Chapter 1

It was 2:00 am when Kayla George was jolted awake by a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. After reaching over to the other side of the bed, she felt nothing but cold sheets. That was when it hit her—Jonah Simpson still wasn't home.

The cramps were getting worse, so she grabbed her phone with shaking hands and dialed Jonah's number.

It rang and rang before someone finally picked up.

But before Kayla could get a word in, a lady's voice came through the line.

"Hey, Kayla, Jonah's already asleep. If it's not urgent, talk to him tomorrow. I'm hanging up now."

"Wait. Please, hold on—"

Every word was agony. Her stomach felt like it was being torn apart, but the lady on the other end of the line didn't wait. She hung up. Kayla tried calling again. This time, the line was dead—his phone was off.

Her breathing turned frantic. Her whole body was trembling from the overwhelming pain, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

She didn't want to die. She was only 26. She still had her parents, and she still had Jonah.

Barely conscious, she forced herself to call 911. Then, she dragged herself to the living room and somehow managed to unlock the front door.

Just before she blacked out, she heard the sound of the ambulance echoing through the neighborhood.

The doctors gave her an initial diagnosis—ectopic pregnancy. Emergency surgery was her only option.

They needed to reach a family member, but Jonah was still unreachable.

"Do you have anyone else we can call?" a nurse asked, looking at Kayla with genuine sympathy. Kayla's face had gone ashen.

Kayla gave a faint smile and shook her head.

Her parents didn't live in Jolsa. Even if they caught the earliest flight, they wouldn't make it until the next afternoon. Besides, her mom had a weak heart—this kind of news could be too much for her.

Her best friend, Sarah Calton, lived nearby. But Sarah was full-term and could go into labor at any minute. Kayla didn't want to put her out.

"I'll sign the consent form myself," she said quietly.

…

The doctors operated on Kayla through the night. When she woke up, it was already late morning.

A caregiver noticed she was awake and quickly brought her a cup of warm water.

"Ms. George, thank God you're up. You don't even know how close it was. The doctor said the pregnancy was in a really dangerous spot. If you'd waited any longer… They might not have been able to save you."

Kayla reached for her stomach, feeling both grief and emptiness. She and Jonah had been trying for two years. And now, after finally getting pregnant, it had ended like this.

While clutching her phone, tears spilled down her cheeks again. The entire night had passed, and not a single call or text from Jonah.

The baby was gone. And as the father of the baby, Jonah had a right to know. So, Kayla dialed his number. This time, he actually took the call himself.

"Honey, I—"

"Kayla, I know I've been kind of distant lately, but I'm seriously exhausted. Ms. White had a reaction yesterday and wasn't doing well. Look—nothing is going on between Lily and me. She's just a sister to me, okay? She's not a threat to our marriage. Can you stop overreacting already?"

His voice was laced with frustration. Kayla didn't even know what to say. She just held the phone to her ear, stunned into silence.

After a few seconds, Jonah spoke again.

"Are you gonna say something, Kayla?"

"I... I had an ectop—"

Before she could finish, she heard another voice in the background—Lily Jenner, sounding panicked and on the verge of tears.

"Jonah! Come check on my mom!"

"I gotta go."

Just like that, the call ended.

Kayla stared at the ceiling. Her eyes were swollen and reddened, and once again soaked with tears.

Eight years—she'd been with Jonah for eight years.

They survived the pressure of senior year and pushed through a long-distance relationship all throughout college. Two years ago, they finally tied the knot. They'd promised to build a future together, to bring a baby into the world together.

But now, after just three months of his childhood neighbor moving back, she was suddenly the jealous, dramatic wife in his eyes.

Kayla scoffed. As she covered her face with both hands, she cried and laughed at the same time.

Chapter 2

Kayla knew exactly what Lily and her mother, Sally White, meant to Jonah.

Back when Jonah was little, his parents were always working late. Most nights, he'd eat dinner next door at Sally's place. She was a single mom raising Lily on her own.

Growing up, Jonah and Lily were inseparable—the picture-perfect pair, like a real-life fairytale. Everyone thought they'd end up married one day, the classic childhood sweethearts turned lifelong partners.

