He Defended Her, I Married His Billionaire Rival

Chapter 2

"Keep it, and then what?" I asked. "Wait for Serena to have another episode and cause another scene? Wait for Leo to cry and say he doesn't want a little brother or sister? Wait for the next 'special circumstance' where you tell me the timing isn't right and we have to be responsible for the child?"

I shook my head. "Ethan, it's not that I don't believe you love me. It's that I can't trust your love," I said softly. "There are too many people competing for your attention, and I'm tired of fighting for a place in your life. By the time it reaches me, there's barely anything left, yet you still expect me to be understanding, accommodating, and forgiving. But I can't do it. I just want someone who loves me wholeheartedly and always puts me first. Since you can't be that person, let's stop forcing it."

With that, I walked away without looking back.

As I lay in the operating room, my consciousness gradually faded, yet deep down, I could feel something being forcibly torn from my life.

When I woke up again, it was all over. I slowly got up and walked out of the surgical wing, only to see Ethan sitting in the waiting area.

Hearing my footsteps, he looked up and immediately got to his feet. "How are you? Does it hurt?"

I stepped around him and headed for the exit. "It doesn't hurt."

Ethan froze. In all our years together, it seemed to be the first time I hadn't sought his comfort when I was in pain. With red rimmed eyes, he caught up and walked beside me. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.

I stopped in my tracks and called his name. "Let's get a divorce." I repeated it, my voice perfectly calm this time. There was no trembling and no emotion; I was simply stating a decision.

Ethan's face drained of color. "Tessa, let's talk about this when we get home. You need to rest right now..."

I interrupted him with a bitter smile. "I know you're in a difficult position. Your ex-wife is sick, your son is still young, and you carry a lot of responsibility and guilt. I understand all of that. But understanding doesn't mean I can accept it. Ethan, I can't accept always being put last. I can't accept being the one who has to step back every time an issue arises. I can't accept my child having to make way for other people's emotions before they are even born."

"I endured this for three years, telling myself that you were worth it and that I just needed to wait a little longer," I said, shaking my head. "But I can't wait anymore. In your heart, Serena's illness will always be more important than me, and Leo's feelings will always matter more than mine. Your sense of responsibility and guilt will always outweigh our marriage."

Ethan opened his mouth, but the words failed him. It took a long time before he finally spoke. "That's not true... Tessa, you are incredibly important to me. You are my wife..."

"That's not how a wife should be treated," I said softly. "A wife shouldn't be the one who is casually sacrificed at a moment's notice. She shouldn't be the one constantly forced to understand and compromise whenever something goes wrong."

Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but his ringing phone cut him off. Seeing that the caller ID belonged to Mrs. Thornton, Leo's homeroom teacher, he instinctively looked at me.

"Answer it," I told him.

Ethan didn't move as the phone persisted in ringing. A woman resting in a nearby bed shot us an impatient look. Gritting his teeth, Ethan pressed the answer button and lowered his voice. "Mrs. Thornton, I'm at the hospital—"

"Mr. Cross! I'm so sorry, but Leo just ran out of the school!" the frantic voice on the other end exclaimed. "The security guard said he saw him running across the street. We're looking for him right now. Can you come over immediately? The child is emotionally unstable, and we're terrified something might happen to him..."

Ethan stood up abruptly. I kept my head down, my fingers clutching the white bedsheet so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

"Tessa, I..." he began, his voice tight.

"Go," I said quietly. "He's looking for you."

Ethan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, only a heavy darkness remained in his gaze.

"I'll be right there," he said into the phone, then hung up.

He leaned in, reaching out to touch my shoulder, but stopped halfway and pulled his hand back. "Go home and rest. I'll be back as soon as I handle this," he said rapidly, his throat dry. "We'll have a real talk tonight. We'll clear the air once and for all. Wait for me, okay?"

I remained silent. Ethan lingered for a few more seconds before giving me one last look and striding out of the observation room. The sound of his hurried footsteps quickly faded, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

Leaning against the cold wall, I closed my eyes.

I won't be waiting for you anymore, Ethan.