Remaining Days, Please Advise

End of March, New York. As the fog started to lift, Elena drove to the central hospital early for a follow-up check. Just as she got her medical records, her eyes caught a glimpse of someone familiar—Brian, the man she was engaged to. Elena smiled faintly, not expecting Brian to know she was coming to the hospital today and to come to pick her up. She had just taken a couple of steps forward when a slender woman in a white knit dress emerged from the other side. The woman, with a fair and delicate appearance, said something startling, "Brian, I'm pregnant." Elena stopped in her tracks. Her fiancé Brian stood at the stairway, tall and stern, and merely asked, "Are you planning to keep it?" The woman lowered her head, her voice trembling, "I don't know. Brian, I really don't know..." She cautiously raised her hand, trying to hold Brian's hand. Seeing the slightly intimate gesture, Elena's throat moved, and she softly called, "Brian?" The two were startled. Brian glanced slightly to the side, saw Elena, and frowned, "Why are you here?" His tone was indifferent and casual, with a hint of questioning. Elena quietly looked at Brian and asked back, "And you? Are you sick?" Brian frowned and explained, "I'm here with a friend for a check-up." The woman looked at Elena in surprise, seemingly guessing her identity, "You're Brian's fiancée, Miss Jones?" Elena nodded slightly, "And you are?" The woman explained softly, "Miss Jones, my name is Zara Moses, I'm a friend of Brian's. He just came to accompany me for a check-up today." Elena smiled faintly, "I just heard Miss Moses is pregnant? Congratulations." Zara's smile was a bit forced. Elena looked at Brian and hesitated to speak, "Miss Moses is very pretty. You two seem close. How come I've never heard you mention her before?" Zara gently explained, "Brian and I were high school classmates, we've known each other for a long time. I didn't expect Brian hadn't mentioned me to Miss Jones." Brian's tone was cold, his expression natural, "There was no need." Zara's words were uncomfortable to hear, but Brian's indifference was even more hurtful. Suppressing her discomfort, Elena asked softly, "Miss Moses, is your husband not with you today?" Zara's face froze, and she looked instantly dejected. She glanced at Brian and said softly, "My husband...it's inconvenient for him." That look could easily be misunderstood. Brian's brow showed some dissatisfaction, and he suddenly raised his voice, "Why are you asking so many questions?" Elena was caught off guard by his shout and stood there in shock, instinctively saying, "I'm sorry, I was just casually asking..." Zara suddenly gave a bitter smile, "Miss Jones, could it be that you've misunderstood something?" Elena choked, but Brian's face had already turned cold, "Elena, how can you be so filthy-minded?" Elena: "I..." He ordered sternly, "Apologize!" Being wrongfully accused and then asked to apologize, Elena couldn't react. Zara quickly came to smooth things over, "Brian, Miss Jones must not have meant to misunderstand. How can you be so harsh on her?" Brian was silent for a moment, his eyes suddenly sharp. He questioned sternly, "Shouldn't you be at the company right now? How come you're at the hospital, and such a coincidence?" He looked at Elena as if scrutinizing a criminal. Elena felt a tightness in her chest, opened her mouth, and explained hoarsely, "You really don't know why I'm at the hospital?" Brian's cold tone was filled with impatience, "You didn't tell me you were coming to the hospital. How would I know?" The doubt in his eyes did not diminish, and he finally couldn't help but voice his suspicion. "Are you following me?" "Following you?!" Elena thought she had misheard, incredulously asking, "In your eyes, am I such a person?" Brian fell silent, which in some ways was an admission. Elena never expected that after being engaged for three years and about to get married, Brian would distrust her so much. Elena stared at Brian, hurt in her eyes, and asked in a deliberately calm voice, "I'm here for my hand." Brian was also taken aback. He then remembered that Elena had an old injury on her hand and needed to come to the central hospital for regular check-ups. He was in the wrong here, and his earlier attitude had been somewhat aggressive. Brian felt a bit guilty. But before Brian could say anything, Zara suddenly stepped forward, looking as if she were about to cry. "Please don't argue, this is all my fault!" Zara, looking like she was on the verge of tears, spoke awkwardly, "The child in my womb has nothing to do with Brian. The child's father abandoned me... Miss Jones, I'm really sorry for causing a misunderstanding." After saying that, she covered her face and ran away, tears clearly visible. Brian's eyes were as sharp as knives, full of mockery, "Are you satisfied now?" He left that remark and turned to chase after Zara. Elena felt a lump in her chest, stifling her. What did he mean by 'are you satisfied'? Brian's own behavior was inappropriate, she hadn't said anything, and yet Brian had already lashed out at her, even making her apologize. Now it seemed like she was the one being unreasonable? But had she said anything excessive? Elena held back the bitterness in her eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed her feelings of grievance and discomfort. Brian and Zara, were they really just ordinary high school classmates? Her intuition told her that there was definitely something going on between them. Elena sat on a chair in the hospital lobby and called her sister Anna. Among the Patrick and Jones families, only Anna wouldn't lie to her because Anna loved to see her in awkward situations. "Do you need something?" "Brian has a high school classmate named Zara. Have you heard of her?" There was silence on the other end for a long time. Anna remained quiet for a while before asking, "Are you sure you want to know who she is?" Elena's heart skipped a beat. Her intuition told her that asking further might uncover a painful truth, but she didn't want to live in the dark. "Just tell me." Anna chuckled softly, sounding like she was watching a show, "That woman is Brian's first love. They were together since high school, dating for six years, but they've been broken up for six years now. Why are you asking about her?" "Nothing." Having gotten the information she wanted, Elena hurriedly hung up the phone. Bringing his ex-girlfriend of six years to the hospital for a pregnancy check, was Brian aiming to win the Best Ex-Boyfriend Award? With their wedding just around the corner, Elena felt the need to know what Brian was planning. As she stepped out of the hospital, Elena received a call from her assistant. "Boss, Cindy discovered her ex-boyfriend cheating and went out drinking. She's completely drunk, but there's a party tonight!" Elena rubbed her forehead, "Who else is available at the company?" "Everyone else is out of town on business..." "Alright, I'll go." Elena had studied fashion design in college and started her own fashion company after graduation. Cindy was her college classmate and employee, dating her boyfriend since college for six years, recently discussing marriage. Thinking about it, Elena couldn't help but smile wryly. A six-year relationship could still end in cheating. Her three-year engagement seemed insignificant, didn't it? Especially since the other person was Brian's six-year first love.