Chapter 3

At six in the morning, my phone blared, shattering the silence. It was Julian’s parents. The moment I answered, their curses rained down on me.

“Willow! The hospital said you didn’t even get your prenatal check-up! Are you deliberately trying to kill my grandchild?”

“If Julian hadn’t insisted on marrying you, how could our family possibly accept an ill-mannered daughter-in-law like you?!”

The receiver was filled with their insults. I looked at the ultrasound photos taped to the wall. I’d taken them all alone during my check-ups; Julian was always "working late." Every appointment he promised to accompany me to was canceled because of one of Celeste’s "emergencies."

This house once held all my dreams for the future. I’d bought it with the salary I earned working until the early hours in the design studio. But now, every piece of furniture seemed to mock my foolishness. My nails dug deeper into my palms as I spoke calmly.

“Did Julian tell you what happened yesterday?”

The other end of the line fell silent. “Wh-what? Julian said he had an urgent meeting.”

I chuckled softly.

“You won’t need to prepare a baby shower. He abandoned me under a 104-degree sun yesterday, with an abnormal fetal heartbeat, just to go find Celeste.”

“Nonsense!” Julian’s mother’s voice suddenly rose. “My son is the most responsible person! You’re definitely being unreasonable!”

I put the phone on speaker and played the recording from the emergency room yesterday. The doctor’s anxious voice echoed through the room:

“The pregnant woman’s heart rate is too fast, the fetus is hypoxic. Where is her family?”

Before they could respond, I hung up for the first time.

My phone began to vibrate wildly. Looking at Julian’s mother’s caller ID, I dragged her straight to the blacklist. I used to work tirelessly to gain their approval, acting like a doormat, doing whatever they wanted. Now, it just seemed laughable.

I gazed at the light blue paint in the nursery. I had painted it myself, staying up for seven consecutive nights. Julian had said he wanted a starry ceiling, so I spent an entire night squatting, drawing a galaxy. Julian’s Ins photo, which I’d seen earlier, flashed in my mind. How ironic and mocking it all seemed now.

I forcefully tore down the “Expectant Father’s Guide” from the wall. I shredded it and threw it into the trash can.

SnapChat messages kept popping up. They were all from my best friends, asking about my check-up results. I replied to each one, telling them not to worry.

Just as I was about to turn off my phone, Celeste’s Ins updated.

“The one who loves you will always be by your side.”

She posted a nine-picture spread, each one a photo of Julian passionately kissing her.