Chapter 4-10 [THE END】
Trembling, Logan took the prenatal report.
The thin sheet of paper was half–soaked in fresh blood, still carrying traces of my body heat.
It was the only proof that our child had ever existed in this world.
Logan looked panicked as he watched the doctors depart, mouth agape, wanting to ask something.
But they were already too far gone, so he couldn’t bring himself to say a word.
I woke up groggily in the hospital room, unsure of how long Logan had been watching over me. His face was haggard with stubble, which was a rare sight.
“Fay, you’re finally awake!”
Logan tried to reach for my hand, but I numbly avoided his touch.
A hint of disappointment appeared in his eyes, swiftly masked by a controlled expression.
“Fay, this was my fault. I consulted the doctors, and they said your body is just a bit weak. Take good care of yourself, and we will still have our own child.”
Brushing aside the harm he had caused me, Logan seemed to believe that I would, as always, immediately fall into his arms at his slightest gesture.
I touched my stomach, overwhelmed with sadness.
My baby had survived a landslide only to be taken away by Logan.
It had forever left me.
“Logan, we’ve already broken up. I won’t have a child with you.”
Logan gazed at me tenderly, saying, “Fay, we haven’t broken up. Our wedding is imminent. I’ve invited the head of the orphanage where you grew up. She must be eager to see you on your wedding day.”
I hesitated, knowing he was using my orphanage director as a pawn.
The orphanage director was a motherly figure for me. She was nearing eighty, and I was her favorite. She had always
en unwell, and if she found out my wedding was canceled, it would devastate her.
“Logan, are you even human? You just killed my child, and now you want to force me into marriage?”
I glared at Logan, wishing we could both perish together.
But I was too weak. Just evading his touch had drained me of all my strength.
“I’ll make it up to you about the child.”
Logan looked at me with guilt.
Rebecca, who had been eavesdropping outside, entered, biting her lip as she looked at Logan.
“Logan, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I feel I should tell you. Fay was pregnant and never told
you. Maybe the child she was carrying wasn’t even yours, so she kept it a secret.
“I remember Fay disappeared for several days. Perhaps during that time, she was with another man. She could be intentionally causing this turmoil to make you feel guilty and unable to leave her.”
If Rebecca wasn’t talking about me, I would have applauded her words.
After all, the child was gone. I had no way to prove whose child it truly was.
“Fay, is what Rebecca said true?”
Logan looked at me. I knew Logan must have his answer in his heart when the question left his lips.
“I said it wasn’t. Do you believe me?” I asked.
Logan hesitated before saying, “I do.”
I looked at Logan, summoning all my strength, and forced a smile.
“Too bad, what she said is true. I’m carrying someone else’s child.”
I had told many lies for Logan, but this was the first lie I told for myself.
Angry, Logan dialed George.
“George, find out who Fay was with during her disappearance and whose child she’s carrying!”
I watched indifferently as Logan finished the call, feeling weary to my bones.
I had heard about the reason behind Rebecca and Logan’s breakup years ago.
Back in college, Rebecca’s roommate falsely accused her of theft. With her poor reputation and aloof demeanor, not a single soul in their class of dozens was willing to stand up for Rebecca. Rumors spread like wildfire, even reaching the
school authorities.
To protect the school’s reputation, Rebecca was expelled.
Logan, who had nothing at the time, was the only one who believed in her. He spent an immense amount of time and effort, even delaying his graduation by a year, just to gather evidence to clear Rebecca’s name.
After a year of relentless efforts, Logan finally proved Rebecca’s innocence. However, due to the incident, Rebecca was sent abroad by her family, and the two were forced to part ways.
The difference between love and not loving someone was starkly evident.
I had always been making excuses for Logan not loving me, like a clown, deceiving myself from beginning to end. Rebecca stood nearby, seething.
tab exclaimed, “Fay, during those days you were missing, he was so worried about you. He has been so good to you, and yet you dare to do this to him!”
“Worried about me?”
I turned my gaze towards Logan with a cold smile.
“When I was missing, weren’t you busy being all lovey–dovey with Rebecca?”
