The End of Daylight Is Not Love

I held up my hand, comparing it to the smaller one outlined on the glass. A sudden realization struck me like needles piercing my skin and nausea churned in my chest.

Josh, noticing my discomfort, pulled over. I pushed the door open and squatted by the roadside, dry heaving.

"Natalie, are you carsick?" he asked with concern. "Here, have a piece of your favorite orange mint candy, it'll help."

The overly sweet yet bitter taste melted in my mouth, doing nothing to ease my discomfort.

I clenched the candy tightly, my chest tightening. This flavor was unique, Josh had crafted it himself, making a fresh batch every so often and always keeping some in his pocket.

He said, "Why don't we head home first? We can visit grandma another day when we have more time."

Before I could respond, his phone rang.

He hesitated before silencing it, but when a text came through, his expression changed instantly, "Natalie, something urgent has come up at work. You'll have to take a cab back later …"

He hurriedly started the car and sped off, leaving me behind without a second glance, even running a red light in his haste.

I turned away, hailing a cab to visit grandma's grave alone. Though it had only been a few days, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Grandma's smiling face beamed from the photo on her tombstone, reminding me of the last time I'd seen her before my trip, "When you're back for Winter Solstice, grandma will make your favorite roasted turkey!"

Grandma, I was wrong. I shouldn't have trusted Josh or entrusted you to him …

After leaving the cemetery, I remembered there was a deposit from grandma's hospital stay that needed to be settled. On the way home, I stopped by the hospital.

Walking past the obstetrics department with the receipt in hand, I bumped into Josh's secretary, Tatiana Marley.

She blocked my way, brandishing a medical report and smirking at me, "Natalie, why bother pretending you don't know me? That night, I saw you hiding by the fire escape, watching your husband get intimate with another woman. How did it feel?"

She continued, "That night, as soon as you fell asleep, he couldn't wait to have me. We even used your couch, do you know how many positions we unlocked on it? How long has it been since you two were together?"

I ignored her, but she taunted me relentlessly, "I heard you planned to visit your grandma today? Too bad, one call from me and he came running. Guess why?"

She shoved the medical report in my face, "I'm pregnant with Josh's child. He's overjoyed!"

A buzzing filled my head, drowning out everything else. My mother had died during childbirth and my father, who adored her, despised me for it. My childhood memories were filled with his drunken curses, calling me a jinx who had killed my mother.

The trauma left me terrified of motherhood. Before agreeing to be with Josh, I had made it clear I never wanted children.

The next day, he underwent a vasectomy without hesitation, "Natalie, having you is all I'll ever need."

I didn't know when he reversed it—perhaps he had planned this all along. I thought I had steeled myself, but the bitterness was unbearable.

I turned to leave, unwilling to hear another word, but Tatiana grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I instinctively shook her off and she let out a dramatic cry as she fell backward.

"Tatiana!" A gust of wind brushed past as Josh rushed over, his face filled with panic. He cradled her in his arms. "Are you okay? Does your stomach hurt? What about the baby? Are you feeling unwell?"

Once he confirmed she was fine, he finally turned to face me.