Chapter 1 A Husband's Duality

"Talia…" His low and husky voice filled her ear, gentle and lingering.

Although Talia Ainsworth and Lucien Reese had been married for three years, she still felt like he was a different person in bed. On normal days, he was thoughtful, gentle, and chivalrous. But when night came and they tangled with each other under the sheets, she always found it hard to keep up with him.

When the deed was finally done, Talia was so sore that she could barely lift an arm.

The next second, Lucien seized her arm. She couldn't even keep her eyes open anymore. Half-begging, she whined, "Let's call it a night. We still have work in the morning."

Talia was already busy with her preparations for the upcoming professional practice evaluation. It had been past midnight when she finished her report, but Lucien had dragged her into bed and worked her to the bone. At this point, she was like a fish out of water, exhausted and helplessly gasping for air.

A light chuckle escaped Lucien. "I do wonder what goes on in that head of yours."

Talia blushed slightly. "What are you—"

A large hand gripped her shoulder, and Lucien gently kneaded the aching spot along her shoulder blade, working the knots under her skin. He was strong, and his fingers were deft.

It wasn't long before a pleasant, tingling soreness spread through Talia's body, the sensation eliciting a soft moan from her.

"Does it feel good?" Lucien murmured in her ear, his deep voice breathy and soft.

Talia's face heated uncontrollably. As an obstetrician and gynecologist, she knew more about sex than the average person.

Unfortunately, she was the medical world equivalent of an armchair detective—great with theories but not so much at practice. When things came down to it, she was admittedly weak and a novice.

Thankfully, Lucien was a gentleman. They might not be glued to each other like most newlyweds, but they respected one another.

In truth, Talia chose to look on the bright side when it came to their marriage. The civility they shared wasn't so bad, considering they'd met on a blind date and gotten hitched without going on dates or getting to know each other better.

"Move your shoulder. See how it feels," Lucien suggested.

Talia tried to roll her shoulder. Now that Lucien had massaged it, it wasn't as stiff as before. She turned to look at him. "Thanks, it feels a lot better now. Where did you learn to massage like that?"

"An old physician showed me a few tricks, but that was years ago. I'm glad I haven't gotten rusty." Lucien gently tucked her hand under the blanket and said, "Go to sleep."

What made a happy marriage? Everyone had a different answer. Sometimes, Talia lamented over her decision to pour herself into her studies and career, a choice that ultimately led her to miss out on dating in her younger years.

But she was content with her marriage. Lucien was the whole package—he came from a good family, had great looks and a decent personality, and was knowledgeable. He was practically the perfect husband.

He didn't smoke or drink, and he hardly attended business get-togethers. He usually came straight home to Talia after work.

Even Abigail Brown, Talia's best friend and a jaded cynic when it came to men, had given Lucien a rare compliment, saying he was the ideal all men should aspire to.

In short, Talia was happy with the husband she'd settled down with, especially since she was pregnant with his child. Her hand fluttered to her stomach as she said quietly, "Your birthday's this weekend, Lucien. I got you a present."

At that moment, Lucien's phone vibrated twice. He picked it up, and whatever he saw on the screen made him blanch.

Noticing this, Talia probed, "What's wrong?"

Lucien got out of bed. "I have to go. Something urgent came up."

"Is it work-related?"

"Yes." His voice was a little muted, but the next second, it was edged with tension. "I've got to run."

"Okay, be safe—" The slam of the door cut her off. She muttered the rest of her sentence to herself, "On the road."

She'd never seen Lucien so anxious in the three years they'd been married. She reckoned something big must have happened at the company. She vaguely recalled seeing the news of Reese Corporation's involvement in a recent acquisition. It was all the buzz in the financial news.

Talia was a doctor with little to no understanding of the commercial world, but the acquisition must have been a major event if it had made it onto the financial news channels. She put her hands together and silently prayed that Lucien and his company would do well.

She was about to go to sleep when her phone rang relentlessly. "Dr. Ainsworth, we need you at the hospital now. There's a pregnant woman here in a critical state!"

Talia had been a doctor for long enough to handle many such cases. After hanging up, she immediately put on a change of clothes and headed out.

She arrived at the hospital to find her assistant, Lisa Langley, expecting her at the entrance. Upon seeing Talia, Lisa handed her a white coat and a pair of surgical gloves. "You're finally here, Dr. Ainsworth!"

Talia was all about professionalism when it came to her work. As she hurried into the building, she put on the white coat and gloves. "Brief me on the patient."

