Chapter 2

Chloe POV

Outside the doctor's office at the hospital, it was bustling with people.

I stood at the end of the hallway, my whole body ice-cold as I watched the scene just steps away.

Tristan wore the same shirt from yesterday, bent over, patiently coaxing a little girl about three or four years old.

Sophia stood beside Tristan, her eyes red-rimmed, looking pitifully helpless.

A family of three, picture-perfect harmony.

I walked over stiffly.

When Sophia saw me, she flinched first, then spoke with a face full of guilt. "Chloe, I'm sorry... Tristan said he was supposed to go to City Hall with you today. You should take him and go. Give me the child. I can take my daughter to the doctor by myself..."

As Sophia spoke, she reached out to take her daughter.

But the little girl clung tightly to Tristan's neck and burst into loud tears.

"I don't want Mommy! I want Daddy! I want Daddy to take me to the doctor! Daddy, don't go!"

Sophia's eyes reddened as she tried to pull the child away. "Be good! Daddy needs to go to City Hall with Chloe to take care of business. You can't be difficult and delay them, or Chloe will be angry!"

Chloe.

When my name came out, combined with the scene of forcing a man to go get married, the looks from the people waiting in line around us instantly changed.

"What's wrong with this woman? The child has such a high fever, and she's still forcing the man to go register their marriage. Marriage-obsessed much?"

"Look at how she's dressed-doesn't look like a good person. Probably a mistress trying to force her way into legitimacy, right?"

"Has to be! Just now this mom and dad looked so loving together. As soon as this woman showed up, she scared the kid into crying. Definitely going to be an evil stepmother later!"

Every word pierced my ears like needles.

I trembled with anger, staring hard at Tristan.

I hoped Tristan would step forward and explain to these people.

Tell them that Sophia was just his ex-girlfriend! That this child had no blood relation to him whatsoever!

And that I was his fiancée of nine years!

But he didn't.

Tristan's brows were tightly furrowed, his face full of impatience as he looked at me.

"Chloe, stop making a scene, okay? Go home first. I'll go to City Hall with you next week..."

"Next week?" I laughed bitterly, tears instantly flooding out. "Tristan Ford, you said the same thing last week. Nine years-how many more 'next weeks' do you expect me to wait for?"

In that moment, seeing the coldness in Tristan's eyes, I finally heard the sound of my heart breaking.

Gritting my teeth, I spoke word by word. "If you don't leave with me right now, we're breaking up!"

Tristan's brows instantly knotted into a tight knot.

He stared at me with those dark, inscrutable eyes that held a trace of disgust.

"I told you I can't leave right now. If you can't even be this understanding, then we really don't need to register our marriage!"

A roar in my head.

My mind went blank as I stared at Tristan, my eyes full of hurt and disbelief.

I moved my lips but couldn't make a sound.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it impossible to breathe.

"Tristan, how can you say that to Chloe?"

Sophia chided him gently, then turned her head to look at me apologetically.

"Chloe, Tristan is just too sentimental. Don't take it personally."

Too sentimental?

Sentimental toward his ex-girlfriend?

Tears broke through uncontrollably. I cried in front of everyone like a complete joke.

The nurse called out a number.

"It's the child's turn. Let's go in."

Tristan didn't even glance at me. He picked up the child and walked into the examination room without looking back.

Sophia followed behind Tristan.

Before entering, Sophia turned her head and gave me a provocative smile.