However, during their senior year of high school, Lily and her mom moved overseas, and they were gone for eight years.

Three months ago, they came back. Sally was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and they reached out to Jonah for help.

That was when everything changed.

Jonah started coming home less and less. Every time Kayla asked where he was, the answer was always the same. He always replied with, "I'm at the hospital."

Kayla didn't say anything, and she never complained. She knew how close Jonah was to them, especially Sally. She believed their marriage was strong enough to handle anything. Not even Lily's return could shake that.

Initially, Kayla even helped line up specialists. But over time, her presence seemed to unsettle both Jonah and Lily. Eventually, it got to the point where every time Kayla showed up, Lily would tear up like she was the one being wronged.

Then, one day, Jonah told Kayla not to come to the hospital anymore.

Kayla never figured out what she did wrong. She didn't make a scene or throw tantrums. She simply waited for this whole thing to blow over, for Jonah to come back to her, for their life to return to normal.

But after the ectopic pregnancy and surgery, his coldness shook something in her.

She pulled herself together and sent Jonah a message, attaching the medical report from the hospital.

…

At the same hospital, Jonah stared at the message, frowning.

Lily, sitting beside him, leaned in to look too.

Before he could say anything, her eyes instantly filled with tears, and soon they were streaming down her face. Her voice trembled when she spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Jonah. I shouldn't have come back. I know Kayla must be scared that I'll take you away from her. That's probably why she made up something so extreme. It's me and my mom—we're the reason your relationship is falling apart. I'm really sorry..."

For a split second, Jonah felt a flicker of worry. But then he remembered—he'd barely even been home these past three months because of Sally. He and Kayla hadn't been intimate in a long time.

And he knew Kayla. She wasn't the cheating type. This meant that this had to be one of her emotional stunts—her way of clawing for his attention and trying to test whether he still cared.

He reached over and gently ruffled Lily's hair, his voice unusually soft.

"This isn't your fault. I've just spoiled her too much. That's the only reason she'd come up with something this outlandish."

"Thank you, Jonah. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Still crying, Lily threw herself into his arms.

Jonah wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back, offering quiet, steady comfort.

Only after she calmed down did Jonah finally text Kayla back.

He said, "Kayla, Ms. White doesn't have much time left. You know how much she meant to me growing up. Please, don't stir up more drama. And don't say cruel things like this—it's bad luck, for you and for the future we still have ahead of us. Once this is over, I promise I'll make it up to you."

Chapter 3

When disappointment happened enough times, the final one wouldn't sting—it just became the end of the story.

Kayla wiped away her tears and replied, "Okay."

And at that moment, she made up her mind.

Three days later, Kayla was discharged from the hospital.

During that time, Jonah never reached out. Kayla never texted or called again either.

"Ms. George, I know it was an ectopic pregnancy, but your body still went through a lot," the caregiver reminded her gently. "Take it easy when you get home. No cold water, eat well, and get plenty of rest."

Kayla's chest tightened, but she managed a small smile. "Thank you. I'll take care of myself."

After saying goodbye, she headed out alone. She'd barely walked a few steps when someone called her name.

"Kayla?"

She turned around and saw her best friend, Sarah, waddling toward her with a full-term belly.

"What are you doing at the hospital? You look awful. Are you okay?" Sarah asked.

"I was pregnant," Kayla said calmly, her voice level like she was just stating the weather. Sarah opened her mouth to congratulate her, but Kayla cut her off.

"It was ectopic. I just had surgery. I'm being discharged today."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah's face twisted in frustration and heartbreak as she grabbed Kayla's hand. "Where's Jonah?"

Everyone in their circle thought Jonah was the perfect husband—devoted, affectionate, never letting Kayla suffer the slightest bit. Thus, his absence caught Sarah completely off guard.

"He's busy staying at the hospital with his childhood sweetheart's mother. He has no time for me."

"What?"

Sarah had heard bits and pieces about Jonah and Lily, but still, with this? His own wife went through something this serious, and he didn't even show up?

"It's fine. It's over now," Kayla said flatly. "What about you? Why're you here alone?"

"I'm here for the final prenatal checkup. Lucas' just paying the bill."

