No Longer Growing Old Together

Daniel took me to one of his properties. Everywhere I looked, there were signs of two people living together.

A pair of slippers—one large, one small—sat neatly by the door. Matching mugs were placed side by side on the table.

Everything in this house screamed at me, reminding me that while I had been oblivious, Daniel had built a second home with someone else.

Elena noticed the daze on my face and flashed a smug look before speaking softly.

"Everything here was prepared by Danny. Even the nursery—he oversaw every detail of the renovation.”

"Since we don't know the baby's gender, he designed two versions: one pink, one blue. He's so thoughtful, isn't he?"

Her voice dripped with pride.

Of course, I knew just how thoughtful Daniel was.

Otherwise, he would not have managed to do all this right under my nose without me suspecting a thing.

Elena continued, "Abigail, if I were you, I'd divorce Mr. Cooper immediately. He loves children. That means he'll be tied to me forever. Doesn't that drive you crazy?"

The moment Daniel was not looking, Elena dropped the innocent act, revealing her true colors. I knew she was deliberately provoking me.

I smiled. "Why should I divorce him? As long as I stay married, everything he owns belongs to me—including this house. Daniel loves me and is drowning in guilt. If I wanted to, I could kick you out anytime."

"You…" Elena gasped, her breathing quickening in anger.

Yet within a second, she regained her composure.

She took a step closer and whispered near my ear, "Then let's see who Danny chooses."

Before I could process what she meant, she suddenly knocked over a cup on the table and deliberately slammed herself against the edge of it.

"Ah… Abigail, don't push me!"

The next moment, Daniel rushed to her side like the wind, his face full of panic. Elena clutched her stomach as she cried out in pain.

Without hesitation, Daniel scooped her into his arms and hurried toward the door.

As he passed me, he glanced at me. There was disappointment flickering in his eyes.

"Daniel," I called out. "If I say I didn't push her, would you believe me?"

He hesitated for just a second—but it was enough. Then, he turned and left without a word.

I knew Elena's scheme had worked.

I stood there in a daze for what felt like half the day before slowly crouching down to pick up the shattered glass pieces from the floor.

It was not until a sharp fragment sliced my finger that I snapped back to reality—this was not my home.

This was Daniel's home with another woman.

I had never truly had a home.

At that moment, something inside me shattered—irrevocably, completely.

While Daniel stood anxiously outside the operating room, waiting for Elena's child to be born, I lay on an operating table of my own.

I ended our child's life with my own hands.

While he held his newborn and discussed who the baby resembled with Elena, I took out the divorce papers I had prepared, along with a video recording

Then, I walked away from the home I had lived in for seven years.

At the hospital, Daniel watched as his parents beamed and cradled the baby in their arms. Their smiles stretched wide with joy.

For a brief moment, he felt relieved.

Finally, he had fulfilled his duty to continue the family line. His parents could no longer pressure him.

He could not deny that seeing the child filled him with happiness.

After all, this was his firstborn—perhaps even his only child.

He thought about how, when he got home, he would tell Abigail that the Cooper family now had an heir.

She would never have to go through the agony of hormone injections for IVF.

He had given his parents what they wanted.

From now on, things could return to the way they were—because he had only ever loved her.

However, when he recalled the despair in Abigail's voice when he had carried Elena away, a deep unease crept into his heart.

He needed to go home. He had to explain everything to her. Ignoring his parents' attempts to stop him, he rushed out of the hospital room.

He thought about buying a bouquet of Abigail's favorite white roses on the way.

Every time he upset her, all it took was flowers and a heartfelt apology, and she would forgive him.

This time would be no different.

As he hurried down the hospital corridor, he ran into the doctor who had been overseeing Abigail's IVF treatments.

The doctor grabbed his arm. "Hey, where's your wife? She missed her prenatal checkup last month."

Daniel's steps came to an abrupt halt. His mind buzzed as if someone had struck him over the head.

It took him a long moment to find his voice. "What… did you just say?"