My wife Chloe and I had been married for two years. On our anniversary, her ex-boyfriend posted an ultrasound picture on social media. “Big news, everyone! Huge thanks to my girl Chloe for carrying this for me! I’m finally going to be a dad!” My fists clenched. I quietly commented: “Congrats to the three of you.” The next second, Chloe called me, furious. Her voice blasted through the phone, full of accusations. She practically yelled, “I’m just helping Noah out with surrogacy! God, can’t you be less petty about this? You’re supposed to be the man here!” After hanging up, I decided I had to deal with this massive betrayal myself. 1 I bent down and picked up the two crumpled sheets of paper I’d stepped on. I’d stayed up all night making them. One was a checklist for expectant mothers, the other for the baby’s needs. Chloe had never been enthusiastic about sex with me, nor did she like kids. She always said children were inherently difficult, noisy, and mischievous, draining too much energy to raise. But two days ago, I’d accidentally found an ultrasound report in a drawer in the study. It was tucked inside a small, fancy gift box, like a present. At first, I thought Chloe was pregnant and planning to surprise me. I was ecstatic, like an idiot, spending all my time researching what expectant fathers needed to do. But now, it seemed the surprise wasn’t for me! And the child… wasn't mine either. Nausea surged in my throat. I went to the bathroom, soaked the two checklists I’d prepared in the sink, and threw them in the trash. Chloe came home unusually early that day. I checked the time – only 10 PM. Usually, she wouldn't be back until the early hours of the morning. She called my name, "Ethan?" I was lying in the bedroom and didn’t answer. She didn’t call again. A little later, I heard the shower running in the bathroom. After her shower, she came into the dark bedroom and quietly lay down beside me without turning on the light. I felt a soft, tingling touch on my back. It was the first time she had ever initiated holding me like this. Then, she buried her head in my back, her tone pleading in a way I’d never heard before, “Honey, nothing happened between him and me, really.” “I only agreed to be the surrogate to help him fulfill his dream of having a family. Noah really wants kids. I promise, as soon as the baby’s born, I’m done with him! I’ll cut all ties!” As she spoke, her hand started to wander downwards. I didn't say anything. I just removed her hand from my body and shifted slightly away. Sensing my rejection, she instantly became annoyed. “I’ve already stooped this low trying to appease you, what more do you want? Don’t forget you said my past didn’t matter, you swore you’d treat me right.” “Can’t you be a little more generous? God! I could have just lied and said it was yours, but I told you the truth out of respect! And this is how you react? So small-minded.” She poured out all her dissatisfaction, then finished with: “I’m sleeping in the guest room tonight. And you should think about how I’ve been treating you lately. When was the last time you wanted it and I didn’t give it to you?” The door slammed shut. I couldn’t help but laugh – at my pathetic marriage, and at my own blindness. In her eyes, saying a few soft words was doing me a huge favor. As if telling me the truth meant I had to accept it, otherwise I was the petty one. She hated the idea of having children so much, yet she was willing to carry a baby for ten months for that man. In the darkness, staring at the ceiling outline, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disillusionment. This relationship… I didn’t want it anymore. 2 When I woke up the next day, Chloe was already gone. I knew exactly where she’d gone. She’d been leaving early and coming back late these past few days. Who else would she be spending time with? Chloe didn’t like working hard, so I’d given her a cushy Vice President title at the company I owned, a job that mostly involved signing papers and drinking coffee. Consequently, my assistant had called me several times looking for her. The assistant said Chloe hadn’t been to the office lately. I didn’t say much, but a different idea started forming in my mind. After preparing some documents, I drove to the city administration building, planning to terminate the portion of shares I had transferred to her. Coincidentally, while submitting the paperwork, I ran into Chloe. Noah had his arm around her waist. She frowned at me and asked, "Ethan, are you following me?" I didn't answer her. Instead, I looked at Noah. Noah awkwardly avoided my gaze but didn't remove his hand from Chloe's waist. “Chloe, don’t be ridiculous! Why would Ethan follow us? We’re being open about this. As a man, Ethan understands how important having kids is, right?” Noah's slick words immediately shifted the focus onto me. I replied with a cold smile, “Totally. So you two better make sure you do a good job carrying on that family line.” My bluntness angered Chloe. She pushed me. “What is wrong with you? I told you, I just see Noah like a brother.” My lower back hit the hard corner of the wall, making me hiss in