The Secret Abortion

After burning my hand, I took an Uber to the hospital alone.

A doctor I knew saw me and asked, How is your wife's recovery after her procedure to end the pregnancy?

I froze in shock. It turned out she had gone behind my back to get rid of our child.

I opened my phone and saw a post from her best friend:

"It is so good when there is no toxic man stalking your every move. Sasha is so devoted to Leo."

The attached photo showed Sasha Quinn looking tenderly at her childhood sweetheart, Leo Kane, who was lying in a hospital bed.

I liked the post, and she deleted it almost instantly.

Then, a message from Sasha flashed on my screen, full of cautious explanations.

I simply smiled and replied: "Take good care of him."

Sasha panicked and asked: "Silas Reed, why are you ignoring me?"

...

I stood in the bakery, my spatula dancing across the cream.

I was in a rush to get home for our anniversary, and in my haste to pull the pastry out of the oven, I badly scorched my hand.

Huge blisters formed, and the pain was so intense I couldn't drive.

I messaged Sasha, hoping she could pick me up from the studio.

I wanted to see the joy on her face when I fed her the dessert I made with my own hands.

Sasha's reply came back cold and detached:

"I have plans tonight. Figure it out yourself."

As if to ease my doubts, she quickly added another line.

"It is just us childhood friends, no outsiders."

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me. I tossed the carefully prepared dessert into the trash and took an Uber to the hospital.

At the hospital, I bumped into a doctor I knew. The moment he saw me, he asked:

"How is your wife's recovery after her procedure to end the pregnancy?"

A chill crawled from my spine to my skull. I answered stiffly after a long silence:

"She is doing fine."

The dressing for the burn was painful, but I couldn't feel a thing.

My heart felt hollow, as if something vital had been carved out of me.

Back home, I sat on the living room sofa, idling with the remote, but nothing on the TV could hold my focus.

I pulled out my phone, intending to ask Sasha if she needed a ride home.

But before I could type a word, I saw a new post from her best friend.

"It is so good when there is no toxic man stalking your every move. Sasha is so devoted to Leo."

Beneath the text was a photo of Sasha.

Her eyes were brimming with tenderness and concern as she gazed at Leo in his hospital bed.

They were part of a tight-knit groupDthree girls and one guyDwho grew up together.

I knew Leo had always been the special one in her circle. If he hadn't been tricked into a bad marriage by some out-of-town socialite years ago, a man like me would never have had the chance to marry Sasha.

Now, Leo was divorced and back with his daughter. Instead of blaming him for leaving Sasha back then, her friends treated me like the intruder who ruined their perfect dynamic.

Sasha often drank with them until the early hours. Fearing for her safety, I used to show up at the bars to bring her home.

The only result was that her friends hated me even more. They called me a buzzkill and privately labeled me a "creep."

When they visited our home, they treated me like a servant without a hint of politeness.

Today, Sasha chose them over me again.

Before this, she had even hidden the fact that she terminated our own flesh and blood.

But maybe this is for the best. At least I won't be soft-hearted toward her anymore.

I liked the post. It disappeared seconds later, as if the person realized they forgot to block me.

At four in the morning, Sasha came home smelling of bourbon.

She lingered in the living room for a moment before pushing open the bedroom door.

Seeing me awake, a flash of panic crossed her eyes, but she still slid behind me and hugged me gently.

"Did you not make me any Greek yogurt today?" she asked.

I let out a soft grunt. The scent of cologne mixed with alcohol on her skin made me nauseous.

She let go of me and sighed, seemingly wanting to say something, but she only left me with one sentence.

"The baby has been very restless lately. I need to get some sleep."

I lay in bed, my mind a raging storm.

I wondered just how much longer she intended to lie to me.

2.

The next morning, I arrived at the bakery early.

Regardless of how messy my personal life was, my work remained my priority.

In the past, I spent too much time catering to Sasha, often arriving late to the studio, which made me feel guilty.

My early arrival surprised my business partner, Selena James.

As the pastries came out of the oven, she stopped me.

"Silas, our studio received an invitation to the International Baking Championship in Paris. I wanted to see if you were interested."

"I've always believed in your talent, I just worried that you..."

Before she could finish, I nodded immediately. "Thank you, Selena. I'll make the most of this opportunity."

"What?"

Selena looked like she had misheard me. She didn't expect such a quick answer and whispered:

"I saw you throw away that heart-shaped cake last night. Did you and your wife have a fight?"

I gave her a bitter smile and shook my head.

"She once told me that a man who only knows how to bake is a second-class citizen."

Sasha never argued with me. She always looked at me with a patronizing gaze, as if I were just a petulant child.

My phone rang. It was Sasha.

Her voice was as gentle as ever, but I could hear the underlying irritation.

"Silas, are you busy today? Why did you leave without making me breakfast?"

