He Pretended To Care, I Left Him

"Ms. Wilson, your body isn't in good condition. If you terminate this pregnancy, you may never be able to conceive again. Are you sure you still want to proceed with the procedure?" Serena Wilson did not hesitate. "Yes. Please schedule the surgery for one week from now." Other pregnant women waiting nearby could not help but whisper among themselves, calling her cruel. Serena simply smiled and left the hospital. Ever since she saw her husband, Daniel Johnson, sleeping with another woman six months ago, Serena had developed severe mysophobia. Even the slightest touch from him made her sick to her stomach! From that day on, their spacious room became nothing more than a prison. Over the past six months, to accommodate her condition, Daniel had to disinfect everything he touched. Even in bed, he had to wear three condoms and could never exceed a strict time limit. The moment he went over, Serena would feel nauseous and, without a second thought, throw him out. However, Daniel never complained. "Serena, I was in the wrong. I will make it up to you, I promise..." Half a year passed peacefully. Just when Serena believed her condition was easing, and she was ready to truly reconcile with Daniel, she overheard his muted complaints coming from the study. "You have no idea what this is like. I have to wear gloves just to hand her a piece of fruit, and if I so much as touch the sofa, she makes me wipe it down with disinfectant three times. Even before we get into bed, she forces me to shower for half an hour, like touching me would give her some kind of disease." Something was said at the other end of the line, and Daniel let out a cold sneer. "I was a jerk who messed up back then. But I apologized, and I cut everything off. Why does she have to keep holding it against me, treating me like I'm some kind of plague? I'm sick of this, I mean it. Every day I live like a puppet on strings, tiptoeing around her every mood. I still love her, but… It feels like it's been completely worn away by her neurotic behavior." The world fell silent in an instant. Only the words "I'm sick of this" kept buzzing deafeningly in Serena's ears. "Neurotic"… That was how Daniel described her. Serena looked down at her own hands, which were clean and slender, but they were pale and wrinkled from long-term use of disinfectant. Wasn't this neurotic state of hers all his fault? She had even planned that once her condition got better, she would tell him about the baby, let go of the past completely, and start a new life with him again. Now it seemed that that was nothing more than her wishful thinking. Serena tried to tug a smile, but she could not force one out. All she felt was a wave of bone-deep cold washing over her. Ding-dong— The doorbell rang abruptly, cutting through the dead silence that filled the room. Serena walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was a woman with delicate makeup, wearing a business sheath dress and holding a folder. She smiled gently and politely. "Hello, Mrs. Johnson. I'm Betty Davis, Mr. Johnson's secretary. I'm here to deliver a document; it's urgent." Serena's pupils shrank sharply. It was her… Six months ago, it was this woman who hooked up with Daniel. At that time, they tangled together in passion, and her eyes brimmed with seduction. What a joke. Daniel's so-called "cutting ties completely" just meant he'd moved her to a different place. Betty did not seem to notice Serena's reaction and maintained her perfect smile all the while. Just then, Daniel walked out of the study. When he saw Betty at the door, his expression showed no trace of surprise. "Betty, give me the file." He took the file naturally, glanced at his watch, and said, "Thanks for coming all this way. It's almost lunchtime. Why don't you stay and eat with us?" Without a word, Serena simply turned and walked back to the dining room. At the dining table, the atmosphere between the three of them was awkward and tense. Seemingly hoping to ease the tension, Daniel picked up a cod stake and placed it on Betty's plate. "Eat up, you've always liked fish, didn't you? I asked our maid to make this." Flustered by the unexpected attention, Betty glanced at Serena and said, "Thank you, Mr. Johnson, this is too kind." The fork in Serena's hand froze mid-movement. She lifted her eyes and looked straight at Daniel. "You're so considerate to your subordinates. You even remember clearly that Betty loves fish." Daniel stiffened, and his brow furrowed slightly. Serena acted as if she did not notice, and continued speaking slowly, "Speaking of which, I can't even remember what you like to eat. These past six months, I've been too busy messing around with disinfectant to notice that. After all, if I don't disinfect properly one day, I might touch something I shouldn't and catch a disease. That would be terrible, wouldn't it?" She paused, her gaze sliding slowly from Daniel's stiff face to Betty's pretty face, which had drained of all color in an instant, and a cold, sharp curve tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Don't you think so, Daniel?"