pain. Seeing this, Noah immediately stepped closer, feigning concern. He verbally scolded Chloe, but his eyes held a flash of obvious provocation and smugness. Disgusted, I pushed him away, not wanting to exchange another word with them. Unexpectedly, Noah suddenly dropped to one knee, crying out that he’d twisted his ankle. Chloe rushed to help him up, then yelled at me, “If anything happens to Noah, I’ll never forgive you!” My back throbbed, breaking out in a cold sweat, yet I watched helplessly as my own wife ignored me, abandoning me to help another man leave. I stood there, watching them walk away, and suddenly felt a strange sense of relief. Relief that Chloe wasn't carrying my child. How could someone who didn't even love her husband possibly love a child they had together? Back at the office, I met with the lawyer I’d contacted earlier and drafted a divorce agreement. Just as I was about to message Chloe, I saw she had updated her social media feed. “Hope our baby grows up tall and strong like his daddy!” The photo showed the back of a man. I recognized him. It was Noah. Below were comments from Chloe’s best friends. “That back doesn’t look like your husband’s… uh oh, hehe.” “Wow, making big moves quietly! The old flame is back.” “OMG, I ship it so hard! After all this time, you finally fulfilled that pact about having kids!” Soon, I saw Chloe’s reply. “Don’t talk nonsense! I’m just helping out with surrogacy. Are you guys trying to get my husband to divorce me with all this gossip?” After that, her friends replied with variations of, “Got it, understood.” But Ashley (her childhood best friend) added: “Seriously? Why keep a petty guy like that? Just divorce him and be with Noah. Everyone knows you haven’t gotten over him for years. Just follow your heart!” Ashley had been Chloe’s best friend since they were kids. But she never really liked me, always thinking I wasn’t good enough for her friend, and certainly not as good as Noah. She said I wasn't as handsome as Noah, not as smooth-talking, not as romantic. In her eyes, I couldn't compare to Noah in any way. For Chloe’s sake, I had never said anything, often even buying gifts to appease these demanding friends. But now that my marriage with Chloe was over, I didn't need to worry about anyone's feelings. So, I slowly typed out a reply: “Don’t worry, the divorce is happening soon. It must have been hard worrying about Chloe for all these years.” Then, I went to my own profile and posted a picture – the divorce agreement I had just drafted. “This nightmare is finally ending.” 3 As soon as I posted it, my phone immediately blew up with questions from curious friends. Chloe’s loyal friends, however, conveniently chose to ignore it, though I imagined they were probably calling Chloe to celebrate. Soon, my phone started ringing non-stop. Not just my parents, but Chloe’s parents called too. Chloe was calling repeatedly as well. I declined her calls. But the phone kept buzzing relentlessly, like a persistent kitten. Finally, I texted my parents back and then switched my phone to airplane mode. “Mom, Dad, I’ll explain everything in person when I get home tonight.” As evening approached, I left the office. Downstairs, I happened to run into Chloe, who had just parked her car. She got out and stormed towards me. “Ethan, what is the meaning of this? You’re divorcing me just because I’m helping him with surrogacy?” “What’s wrong with me being a surrogate? It’s not like I broke the law! Are you ever going to drop this?” Her barrage of questions made me feel sick, but at this point, there was no need to argue. I ignored her anger, walked past her down the steps, and headed towards the parking lot. But she grabbed my arm forcefully. “How long are you going to keep this up? I already told you, I’ll cut ties with him after the baby is born! I’ve compromised this much for you, how much more do you want to push me?” Her shameless words echoed in my ears. I fought back my anger, turned around, and stared hard at her. “Don’t ruin your pure relationship for my sake. Ashley’s right, you should follow your heart.” “Why would you want a petty man like me anyway? You should find a generous husband, one who can accept you having another man’s baby.” “Remember to sign the divorce papers.” With that, I yanked my arm free from her grip and walked to my car. Behind me, I heard her impotent roar, “Fine, Ethan! Don’t you regret this!” How could I possibly regret it? I should actually thank her for this stunt. It finally made me realize I’d be much better off without her. When I got home, my parents immediately pulled me aside, asking why I was getting divorced. My mom’s eyes were red; she had clearly been crying. I told them about Chloe carrying Noah’s baby through surrogacy. My mom, heartbroken and angry, hugged me and cried, “I told you that woman was trouble! How could she do something like this!” My dad was silent for a moment, then said firmly, “You have to divorce her.” I pressed my lips together, finally letting my guard down in front of the people closest to me. My parents had never approved of my marriage. They always said they couldn’t see any love for