Sarah wanted to dig deeper and ask what the hell was going on between Kayla and Jonah, but one look at Kayla's pale face made her think twice. She held her tongue.

Kayla's ride was pulling up, so Sarah insisted on walking her downstairs.

But as the elevator doors opened, they both froze. Jonah and Lily were standing right outside, her arm looped around his.

All four of them stood there, stunned.

In the next second, Jonah jerked his arm away. His expression darkened.

"Kayla, I told you everything in my message. What's the point of following me around like some crazy stalker? When did you become so irrational?" he snapped.

"Kayla, please have a little mercy!" Lily begged suddenly.

Right there in the middle of the busy hospital lobby, Lily collapsed on the ground in front of Kayla, crying hard enough to shake.

"Lily, get up! What are you doing?" Jonah immediately rushed to pull her up.

"Don't stop me, Jonah," Lily sobbed. "It's my fault. It's my mom's fault. We ruined things between you and Kayla. But Kayla, I'm begging you—my mom's dying. Can't you just let Jonah stay with us for a while? Please?"

She was literally begging Kayla, right there in the hospital.

Jonah couldn't hold her back. So instead, he turned on Kayla.

"Kayla, neither Lily nor Ms. White ever did a damn thing to hurt you. They've never said a bad word about you. And yet you keep pulling this guilt-trip crap? Honestly, you disgust me."

Chapter 4

A crowd had started to gather. People were pointing fingers and whispering about Kayla.

Sarah didn't hesitate. She walked right up to Jonah and slapped him across the face.

"Are you out of your damn mind, Jonah?" Sarah snapped.

Jonah had never been hit in his life. Stunned, he turned to glare at Kayla.

"Wow. Real classy of you—dragging a pregnant woman here to make a scene? Kayla, the great designer—where's your dignity?"

Sarah raised her hand again, but Kayla stopped her.

"Let it go. My ride's here."

Without even sparing a glance at Jonah or the drama queen Lily, who was still on the floor, Kayla grabbed Sarah's hand and turned to leave.

Jonah had never been ignored like that by her before. Infuriated, he grabbed her wrist roughly.

"Stop right there and apologize to Lily."

When he saw that Kayla didn't respond, Jonah tightened his grip as he ordered, "I said, apologize to Lily."

The pain in her wrist was nothing compared to the ache in her chest. Kayla took a deep breath and turned to look at Jonah.

"Apologize? For what? I didn't say a word. I didn't do a thing. And last I checked, this hospital doesn't belong to you. You can show up here, but I can't? Professor Simpson, tell me—where's your sense of decency?"

Kayla's eyes had a chilling indifference, like she was looking at a complete stranger.

While looking at her, Jonah suddenly felt something chill crawl up his spine, and he loosened his grip.

Kayla didn't want to argue anymore. She pulled Sarah along and walked straight to the hospital doors.

Behind them, Jonah stood awkwardly as Lily tugged on his sleeve, her voice small and full of guilt.

"Did I mess things up again, Jonah?"

After snapping out of his thoughts, Jonah patted her hand gently. "This isn't your fault. I've just been neglecting her lately."

Yeah, that had to be it. He'd just been too busy, and that made Kayla feel neglected, which started all this drama. He just needed to smooth things over, and it would all blow over. She had always been the understanding one—easy to talk to and easy to reason with.

With that self-reassurance, Jonah shoved down the unease creeping into his chest and stepped into the elevator with Lily.

That evening, he decided to go home. On the way, he stopped to buy Kayla's favorite—pink tulips.

When he walked through the door, Kayla was on the phone.

"Okay. Draft the agreement and send it over. Yeah, as soon as you can."

At that, she hung up.

"What agreement?" he asked, trying to keep things light and pretending like that disaster in the hospital never happened.

"It's work stuff," Kayla replied flatly without even looking at Jonah before turning to leave.

He caught up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Darling, I'm home."

If this had been any other day, Kayla would've turned around, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him with a smile.

But now? She didn't even want to talk to him.

She forcefully shoved his arms off and walked straight into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Jonah stood there, frozen, confused. He couldn't understand it. He was home now, so why was she still giving him the cold shoulder?