“Don’t you dare twist the truth, Fay! You’re the one at fault here, yet you’re trying to shift the blame!” Rebecca, unaware that it was I who made the call, was infuriated when her accusations were exposed. “Logan, a woman like her, full of lies and deceit, doesn’t deserve to be your wife!” Rebecca declared. Finally George’s call came through, and Logan answered with a stern expression.
Rebecca interjected, “Wait.
“Turn on the speaker, the evidence is irrefutable! Let’s see how Fay tries to talk her way out of this!” Rebecca challenged me with a defiant look.
Logan pressed the speaker button.
“Mr. Brooks, Ms. Tautou was missing for those two days…”
George hesitated for a moment before continuing, “She encountered a landslide and was trapped under rubble for two days.
“I found that she only called two numbers during that time.
“One was to the rescue team, and the other, she dialed your number precisely 931 times.”
It dawned on Logan vaguely that during those days I was missing, Rebecca had asked him if he recognized a certain
number.
At that time, Rebecca had just finished chemotherapy, so Logan didn’t want to upset her, so he had blocked my
number.
Rebecca, using his phone, accidentally unblocked my number from the blacklist.
This matter seemed trivial to Logan, insignificant enough for him to overlook.
Hence, he couldn’t recall that I had called him during my disappearance.
Logan hung up the phone. The hospital room fell into silence.
In a hoarse voice, Logan finally spoke up. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“What would saying it change?” I replied.
Saying it would only alleviate his guilt.
I refused to let him off that easily.
I said word by word, looking straight at him, “Logan, I’m actually relieved. Thank goodness I didn’t really have your child.
“Otherwise, that would’ve been quite nauseating.”
“Fay! You’ve got some nerve!”
Logan stormed off in anger.
I gently caressed my belly with a genuine smile. I knew how to provoke Logan. Since I wanted to seek revenge for my
lost child. I couldn’t let him off too easily.
After being discharged from the hospital, I found a job as a children’s dance teacher. Watching over these kids every day seemed to provide some solace.
I didn’t block Logan. He and Rebecca were responsible for the loss of my child, so I was determined to make them
pay.
One day, as I finished my class and stepped out of the classroom, a wedding was taking place in the square outside.
Balloons filled the sky.
Suddenly, Logan appeared from a distance, looking slightly nervous as he held a bouquet of flowers.
Fay, today was supposed to be our wedding day. If you’re willing to start anew with me, I don’t care whose child it
was.”
After all, besides me, no one knew whose child it really was. Logan didn’t want to face his conscience, yet he wanted to keep me close. So, he chose to believe Rebecca’s words without a doubt.
Among the onlookers were many parents of my students. As they heard Logan’s words, their expressions toward me turned subtly complex.
With Logan causing a scene like this today, my job was surely over.
No one would entrust their children to a teacher with questionable morals.
No matter if it was marriage or a drug trial, Logan never cared about what I truly wanted. I was merely an object to him, something he could manipulate at will.
I remained silent for a long while, then accepted the bouquet from Logan.
He embraced me, making a solemn promise.
“Fay, I will always treat you well.”
The next day, when Logan wanted to take me to get the license, I stopped him.
“Logan, shouldn’t you inform Rebecca of this good news first?” I asked.
Logan hesitated, saying, “Rebecca isn’t in a good state right now. Let’s tell her slowly.”
I stared coldly at Logan.
“Don’t you inform close friends about a wedding? Am I someone to be hidden away?”
Logan appeared flustered. After much struggle, he finally agreed to go with me to see Rebecca.
In the ward, Rebecca, who had been throwing a tantrum due to not seeing Logan for a few days, had just smashed a glass. As Logan and I entered, glass shards grazed my arm.
Logan immediately pulled me behind him.
Rebecca’s shock was palpable as she saw me.
“Logan, why is she here?” Rebecca exclaimed.
Stepping out from behind Logan, I smiled faintly.
“Logan and I are getting married. We came here to tell you.”
Rebecca was overwhelmed and fainted on the spot, creating chaos in the room.
I sat calmly outside the emergency room with Logan, waiting for Rebecca to recover.
Logan glanced at me several times, but I pretended not to notice.