She then reminded me, "Yesterday was our anniversary. I have a gift for you."

I asked what it was. She said there was a small box in my suit pocket containing a brooch.

I heard her rustling through things, muttering to herself, "That's weird. I can't find it."

Then, as if she remembered something, she said flatly:

"I probably left it in the car. I'll buy you another one."

It was absurd.

In the social media photo from yesterday, Leo had a brooch pinned to his chest.

Must even my anniversary gift be a hand-me-down from him?

I said tonelessly, "Don't bother. I forgot to buy you a gift too."

"Silas... are you mad? I really did buy you a gift."

"I hear you."

I chose to be a mindless echo.

"If that's all, I'm hanging up. The studio is busy."

3.

Since that day, the space between Sasha and me felt like a fortified moat.

I stayed at the bakery late into the night, focusing on the competition to numb the pain.

The air was thick with the scent of sugar, and flour fell like snow from the sieve, but my mind was elsewhere.

I once thought that if I worked hard enough, I could keep our marriage on track.

Now I see I was just lying to myself.

The phone rang suddenly. It was Sasha's mother.

She had always looked down on me, believing a baker lacked the ambition to be a real provider.

In her heart, only Leo was fit to be her son-in-law.

The old woman's voice was commanding, ordering me to attend a family gathering.

I wanted to refuse, but I decided to give her one last bit of respect.

I took an Uber to my mother-in-law's house, carrying a box of my best pastries.

The moment I walked in, I was met with that familiar, icy indifference.

The room went silent, then someone whispered.

"So cringe. Why is he here? Sasha won't be able to drink with us now."

"Exactly. All he does is bake that stupid bread. Who cares?"

I ignored them and found a seat.

A while later, Sasha arrived, trailing behind Leo.

I noticed the brooch was gone from Leo's chest. He walked into the kitchen like he owned the place to talk to Sasha's mom.

Sasha sat down next to me and, with a look of triumph as if showing off a treasure, pulled out the brooch.

Her expression didn't flicker, and her eyes didn't blink. She lied right to my face.

"It was in the car after all."

Seeming completely oblivious to my mood, she pulled me toward her and pinned the brooch firmly to my shirt.

I stared at it. Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me.

How many more lies did she have planned?

In the kitchen, Sasha's mother was doting on Leo while he affectionately held her arm.

She said, "Leo, sweetie, stop working. Let Silas do it. You're the guest."

Leo acted like a spoiled child. "Auntie, I just missed you."

She faked a frown. "If you missed me, you'd visit more often."

Then she led Leo toward me and introduced him as if I didn't know who he was.

"Silas, this is Leo. He's like a son to me, which makes him Sasha's brother. They're close, so don't get jealous. Don't go stalking her with phone calls when they're out."

Her tone was a direct command.

Sasha's friend, Lila Ford, who always hated me, chimed in immediately.

"Seriously, Silas. Constant check-ins are so boring. We're respectable people; we're not going to let Sasha do anything crazy."

She added, "Our new research lab just started. We're swamped. Who doesn't work late during a startup phase? Leo even went to the hospital for alcohol poisoning while hosting clients!"

She was a hardcore supporter of the Sasha-Leo romance and the one who forgot to block me on social media.

She kept rattling on with her justifications.

I frowned, catching only one phrase.

"Startup? You opened a new research lab?"

Sasha had a perfectly good job as a manager at her old company.

Why would she start a lab now?

Realizing she had slipped up, Lila went quiet, and the others stopped talking too.

4.

The dinner was heavy with tension. Because of the slip-up, everyone was silent.

After the meal, a torrential rain began to pour.

Sasha whispered to me, "Silas, Leo is drunk. I'll drop him off first and then come back for you."

I nodded without a word.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but she just patted my hand and left with Leo.

Ignoring my mother-in-law's glares, I called an Uber and walked into the rain.

As the water soaked through my clothes, I felt like a stray dog.

Sasha returned quickly and threw herself into my arms, apologizing.

"I'm so sorry. I know I made things hard for you."

"It's just that Leo has a kid at home. I was worried something would happen if he went back drunk."

"Honestly, Silas, was it that hard to just wait for me at Mom's place?"

She tapped my chest with a touch of resentment.

"Did it have to be you?" I asked, my voice dead serious.

"What?"

"Lila was there, and she was driving. Was it absolutely necessary for you to be the one to take him home?"

Her gaze shifted from confusion to shame. "I just..."

"You wanted to take him."

Her voice softened, and she sighed.

"Silas, don't be jealous. I really see him as a brother."

"It isn't easy for him to raise a kid alone. We grew up together; I just want to help."

"To the point of giving up your high-paying job to start a business with him?"

I scoffed and pushed her away. The warmth she offered no longer felt like it belonged to me.

Sasha froze, then explained:

"It isn't what you think. A few of us friends started the lab to give the kids a better future."