"She got into a motor accident, and from what I heard, it was a pretty bad crash. The patient is six months pregnant and has lost a lot of blood. She's also unconscious, and her system has gone into shock."

The woman was too far along in her pregnancy to avoid surgery; it was either a cervical cerclage or labor induction at this point.

"Have you contacted her next of kin?" Talia asked.

"Yes," Lisa answered.

"Have them sign the consent form. The patient needs surgery immediately."

"Got it."

Talia entered the operating theater. The patient was in bad shape, indeed. After going through the on-call doctor's notes, Talia decided to do a cervical cerclage on the patient.

Talia was familiar with the standard procedure that ensued. After putting on her scrubs, she headed into the operating theater and began her work. The surgery, coupled with life-saving procedures, took up nearly six hours.

Talia swayed on her feet after emerging from the operating theater. Fortunately, Lisa caught her and held her steady. "Are you alright, Dr. Ainsworth?"

She shook her head. "Take me to those seats over there."

Lisa led Talia to the chairs and eased her into one. She then ran to get Talia a cup of warm water, pointing out worriedly, "You shouldn't have to work this hard now that you're pregnant, Dr. Ainsworth, but this was a complex case. You were the only one in this hospital who could save that patient."

When Talia heard the word "pregnant", her hand shook slightly. "How did you find out?"

Lisa grinned and winked at her. "Being pregnant is a good thing, right? Why did you hide it from me? I saw the test results on your desk yesterday."

Talia gave her an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, it's a good thing."

"Have you told your husband?"

"Not yet. His birthday is in two days, so I figured I'd tell him then—"

Violent thumping suddenly came from the door of the operating theater anteroom.

Lisa remarked, "Must be the patient's husband. He's probably desperate to know how his wife and baby are doing. Sit here while I handle this, Dr. Ainsworth."

"I'll go," Talia said. "I'm her lead surgeon, and the hospital policy says I should be the one to tell the patient's family about the patient's condition."

She braced a hand against the wall and hoisted herself upright. Lisa immediately helped her open the door of the anteroom.

The man outside practically hurtled in. "Doctor! How is she?"

"Don't worry, sir. The patient and her baby are just fine. She's still under observation…" The words had only just left Talia's mouth when she and the patient's husband froze.

"Talia?"

Talia stared at the man before her in disbelief. "Lucien?"

Chapter 2 A Woman's Intuition

Lisa was a little surprised. "Dr. Ainsworth, you know the patient's husband?"

Talia stared at the familiar face before her, reading the emotions on it—shock, disconcert, panic, but more than anything else, worry for the woman inside the operating theater.

No matter how hard Lucien tried to hide it, his distress and urgency still showed.

"You're her…" Talia glanced at the operating theater. "Husband?"

Lisa beat Lucien to answering, "Yeah, he is. He was the patient's next of kin who signed the consent form earlier."

Talia's blood ran cold, and her expression hardened. "I see."

Gritting his teeth, Lucien said, "Talia, I'll explain this later."

Talia willed herself to calm down and maintain the professional air of a doctor. She took a deep breath and replied, "Don't worry, sir. The surgery went well, and both the patient and her baby are safe.

"She'll have to stay for observation for a few days and be put on a drip to save her pregnancy. If all is well, we'll clear her for discharge this weekend."

Relief flickered across Lucien's face.

"Okay." He paused, then added. "Thank you, Talia."

"Don't mention it. As a doctor, I would have done everything I could to save her regardless of who her husband might be."

Talia returned to her office and downed a glass of iced water. It took her some time to regain her composure.

Ten minutes later, someone knocked on her office door, followed by Lucien's voice. "Talia, it's me."

She rose and opened the door for him.

He looked a lot better than he had earlier, though his eyes were still rimmed with red, and the worry etched on his face had yet to clear.

Talia had been too shocked to notice it outside the operating theater just now, but Lucien's white shirt was splotched with blood, and his clothes were badly wrinkled. He even sported large water stains on his sleeves.

There were two possibilities here—either he'd gotten the pregnant woman's amniotic fluid on him when he carried her into the hospital earlier, or her tears had soaked through his sleeves when she cried in the room.

Talia spun and returned to her seat, her tone curt as she said, "I assume you've already gone to see her."

Lucien nodded slowly. "Yes. She's asleep."

"She—"

"The baby isn't mine," Lucien said.

Talia slumped into the chair like a weight had been lifted off her.