me in Chloe’s eyes. But I had pursued Chloe for five years, finally getting her to agree to date me. Back then, I wouldn’t listen to anyone’s advice, convinced I could make Chloe fall in love with me eventually. Clearly, I failed. We had reached the point of divorce. All those years of effort taught me that you really can’t force love, like trying to sweeten a sour fruit. It doesn’t even quench your thirst. I waited for a long time, but Chloe still hadn’t signed the papers. Finally, after I told her I was going to file for divorce legally, she reluctantly sent me a few messages. “Can we meet tomorrow? I’ll have Ashley and the others apologize to you too.” “Please stop making a scene. Being pregnant is really tiring. I’m caught between Noah and you, and choosing either side isn’t the best solution.” “I apologize to you. Can you please try to understand that I’m pregnant right now? After the baby is born, I promise I’ll see him less!” 4 See him less? She kept saying she didn’t know who to choose between me and Noah, but her actions had proven countless times that she always chose Noah. On our wedding night, she abandoned me to pick up Noah, who was returning from abroad. On my mom’s birthday, she skipped the celebration to attend Noah’s promotion party. And on our anniversary this year? She was already pregnant with Noah’s child. In the past, whenever she bought gifts for holidays, she’d always buy two. One for me, one for Noah, maintaining this ridiculous facade of fairness. I’d complained plenty of times when I was drunk, but she always promised it wouldn’t happen again. Yet that "next time" never ended. If I pushed it too much, she’d call me petty and small-minded for a man. Thinking back, the happiest moment with her was the day I proposed. I had planned many surprises. The proposal took place in Norway, under the Northern Lights, where the stars seemed close enough to touch. Finally, witnessed by the aurora, I placed the sparkling ring on her finger. The look in her eyes when she said yes was sincere and passionate; even her vows sounded heartfelt and warm. But that proposal day was so long ago, so long that I could no longer piece together the complete memory. So long ago that I had never seen that earnest Chloe again. When Chloe saw I hadn’t replied to her messages, she called me directly: “Ethan, I’ve already booked a restaurant. Let’s all get together so they can apologize properly. See you tomorrow, okay?” I asked flatly, “Is Noah coming?” “Yes.” “Alright then. See you tomorrow.” If apologies were in order, why should they only apologize to me? Early the next morning, Chloe and Noah were waiting for me in the parking lot. She hadn’t driven, so I had no choice but to let them in my car. Noah opened the back door and helped Chloe get in. He gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry about this, Ethan. Chloe’s pregnant, I don’t feel comfortable with her sitting up front by herself.” I smiled back faintly. “No problem.” In the past, being treated like their chauffeur like this would have definitely bothered me. But now, nothing they did, no matter how outrageous, could make me angry anymore. Interestingly, though, whenever I drove, the passenger seat next to me was always empty. Chloe always chose to sit in the back with him. When we arrived at the private room in the restaurant, Chloe’s group of friends were already seated. Ashley was the first to approach me, greeting me loudly and pulling me to sit next to her. “Come on, Ethan, do me a favor and sit here. I’ll give you a proper apology in a bit.” Her tone held no hint of apology, only a subtle challenge. During the meal, Ashley first poured me a glass of wine. Then she announced she would penalize herself with a drink, raised her own glass, downed it in one gulp, and began her apology. “Ethan, I’ve always been blunt, so don’t take it personally. I honestly don’t like you, and I don’t think you’re good enough for my best friend.” “But what can I do? My friend’s head over heels. So, for her sake, I sincerely apologize.” She then picked up another glass, raised it towards me, and said, “I’ll drink another one as punishment. Was I wrong the other day? Okay? I’m sorry.” I leaned closer and sniffed her glass. Not a trace of alcohol. I didn’t say anything, just chuckled softly. Seeing the atmosphere seemingly relax, Chloe quickly urged everyone to continue eating. But then Noah stood up, holding a glass of hard liquor, acting as if he were already drunk. “Ethan, buddy, let me apologize too. Chloe’s feelings for me… they run deep. Sorry you got caught in the middle, man.” Chloe quickly pulled him back down. “What are you doing, Noah? It’s not your fault. I chose to be the surrogate.” After saying that, Chloe looked directly into my eyes and slowly said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t handle this relationship well.” “Not so fast,” I interrupted. “There’s someone else who deserves to hear that apology too.” As I finished speaking, the door to the private room opened again. A sophisticated woman with flawless makeup walked in, wearing high heels.
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