Leaving in Full Bloom

After eight years of marriage, I finally get pregnant with Claude Frey's child.

It's my sixth round of IVF, and my last chance. The doctor says I can't put my body through it again.

I'm overjoyed, ready to share the good news with him.

But a week before our anniversary, I received an anonymous photo in the mail.

In it, he was bending down to kiss another woman's pregnant belly.

That woman is his childhood sweetheart, the one his family watched grow up. She's gentle and well-mannered, and the kind of daughter-in-law every parent dreams of.

The funniest part is that his entire family knows about her pregnancy, except me. I'm just the punchline in their joke.

It turns out that the marriage I've been holding together despite all my wounds is nothing but a carefully crafted lie.

Fine.

I don't want Claude anymore, and I'll never let my child be born into a world built on lies.

I book my ticket to leave on our eighth anniversary. It's also the very day he's supposed to take me to see the sea of roses.

Before we got married, he promised me a sea of flowers all my own. But instead, I find him in front of the rose garden, kissing his pregnant childhood sweetheart.

After I leave, he starts searching for me everywhere.

"Don't go, please?" he begs. "I was wrong. Don't leave."

He finally remembers the promise he'd made to me and plants the most beautiful roses in the world in that garden.

But I don't need it anymore.

"Ms. Angelina Scott, you went through six rounds of IVF to have this baby. Are you really going to give it up?"

"I'm sure."

After a sleepless night, my voice was hoarse, but my mind had never been clearer.

The procedure was scheduled for a week later, exactly on our wedding anniversary.

A breaking headline popped up on my phone.

"Claude had spent a fortune buying a luxurious estate and personally filled it with roses, once again declaring to the world that he loved only Angelina."

Comment after comment poured in, all marveling at the so-called love story.

I only felt the irony.

The moment I confirmed my pregnancy, I couldn't wait to share the good news with Claude Frey.

But instead, I got a message from an unknown sender.

In the photo, Claude's childhood sweetheart was smiling sweetly, while he kissed her rounded belly, his face lit with happiness.

The child I'd endured the agony of six rounds of IVF to conceive suddenly felt like a cruel joke.

The door opened just then.

When Claude saw my red, swollen eyes, he immediately panicked. "What's wrong? Did the IVF fail again?

"Don't cry. Even if we never have kids, it doesn't matter. Having you is enough for me."

How fake.

Especially when the child he had with his mistress was about to be born.

He didn't notice the change in me and just lowered his voice to comfort me, "Honey, our anniversary is in a week. I've planted a whole sea of roses just for you."

I stared at him in a daze, but I didn't argue with him. I didn't even let him see how much I was hurting.

Because I knew he would never let me go with his influence.

So, I had to gather all the evidence I could and divorce him. "I've got an anniversary gift for you, too. I'll give it to you in a week."

"Really? I can't wait." His face lit up with joy.

"Don't cry anymore. Go wash your face. I'll take you back to the Frey residence for dinner."

Claude's mother, Alicia Hawk, never liked me. These days, we only saw her at the end of the month when we went back to the Frey residence for dinner.

"Angelina, don't take whatever my mom says later to heart," he said, holding my hand.

The moment we walked in, I heard Alicia's laughter. "Oh my, this baby is so adorable."

I froze in place. It was the very woman from that pregnancy photo standing beside her.

When Alicia saw me, her smile disappeared. She handed Claude a sonogram photo.

"Look, Mabel's baby has a nose that looks just like yours."

A flicker of panic crossed Claude's eyes, and his tone carried a faint warning.

"Mom, don't joke around. That's Mabel's child. How could he possibly look like me?"

His father, Alex Frey, also stepped in to caution her. "Stop saying every kid looks like your son. Angelina's right here. Watch your words."

My heart turned to ice, and my hands trembled uncontrollably.

Claude's whole family knew about Mabel. I was the only one they kept in the dark.

I sat down at the table mechanically, while Claude fussed over me.

"Honey, the shrimp is fresh today. Let me peel some for you." Claude's expression was calm, treating me just like he always did.

"Claude, you're so good to your wife. I'm so jealous. I love shrimp, too. Can you peel some for me?"

Mabel Lowe suddenly spoke up provocatively.