Chapter 2

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if I were the unreasonable one.

But he knew full well that my uterine lining was thin and my chances of conceiving were extremely low. What I lost wasn't just a baby. What I lost was any possibility of ever becoming a mother in this lifetime.

Lily slowly sat up, her eyes reddening, her voice so soft she sounded like the one who'd been grievously wronged.

"Emma, don't blame Daniel. Forging the test report was my idea."

"I was afraid you wouldn't believe it, so I originally planned to bring a stray cat home and let you actually get infected. But Daniel was worried I might catch it too, so he stopped me."

I stared at her, barely able to believe what I was hearing.

But she continued: "Actually, when I first found out I was pregnant, I wanted to terminate it. Daniel begged me not to. He said it would be too damaging to my body and might leave lasting effects."

"To keep me from sneaking off to get the procedure, he even took me to the Maldives for a month. I couldn't stand the smell of cigarettes during the pregnancy, so he quit smoking for me."

I listened in silence, my breathing growing unsteady.

He knew terminating a pregnancy was harmful to the body—yet he tricked me into doing it. I'd asked him to quit smoking countless times. Every time, he said work was too stressful, that he couldn't. But for Lily, he didn't need to be asked. He just did it.

Love and indifference really are that obvious.

I suddenly remembered the early days of my pregnancy, when the fetus was unstable and the doctor recommended I stay in the hospital for observation. Terrified that this hard-won baby wouldn't make it, I called Daniel in tears.

All he said was: "Emma, the hospital scheduled me for an overseas conference. Last minute. I'll be gone a month. Just take care of yourself."

I tried to beg him: "Can't someone else go? I'm scared something will happen to the baby while you're away—"

But before I could finish, he'd already hung up.

A month later, he came back noticeably tanned. It never occurred to me then that he hadn't gone to any conference—he'd taken Lily to the Maldives.

My throat tightened. I tilted my head back, refusing to let the tears fall. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the bassinet beside the bed.

That bassinet—I'd had it custom-made by a craftsman overseas. I waited seven months for it. Carved into the railing was the nickname I'd chosen for my baby.

Lily followed my gaze and let out a dry laugh.

"Emma, I didn't actually want to use it. Daniel insisted on bringing it over."

"He said since your baby was gone, leaving it sitting there was a waste. Might as well let my baby use it. At least it wouldn't have been bought for nothing."

My mother jumped in immediately: "It's just a bassinet. What's the big deal? Just let Lily have it."

Again with "just let her have it."

My entire life, whenever Lily wanted something, I was expected to give it up. A dress, a bedroom, a spot at a good school. Now, even the bassinet I'd prepared for my own child had to be surrendered.

She had always felt entitled to everything that was mine.

When I said nothing, my father's face darkened. His voice turned sharp.

"Lily has lived with us since she was a child. She's always been sensitive, always had it harder than you. You've had so much more happiness than her—why can't you let her have one bassinet without making it a fight?"

"I truly regret having such a selfish daughter."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth. The smile was ice-cold.

"The person who's been walking on eggshells in this family—hasn't that always been me?"

The words barely left my mouth before Mark exploded.

"Emma, do you have any conscience at all? Dad was just saying something fair on Lily's behalf and you can't even handle that?"

"Do you have to tear this family apart before you're satisfied?"

Every single one of them stood on the other side. The hostility was so blatant it burned—as though I were the monster who'd barged into someone else's happiness.

In that moment, I finally understood. All these years, I had always been alone.

I looked at them and said calmly: "This family won't fall apart."

"I'll leave."

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, my father's voice barked: "Daniel, don't go after her. She has no job, no money, nowhere to go. Once she can't make it out there on her own, she'll come crawling back."