He knew exactly what would happen when he brought me to see Rebecca today. Yet, between Rebecca and me, Logan chose me. At least I could be healthy and accompany him until he was eighty years old.
Logan had always been incredibly selfish, like a detached merchant who selected the most suitable item to bring home.
But I wasn’t a commodity to be exploited.
Rebecca was saved after five hours of treatment, finally out of danger.
When she woke up, the first person she saw was me.
Logan wasn’t in the room, so Rebecca no longer needed to pretend.
7
“Pay, every night during this period, I envisioned you being pushed away covered in blood. Why didn’t you die that day?”
“If I died, who would send you to hell?” I retorted, casually slicing an apple with a fruit knife.
I refuse to accept this! Just because I went abroad for a few years, why did the woman by Logan’s side become you?
Mrs. Brooks should have been mine!”
Rebecca’s gaze bore into me.
I found her absurd. She only saw the glamorous side of Logan, never considering the hardships I endured with him. “If you hadn’t stolen, maybe the title of Mrs. Brooks would have been yours long ago,” I remarked, causing Rebecca’s expression to freeze in shock.
“That’s nonsense! Logan has proven that I was wrongly accused!” Rebecca protested.
“Do you know who went to your roommates, persuading them to let you off the hook?”
I placed the apple on the table.
Rebecca seemed to realize something as she stared at me.
I remarked, “So you’re not too dim.
“It was me, behind Logan’s back, who secretly approached your roommates.”
I pitied Logan at that time, going to Rebecca’s roommates every day to plead for mercy. Her roommate was worn down by me. Moreover, it had been a long time since the incident, so they didn’t want to prolong the conflict, which led them to spare Rebecca.
“I know you really stole from your roommates.”
I stared intensely at Rebecca.
They pressured me! Why could they use such good cosmetics, wear beautiful jewelry, and flaunt it in front of me every day…”
Before she could finish, Logan appeared at the door. My objective was achieved, so I left. As I did, Rebecca’s heart monitor sounded an alarm.
This time, she couldn’t be saved.
After Rebecca’s funeral, Logan expressed his desire to marry me.
I scrutinized him and then delivered a resounding slap across his face.
“Logan, you don’t seriously think I would still want to be with you, do you?” I said, looking at him as if watching a tree or a cloud, feeling no emotional ripples inside.
I left the city where I had lived with Logan for five years. Before departing, I sent the video of Logan forcibly drugging me to his rival.
I heard he went bankrupt because of this, losing billions of dollars.
I watched him rise and fall, witnessing his journey from riches to rags.
Yet, I felt no satisfaction in revenge. Between Logan and me, it was ultimately a mutual defeat.
Epilogue 1
After graduation, Logan and I moved out.
With a combined total of only three thousand dollars, we scoured the entire Scion City with real estate agents, finally renting a basement apartment on the outskirts.
The room was tiny, so small that we could bump into each other just by turning around simultaneously.
On our first night there, Logan held me, solemnly promising, “Fay, I will definitely get you into a big house.”
His carnestness made me giggle uncontrollably.
I didn’t care about living in a big or small house. All that mattered was having Logan by my side.
Having always eaten at the cafeteria during school, I couldn’t cook. Ordering takeout was too expensive, and our salaries couldn’t cover the cost. So, I had to learn to cook.
Despite its apparent simplicity, I just couldn’t seem to get it right. I would chop ingredients in a messy way. Moreover, one moment, the dish looked fine, and the next, it was burnt.
8
During the time when I was honing my cooking skills, Logan was forced to endure six months of my disastrous culinary experiments.
Despite those days of trivialities, our life was impoverished yet warm and happy.
In our first year of entrepreneurship, Logan’s business hit a rough patch, struggling with cash flow issues. No matter
how many gigs I took on, I couldn’t fill the financial hole in Logan’s company.
That was when I rummaged through my belongings and found the pendant my birth mother had left me.
The orphanage director had mentioned that I had carried it since birth, hinting that my parents might not have abandoned me willingly but due to circumstances beyond their control.
Over the years, I had appeared in newspapers and on TV with the pendant, hoping my parents would find me. Yet, after two decades, I remained alone.
I pawned the pendant, expecting little.