…

Kayla hadn't been sleeping well during her hospital stay. Every time she shut her eyes, she saw Jonah repeatedly defending Lily and Sally.

Later that night, Jonah came into the bedroom, fresh out of the shower, steam still clinging to his skin. He lifted the comforter and slid into bed beside her.

He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close, resting his face in the curve of her neck.

"Kayla, I know I've been neglecting you these past few months. You must've missed me, huh?"

As he spoke, his hand started to wander under the covers, his lips brushing against her skin.

Kayla felt nothing but disgust. She turned her face away from his, yanked his hand off her body, and shoved him away.

"Don't touch me."

Chapter 5

Jonah felt he'd swallowed his pride. He just couldn't figure out what Kayla was still mad about.

"Kayla, what more do you want from me?" he snapped. "I saw the messages you sent Lily. Yeah, she and I grew up together—but that's all it is. She's like a sister to me. Why do you always twist it into something disgusting? And Ms. White? She's like a mother to me. I've told you that.

"You faked an ectopic pregnancy, and I didn't even get mad. You showed up at the hospital today to spy on me—I let that go, too. What more do you want? Can you just stop making everything a scene?"

Kayla looked at him, her voice flat and detached. "I'm exhausted. You should leave."

"You want me to leave?" Jonah blinked in disbelief.

Leave? This was his home. Where was he even supposed to go?

But before he could press her further, his phone buzzed.

"Jonah, my mom's throwing up blood. Please come over—I'm scared."

Lily's panicked voice was on the other end of the line, and Jonah jumped out of bed immediately.

"I'll be right there," he said without hesitation.

Kayla stayed silent, her eyes closed, as she listened to him rush to get dressed and slam the door behind him.

…

At the hospital, Jonah sat at Sally's bedside, holding her hand, his face etched with worry.

She opened her eyes, cloudy and weak, and looked up at him like she was holding onto her last thread of hope.

"Jonah," she rasped. "I know this isn't fair to ask… But the only thing I can't let go of is Lily. I'm begging you. Please marry her. Take care of her for the rest of her life."

Jonah froze. He could look after Lily—that much he'd always promised. But marry her? He'd sworn he'd never abandon Kayla.

Upon seeing his hesitation, Sally started coughing violently. Blood stained the tissue he handed her.

Lily rushed to her, tears running down her face as she tried to calm her down.

"Mom, he's married. Don't put him in this spot."

"But it's you two who belong together… It's all my fault. I never should've taken you overseas… I ruined everything…"

Sally's breath became labored, and her emotions spiraled out of control. Jonah couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Lily's hand and looked at Sally.

"Okay. I promise. I'll marry her. I'll take care of her forever."

"Swear it," she croaked, her fingers clenching his shirt tightly.

He had no choice but to raise three fingers. "I swear—I'll marry Lily. If I go back on it, may I die a horrible death."

After hearing that, a faint, relieved smile appeared on Sally's frail face. "I don't have much time left... You two have to hold the wedding before I go."

Perhaps it was from talking too much, but Sally slipped back into unconsciousness.

Later, Jonah sat alone on a bench outside the hospital, a cigarette between his fingers—a rare sight for someone like him.

Lily came over, holding two cups of coffee, and sat down next to him.

"Jonah... I know what my mom asked was over the line. But she's dying. I just don't want her to go with regrets. You don't have to worry. It'll just be a fake marriage. I'll explain everything to Kayla."

"No," Jonah said quietly. "I'll talk to her about it. She's kind. She won't be angry."

"You really think she won't be mad? But she…" Lily trailed off.

"What? Did she text you again?" Jonah reached for her phone and opened her WhatsApp.

There was a message of Kayla saying, "Lily, you bitch. Why isn't your mom dead yet?"

While staring at the message, Jonah nearly dropped the phone. He never imagined Kayla could be this vicious—she hadn't been like this before.

"Don't be mad, Jonah. Kayla just loves you too much," Lily sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

Jonah crushed out his cigarette and pulled her into his arms.

"She crossed the line. I'll make sure she apologizes to you."

Lily nodded through her tears, but the look in her eyes—hidden from Jonah—sparkled with the satisfaction of a plan falling perfectly into place.