Life is full of regrets

As soon as David heard Joe was ill, he hurried over, arriving at the third-floor inpatient ward by noon the next day.

Ellie met him in the corridor.

"How's your father?" David’s words were urgent, but his eyes betrayed a different concern.

"What perfect timing," Ellie said flatly. "A little later, and my father would have been discharged."

David knew Joe had just undergone major heart surgery—discharge was impossible. This was Ellie's angry retort, furious he hadn’t been there yesterday.

But Carolyn had complained of stomach pain last night. Was it wrong to keep her company?

Spoiled rich girls were so unreasonable, he thought.

"I'll go see your father."

"No need. He hasn’t woken up yet." Her words slapped the air between them.

David gave her a puzzled look. She had always been gentle with him. Why this icy rage today?

"Ellie, why do you look so pale?"

"Do I?" She stared coldly. "I've always looked unwell."

Since becoming pregnant, Ellie had been running a low-grade fever. Now, less than twelve hours after the abortion, she felt utterly drained.

Just then, a sugary voice called from down the hall.

"David?"

Ellie turned to see Carolyn holding her cheek, eyes red and swollen.

When his sister-in-law appeared, David rushed over with concern. From a distance, Ellie watched as Carolyn pointed insistently at her teeth.

David examined them as if the pain were his own.

Carolyn stood on tiptoe, whispering into his ear.

Suddenly, David looked toward Ellie, his eyes filled with venom. Then, catching her gaze, he smiled again, his expression softening like warm sunlight.

In less than half a minute, Carolyn glanced at Ellie, offered a faint smile, and left.

David strode forward, his voice dropping to a hiss.

"You didn’t come home last night. Where were you?"

Ellie didn’t want to tell him about the abortion. Not now.

When she stayed silent, David sneered, a vein throbbing on his pale forehead.

"How impressive! While your father was in surgery, you were off in the woods with another man, weren’t you?"

…

Ellie’s eyes brightened slightly.

So that was how the “bastard” had come to be.

She didn’t want to explain. There was no point.

"Did Carolyn tell you that?"

David’s brows knotted. "My sister-in-law is honest and decent. She wouldn’t lie. Your father’s surgery ended yesterday—why weren’t you home last night?"

His gaze fell darkly on Ellie’s abdomen.

Suddenly, she laughed.

"So you knew all along the surgery was yesterday? I thought you’d just found out."

Her words left him speechless.

Unlike before, her father hadn’t died. That meant she still had value to David.

Having died a miserable death once, Ellie refused to back down.

"People in the company housing saw you and Carolyn kissing in the woods… Could it be last night, you two were going at it in my bed?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw David’s face tremble. From anger or fear, she couldn’t tell.

"Nonsense! You're talking nonsense!"

Ellie smiled faintly.

"She can slander me, but you can’t stand being accused yourself?"