"She got into a car crash and was in a critical state. I brought her to the hospital and was later told that she needed surgery. But only her next of kin could sign the consent form, so I…" Lucien trailed off.

Talia understood. "I had my assistant get her next of kin's signature."

"I know that now." Lucien said, "I couldn't tell you any of this outside the operating theater just now with so many people around. If they found out I wasn't her husband, no one would have been able to sign the consent form on her behalf. Her life mattered more at that moment."

Talia finally understood the full story. A twinge of guilt seized her.

She should have known that a gentle, grounded man like Lucien would never cheat on her. He must have stumbled upon the accident on his way to the company. He probably couldn't bring himself to ignore a helpless pregnant woman, so he brought her to the hospital.

"Have you sorted out the crisis at your company? Don't worry about the patient just now. I'm here to look after her," Talia said.

Lucien opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped short. "Talia, I…"

"What is it?" Talia pressed.

He shook his head. "Nothing. Everything's fine at the company. Are you done with work? I'll wait for you outside. Let's go home together."

Talia was free now that she'd wrapped up the surgery, and the nurses could take care of the patient. She shrugged off her white coat and took the pregnancy test results from her drawer, folding it up and slipping it into her wallet. Only then did she grab her purse and leave the office.

She was familiar with Lucien's Cayenne and spotted it immediately. She hurried toward it but caught the pungent scent of tobacco from a distance away.

Under the dim lights, Lucien's towering silhouette was stark against the night as he leaned against the car. Talia caught the faint, telltale orange glow of a flickering ember.

Frowning, she marched up to Lucien and demanded, "When did you start smoking?"

Lucien jumped, and his cigarette slipped from between his fingers and fell on the ground. Only then did Talia notice the dozen or so cigarette butts littering the ground—courtesy of Lucien, from the looks of it.

He was acting strangely today.

"Is something wrong?" Talia asked.

Lucien shook his head, but his features were laced with exhaustion. Nonetheless, he opened the car door for Talia chivalrously. "Just company stuff. Get in the car."

"Is it serious?"

"A minor issue. That's all."

Talia slid into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. It wasn't until a moment later that Lucien got into the driver's seat and started the car.

He stepped on the gas pedal, but Talia suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

Lucien started. "What's wrong?"

A second later, the sound of someone cursing came from outside the car. "What the hell, man? Look before you hit the gas, will you? What, you can't see a grown person walking by your car or something? Are you gonna take responsibility if you run someone down?"

Lucien had always been a careful driver whenever he picked up Talia from work, which was often. He'd never made a careless mistake like this, but he seemed to be on edge today.

Thankfully, the person outside the car dropped the issue and left after cursing at Lucien. Pursing his lips, Lucien started the car once more and merged into the traffic lanes.

Talia grew worried. "Are you really okay?"

Annoyance and impatience colored Lucien's face. "I said I'm fine."

She froze, then fell silent. A few minutes later, she heard Lucien say apologetically, "I'm sorry, Talia. A lot has been going on recently, and I'm not in the best state of mind. I didn't mean to lash out at you."

Talia gave a slight nod. "Keep your eyes on the road and drive safely."

"Okay."

There was a pause, then, "Talia?"

"Yes?"

"That woman earlier…" Lucien licked his lips, seemingly struggling to get the words out. "The one you operated on—she'll be fine on her own in the hospital, right?"

Talia chuckled. "Are you worried about her?"

"No, I just… I was only asking."

"The nurses on duty will look after her, and the hospital staff will call her family."

"What if her family doesn't show up?"

"How will you know they won't?" Talia countered.

Lucien parted his lips, but he had no answer. But he had his eyes on the road like he was focusing on the traffic, just like Talia told him to.

They didn't talk for the rest of the drive, and the sky was beginning to break with the first light of dawn when they reached home.

Lucien stopped the car at the door but did not get out. He told Talia through the car window, "Get some sleep. I need to head back to the company to take care of some stuff."

Talia nodded. She didn't bother asking if he was telling the truth about returning to the company. A woman's intuition was like a double-edged sword, and could very quickly turn into foreboding. If she were smart, she'd play dumb and overlook Lucien's strange behavior entirely.

…

Lucien was turning 31 on Saturday. Talia had already made plans with him to return to the Reese estate. She'd been on the night shift the night before and wouldn't get off work until 8:00 AM on Saturday.

As she was leaving, Talia opened her wallet to check the pregnancy test results that she'd folded into a small rectangle, no bigger than a matchbox. It lay quietly in one of the folds of her wallet.

