Chapter 1
Chloe and I fell in love at the same time.
But our boyfriends couldn’t have been more different.
We both sent our boyfriends the same message.
“I’m exhausted from work today.”
My boyfriend replied almost instantly.
“Got it.”
One hour later, Chloe received a $100,000 transfer from her boyfriend.
The memo section said:
“Rest if you’re tired. I’ll take care of you.”
Chloe and I also shared photos of the scenery around us at the same time.
The next second, my boyfriend replied:
“Seen it.”
Two hours later, Chloe received a detailed travel plan.
Even her flights had already been booked.
She always told me,
“Ella, I’m so jealous. Your boyfriend always replies right away.”
Until the day Chloe and I both found out we were pregnant.
Just like always, I was the first one to receive my boyfriend’s reply.
“Got it.”
Chloe waited three hours and still got nothing.
She finally shouted at her phone in anger.
“Why are you always the slowest one? I’m breaking up with you!”
The next second, someone rushed in and pulled Chloe into his arms.
“Baby, I drove three hours to get here.”
“Messages are too empty. I wanted to prove it through my actions.”
Under the warm lights, the two of them kissed.
That was when I finally saw the man standing in front of me clearly.
It was Ethan.
The man I had been with for seven years.
The man who had secretly married me.
If he could give someone else love through his actions while all I ever received were empty words...
Then I would let him go.
Chloe stepped out of Ethan’s arms and turned toward me.
“Ella, this is my boyfriend Ethan. He teaches at NYU.”
“And this is my best friend, Ella.”
When Ethan saw me, shock flashed through his eyes.
But he quickly recovered.
“Hi, Ella.”
I stood there frozen.
“Ella, why are you spacing out?”
Chloe happily hooked her arm around Ethan’s.
“My Ethan is really handsome. A lot of girls stare the first time they meet him.”
Ethan smiled and gently tapped her nose.
“Don’t tease.”
I reached out politely.
The moment our fingertips touched, Ethan pulled his hand back as if he had been burned.
The nurse called Chloe’s name.
Ethan turned around instinctively and lifted her into his arms.
I followed behind them.
I listened as the patients around us praised how perfect they looked together.
Inside the examination room, the doctor performed Chloe’s ultrasound.
Chloe held Ethan’s hand tightly with one hand and pointed at the tiny spot on the screen with the other.
“Sweetheart, look. That’s our baby.”
Ethan stared at the screen.
His expression was focused and gentle.
He turned to the doctor and asked one question after another.
“How long does she need to take folic acid?”
“Does she need iron supplements?”
“What sleeping position is best for pregnant women?”
Watching this careful version of Ethan, I fell into a daze for a moment.
The first time I got pregnant and miscarried, he only said:
“Ella, be more careful next time.”
When my supervisor made things difficult for me and forced me to take on too much work, he only said:
“Go to bed earlier.”
The doctor laughed at Ethan’s nervous reaction.
“First time becoming a father?”
“Not many first-time dads are this attentive.”
Ethan nodded naturally.
“As her husband, this is what I should do.”
Ethan had never admitted in front of anyone that he was my “husband.”
Even our marriage had been kept secret.
He carefully wrote down every instruction the doctor gave him.
The doctor turned to me and frowned.
“Ella, your progesterone levels are low. There’s a risk of miscarriage.”
“You need complete bed rest.”
Her voice carried a hint of blame.
“With your condition, you can’t be left without someone taking care of you.”
“Where is your husband? Let him come in. I need to explain this to him.”
I lowered my head.
“The baby doesn’t have a father.”
“We’re... divorced.”
A faint sound came from behind me.
I turned around.
Ethan was wiping the ultrasound gel off Chloe’s stomach.
After we left the hospital, Chloe insisted that Ethan drive me home.
I sat in the back seat.
She sat comfortably in the passenger seat, looking completely at ease.
She couldn’t help asking:
“Ella, when did you and your secretly married husband break up?”
“Did he hurt you?”
“A man who wouldn’t even give you a wedding ceremony was never trustworthy. I always said someone like that couldn’t be relied on.”
Her voice was filled with genuine worry and protectiveness.
I calmly said:
“Because he cheated on me.”