I didn't believe her. She grew impatient and pushed me toward the bed, trying to initiate intimacy.

"Stop overthinking. You're going to be a father soon. Why are you acting like a child?"

A father?

Hadn't she already dealt with our child?

Sasha leaned in to kiss my neck, but the phone rang at that exact moment.

I reached out and hit the speakerphone. A tiny, high-pitched voice came through:

"Mommy Sasha, Bella misses you. When are you coming to play with me?"

Panic surged in Sasha's eyes. she grabbed the phone and hurried into the living room.

A few minutes later, she had changed her clothes and was headed for the door.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. Leo's daughter is sick, and he needs me..."

I looked at her calmly and shook my head.

"Go ahead."

Sasha kissed my lips and stroked my face.

"Once the lab is stable, I'll stop seeing Leo alone and spend all my time with you."

I didn't respond. Before she left, she tapped something on her phone.

Sure enough, minutes later, Lila and the other girls started blowing up my messages.

"Silas, something happened at Leo's place. Have some mercy and let Sasha stay there to help."

I ignored them and opened my laptop to work on my designs for the international competition.

A notification popped up on the screen. It was an update from Leo:

"So blessed. The two most important women in my life are by my side."

The photo showed Sasha fast asleep, holding his daughter. Leo even had his hand tucked under her shirt, holding her waist.

5.

Soon, Sasha's new lab landed its first big project.

She invited me to the celebration party, promising me over and over.

"I'll spend more time with you and the baby from now on. If I've done anything wrong, tell me, and I'll change." She stroked her belly as she spoke.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the waitress looked at me with a sneer and whispered:

"What a pathetic excuse for a man."

I can read lips. I heard her perfectly.

Just then, Selena messaged me saying there was an emergency at the studio.

Sasha's face darkened. She gripped my arm and insisted I stay.

"Do I not deserve for you to drop work for me just once?"

I shook her hand off and refused.

In the past, when I called her, she'd hang up without a word, saying she was busy.

When I brought her tea, and her coworkers asked for my recipes, she blamed me for "spying" on her.

She had thrown my pastries away, telling me I was suffocating her and to stop bothering her at work.

Now, she expected me to drop everything for a party that had nothing to do with me.

Sasha paced back and forth anxiously. "Silas Reed, you've never trusted my relationship with Leo. That's why I brought you here tonight."

"If you leave now, don't you dare get jealous later!"

I nodded. These emotions meant nothing to me anymore.

After finalizing the competition details with Selena, she told me the flight was next Saturday.

She hesitated before asking, "Are you and your wife still fighting? You look exhausted lately."

I didn't answer. Maybe it really was because of her.

A notification flashed on my phone. It was a video sent from the restaurant's official social media account.

I opened it. The video showed Leo and Sasha eating the same strand of pasta, their faces getting closer and closer as her friends cheered.

The video ended, and another message popped up from the account.

"I hate pathetic little third wheels like you!"

I realized then that the waitress who insulted me was the one running the account.

It was absurd. I laughed and sent back a photo of my marriage certificate.

The person never replied again.

I screenshotted the exchange, sent it to Sasha, and turned off my phone.

There was a lot of paperwork for the move. When I finally finished and turned my phone back on, I had a call from Sasha's mother.

Her voice was shrill as she interrogated me:

"Silas, what the hell are you doing? Sasha almost ended up in a police cell because of you! Where are you?!"

I was stunned and asked what happened.

The sound of glass shattering came through the phone. She trembled with rage.

"What happened? What did you send her? She suddenly got into a fight with a waitress, and nobody could stop her!"

"I'm out of town. Get to the station now!"

She blamed me for being "needlessly jealous" and slammed the phone down.

By the time I reached the station, Sasha had already settled with the waitress.

She had a bruise on her lip. When she saw me, she ran over crying.

"Silas... honey, listen to me. It isn't what you think!"

"It was just a game. We lost a bet and had to do it. Everyone did. We didn't actually kiss."

"That woman misunderstood and filmed it like that on purpose."

Leo apologized with a bow, but he couldn't hide the smirk on his face.

"Silas, don't take it personally. We grew up together. We're just used to acting like this."

"Sasha and I really have nothing going on."

Before he could finish, the waitress walked out of the station, glared at Leo, and spat:

"You shameless, manipulative prick!"

Leo's smile vanished. Sasha immediately stepped in front of him, ready to fight again.

It turned out the person she wanted to protect was never me.

Leo faked a look of sadness, trying to squeeze out tears.

"Silas, you have to believe us. We're innocent!"

I nodded and said:

"I believe you."

Sasha noticed my detachment and tried to soften the mood.

"Forget it. Let's go home."

I opened the passenger door only to find a child sitting there. When she saw me, she made a face.

"The creep is here!"

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