In the third month of my pregnancy, my husband, a forensic expert, once again left me to attend a prenatal checkup alone. This wasn’t the first time. During my first checkup, his assistant was called out to a case, and I ended up spending the entire day waiting in the hospital lobby. On the second occasion, halfway to the hospital, he received a call from his assistant, left me on the side of the road, and rushed off. From the day we got married, whether it was a special occasion or a routine prenatal checkup, his assistant always seemed to find a reason to call him away. By the third time he abandoned me at the hospital, my heart was utterly broken. Yet, when I mentioned divorce and boarded a plane to go abroad, he went to great lengths to win me back. 1. At 10 weeks pregnant, Ethan hadn’t accompanied me to a single checkup. Today was the third one, and he had promised he’d stay with me until it was over. But soon after we arrived at the hospital, Chloe called. Ethan quickly pulled his hand away from mine, his expression softening as he answered her call. Chloe’s helpless voice came through the phone: “Mr. Ethan, I’m the only woman on the scene this afternoon, and I’ve never handled such a big case. I’m a bit scared.” Hearing this, Ethan covered the phone and looked at me apologetically. “Willa, there’s a major case at the department, and Chloe is inexperienced. I’m worried she can’t handle it.” “It’s just a routine blood test today. You can manage on your own, right?” Though phrased as a question, it was more of a statement. Despite this scenario playing out many times since we got married, I tried to suppress my anger and quietly asked, “But Ethan, I might faint during the blood test. Plus, the doctor said the early stages of pregnancy are very important. Could you please stay and listen to the doctor’s advice with me?” He frowned, clearly displeased. “Since when have you had a fear of blood? I wasn’t aware of that. I understand you have issues with Chloe, but this is work. Can you please not let your feelings interfere with my job?” Realizing he might have spoken too harshly, he quickly added, “Anyway, you’ll still have a long wait. I should be able to finish work and come to pick you up.” After saying that, Ethan ignored my reaction, reassured Chloe on the phone, and left without looking back. I stood there, stunned, holding the newly prescribed medicine. After three years of dating and two years of marriage, this wasn’t the first time Ethan had left me for Chloe. In the past, I’d probably have argued with him, questioning who his real wife was. Was my unborn child less important than an assistant? Why couldn’t he remember I had hereditary anemia, which made blood tests truly faint-inducing? But this time, I just felt profoundly exhausted. No matter what I said, Ethan’s excuses were always “work is busy” and “Chloe needs me more.” No matter what I did, in Ethan’s eyes, it was just me being jealous. River City was in the height of summer, and my body was weak from the pregnancy. The oppressive heat made me break out in a sweat, but my heart grew colder with each passing moment. I took a deep breath, clutching the prenatal checkup form tightly in my hand. I knew it was time to let this relationship go. 2. After the checkup, I went straight to the police station to tender my resignation to Officer Carter. “Beatrix, are you sure about resigning so suddenly? Does Ethan know?” Officer Carter was surprised by my resignation. As a specially appointed sketch artist for the police, I had helped solve numerous challenging cases over the years and had a promising future. I forced a smile and said, “I’ll tell him later, but he probably won’t care much.” “Sigh, back then, you two were the golden couple—the youngest and most promising forensic expert and the most capable sketch artist. When you got married two years ago, the Chief even officiated the wedding. Everyone thought you two were so happy…” Officer Carter sighed regretfully. Indeed, we were once the envy of others. But now, those memories were just that—memories. After handing over my work, I returned home at nine in the evening. The house was silent and empty. My phone displayed a new post from Chloe, specifically tagging me. “With Mr. Ethan by my side during my first big case, I wasn’t scared at all! To thank Mr. Ethan for taking me home, I’m treating him to a big meal tomorrow~ [heart][sun]” I knew Ethan, who had promised at noon to be home for dinner, wouldn’t be coming back. He had completely forgotten about picking me up from the hospital. In the two years since our marriage, such situations were countless. I cooked myself a bowl of noodles, filling my stomach, and then opened my email. Looking through the invitations from overseas universities in my inbox, I paused at the one from the Royal College of Art. Without much hesitation, I accepted the invitation and booked a flight to London for three days later. Five years ago, Ethan had gone to London for a transnational case. Upon returning, he fell seriously ill and was unwilling to speak about that city since. Not only did he avoid going there, but he also got agitated whenever I mentioned it. Ethan, once I’m in London, we’ll never see each other again. 