The Stolen Heirloom

In the sixth year of our marriage, Callan Lockwood gave my family heirloom to his little assistant.

The assistant posted a cozy photo of them on her Instagram to show off.

I heard this is an heirloom meant only for the Lockwood family's daughter-in-law~

I saw it and my finger slipped, giving it a like.

Callan called me soon after, with the assistant's whimpering voice audible in the background.

He scolded me for being unreasonable and claimed I couldn't take a joke.

If this had been the old me, I would have screamed and demanded an apology.

But this time, I was truly exhausted.

It was past midnight, and Callan still wasn't home.

I stood up and tossed the ice-cold dinner and the cake I'd baked myself into the trash.

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary.

He had promised to be home.

I waited until the early hours of the morning, but he never showed, and his phone was off.

If I hadn't seen Jaya Mins's post, I would have thought he was in a car wreck.

I was cleaning up the living room, ready to head to bed, when Callan finally walked in.

He reeked of alcohol and a suffocatingly sweet perfume.

I recognized it instantlyDit was Jaya's favorite scent.

For the smell to be that strong on him, they had to have been very close.

He saw me and tossed his coat into my arms. "I feel like crap. Make me some detox soup."

I dropped his jacket onto the sofa. "I'm tired. Make it yourself."

Callan grabbed my wrist, raising an eyebrow.

"Still mad? You're taking this too seriously. It was just a game of Truth or Dare."

He was talking about Jaya's post.

I looked at him and said calmly, "I'm not mad."

I really wasn't. I just didn't want to serve him like a maid anymore.

Callan frowned when he saw I wasn't backing down.

"Fine, I get it. It's about the bracelet, right?"

"Jaya liked it, so I let her wear it for a few days. It's not a big deal."

I stared at him, feeling like this man I had shared a bed with for six years was a total stranger.

Callan's mother always felt I wasn't good enough for him.

She never once mentioned a family heirloom meant for his wife.

I found out about it by accident later on.

To appease me, Callan promised he would get it from her no matter what.

He did get it.

But he didn't give it to me. He gave it to Jaya.

An assistant he had known for barely three months.

The next morning, Callan actually got up early to cook in the kitchen.

When I walked out of the bedroom, I saw his silhouette busy at the stove.

He heard me and turned around.

"You're up. I made breakfast. Let's eat."

I sat at the table and watched him pack freshly made seafood porridge into a thermal container.

"Callan, I'd like some of that porridge," I said softly.

He froze for a second and gave an awkward cough.

"I made you a sandwich and some hot milk. Eat that instead."

He set the plate in front of me.

It was just two slices of bread with some peanut butter smeared in between.

The bread wasn't even toasted, and the peanut butter looked like the jar I'd bought ages agoDprobably expired.

As for the milk...

I gripped the glass and looked up at him. "I'm severely lactose intolerant."

Because of my allergy, there hadn't been milk in this house for years.

But recently, Jaya had mentioned in a group chat that she preferred milk over coffee.

Suddenly, a carton appeared in our fridge.

Callan looked like he just remembered. "Then just eat the sandwich."

I glanced at the thermal container.

The seafood porridge inside looked like it had taken hours of careful preparation.

I didn't say a word, nor did I touch the sandwich. I just stood up.

"I have a board meeting at the office today. Let's head out together."

Callan's brow furrowed. "I have to pick up Jaya on the way. You should just call an Uber."

On the way?

I almost laughed at his audacity.

Our house and Jaya's apartment were in opposite directions.

It wasn't a shortcut; it was a massive detour.

Callan would rather go out of his way for her than give his own wife a ride.

I got into the passenger seat of Callan's car anyway.

That's when I noticed a shopping bag sitting right there.

I picked it up and froze when I saw a set of lacy lingerie inside.

The tags were still on.

The style was exactly the kind Callan used to buy for me.

Callan saw me holding it and immediately snatched the bag away.

"Why are you touching other people's things?"

My hands stayed frozen in mid-air.

When did he and Jaya get so close that he was buying her underwear?

Callan looked down, seemingly embarrassed, and tossed the bag into the backseat.

"Jaya bought it and accidentally left it here last time. I'm just giving it back."

I let out a dull "Mhm" and told him to just drive.

Seeing that I wasn't putting up a fight, Callan looked surprised.

He smirked. "You being this quiet is actually making me uncomfortable."

I didn't answer. I just watched the city skyline pass by.

I used to be the loud one.

