"Doctor, I don't want this baby."
Autumn Caldwell glanced at the test report on the desk, her brows knitting tight.
"You need to think this through carefully. Your uterine wall is unusually thin. If you terminate this pregnancy, there's a very real chance you may never be able to have children again. And..." The doctor looked at Autumn's pale face with quiet seriousness, then tapped the ultrasound sheet with one finger. "It shows two embryos."
"Two?" Autumn froze for a second. A flash of fear crossed her face. She stood up too fast, fingers turning cold, and lowered her head as she said, a little flustered, "Then... I'll think about it a bit more."
"Mm. Talk to your boyfriend properly. For something this big, it's better not to make the decision alone." The doctor watched her reaction and had a rough idea of what was going on. She got up, walked over, and gently patted Autumn on the shoulder.
Boyfriend?
The moment she heard that word, the light in Autumn's face dimmed completely.
Her hand tightened hard around the report, so hard the paper crinkled. A sharp ache spread through her chest.
If that woman hadn't come back, this would have been huge news, the kind that could turn everything around.
But now...
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll be going first." Autumn gave a small, polite nod of thanks, then turned and hurried toward the stairwell.
"Looks like another accidental pregnancy. How many is that today? Kids these days, seriously..." The cleaning lady by the door had just seen Autumn come out of obstetrics looking totally out of it. She curled her lip and leaned over to gossip with the woman wiping down the chairs beside her.
The second Autumn stepped out of the hospital, the phone in her bag started vibrating.
She pulled it out and saw the name flashing on the screen, the one she least wanted to see right now—
Ethan Mercer.
Her lips pressed together, but in the end, she still answered.
"Where are you? I need to talk to you about something." Ethan's voice was as cold and distant as ever, not a trace of warmth in it.
"I'm out shopping." Autumn lowered her eyes to the report in her hand and lied.
"Come home right now."
He hung up the second he finished speaking.
Autumn let out a bitter little laugh. She stared at the phone held in midair, now gone black, then silently slipped it back into her pocket.
She folded the report carefully, then tucked it into the innermost pocket of her handbag like she was hiding some secret too heavy to carry in the open.
As soon as she reached the villa gate, Mr. Watson, the housekeeper, came forward to greet her.
"Young Madam."
Autumn smiled and nodded at him, but his expression looked stiff, off somehow, so she asked, "Mr. Watson, what's wrong?"
"Ma'am, please go in first. Mr. Mercer is waiting for you inside." Mr. Watson smoothly sidestepped everything, as usual, and reached out, wanting to take Autumn Caldwell's handbag.
Autumn quickly pulled the bag behind her back. "It's fine. I've got it." Then she headed inside on her own.
She had barely taken two steps when a familiar laugh drifted over from the living room. Autumn stopped cold.
That fast?
She had only gotten the news this morning that Serena Voss was back in the country.
"Autumn, you're back." Serena rose gracefully, smiling like nothing was wrong as she greeted her. "Ethan just mentioned you were coming. Wait a sec, I'll go get him."
With that, she turned and walked toward the kitchen.
Autumn's eyes followed her instinctively.
In the kitchen, Ethan Mercer had his head lowered, washing grapes at the sink. He was still wearing his office clothes, a white dress shirt and black slacks, which made the whole scene hit even harder. The contrast was almost absurd.