This was the present she'd prepared for Lucien, and it had been a long time coming. But now, she hesitated to give it to him.

She put her wallet back into her purse, then shrugged off her white coat to leave work. At that moment, her phone rang.

It was a call from Abigail. "Talia! I just saw your husband bring a pregnant woman home!"

Chapter 3 Too Close to Date

Did the news come as shocking to Talia? Frankly speaking, no.

She and Lucien might not have fallen in love and gotten married out of their own free will, but they'd spent nearly three years together. She liked to think she knew him well enough.

Lucien was a decent man, nothing like those aggressive, arrogant, fictional CEOs who could needle anyone with just a single word. No, Lucien was gentlemanly and thoughtful, not to mention attentive. He was a sweet, grounded, responsible man.

On that note, the pregnant woman couldn't be someone ordinary if Lucien was so on edge because of her.

Talia was practically gearing herself up for a dramatic and tearful family reunion where everyone gathered to reminisce on the good old days. Alas, reality proved her expectations wrong.

Upon reaching the Reese estate, Talia learned that there was, indeed, a pregnant woman in the residence. However, the said pregnant woman was sitting with Talia's mother-in-law, Brenda Campbell, while Lucien had staked a seat on the armchair.

When Lucien saw Talia, he quickly stood up and took her coat and purse as usual. "I'll hang these up for you."

Brenda greeted Talia warmly. "Hello, Talia. Come sit down with us!"

Talia returned Brenda's greeting before looking at the pregnant woman. "And who's this?"

Brenda chuckled, explaining, "Allow me to make introductions. This is Lia, Mr. Griffin's daughter from next door. She was staying abroad with her husband and just recently came home. Lia, this is Lucien's wife, the one I told you about earlier."

The pregnant woman smiled at this. She had one hand on her belly as she slowly stood up. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Thalia."

Talia froze. "What… did you say your name was?"

"What a coincidence, right? We have the same name, but mine's spelled differently. T-H-A-L-I-A."

With a lighthearted laugh, Brenda chimed, "A coincidence, indeed! I was surprised as well when I found out Lucien was marrying a woman named Talia. I'd call it fate that Lucien has met two women who share similar names, only to become best friends with one of them and marry the other."

Thalia remarked, "Fate is a funny thing. You might not know this, Mrs. Reese, but Dr. Ainsworth here was the one who operated on me the other night."

"Really?" Brenda was even more astonished.

"Yes." Thalia extended a hand toward Talia, an open and polite gesture. "I've yet to thank you for saving my life, Dr. Ainsworth. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here with my baby, safe and sound."

It would look bad on Talia if she shrank away from the other woman, especially after the latter's show of graciousness. So, she took Thalia's hand good-naturedly.

"Don't mention it. It was all in a day's work for me. Your condition might seem a little precarious, but it's nothing to worry about. You'll be fine after recuperating for a couple of days following the cervical cerclage, though you must be careful for the rest of the pregnancy."

"Thank you for the advice, Dr. Ainsworth. I'll keep that in mind," Thalia replied.

The housekeeping staff set the table and brought the dishes out. After that, Brenda called everyone over to the dining table.

Lucien had never liked grand, over-the-top affairs and preferred to keep a low profile. To him, a 31st birthday didn't warrant a huge celebration, so he kept things intimate. As such, they celebrated with family over a home-cooked spread.

Talia had a quiet nature, to begin with. Brenda and Thalia made most of the conversation at the dining table. As the two women swapped stories about their families and home lives, Talia listened and picked up on a few things.

The Griffin family had been next-door neighbors with the Reeses for decades. Thalia and Lucien were born in the same year, though she was six months younger. They'd gone to the same grade school and high school and hadn't parted ways until college.

Lucien majored in business management at the country's top college, while Thalia went to a law school abroad.

To quote Brenda, Lucien and Thalia were so close that they were practically "woven out of the same fabric".

Brenda was an intellect and a cultured author, and she spoke like one, too. She was implying that Lucien and Thalia were as close as siblings, but they weren't drawn to each other romantically.

Perhaps worried that a doctor like Talia might not have gotten the hint, Brenda even patted her hand.

She elaborated for good measure, "Lucien and Thalia were so close that I mistakenly believed there was something more between them and that they were dating! But it turned out I was jumping to conclusions. Silly me!"