The first time Callan ditched me for Jaya, I marched up to her and slapped her.

I demanded an apology in front of the entire staff.

But Callan ended up screaming at me in front of everyone, calling me insane.

Then he took Jaya's hand and walked away, leaving me standing there.

I fought every time after that, trying to make him realize I was his wife.

But it only made him more disgusted with me.

And honestly, I was just done.

We stopped to pick up Jaya.

She didn't see me in the front seat and pulled the door open immediately.

"C-Bear, you're so slow today~ If I'm late for the meeting..."

She stopped dead when she saw me.

"C-Bear" was my old nickname for him.

He eventually told me he hated it, so I stopped.

Now, it belonged to her.

I smiled at her through her shock. "Do you want me to give you the front seat?"

Jaya waved her hands frantically. "No... no, I'll just sit in the back."

As she moved, my eyes locked onto the bracelet on her wrist.

It was stunningDa vintage piece of incredible quality.

Jaya noticed me staring and immediately started taking it off.

Before I could even reach for it, Callan snapped.

"Who gave you permission to take that off?"

Wow, he really was acting like some alpha-hero in a bad novel.

Jaya flinched, her whole body trembling.

Callan looked at her and softened his voice. "Keep it on. When you're bored of it in a few weeks, you can give it back to Sutton."

Jaya whispered an okay and climbed into the back.

We hadn't been driving long when Jaya suddenly let out a sharp gasp, clutching her stomach.

Callan panicked and pulled over instantly.

"Jaya, what's wrong?"

She didn't look up, her voice strained with fake agony. "My stomach... it hurts so much."

Callan immediately put the car in gear. "I'm taking you to the ER."

Then he looked at me. "You need to get out. Go tell the board the meeting is postponed."

I stared at him. "Today is the launch for the new product line. Are you really going to ditch the investors and partners?"

Callan growled at me. "Do you have a heart? Jaya is in pain and all you care about is a meeting?"

I thought he had lost his damn mind.

Even if he wanted to take her to the hospital, there was plenty of time to drop her off and get back.

He wanted to postpone because he planned on staying there with her.

I remembered when I was sick and asked him to come home.

He told me I was being needy and didn't understand how busy he was.

He called me useless for being fragile.

I ended up driving myself to the hospital and stayed there alone for a week.

When I got home, he was taking a nap.

He didn't even ask how I was; he just told me to go cook dinner.

Now I realized that the difference between love and apathy is very loud.

I didn't want to be in that car for another second.

But it was pouring rain outside, and we were in a suburban area where Ubers were scarce.

Callan noticed the downpour. "Wait here, I'll have my driver come get you."

I opened the door and stepped out. "Don't bother."

I held my hands over my head and ran toward a bus stop.

It was far enough that I was soaked to the bone within seconds.

Callan's car didn't linger. He hit the gas and vanished.

I sat on the cold bench, shivering, trying to book a ride on my phone.

It took an hour for a car to finally accept the request.

The rain had splashed all over me, leaving me trembling.

When the car pulled up, I stood up to run to it.

I didn't see the slick edge of the curb. My ankle twisted, and I slammed onto the pavement.

I tried to get up, but the world suddenly went black.

I lost consciousness right there in the rain.

"Ms. Galt, you're three months pregnant. The fetus is stable for now."

I lay in the hospital bed, stunned by the doctor's words.

My brain couldn't process the news.

This baby couldn't have picked a worse time.

Years ago, I wanted a child so badly to tie Callan to me, but I never conceived.

Now that I had decided to leave him, a life was growing inside me.

I let out a bitter laugh.

The universe really loves a cruel joke.

The doctor finished the check-up and turned to leave.

I called out to him. "Doctor, can I terminate the pregnancy now?"

He stopped and looked at me for a long beat. "Are you sure? Everything is healthy."

I loved children.

I had spent years dreaming of a baby that looked like Callan.

But our marriage was a house on fire.

Bringing a child into this mess would be an act of cruelty.

I nodded. "I'm sure. How soon can we do the procedure?"

He took out a pen. "I'll get it scheduled. Probably tomorrow."

I pushed myself up against the headboard. "Thank you, Doctor."

He gave me a small, sympathetic smile and left the room.

My head was still throbbing from the rain.

I reached for my phone to call my assistant, but Callan beat me to it.

I hesitated before answering.

Before I could speak, his impatient voice barked through the line.

"Where are you? I told you to go to the office and handle the board!"

My voice was unnervingly flat. "I fainted. I'm in the hospital."

