Chapter 5

"No!" Heather's face stiffened as she grabbed my wrist.

I froze, my brow furrowing, and just then, there was a noise from outside the door.

I tried to pull my wrist free from Heather's grip, but she was terrified I'd rush out to get an abortion, so she held on even tighter.

I was in serious pain. "Let go!"

So I struggled even harder, and right at that moment, William pushed the door open.

Heather immediately slapped herself across the face.

I was stunned.

William stormed over impatiently, couldn't help but roughly shove me aside, and shielded Heather behind him.

"Lisa, are you done causing trouble yet? Heather's already admitted she was wrong. Is there any point in you constantly going after her?"

I stared at William in disbelief.

Heather, seeing this, immediately pressed closer to William, looking utterly wronged.

"Lisa thinks I'm the other woman who broke you two up. In the end, it's all my fault. But I really never meant to steal your man."

"I love William, and William loves me. Isn't that just two people who love each other?"

I looked at William, hoping he would deny it.

William looked at the red slap mark on Heather's cheek, his expression complicated. After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"Heather is not the other woman. We truly do love each other."

Heather raised an eyebrow, unable to hide the provocation in her eyes, as if she was proving something.

In that moment, my heart died completely.

A doctor knocked on the door from outside, reminding us about the medical bill.

Heather said smugly, "I'll go pay it. Gotta do my duty for the baby."

The hospital room was left with just me and William.

William looked conflicted. He reached out to take my hand, but I subtly avoided him and walked over to the window alone.

"Lisa, please don't be mad anymore, okay?"

I stared blankly out the window.

In William's memory, I was always bright and radiant, but right now, I looked like a deflated, empty shell.

"Lisa, I know I shouldn't have kept this from you, but aren't you and Heather friends? This little thing isn't worth all this drama, right?"

A little thing?

I scoffed bitterly. "William, these past three years... did you ever love me?"

A sharp pain twisted in William's chest. He didn't know how to answer. After a long while, he said hesitantly, "Of course I love you, but I also love Heather."

I was silent.

Seeing me not say a word, the unease in William's heart grew more intense, a primal intuition of loss.

He was terrified I didn't want to keep the baby, even more terrified I'd say the word 'breakup'. So he launched into a string of explanations on his own, but I couldn't listen to any of it.

Suddenly, as if he'd thought of something, he looked up hopefully.

"Lisa, haven't you always wanted to marry me? Once you have the baby, let's get married, okay... Lisa!"

The proposal wasn't even finished when William's hopeful face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Time seemed to stretch out in that moment. William lunged toward the window.

But it was all too late.