Brenda laughed, turning to look at Talia as she explained, "I later found out that Thalia had a crush on one of Lucien's buddies. She even had Lucien pass love notes to that young man every day!"

A rueful look crossed Lucien's face as he interjected self-deprecatingly, "I was just a messenger to her all along."

Talia laughed and asked, "So did everything work out between Thalia and Lucien's friend?"

Thalia, who'd been silent all this while, beat Brenda to answering. "We got together, but it didn't last. It was puppy love, after all. Everyone was hormonal and impulsive, so lasting relationships were few and far between."

"Fair point," Talia agreed.

Brenda questioned half-jokingly, "Why did you never have a crush on Lucien, Lia? I didn't think the young man you liked was any better than Lucien."

Thalia put up her hands as if to show reproach and clicked her tongue. "Lucien and I know each other too well to date."

Brenda had achieved her goal, and Thalia's playful response eased the tension in the atmosphere. Brenda's unbridled laughter reverberated throughout the dining room.

Talia knew Brenda had done her a huge favor. The older woman had sensed Talia's doubts, knowing she was too embarrassed to voice them outright. As such, Brenda took matters into her own hands and put everything out in the open.

To be fair, Talia had no complaints about her marriage. Lucien was kind and considerate, and Brenda was easy to get along with.

Brenda was nothing like those overbearing mothers-in-law from prestigious families who would have forced Talia to bear a child by now. In sharp contrast, Brenda was highly supportive of Talia's career.

Save for the loveless part, Talia might even go so far as to say she had the perfect marriage. Still...

The fact that Thalia's name was so similar to hers set her thoughts running wild.

According to Brenda, Thalia's father had moved into a hillside sanatorium with his wife a few years ago. His wife was ill, and the fresh air on the hillside was good for her.

As such, the property next door had been left vacant for the last three years and was in no shape to house anyone. Thalia was pregnant, and be it out of safety concerns or neighborly affection, it seemed almost natural for the Reeses to take her in during her stay.

After Talia had showered and returned to the bedroom, she found Lucien already leaning against the headboard. He wore his gold-framed glasses and was flipping the pages of a book.

When he saw Talia, he set the book aside and took the towel from her. He began to towel-dry her hair as he asked, "Are you tired?"

She'd worked for 24 hours straight just so she could come to the Reese estate with him. She'd barely rested at home before enduring the family niceties during the day. In other words, it had been 36 hours since she last had a shut-eye.

"I'm fine," Talia replied.

Lucien's movements were gentle, and his tone was even more so. "I was so nervous at the hospital the other day that I didn't get to tell you about Thalia. She flew home specially to celebrate my birthday, but we got into a car crash on the way back from the airport."

"I see." So, Lucien hadn't rushed out the other night because something urgent had come up at the company, but because he needed to pick up Thalia from the airport.

He added, "Thalia and I are best friends."

He slowed down at the word "friends", biting it out clearly as if to emphasize it.

Talia hummed in response, then said, "She's six months pregnant, but she flew back to celebrate your birthday with you all the same. I doubt any friend would do that."

Lucien's hands paused. His reply was a low and hesitant. "Right."

A second later, he changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, you said you got me a birthday present. The day's almost ending. Where's my present?"

Chapter 4 Best Friend

Talia thought about the pregnancy test results in her wallet. She threaded her fingers so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"No present for me?" Lucien chuckled. "It's alright. You're a busy woman, Dr. Ainsworth. The fact that you took time off to have a meal with me is a great birthday gift in itself."

"I have the next week off, Lucien. Let's go on a trip somewhere," Talia said.

Lucien looked surprised. "I thought you'd be busy working on that report. Are you sure you have the time for a trip?"

"I can make it work," Talia insisted.

Lucien considered this, then said, "Sounds good. We didn't get to go on our honeymoon when we first got married. A trip now could make up for it."

"Okay." Talia countered, "It won't get in the way of your work, will it?"

"We won't leave until next week, so I'll make some arrangements this week in advance."

"Okay, great."

"When's your shift tomorrow?" he asked.

"I switched shifts with a co-worker, so I have tomorrow off," replied Talia.

"I have a high school reunion to attend tomorrow. Why don't you come with me?" Lucien suggested.

In the three years Talia and Lucien had been married, she'd never met any of his friends from high school. She was too busy with work most of the time, and she didn't think meeting his friends was necessary.

But given how she'd changed her mind about giving him a birthday present this time, she made up for it by going along with his suggestion. "Sure."

