Chapter 3

After they left, I grabbed the watering can and started watering the plants on the balcony.

My mom chopped vegetables in the kitchen, calling out to me.

"That Michelle girl—she's a classmate of yours?"

I answered without much interest. "Yeah."

"How come you've never mentioned her? Is she pretty?"

"Gorgeous. Drop-dead gorgeous."

The chopping stopped abruptly.

"Figures. Handsome pilots always end up with beautiful flight attendants."

"If they have kids, can you imagine how good-looking they'd be?"

I zoned out for a second. Ethan probably thought the same thing.

Last month at the high school reunion.

Ethan deliberately sat half the table away from me to avoid looking suspicious.

The moment Michelle walked in, she swapped seats with whoever was next to him.

"I heard you made captain?"

"Let me get a good look at you. Eye candy for the day."

"All the captains at my airline are ancient."

They had so much in common.

Air traffic control, hotels, restaurants—they could talk for hours.

Someone at the table teased Ethan. "I heard pilots always marry flight attendants. Is that true?"

He answered completely seriously.

"Yeah, there's definitely some internal matchmaking that happens."

I shot him a glare and texted him under the table.

**[Matchmaking my ass.]**

**[angry emoji]**

When everyone started leaving, my best friend Sarah and I walked ahead.

Ethan and Michelle followed behind.

Michelle was laughing about something, nearly doubled over.

I glanced back without thinking and missed a step. Went tumbling down the stairs.

"Maya! Are you okay?!" Sarah rushed over.

My ankle swelled up almost immediately.

A sharp, drilling pain shot through my leg.

"Ethan..."

His name left my lips on instinct.

He started toward me, then stopped several steps away.

I looked at him, silently begging. Even then, he chose to keep his distance.

Sarah was freaking out. She had her husband carry me to the car and rushed me to the hospital.

I gripped Sarah's hand, my whole body shaking.

"Sarah, I'm scared..."

She held me tight, trying to soothe me. "Don't worry. I'm sure the bone's fine."

I clutched my stomach, tears streaming down my face.

"I'm... I'm pregnant."

I'd just gotten the ultrasound confirmation a few days ago. Hadn't had the chance to tell Ethan yet.

But now this.

My leg in a cast, a cold probe moving across my stomach.

I silently prayed nothing was wrong.

Then I heard the doctor's verdict.

"I'm sorry. There's no heartbeat."

Lying in the hospital bed, I couldn't sleep. Just stared at the ceiling, tears running silently down my face.

Late that night, I saw Michelle post on Instagram.

**[It's been forever since a hot guy drove me home~ happy]**

The next day, while Sarah was handling my discharge paperwork, Ethan finally showed up.

I lay there numb, refusing to look at him.

"Leave."

He didn't say anything. Just moved to lift me into the wheelchair.

I kicked him hard, voice rising.

"Where were you when I actually needed you? What's the point of showing up now?"

He frowned.

"Everyone from school was there yesterday. I didn't want them to suspect anything if I acted too close to you."

"Besides, Sarah was with you the whole time. I didn't think I should get in the way."

I stared at him as tears slid down my cheeks.

"Ethan, how worthless am I to you? You'd rather leave me there bleeding on the ground than let anyone know I existed."

He took a deep breath.

"It just happened so suddenly. I wasn't prepared."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"Don't worry about being prepared. We're done anyway."

I shoved him aside and threw myself clumsily into the wheelchair.

He stood there and let out a cold laugh.

"Whatever. I've got plenty of girls throwing themselves at me who are better than you anyway."

"Besides, who else are you gonna find without me?"

Then he turned and walked out. Disappeared from my life completely.