Five years into my marriage with Julian Thorne, the golden boy of the city’s elite, everyone whispered about how fiercely he adored me, how he’d give his life for me. But because I couldn’t get pregnant, his parents’ subtle hints turned into outright demands. The man who, on our wedding day, vowed to protect me forever, eventually shed tears. “Harper, I can’t hold on anymore.” It turned out a man’s promises could be so fleeting. Less than two months later, I saw him carefully helping a pregnant woman. They were at the prenatal clinic. … “My baby is definitely going to look just like his daddy when he grows up—sharp features, striking eyes, incredibly handsome. He might even have a red mole near his eye, just like his father.” The boastful female voice was piercing in the quiet hallway, drawing glances from others. I, Harper Reed, couldn’t help but look twice. She wore a mask, but the triumph in her eyes was unmistakable. Listening to her describe her baby’s future looks, I couldn’t help but think of someone else: my husband of five years. Julian Thorne, the famous scion of the most powerful family in the city. He also had a red mole near his eye. Just as I was about to approach them, the public address system called my name. Across the table, the doctor holding my test results wore a grave expression. It made my hands clench involuntarily, my heart squeezed tight, making it hard to breathe. I don’t know how long passed before the doctor’s pronouncement echoed in my ears: “Ms. Reed, all your current physical indicators are normal.” “As for why you haven’t been able to conceive all these years, we’re not sure. Perhaps further examinations….” I couldn’t hear anything else the doctor said. My mind was flooded with the fact that my body was normal, yet for all these years, I just couldn’t get pregnant. Stumbling out of the clinic, I sank onto a nearby chair, dazed, staring at the report. Tears fell, one after another, slowly soaking the paper. Julian and I were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were kids. Everyone in our circle knew I was his ‘White Moonlight’ – a pure, untouchable ideal. When I was seventeen, he called me under a sycamore tree. His face flushed in the moonlight, he pulled out hundreds of love letters he’d written over the years and stammered out his confession. The day I turned twenty, the legal age for marriage, he proposed to me without hesitation. He said, “Harper, I was afraid if I waited even a moment longer, someone else would snatch you away.” Because I preferred to keep things private, and because he wanted to protect me completely, our wedding reception was only for close family and friends. Few outsiders knew about it. But that didn’t diminish Julian’s love for me. Especially after I discovered I couldn’t conceive, he consistently comforted me, taking all the blame, insisting it was his fault. When his parents pressured me, he stood firmly in front of me, his face cold, declaring that he was the one who didn’t want children. If they continued to pressure me, he would give up his position as heir. I was deeply touched, but also consumed by guilt. To get pregnant sooner, I started trying all sorts of unconventional treatments. Eventually, I became a regular at the fertility clinic. But five years passed, and my womb remained silent. I left the hospital and pulled out my phone, wanting to call Julian. I desperately wanted to see him right now, to have him hold me close. But then I remembered he was still at work, so I put my phone away, deciding to take a cab to his company instead. As I entered the company building, I saw a man whose back looked exactly like Julian’s, carefully helping a pregnant woman up the stairs. “Julian…?” I tentatively called out his name. Julian instinctively turned his head. Seeing me, his body stiffened slightly. He quickly said something to the woman beside him. After she left, he descended the stairs and stood in front of me, blocking my view. A surge of confusion hit me. Why was he acting so anxious? “Who was that, just now?” Julian’s expression was composed. “Just a stranger. She was pregnant and struggling, so I simply offered a hand.” Since childhood, Julian had always maintained strict boundaries with other women. He never touched anyone but me. Even all the secretaries at his company were men. Our social circle even called him a total wife-guy, and he never felt ashamed, readily admitting, “Yes, I’m a wife-guy. Except for Harper, I’m allergic to all other women.” How could someone so reserved around other women suddenly reach out to help a stranger, a pregnant one at that? But my questions were quickly cut short by Julian. “By the way, what did the doctor say about your report?” A pang of disappointment flickered in my eyes. The wave of sadness I’d just pushed down came crashing back, and my eyes began to well up again. He instantly realized what was happening, pulling me into his embrace, gently patting my back to comfort me. “Harper, it’s okay.” “I’ve always told you, don’t put so much pressure on yourself about getting pregnant. I can completely accept not having children. In my heart, you’re the only one that matters.” “Don’t cry, it breaks my heart to see you cry.” He finished, lovingly brushing away a tear still clinging to my cheek with his thumb, then leaned down to kiss me. After a long while, his tenderness finally soothed my emotions, and I squeezed his large hand in return. Back at the villa, Julian went into the bathroom. I sat alone on the bed, about to put the examination report into a drawer. Suddenly, a text message notification chimed, and the hand holding the report froze. My body trembled uncontrollably. After a long moment, I took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and opened the message. Sure enough, it was another reminder from Eleanor about having a baby. Ever since I couldn’t get pregnant, Eleanor would text me every now and then, asking if I’d had check-ups, and when I’d finally conceive. It had gotten to the point where any text message notification would fill me with an inexplicable sense of dread. Until the phone screen went dark, I closed my eyes, struggling within myself for a long time before reopening them. I opened the closet and pulled out a dress I’d kept hidden away. The bathroom door silently opened, and a pair of delicate hands wrapped around him from behind. Julian’s body stiffened. Before he could turn around, I slowly buried my head in his neck, my soft lips gently brushing against him. “Julian… I want…” A flicker of tenderness crossed his eyes. “Harper, you don’t have to do this. We’re not in a hurry about a baby.” My slender fingers traced down his abdomen, and his breathing hitched. “But I want it right now…” Julian’s eyes deepened. He scooped me up into his arms, then gently dropped me onto the bed, leaning over me. His burning kisses rained down, one after another, our breaths growing heavier and heavier. “Harper…” Just then, a jarring ringtone pierced the air. But Julian ignored it, his kisses continuing to shower my neck and shoulders. I gasped for air, pushing at him. “Julian… your phone…” Julian still didn’t answer the call, simply pulling me back closer. “Forget it, just focus on us.” The insistent ringing continued, finally shattering the intimate atmosphere. Julian kissed my forehead reassuringly. “I’ll just take this call and be right back.” He said, then grabbed his phone and walked out the door. I also got up and walked towards the balcony. Julian never took calls away from me, no matter how big or small the matter. What kind of call required him to hide it? Just as I was about to push open the balcony door, Julian opened it first. His brows were furrowed as he spoke softly, soothing the person on the other end. Seeing me approach, he cupped the receiver and looked at me apologetically. “Harper, something urgent came up at the company. I have to go immediately.” Without waiting for my reply, he grabbed the keys from the table and disappeared into the night. The light in my eyes instantly dimmed, and a bitter taste welled up in my heart. Ever since Julian took over the company, he rarely came home. The time we spent together in bed had become incredibly scarce. Now, this precious opportunity had vanished like a bubble. I stood there, lost in thought for a long while, before bending down to pick up the scattered clothes on the floor. As I carried the clothes to the laundry room, a piece of paper slipped from Julian’s pocket. I was about to pick it up, but my pupils suddenly constricted when I saw the words on it. My heart began to pound uncontrollably. The words “PRENATAL CHECK-UP REPORT” stared back at me. And in the space for the family member’s signature. Julian Thorne’s name was boldly written! A ‘buzz’ filled my ears, drowning out everything else. My trembling hand picked up the prenatal check-up report. At first, I thought I had misread it. After all, there were so many people with the same name in the world. But after scrutinizing it for a long time, I could no longer deceive myself. Ever since I was a child, Julian had signed all my report cards.
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