The Summer I Stopped Sacrificing Myself For The Others

Rocco returned home late at night.

I had just finished packing up everything I'd prepared for the baby I'd just lost over the past few weeks, including the bottle he'd claimed was a raffle prize.

The moment he opened the door, he accidentally kicked one of the cardboard boxes stacked by the entrance. "Allison, why did you get all this stuff here?"

I curled my lips into a mocking smile. "I'm giving them to Kathryn. She's the one who actually needs them, after all."

He froze for a beat, then—unbelievably—nodded. "You're right. She's further along than you, so she probably needs these more. We can always buy more for our own baby later. Once they are born, I'll get them the best of everything, okay?"

I couldn't believe that even now he was still trying to gloss over the truth.

I looked at the man I'd loved for seven years and suddenly found he was disgusting.

I was about to call him out when his phone rang a few times.

He'd set up a notification on a social media app three years ago, so that whenever a certain person posted something new, he'd get an alert.

He had told me it was specifically for his superior. "Honey, I just joined a new company. I've got to make a good impression on the higher-ups. That way I can get promoted and get a raise faster and give you a better life!"

He really had just gotten himself another job at the time, so I had never been suspicious about that.

But thinking back now, that was exactly the time Kathryn lost her job, and I brought her to Capitalia.

And right then, before I could even start questioning him, Rocco glanced at his phone, clamped his hand over his mouth, and let out a dry heave.

He rushed into the bathroom, and horrible sounds of vomiting came from behind the door.

Ten minutes later, he finally came out with a pale face and the front of his shirt soaked through.

But before he could even clean himself up, he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

I called out to him, "Where are you going?"

He took it as concern and gave me a weak smile. "To the office. Something came up with the project I'm on. Don't worry about me. Haven't I been throwing up a lot ever since you got pregnant? I'm just so worried about you and the baby. It's not a big deal. Relax."

Hearing that, I wondered whether he truly cared about the baby and me at all.

But since I'd come back from my appointment today, he hadn't asked me a single question about that.

He hadn't even looked at the test results.

He didn't even know that the baby we thought was ours had been nothing but a joke, just as ridiculous as the seven years I'd spent loving him.

At that thought, I couldn't help but let out a sneer. "You're worried about me? I don't think so. The person you're really worried about is the 'superior' you care so much about, isn't it?"

He said in the same gentle tone, "Of course I'm worried about you. But I've got to keep the superior happy if I want that promotion and raise, right? It's all so I can give you and the baby a better life."

He then left.

And I didn't stop him.

Twenty minutes later, Kathryn texted me. "Allison, my boyfriend really loves me so much! I texted him that the baby was kicking my tummy so hard my back hurt, and he dropped everything at work and came straight to me without a second thought!"

Then came a live photo of a man's broad, warm palm gently rubbing circles on her belly.

I smiled as I replied, "I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

Then I messaged my lawyer friend. "My husband has been cheating on me. I want a divorce. I wonder what documents I need to prepare."