Loved You for 10 Years, and You Said She’s the One

Ulysses rescued me from a dark world, showing me the happiness of being valued.

We studied together, walked home together, and I became his loyal little sidekick.

I thought it would always be this way, but everything changed in our junior year when Katherine arrived.

She was warm, open, stunningly beautiful, and confident. Her quirky personality combined with top grades made every boy fall head over heels for her.

In no time, she became like a little sun, dazzling and mesmerizing, drawing everyone in.

And Ulysses, he was the most captivated of all. His budding love for her was painfully obvious.

As for me, from start to finish, I was just a spectator.

Katherine...

A sense of unease rippled through me, spreading like waves and keeping me wide awake.

Taking a deep breath, I recalled how she had promised never to come back when she left…

Maybe I was just overthinking.

I tried to comfort myself with this thought but still couldn’t sleep until dawn.

In the following days, Ulysses and I fell into a strange pattern.

I tried hard to stay close to him, but he grew more distant with each passing day.

Suddenly, Ulysses was busy all the time, too occupied to pick me up from work or listen to my office gossip.

He often came home just before dawn, completely exhausted.

I wanted to ask if he was having trouble at work, but he'd collapse into bed, falling into a deep sleep instantly.

One day, after dealing with a particularly difficult client, I felt dizzy and unsteady.

Sitting at my desk, I grabbed my phone and opened our WhatsApp chat, only to realize it had been a week since Ulysses and I had exchanged messages.

"Honey, I haven’t been feeling well lately. I want to go to the hospital for a check-up. Can you come with me?"

The stress from work combined with Ulysses' indifference had left me emotionally strained.

I felt tired every day, and a few mornings, I even felt nauseous.

Suddenly, I remembered my period was late this month.

When WhatsApp remained silent, I couldn't wait any longer and decided to take a cab straight to the hospital.

Just as I got out of the cab, my phone rang. It was Ulysses.

"Willa, can you make some seafood porridge and pack some pickled cucumbers for me? I need them in an hour."

His voice was brisk, and the call ended as abruptly as it began.

I looked at the hospital in front of me, then rushed back home, thinking of the urgency in his voice.

I quickly made the porridge, packed the pickles carefully, and glanced at the pregnancy test I had left on the entryway table.

With a mixture of nervousness and excitement, I went to the bathroom.

I thought if I was indeed pregnant, Ulysses' parents would surely start planning our wedding.

I had been looking forward to our wedding for a long time, but Ulysses…

My thoughts were interrupted when the test revealed two lines.

Just then, Ulysses burst through the door.

“Willa, did you get the food ready?”

I instinctively tossed the test into the trash and called out, "It's ready, in the kitchen."