To my surprise, it fetched a hefty sum, resurrecting Logan’s company from the brink of collapse.
Logan promised that once we were financially stable, he would redeem the pendant.
Subsequently, we moved into a grand house, but I couldn’t shake off the thought of the pendant. I visited the pawn shop multiple times, but with time passing and owners changing, I never found it again.
One year, Logan and I attended a banquet where I noticed a sophisticated couple who seemed oddly familiar.
Amidst the banter, a wealthy woman remarked on the resemblance between me and the lady.
The banquet concluded. As I was waiting for Logan in the parking lot, the lady approached me, inquiring if I had a pendant on me.
Before I could respond, her daughter arrived in a car, rushing into her mother’s arms.
The girl glanced at me and then at her mother, pouting.
Without a word, the lady understood her daughter’s thoughts.
She glanced at me, gently patting the girl’s head.
“Don’t worry, darling. I only have you as my daughter.”
When Logan arrived, the parking lot was empty except for me.
He looked puzzled, questioning my tears.
It was then I realized I was crying.
“You’ve been away for so long, I thought you had left me alone.” I reproached Logan.
He smiled, pinching my cheek.
“Fay, I will never leave you.”
Hearing those words, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace.
I thought, “My Logan will never abandon me.”
Logan’s Side Story.
During a business trip to Kingsland, I unexpectedly encountered Rebecca.
She remained as vibrant and exuberant as she was in college, like a lively sunbeam.
However, she disclosed to me that she had cancer and didn’t have much time left.
“Logan, I just returned to the country, unfamiliar with life here. If I were to pass away unexpectedly at home, no one would find me. Can I stay at your place?”
Rebecca’s hopeful gaze made it impossible for me to refuse.
I brought Rebecca to my suburban house while Fay was on tour. I intended to settle Rebecca in first and then find a way to tell Fay.
I thought, “Fay loves me that much. Even though Fay might not want me to have any association with Rebecca, if I cheat her coldly for a few days, she will eventually agree.”
Rebecca wasn’t feeling well these past few days, and I knew she still had feelings for me. For her well–being, I temporarily blocked Fay’s number.
9
I never expected to see Fay at the hospital.
Her cold gaze towards me and Rebecca was something I had never witnessed from her before, making me a bit uneasy. However, I knew Fay loved me and couldn’t leave me. This gave me confidence.
The doctor mentioned a new experimental drug, but Rebecca was too fragile for her to be the first test subject. She wouldn’t have a chance to regret any mishaps.
Fay, on the other hand, was different. She didn’t have cancer. Even if there were side effects, she would likely be fine.
After hesitating for a few seconds, I decided to ask Fay to test the drug for Rebecca.
Fay was kind–hearted and wouldn’t stand by while Rebecca suffered.
To my surprise, Fay refused my request.
Capron (THE SND]
She had never turned me down before.
This made me a bit angry, but Rebecca, always understanding, advised me not to pressure Fay.
I chose to have George administer the drug to Fay.
While our usual banter was manageable, in a life–or–death situation, Fay shouldn’t be stubborn with me.
She claimed to be carrying my child, but I didn’t believe her.
When the drug was administered, Fay collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. I nervously approached her limp body, relieved she was unharmed.
I thought, “She must be faking it. She is always good at deceiving people, and I know her well.”
But why was she bleeding so much?
i had never seen so much blood before, and the trail from the ward to the emergency room was almost flooded with Fay’s blood.
It turned out she was truly pregnant.
I thought, “Isn’t Fay skilled at lying? Why didn’t she lie this time to prevent me from giving her the drug?”
As Fay lay on the bed, I felt like she could slip away from me at any moment.
When she woke up, she claimed the child wasn’t mine.
I knew that couldn’t be true. The child had to be mine. However, I couldn’t bear the guilt of potentially harming my own child, so I chose to follow Rebecca’s advice and firmly believed the child belonged to someone else.
This way, I wouldn’t feel as guilty.
I knew Fay loved me and couldn’t leave me, so three months later, after I showed my remorse, she agreed to marry
- me.
Fay mentioned wanting to see Rebecca first. I knew what she meant.
Rebecca and I were responsible for the unborn child’s death, so Fay wanted justice.