There was a brief silence, followed by a mocking scoff.

"Sutton, give it a rest. I just brought Jaya to the ER, and now you're suddenly in the hospital too? You're really desperate for attention, aren't you?"

Attention?

He really thought he was the center of the world.

I rubbed my temples. "Callan, let's get a divorce."

I had planned to wait until the paperwork was ready, but I couldn't wait another minute.

I wanted this marriage dead and buried.

Callan didn't believe me. He thought it was a tactic.

"Since I called you out, now you're playing the divorce card? Why can't you be sensible like Jaya for once?"

I went to reply, but Jaya's voice drifted over the phone.

"C-Bear, my tummy still hurts... can you rub it for me?"

I felt a wave of nausea.

She was such a clich.

I used to care, but now it just felt pathetic.

Callan hadn't hung up. I heard his tender voice murmuring to her.

"Does it hurt here? Or here? Maybe I should go find the nurse."

I closed my eyes, feeling a strange sense of peace.

"I'm serious, Callan. Divorce."

Suddenly, Jaya started sobbing into the phone.

"Mrs. Lockwood, please don't be mad! I... Callan and I are just friends!"

I rolled my eyes.

"I'll have my lawyer send over the papers. Let's just get this over with for both our sakes."

I hung up before they could say another word.

My chest felt tight, like a heavy stone was sitting on my lungs.

Suddenly, a voice came from the doorway.

"Are you okay? Do you need something for the pain?"

I looked up and saw the doctor from earlier.

I didn't know how long he'd been there or how much he'd heard.

Being caught in such a messy moment by a stranger was embarrassing.

He seemed to sense it and clarified quickly.

"I didn't hear much. I'm just here to give you the pre-op instructions."

I took the form and glanced at his ID badge.

"Dr. Jude Hayes."

He was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see his face, but his eyes were warm and kind.

"Good eyes. Get some rest, Sutton."

The procedure went smoothly.

Dr. Hayes asked if I wanted to see the remains. I said no.

He told me I was weak and needed to stay for observation for a few days.

I didn't waste time. I called my lawyer and finalized the divorce agreement.

I sent it to Callan's email immediately.

I didn't go back to our house until a week later.

It looked exactly the sameDuntouched.

I went to the bedroom and packed my clothes and essentials into a single suitcase.

Callan hadn't signed yet, but he would.

I couldn't stay in that house for another second.

I didn't have much. Six years of marriage fit into one large trunk.

I left the keys on the counter and headed to the small condo I'd bought before we got married.

I hadn't lived there in ages, but I kept a cleaning service on it.

It was spotless.

As I went to unlock the door, a familiar voice called out.

"Excuse me, are you the neighbor in 302? I wanted to ask..."

I turned around, and the man stopped mid-sentence. "Sutton?"

It was Jude Hayes, sans the white coat, wearing casual clothes.

I pointed at the door opposite mine. "No way. You... live here?"

This was a luxury building with only two units per floor. 301 had been vacant for months.

Jude nodded. "Moved in two weeks ago. It's close to the hospital."

I smiled. "What did you want to ask?"

"I was going to ask if you mind if I install a doorbell camera. It might catch your door when people come up."

"Go for it," I said. "I was planning on doing the same."

"Thanks," he said, flashing a grin.

I headed inside and felt an immediate sense of relief.

The condo was decorated exactly to my taste.

After unpacking, I decided to head to the grocery store for some supplies.

The moment I stepped out, Jude's door opened too.

"Heading out?" he asked.

"Just to the store," I replied.

"What a coincidence. Me too. Walk together?"

Over the past week, I'd learned that Jude was easy to talk to.

We had chatted quite a bit at the hospital.

I didn't see a reason to say no.

He was funny and kept the conversation flowing effortlessly.

We were laughing in the produce aisle when my phone rang.

It was Callan.

I didn't want to pick up, but I needed to know about the papers.

The line was silent for a long time after I answered.

"Hello?" I prompted.

Callan's voice sounded broken and pathetic.

"Sutton... you... you ended the pregnancy... didn't you?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I thought you were calling about the divorce."

His voice started to tremble. "Why would you do that? We wanted a baby. This divorce thing is just a joke, right?"

I used to want a baby.

But that version of me was dead.

I turned away from Jude to give myself some privacy.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Callan. Sign the papers. As for the baby..."

"You don't deserve to be a father."

Silence again.

Just as I was about to hang up, he yelled.

"I don't deserve it? But he does?!"