…

Talia had worked and stayed up for a whole night and two days. On the second night, she finally slept soundly.

She woke up to find that she was alone in bed, not that it was a rare sight. She was a doctor, after all, and she was expected to be on call whenever her patients needed her. Most times, she and Lucien could be in the same bed and not exchange a word at all.

After washing up, Talia headed downstairs. Brenda spotted her and said, "You're awake, Talia. Lucien's already waiting at the door for you."

Talia hummed in acknowledgment and hurried out the door. Sure enough, Lucien's white Cayenne greeted her like a familiar friend. She walked up to the car and opened the door of the passenger seat, only to be taken aback by the sight before her.

The person in the passenger seat was also startled. "Dr. Ainsworth?"

"Ms. Griffin…" Talia greeted slowly.

Thalia must have dolled up on purpose today. There was no hiding the swell of her baby bump, but she wore a long, crimson dress nonetheless. Her dark hair fell loosely past her shoulders like a glossy waterfall, and she appeared to be wearing light makeup as well.

However, for reasons unknown to Talia, Thalia's eyes were rimmed with red, and her voice was nasally, too. "Uh, I'm going to the high school reunion, too. Lucien asked me to come along."

It was only then that Talia remembered Lucien and Thalia had been classmates throughout grade school and high school. Naturally, she would be included in his high school reunion as well.

Then again, it was one thing for Thalia to tag along to the reunion, but it was an unspoken rule that the passenger seat belonged to the wife or girlfriend of the car owner.

Talia waited outside for Thalia to shift to the backseat, but the latter showed no intention to move at all.

Talia prompted quietly, "You may want to take the backseat, Ms. Griffin. You'll want the extra room to make this a more comfortable journey."

A giggle escaped Thalia as she raked her fingers through her hair. The Cayenne was an SUV and sported a high chassis. Thalia was practically looking down at Talia from the passenger seat. "I have terrible car sickness, and the backseat just isn't ideal for me."

For some reason, Thalia seemed different than she did yesterday. Talia even sensed some hostility from her.

Talie's heart tightened in alarm, but she maintained a congenial smile as she asked, "What are you trying to say, Ms. Griffin?"

"That maybe you could find it in your heart to let me ride shotgun during my stay while you take the backseat? Seeing as I'm pregnant and all," Thalia said.

"During your stay?" Talia repeated questioningly.

"That's right." Thalia explained innocently, "It's been years since I came back, so I decided to stay a little while longer. Besides, I have no plans of giving birth abroad. I'd rather the baby be naturalized in my homeland."

Thalia was six months pregnant. Presuming she planned to give birth and recuperate in the country, she could very well be staying with the Reeses for another half a year.

Talia probed, "Does this mean you'll be undergoing postpartum recovery at the Reese estate, Ms. Griffin?"

Talia pointed out, "My parents are in a sanatorium in the hills, so I've no choice but to move in with the Reeses for now. But the Reese estate is a little far from the city, so it's hard for me to go to my pre-natal appointments.

"I heard you and Lucien are staying in the heart of the city now, near the hospital. I was hoping to move in with you guys after I give birth and recuperate there instead."

This time, she didn't follow up with a "please" or "if that's okay". She sounded confident, like the decision was already set in stone and she was simply informing Talia about it.

Talia angled her head to look at Lucien. "What do you think, Lucien?"

Lucien, to his credit, winced in apology. "Our place is closer to the hospital…"

"So, what, the both of you have already worked this out between yourselves?" Talia asked.

"Lia's pregnant, Talia. Besides, she's my best friend…"

Best friend.

Had Lucien brought up his so-called "best friend" once or even spoken to her on the phone in the three years of his marriage, Talia might have bought his story.

And yet, he and Thalia had zero contact in the last three years. What could have possibly happened to make this pair of best friends cut each other off for that long?

More importantly, was there a reason Lucien had chosen to keep this friendship a secret from Talia instead of coming clean to her in her office the other night?

Lucien urged, "Come on, Talia. We need to get going. The reunion's about to start."

He was directing this at Talia, not Thalia. He showed no intention of having the latter move to the backseat, either.

Talia lowered her head, sputtering as she opened the door to the backseat and slid in.

The reunion was held at a dry bar, which was quiet during the day and offered plenty of space. It was the perfect spot for school reunions.

Lucien drove carefully, presumably because there was a pregnant woman in his car.

Thalia was strapped into the passenger seat and holding up a small mirror as she powdered her nose. "Do I look okay, Lucien?"