I thought, “Since someone has to take responsibility, why can’t it be Rebecca?
If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have ended up like this with Fay. I wouldn’t have lost my child with Fay and become the killer of my own child.”
So I agreed to Fay’s plan.
Rebecca ended up in the emergency room, and outside, I seized the opportunity to hold Fay’s hand.
She didn’t pull away.
Fortunately, though Rebecca would leave me, Fay wouldn’t.
As Rebecca stabilized, Fay asked me to buy some fruit. When I returned, I overheard Fay and Rebecca’s conversation.
It turned out Rebecca had been deceiving me all along, and Fay had done so much behind the scenes for me.
I regretted my actions. I regretted saving Rebecca. For the rest of my life, I vowed to treat Fay well.
I pushed the door open and looked at Rebecca. She panicked, and her heart stopped.
At Rebecca’s funeral, I proposed to Fay once again.
She slapped me.
I thought, “Why?
Isn’t she supposed to love me the most?
How could she bear to hurt me?
It’s okay. Fay is just throwing a tantrum. I will definitely win her back. I know she loves me and can’t leave me.”
10
Fay’s Side Story
e story
On Monday night, I received a call from the high school class president, Lucas Batton.
He said, “Fay, are you also in Seion City? We’re having a class reunion with the neighboring class this Saturday. You’re the most beautiful girl back then. You must grace us with your presence.”
Before I could refuse, he promptly hung up.
My background was discussed privately with my classmates by the homeroom teacher when I first enrolled, and they always took good care of me. It had been a long time since we had seen each other, so after some thought, I decided to attend the gathering.
Chabor 4 je bil IND)
On Saturday evening, Larrived at the designated hotel.
There were only two empty seats left by the table in the room, so I casually pulled out a chair and sat down.
Lucas, aware of my five–year relationship, teased, “Fay, don’t you have a boyfriend you’ve been dating for five years? Why didn’t he come with you?”
“We broke up,” I replied with a smile.
Feeling awkward, Lucas quickly said, “Well, that guy missed out. Fay, there’s a quality single man here tonight, and he’s been secretly admiring you for years. When he arrives, I’ll introduce you.”
I didn’t take his words seriously and continued catching up
with my classmates.
Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, and Logan, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, walked in and sat directly in the empty seat next to me.
He was no longer dressed in designer clothes like before, but his presence hadn’t diminished despite his inexpensive attire.
I immediately stood up and looked at Lucas.
“Lucas, let’s switch seats,” I said, making it clear I was uncomfortable with Logan.
Lucas quickly obliged.
Logan remained silent, and his expression was unreadable.
Luckily, there were plenty of people at the event to keep the atmosphere lively. After a few rounds of drinks, Lucas was heavily intoxicated, draping his arm around Logan.
“Logan, what’s the beef between you and Fay? I remember you used to watch her dance in high school, didn’t you?”
I was puzzled. Logan had never been a part of my high school memories.
Logan, too, seemed taken aback and suddenly questioned, “What are you talking about?”
Lucas stumbled over his words.
“Weren’t you always watching a girl dance outside the dance studio in high school? That girl was Fay. I thought you had a crush on her. Wasn’t that the case?”
Logan seemed thunderstruck, frozen in place.
However, all of this was no longer my concern. The gathering wasn’t over yet, but I found an excuse to slip away.
As I was about to hail a cab, Logan appeared behind me and grabbed my arm.
“Fay, we need to talk,” he said, his eyes slightly puffy.
I couldn’t tell whether it was from drinking or genuine tears.
I didn’t see any reason to have a conversation with Logan. I shook off his hand, my demeanor cold.
“No need.”
Logan seemed anxious. He had also consumed a lot of alcohol that day, speaking incoherently and illogically.
“Fay, I didn’t know that girl was you. I thought it was Rebecca. I didn’t know you were pregnant. If I had known, I would never have let you take that drug.
“Fay, can you forgive me? I promise I will never hurt you again.
“Fay, I miss you so much,” Logan pleaded, holding my hand, almost on the verge of tears.
My taxi had arrived. I shook off Logan’s hand and got into the car without looking back.
In the long days ahead, we would never meet again.