3. The next morning, I started packing my luggage. Halfway through, Ethan returned, bringing with him a faint scent of perfume. I paused, slightly surprised. He never liked sweet and cloying perfume scents. Because of this, I rarely wore perfume while with him, switching to unscented or mild fragrances. It seems now, he just didn’t like me wearing perfume. Seeing me packing, his eyes flickered. “Last night there was a team dinner, and when it ended, Fiona didn’t look well, so I took her home first. It was too late, so I stayed the night at the duty room.” I looked up at him, feeling indifferent. In these two years of marriage, he rarely explained anything to me voluntarily. I nodded, not saying a word. He approached me and asked, “Are you going on a business trip?” I nodded. “Sort of.” He seemed relieved, pausing before saying, “I came back to get some documents. I won’t be home for lunch.” “Okay.” I didn’t look at him, just continued packing my luggage. Originally, I planned to discuss the divorce over lunch and inform him of my resignation from the department, formally ending our marriage. But it seemed there wouldn’t be a chance. After speaking, Ethan went to the study, took a file and a blue bag, grabbed his clothes hanging by the door, and rushed out. “Crash!” The photo together, hanging on the wall by the door for two years, suddenly fell and shattered as he left. Glass scattered everywhere. I turned to look. It was a picture Officer Carter took of us on our wedding day. In the photo, we were wearing bridal attire, closely leaning against each other, smiling happily. That day, he had promised to always respond, to be kind to me, to love me forever. But since Chloe appeared, all those promises turned into empty words. After a long silence, I slowly crouched down, carefully picking up the broken pieces. Then, I threw away the photo that once held such beautiful memories, along with my last lingering feelings for this relationship, into the trash can. 4. Late at night, after finishing everything, I lay in bed, my whole body aching. Suddenly, my phone rang with a voice message from my best friend, Fiona. “Beatrix, how can Ethan and that Chloe be so blatant about this?” “You haven’t even divorced yet, and they’re flaunting it like this. Ethan is too much!” Puzzled, I opened my phone to see a screenshot of Fiona’s social media feed. In the photo, Chloe wore a deep V-neck dress, her fair chest adorned with a dazzling diamond necklace. On the table corner was a blue bag—exactly the one Ethan took from home at noon. The caption read: “Thanks for the surprise gift, Mr. Ethan. Happy two-year anniversary!” I scrolled through my phone, instinctively glancing at the calendar. Two-year anniversary? Today was also my and Ethan’s two-year wedding anniversary. After our marriage, he was always busy. Busy with various cases, busy with Chloe’s numerous demands. We never celebrated an anniversary properly. Eventually, I even forgot those important days. I chuckled bitterly and replied, “Maybe he’s just taking care of a subordinate.” “Taking care? That’s not taking care; that’s blatant infidelity! Beatrix, what are you thinking? Are you really going to keep enduring this?” Listening to Fiona’s question, I fell silent. Indeed, was I really going to endure this forever? In these two years of marriage, Ethan had been called away by Chloe for various reasons, from holidays to even my birthday and our wedding anniversary. I thought having a child would settle him down. He promised to be a good father one day. But after I got pregnant, Chloe became even more unscrupulous. My pregnancy made me sleepy, and several times I woke up in the middle of the night to find Ethan gone. Even his rare rest time was occupied by Chloe’s calls, one after another. Facing Fiona’s questions, I remained silent. Is this truly something I should continue to endure? Throughout our two-year marriage, Ethan has been drawn away by Chloe for various reasons, even during important moments like holidays, my birthday, and our wedding anniversary. I hoped that having a child would encourage him to settle down. He had once promised to be a good father someday. But after I became pregnant, Chloe’s demands only grew bolder. During my pregnancy, I often found myself waking up alone in the middle of the night, realizing that Ethan had left without a word. Even the few breaks he had were consumed by Chloe’s constant calls. Now, even with a child, he’s left me alone at the hospital three times without a trace of guilt. I looked up at the ceiling, my eyes burning with unshed tears. What have these two years of marriage truly meant? I have no idea. Perhaps it was a mistake from the very beginning. 5. Around midnight, Ethan finally came home. He seemed a little tired, taking off his coat and instinctively reaching to hang it behind the door, only to notice the wedding photo was missing, making him pause.
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