Lucien tipped his head to the side and spared her a sidelong look. "Yeah, you look fine."

Pouting, Thalia sounded a little disgruntled as she said, "I can't even put on heavy makeup because I'm pregnant. I look like I barely have any makeup on!"

"You look nice even without makeup," Lucien said placatingly.

"But that's different! High school reunions are all about leaving a strong impression." Thalia set her compact mirror aside and asked Lucien casually, "Where's my phone?"

Exasperation colored Lucien's face. He didn't even hesitate as he fished a phone out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Here. You keep losing your phone, just like you always used to in the past. You never look for it until you need it."

Thalia took the phone with a carefree laugh. "Wow, this takes me back to when we were in school! You kept my phone with you at all times."

Lucien looked like he was reminiscing too. "Yeah, and I was always the one who replied to those guys who confessed their feelings for you through texts."

Thalia let loose another irreverent laugh. "Those guys were annoying as hell. By the way, I think I heard my phone buzz. Could you see who texted me?"

As she spoke, she tossed her phone into Lucien's lap, not at all concerned that he was driving. She continued touching up her makeup.

Seemingly used to such treatment, Lucien didn't even grumble and simply did as he was told. He picked up the phone from his lap and swiped to unlock it, then asked, "What's your password?"

"It's still the same. You know it."

In the backseat, Talia peered over Lucien's shoulder to see him tapping away on Thalia's phone keyboard. He worked on it for a while and was still keying in the password as he frowned.

"Why must you set up such a complicated password? It's like a cipher or something."

"You complain, Lucien, but you've committed it to memory all the same." Thalia's voice dripped with honey. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost. Just give me a second—"

"Lucien!" Talia looked up and suddenly noticed the traffic up ahead. A cry of alarm escaped her. "Watch the road!"

Chapter 5 Call Me by My Married Name

Lucien immediately snapped to his senses. When he looked up and saw an electric scooter zipping toward them, he quickly veered to the side and hit the brakes. The scooter narrowly avoided their car as it whooshed past.

Talia's face was ashen with shock. "Try not to be so distracted while driving."

"Okay." Lucien was a little shaken too. He handed the phone back to Thalia and said, "Here, key in the password yourself."

Thalia didn't so much as look at the phone before declining, "My hands are busy. I'm putting on makeup."

"But I'm driving—" Lucien argued.

"Yeah, but you're not driving now, are you?"

Talia sighed at their bickering and said to Lucien, "Here, pass me the phone and read out her password. I'll unlock it."

"Sure." Lucien passed the phone to Talia. "Key in ryx2—"

"What the hell, Lucien?" Thalia's temper suddenly flared. She closed her compact mirror with a loud snap and tossed it aside, then whirled and snatched her phone out of Talia's grip.

Hurling it at Lucien angrily, she seethed, "You can't tell anyone else my password!"

Things got awkward very quickly, and Lucien and Talia went rigid at Thalia's outburst.

However, Thalia was unaffected and unapologetic. She flashed Talia a smile. "Sorry, Dr. Ainsworth, I'm sure you can understand that pregnant women are prone to mood swings because of the hormones."

"Right…" Talia replied slowly.

Thalia continued, "In modern society, a person's phone is the gateway to their most private information and falls under an individual's legal right to privacy. I'm simply standing up for my rights. It's nothing personal."

"You're a true legal expert, Ms. Griffin," Talia mused with a smile.

"Force of habit, I'm afraid," Thalia said good-naturedly. "No offense, Dr. Ainsworth."

"None taken, though you should call me by my married name. We're no longer at the hospital, and I certainly wasn't your attending doctor. I only operated on you once, and it was on very short, urgent notice," Talia pointed out.

Thalia countered smoothly, "You operated on me, and that makes you a doctor whether you're my attending physician or not. Besides, I've been addressing you as Dr. Ainsworth since yesterday. It'd be weird for me to start calling you anything else now."

"No, it wouldn't. I am legally Mrs. Reese, after all."

"You have a point." Thalia's smile began to slip, and her expression hardened slightly. "But calling you by your married name makes you sound older than you are, like you're middle-aged or something. Calling you 'Dr. Ainsworth' makes you sound younger."

Talia stared at Thalia evenly, and the latter gave her a triumphant smile before turning to order Lucien, "Step on it, Lucien. We don't want to be late!"

…

As a doctor, Talia hardly had time to attend school reunions. Abigail had invited her on several occasions, but Talia had turned her down because of work.

