I Bled in Silence, You Died in Guilt

A surge of betrayed anger choked me, making me feel like throwing up and unable to breathe.

I sat by the bed that night, waiting in vain for Jasper until dawn. It wasn't until the first light of morning touched the sky that he finally rushed into the hospital.

His shirt buttons were done up wrong and his tie was a complete mess. Jasper had always cared deeply about his appearance. He even had severe OCD, so there was no way he'd make mistakes like this.

Unless Yvonne Lake tied this … or perhaps I've just gone numb. I looked at him, feeling an unprecedented calm within.

I would be gone forever soon. I pressed my chest and told myself almost numbly that I would never feel pain again after I left.

Jasper remained completely unaware. He set the imperial-style pastries on the table, his manner relaxed and natural.

"Remember these? They're your favorite pastries from that shop, the one you loved when we were dating. I bought them for you."

I looked at him. We used to have such a good relationship. He was so good that if I wanted these pastries, he'd go buy them for me, no matter how far away the shop was.

But ever since he started his own company, he has become swamped. He dedicated all his time to work and I was his subordinate during office hours.

We could only talk for a few minutes after work. And these pastries? He only ever bought them to apologize when he'd done something wrong to me.

The memory of the boy who once had eyes only for me faded further and further away. I looked at the exquisite pastries on the table, feeling incredibly ironic.

He suddenly hugged me from behind. The strong scent of lilies hit me and I felt a bit nauseous.

Yvonne loved lilies and used this exact perfume. Was he not even trying to hide it anymore?

My heart ached and I felt disgusted. I pushed him away. "Go take a shower first!"

He didn't think much of it. He sniffed himself. "Yeah, I do smell a bit. I'll go wash up."

Jasper pulled off his clothes and headed to the bathroom. That's when I noticed he wasn't wearing his ring and had a clear hickey on his neck.

We'd been together for years and I'd always wanted to marry him. Jasper had refused, saying he had many enemies and didn't want to involve me. He claimed he couldn't marry me to protect me.

Later, seeing that I was really uneasy, he took me to buy a DR ring that I could only buy once in my life.

I still remember how bright the sky was that day. He gave me the ring, then slipped his own onto his left ring finger and smiled. "Happy now?"

Afraid I still wouldn't trust him, he promised me with a firm expression. "This ring is proof of my love for you. I'll never take it off."

He also said he wasn't marrying me because of the dangers surrounding him. He once knelt before me and told me sincerely, "I will marry you when I eliminate the danger around me."

Now, he took off the ring, had another woman by his side and chose to be with Yvonne.

I took off the ring in my hand, suppressed the pain in my heart and put the ring in the box.

Since he had broken his vow and no longer loved me, I wouldn't continue to love him either.

Not long after Jasper came out of the bathroom, he seemed tired and lay down on the sofa.

He looked up at me, his eyes clearly hinting at something. In the past, whenever he came home from work exhausted, I would always dry his hair for him without waiting to be asked.

But this time, I averted my eyes and made no move to help, even turning to leave. Yet Jasper pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my waist in a playful, almost coquettish manner. His chin rested on my shoulder, our bodies pressed together in an intimate embrace, yet I felt no warmth from it.

To avoid raising his suspicions, I forced myself not to move. Then his fingers touched my belly and he murmured in a deep and intimate tone. "Hazel, do you want to have my child?"