I Sterilized Myself While He was Cheering Another “Baby”

To keep my promise with Lawrence Quinn to stay child free, on our tenth wedding anniversary, I went to get my tubes tied on my own. While I waited for the anesthesia to wear off, I scrolled through my phone. Then I stumbled into a trending livestream of a kindergarten show in the city. There he was. The man who always said he could not stand kids. Now he sat below the stage, eyes soft as water, holding up a glowing sign that read, 'Go, my baby.' On stage, a little boy who looked just like a mini version of him was dancing. When the performance ended, the host bent down and handed the mic to the child. "Sweetie, do you have anything to say to your family today?" she asked with a smile. "Thank you, Dad, for taking time off to come see me!" the boy said brightly. The camera zoomed in. Lawrence picked him up and kissed his cheek. "I will always be your biggest fan," he said softly. It was the gentlest voice I had ever heard from Lawrence. Comments flooded the chat. A: [What a great dad.] B: [Such a loving father.] I lowered my head and touched my abdomen. The wound was still seeping faintly. Then I turned off my phone. Lawrence, from now on, we go our separate ways. The taxi stopped by the side entrance of the theater. The cold wind cut through my collar like a knife. I stood by the main doors, still as a statue, staring at the exit. In those ten minutes, one memory kept looping in my mind. Lawrence held me tightly, his voice shaking. "Sierra, it's my fault you won't have children in this life," he said, guilt heavy in his tone. For that one sentence, to smooth the crease between his brows, I kept it from everyone and lay on that cold operating table. I gave up my chance to be a mother with my own hands. All just to tell him... "I'm not suffering. As long as I have you, that's enough." The crowd spilled out in waves. Lawrence walked out in the dark gray coat I had pressed for him. In his arms was the little boy in his costume. The boy waved a golden trophy and threw his arms around Lawrence's neck. Then he planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "Dad, wasn't I amazing?" the boy asked, eyes shining. "Of course," Lawrence said with a smile. "You're my pride and joy." He smiled, and the usual cold distance on his face melted away. Nora Sawyer walked beside him. She reached out and held Lawrence's hand as if it came naturally. Then she adjusted the boy's collar with care. "Lawrence, Dean looks exactly like you did as a kid," she said with a soft laugh. A parent nearby chimed in, eager to flatter. "Mr. Quinn is truly blessed. He turned down deals worth millions just to be here with his son. A model father, really." Lawrence looked at the mother and child with gentle eyes. He said nothing, yet accepted every word of praise. I pressed my hand against the thick bandage around my abdomen without thinking. Blood was seeping through, warm and sticky. Out of nowhere, my legs gave way. I stumbled and knocked into a trash can behind me. It clanged loudly. Lawrence turned his head at once. Our eyes met. The smile on his face froze in an instant. My face was pale as paper. My lips had lost all color. I swayed where I stood, on the verge of collapse. Yet he seemed blind to how weak I looked. Lawrence strode over quickly and lowered his voice. "What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning. I parted my lips, but my throat was dry as sand. The child peeked out from behind his leg, blinking with wide, innocent eyes. "Dad, who is this lady?" he asked. Lawrence pushed the child back into Nora's arms. Then he said coldly, "She's a colleague from my company." Ten years of marriage. We stuck together through thick and thin. I went against my parents just to marry him. I stayed with him in a basement. I lived on instant noodles with him. I stood by his side while we built Quinn Group from nothing. And in the end, I became nothing more than a colleague. "Nora, it's cold outside. Take Dean to the car first," Lawrence said, turning to her, his tone soft again. Nora glanced at me deeply. She held the child and slipped into the passenger seat that used to be mine. The car door shut. Lawrence turned back to me. Every trace of warmth on his face was gone. "Sierra, I'll explain everything later," he said. Before getting into the car, he waved a bodyguard over. "Keep an eye on my wife. Don't let her wander off." I stood there, frozen in place. At last, the sharp pain in my abdomen broke through the numbness. Blood ran down my thighs. It dripped onto the snow, blooming like red plum flowers.