Talia got out of the car. She was about to head into the dry bar when her phone rang.

Lucien stopped in his tracks. "Is it the hospital?"

Glancing at the caller ID, Talia realized that it was indeed the hospital's number flashing on the screen. "Yeah. It might be an emergency with one of the labor and delivery patients. They wouldn't call me on my day off otherwise."

"I'll give you a lift," Lucien offered.

"It's fine. I'll figure something out—"

"Lucien!" Thalia called out to him from where she waited nearby. "Jimmy called. He wants us to hurry!"

Lucien frowned, seemingly caught in a dilemma.

Talia's phone wouldn't stop ringing. Gripping it, she headed in another direction, away from the dry bar. "I'm going to take the call."

She put the call through. "Hello?"

"Dr. Ainsworth, it's me, Lisa. The chief came by earlier and asked if you'd be up for the expatriate study program next month."

Relieved, Talia chided, "Is that all? For heaven's sake, Lisa, I thought you were calling me about an emergency!"

Lisa chuckled. "Oh, please, as if we'd have emergencies every day. Don't worry, I can handle the usual OB-GYN cases."

"I'll take your word for it."

Lisa pressed, "So, are you up for the expatriate study program or not? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I even printed the application form. Just say the word and I'll fill up the form and submit it for you."

"No, thanks," Talia replied softly, gently stroking her lower abdomen. "I don't plan to give birth abroad, either. I'd rather the kid be naturalized here."

"Either?" Lisa repeated. "Is anyone else in your family expecting as well, Dr. Ainsworth?"

"Oh…" Talia answered slowly, "My husband's friend is."

"I see." Lisa thought it was a shame for Talia to give the program a miss.

"Why are women always the ones who sacrifice their career opportunities for their kids and families? It's so unfair, especially when you're already a big shot in the OB-GYN department despite being so young! If you were to go abroad for a few years, you'd come back even stronger—"

Lisa might be Talia's assistant, but in truth, she was only two years younger than the latter and was still pursuing her master's degree.

Perhaps working in the OB-GYN department had impacted Lisa's worldview, for she was far more sentimental and opinionated about pregnancy and how it affected a woman's life.

At one point, she was even a little put off by the idea of marriage.

Talia placated Lisa, then hung up. She looked around, but Lucien and Thalia were nowhere in sight. She figured they must have already gone into the bar.

The noise inside Lumiere Bar enveloped Talia like a tidal wave the moment she entered. The main seating area of the bar was packed with nearly a hundred people, all of whom looked to be around Lucien's age.

But Talia could pick out Lucien from the crowd right away.

He was tall and boasted an immaculate carriage, not to mention extremely good-looking. However, the sharp angles and chiseled planes of his face were at odds with his mild manners. Anyone who didn't know him might mistake him for the ruthless and overbearing type.

"Is it true that Lucien and Thalia are married?"

"Duh! Who would lie about something like that? Didn't you see that exclusive interview on the financial news channel? He said it himself—his wife's name is Thalia."

"No way. They've been friends for years! If they had any feelings for each other at all, they would've gotten married way before this, right?"

"Beats me. Maybe they suddenly realized there was more to their friendship. Then again, Thalia used to have a thing for guys like Jimmy. You know, those well-mannered and gentle types. She didn't care much for arrogant, intimidating men."

"So, what, you're saying she had a change in preferences? Lucien was like a tyrant back in school. I can't think of anyone more intimidating than him."

"Maybe Thalia didn't have a change in preferences; maybe Lucien's changed. Look at him now in that suit and leather shoes, and those gold-framed glasses make him look like the perfect gentleman! Who would've thought that the ruthless Lucien from school could polish up so nicely?"

Talia's phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor, the sudden sound scaring the two men gossiping beside her.

The one in the blue suit bent over to pick up her phone and handed it back to her. "You alright?"

Taking the phone, Talia shot him a grateful smile and said, "I'm fine, thanks."

"I don't think I've ever seen you before. Which class were you in back in school?"

"Oh, we didn't go to the same school. I'm—" Talia began.

"You didn't? Sorry, miss, but we're holding a school reunion here. Lumiere Bar's been booked out and won't be taking business from the public today. You'll have to go someplace else for a drink."

"I'm not here to drink; I'm here to see someone," Talia explained.

"Who?" the man pressed.

"Lucien Reese," Talia answered matter-of-factly.

The man was taken aback by her response. "You're looking for Lucien? Who are you?"