He Thought I’d Stay, I Left for My Baby

It was the third year of my open marriage to Noah Evans. He had been fooling around recklessly with his sweet-faced mistress, and the two of them had gone too far, resulting in both of them being hospitalized. I happened to be at the very same hospital for a prenatal check-up. Intending to be kind, I decided to visit him. However, standing just outside the room with only a door separating us, I clearly heard mocking laughter and conversation. "Noah, you really come up with every excuse imaginable just to mess around with other women! Open marriage? Really? Aren't you afraid this game of yours will eventually backfire? What if one day Ruby Finch actually decides to cheat on you and find someone else?" Noah lit a cigarette, ran his hand tenderly over the young woman’s face, and replied in a tone full of disdain. "If she actually had the capability or the courage to do something like that, I might just start looking at her with a bit of respect. But the sad truth is, she simply can't manage without me... "...she’s already gone so far as to have a baby to try to tie me down. Tell me... do you honestly think a woman like that is ever capable of leaving me?" The group inside burst into an uproar of laughter, each of them praising Noah for his clever methods and skill in managing his wife so cunningly. Outside the door, I simply smiled a faint, cool smile, and gently ran my hand over my perfectly flat stomach. It was true. There was indeed a child. But... had I ever actually said that he was the father? ***** I sent a private message to the actual father of my child, asking him to pick me up from the hospital in half an hour. Then, I pushed the door open and walked in. Upon seeing me, the whole group fell instantly silent and subconsciously stood up from their seats. Noah’s expression also stiffened slightly. He shifted his body sideways, deliberately blocking the young woman behind him, as if terrified I might actually do something to his precious darling. I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Are you nervous? I just came to check on you. Now that I see you're fine, I can rest easy." Noah was clearly taken aback. His eyes lingered on my calm, expressionless face for several seconds. I remembered that when he had first proposed this open marriage arrangement, I had been desperate. I had threatened suicide, caused scenes, and fought back in every way I could. Yet, he had watched on coldly and indifferently, even allowing the media to smear and ruin my reputation. In the end, he had forced me into becoming known as the most notorious, shrewish wife in the entire city. Noah rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking unusually sheepish and awkward. "She's young, she likes excitement and thrills... we had a bit of an accident. About what's in the papers today... you need to take the heat for her for a while. She has a soft heart, she's still so young, and she can't handle this kind of pressure or criticism." He was referring to the headlines published that very morning. The story detailed how he and his mistress had gotten carried away during some wild game and ended up in the emergency room with severe bleeding. Yet, public opinion was targeting me. Some people mocked me. They said I, his fierce wife, had turned into a pathetic doormat. Others laughed at me, saying I had lost all dignity just to keep my status as his misses, and that I was even willing to take the blame for my husband's embarrassing scandals. I just smiled, completely unfazed. "You're right. I have thick skin. I'm not afraid of taking the blame or being wronged." Noah’s face stiffened even more. He hesitated for a long moment before speaking again. "That... that's not exactly what I meant." Suddenly, the young woman, Noelle Caldwell, burst into loud, tearful sobs, cutting off our conversation. "Waaa! It's all my fault! I'm just too clingy, and I keep causing trouble for Noah, making you so unhappy, Ruby! If you're angry, please just hit me or scold me like you used to! I beg you, please don't make things difficult for Noah because of me!" It was a seemingly innocent remark, but it successfully triggered all of Noah's old biases and memories. His face darkened instantly, and he shouted at me furiously. "Apologize to Noelle right now! You claim to be here to visit, but really you just came to embarrass her. Do you think I can't see right through your little schemes?" I pressed my fingers to my forehead, feeling genuine helplessness. "I really didn't mean it like that." "Hah! This isn't the first time you've pulled this act. Stop pretending to be so calm and detached like nothing matters. You think if you act this way, I'll soften my heart and come back home to you? Is that it?" I froze for a second. He was right. Once upon a time, I really had done everything possible to win Noah back, using every method imaginable. The first time he brought another woman home to spend the night, I had cried and smashed our wedding portrait frames to pieces. The first time his mistress threw her own prenatal scan report in my face, I had stormed into his office and set it on fire. Later, when my father’s company went bankrupt and Noah stood by doing nothing, while using the investment funds meant to save my family’s business to buy Noelle a luxury yacht, I had plastered photos of the two of them in bed all over the city center. The result was devastating. My family’s assets were liquidated, and unable to bear the ruin, my parents jumped from a high-rise building and took their own lives, one after another. After that, I learned my lesson. I decided to become exactly the kind of wife that Mr. Noah Evans wanted me to be. Yet now, when I finally acted exactly according to his wishes, he convinced himself I was just using a clever strategy to lure him back by retreating. I lightly touched my still-flat stomach. Not wanting to get entangled in this pointless drama any longer, I obediently apologized. The people around us were stunned. They had never seen me act so docile and obedient before. But the sycophants and followers surrounding Noelle seized the opportunity to push their advantage further. "Noelle has suffered such great grievances! Do you think a simple 'sorry' is enough?!" Noah glanced at me, and his expression softened slightly. "Alright, that's enough. Ruby is pregnant. Consider this a small punishment and let it go." Noelle sobbed softly. "Really, it's okay. I lost a child for Noah once too, so I know exactly how hard and precious pregnancy is. I can endure a little injustice. After all... Ruby is the one carrying his child now, isn't she?" The way she spoke made it sound as if I was some arrogant bully taking advantage of my status to pick on her. Just as expected, Noah’s heart was filled with overwhelming pity for her instantly. He glared at me with cold, sharp eyes. "Ruby Finch, just because I gave you the right to bear my child, do not think that your status is now above Noelle's... "... if you ever dare to bully or mistreat Noelle, I can just as easily take this child away from you at any time!"