.

When I opened my eyes, I was staring at a sterile hospital ceiling.

An IV needle was taped to the back of my hand. I moved my fingers slightly, feeling an empty, hollow ache deep in my lower belly.

Ethan sat in the chair beside the bed. Seeing me wake up, the very first words out of his mouth were: "What were you thinking, getting into a shoving match with Chloe by the stairs? She can be reckless, but don't you have better sense? You're a grown woman. Causing a scene like this—was it really worth it?"

He paused, his voice softening just a fraction. "Don't worry, though. Chloe already spoke up for you. She said it was an accident, so we're letting it go. Stop acting out, and just focus on resting."

With that, he snatched his coat from the back of the chair, mumbled that he had things to take care of, and walked out.

I stared at the ceiling above, not a single tear falling from my eyes.

The baby was gone.

He sat by my bedside and rattled off all those reprimands, but never once asked about the life I was carrying.

I never even got the chance to tell him. And now, I would never need to.

From beginning to end, I was the only person in the world who ever knew our child existed.

I hadn't even had the chance to pick out a name.

I tried to lift my hand to touch my flat stomach, but halfway up, my arm lost all strength and fell heavily back onto the sheets.

Starting today, I would never stake another piece of my soul on him.

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, casting a blinding, painful glare across the stark white blanket.