His Engagement Partner is Not Me

My forehead hit hard against the front seat and a sharp pain radiated through my abdomen. I tried to lift my head and cry out for help, but the first thing I saw was Richard shielding Winnie with his body.

He held her protectively as they climbed out of the car, calmly making phone calls to handle the situation. It wasn’t until I struggled to crawl out from the backseat that he seemed to remember my existence. His gaze, filled with surprise, finally fell on me.

“My stomach… it hurts,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Hearing me, Winnie peeked out from Richard’s arms, half-smiling.

“Why do you always find a reason to get his attention whenever you see us together?” she sneered and continued, “Can’t you stand seeing us happy?”

In the past, even a small scrape on my knee would send Richard into a flurry of concern—he’d bandage me carefully, offer me candy and tell jokes to cheer me up. But this time, he stared at me disgustingly, watching the cold sweat drip from my face.

“Lily, how long will you keep pretending?” he snapped.

“I’m not… pretending,” I murmured, my voice growing weaker by the second.

Even as they loaded me into the ambulance, he didn’t glance at me once.

At the hospital, they stitched up the gash on my arm from the broken glass—three stitches, no anaesthetic. The doctor looked worried, but I barely felt anything. The pain was dull compared to what I carried inside.

Unloved children learn how to endure.

The doctor tried to comfort me with a soft smile. “Luckily, the baby is fine.”

I shook my head. “Can you schedule a termination?”

He blinked, confused. “You don’t want to keep it? I thought… When we brought you in, you were clutching your belly the whole time, protecting the baby.”

In my dazed state, I had imagined the old Richard—sitting by my bed, his eyes filled with tears of concern. And instinctively, I had tried to protect what I thought was ours.

But reality hit me like a slap. This baby wasn’t a symbol of love. It was a mark of shame. Both the child and I were stains on Richard’s perfect life. Neither of us belonged.

The doctor told me I wasn’t physically ready for the surgery just yet. I would need to rest for a couple of days.

After leaving the hospital, I decided to apply for my visa. It was already late when I finally returned to the Parker Family home. I thought Richard would be out with Winnie, watching fireworks.

But to my surprise, he was sitting on the sofa, waiting for me.

“Why are you back so late?” he asked, his tone sharp but lacking warmth.

“There were many people at the hospital,” I lied, lowering my gaze instinctively.

In the past, he could always see through my lies. But this time, he believed me without hesitation.

“I saved some food for you,” he said flatly. “After you eat, call Winnie and apologize.”

I didn’t know what I had done wrong, but if he told me to apologize, I had no choice but to comply.

I sat down at the dining table. It was covered with Winnie’s favourite spicy dishes. I forced myself to eat a few bites, even though the spice burned my throat and brought tears to my eyes.

Richard’s face darkened with irritation.

“Stop playing the victim, Lily. Who do you think you’re fooling now?” he said, his voice rising in rare anger.

“Do you really have to ruin everything on such an important day?”

I gripped my chopsticks tightly, swallowing the food along with my tears.

For a moment, he just stared at me in silence. Then, with a cold expression, he rummaged through the medicine cabinet and tossed a jar of expensive scar cream onto the table before me.

“The Parker Family won’t let you starve,” he said. “Clean yourself up. Don’t embarrass me at the wedding.”

I wanted to tell him that I wouldn’t be around to embarrass him much longer.

In a few days, I would be gone from his life forever.

But before I could say a word, he was already leaving me behind again.