Chapter 5: Pregnant

It was hard not to suspect that the two of them had gone to the same place for their "business trips."

I didn't discuss Lydia further with my lawyer.

Sebastian tucked the contract away and said, "Let’s leave it at that for today. Over the next few days, I’ll investigate the assets under Julian’s name. In the meantime, you can take some more time to consider whether you truly want to go through with the divorce."

"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Sebastian."

I watched him stand up to leave and then signaled the server for the check.

"Ma'am, that gentleman already settled the bill," the server said.

Paid already?

This was another surprise.

I couldn't help but look toward the café entrance, wondering why Sebastian had covered the bill. I was the client, and he was the lawyer I had hired; by all rights, the coffee should have been on me.

I turned the thought over in my mind but couldn't find a reason, eventually chalking it up to Sebastian being the type of man who simply disliked having a woman pay for him.

It was nearly five o'clock when I arrived home. The nanny was playing with my daughter. Seeing me return, Daisy ran over for a hug. I picked her up. "Have you been a good girl at home, baby?"

"Yes, I was very good!"

"Good girl."

I gave her a kiss. As we walked into the living room, Daisy asked, "Mommy, when is Daddy coming back? Can he take me to the amusement park next weekend?"

"Mommy isn't sure, but if he doesn't have time next week, I’ll take you myself."

"Oh... okay."

I could hear the disappointment in her small, resigned voice, and her lips curled into a pout.

Looking at her, I suddenly remembered the morning sickness that had been getting worse over the last two days. When I came back just now, I had stopped at a pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test, wanting to check at home first.

I prayed to God that I wasn't pregnant at a time like this.

I handed Daisy back to Mrs. Claire and went into the bathroom. After pulling the test out of my bag, I stood there hesitating for a long moment before finally gathering the courage to proceed.

The wait was agonizing, and my mind raced.

If I really was unlucky enough to be pregnant now, what would I do?

Should I terminate the pregnancy and divorce him decisively? Or should I keep the child and raise them alone after the split?

Raising a child alone was hard enough—doing it with two would be an immense struggle. I didn't know if I could provide for both of them. The risk was too high.

But right in the middle of my turmoil, two lines slowly appeared on the test.

In that instant, my heart turned to ash.

No matter how I prayed or pleaded, a new life had taken hold inside me.

It felt as though fate were deliberately torturing me, playing a cruel joke at the worst possible moment.

I heard a noise outside the door, followed by my daughter’s innocent, bright voice: "Daddy! You’re finally back! I missed you so much."

"Daddy missed you too, baby," Julian replied.

I couldn't help but sneer.

If he truly missed her, how could he spend two days away with another woman without making a single video call to his daughter?

He hadn't been like this before. Regardless of how Julian treated me as a wife, he had always been good to Daisy. On every previous trip, he would call to see her at least once.

But this weekend, there had been nothing.

I threw the pregnancy test into the trash and piled a thick layer of tissues on top to hide it completely. Then, I pulled open the bathroom door and walked out.

Julian looked toward me at the sound. I met his gaze and said casually, "You're back."

"Yeah," he nodded.

I wasn't sure if I was being overly sensitive, but I thought I saw a trace of unease in his eyes. If I wasn't mistaken, it was guilt—the instinctive guilt a man feels toward his wife after cheating.

Julian walked toward me and, under my watchful gaze, smiled. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

With that, he pulled me into his arms.

The moment he embraced me, I was hit by that faint, elegant scent—exactly the same fragrance I had smelled on his shirt before. It made my stomach churn. I pushed him away forcefully, turned back into the bathroom, and began to retch.

Julian knocked on the door from the outside. "Honey? What's wrong?"