Chapter 2
When I woke up again, the pillow was still damp.
The trending topics on my phone were all about Tessa Taylor winning the Best Actress award.
The title of “Little Aria Moore” was no longer mentioned by anyone.
Similarly, no one would mention the name Aria Moore anymore.
Gabriel, who had gone to work overtime last night, unsurprisingly appeared at the wrap party for the little girl’s new drama.
Photos of them with their faces close together, making heart shapes with their hands, or kissing with just a piece of paper between them - these ambiguous poses were nothing new.
Gabriel would always do this, openly displaying his love.
As for me, his secret wife who had been divorced seven times, no one cared anymore.
I caressed the screen, looking at Tessa’s face that was 90% similar to my past self, and couldn’t help but sigh.
If my face hadn’t been burned, perhaps I could have had a shot at that Best Actress crown too.
But now, I’ll never have that chance again.
Do I regret it? Not really.
No matter how many times I could go back, I would still rush into that fire without hesitation to drag Gabriel out, shielding him with my body during the explosion.
But if you ask me if I have absolutely no regrets, that would be a lie.
At least everything will be over soon.
At the hospital, I still asked the same old question:
“Is there really no chance for my face to recover?”
“I’ve already had skin grafts, but there are still scars…”
The doctor’s brow furrowed as he listened to me ramble on about the current defects on my face.
Skin, eye size, symmetry of the left and right sides of the face, eyebrows…
Finally, after a long silence, the doctor adjusted his glasses:
“Miss Moore, I understand how you feel, but the chances of recovery are very slim now…”
“You might need to visit the psychology department to help alleviate some of your psychological stress.”
I was stunned.
I hadn’t expected the doctor to say something like that.
The doctor turned the mirror towards me, and I instinctively averted my gaze, not daring to look at the scars on my body.
I fled from the office like I was escaping.
As I was going downstairs, I bumped into Gabriel with his arm around Tessa’s waist on the second floor of the obstetrics and gynecology department.
I touched my abdomen and met Gabriel’s gaze.
Once upon a time, Gabriel and I had a child too.
The fire that took away my beauty also robbed me of my right to be a mother.
Gabriel calmly shifted his gaze, as if he had seen a stranger of no importance.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
I could only silently pull my hat down further, blocking my view.
Tessa, supported by Gabriel, walked into the elevator and stood next to me.
I tried my best to lean into the corner, listening to the two of them flirting back and forth.
The sweetness in Tessa’s voice was almost overflowing:
“The doctor said our baby is very healthy. What should we name it when it’s born?”
Gabriel replied without hesitation:
“Let’s call it Miles. When he grows up, he’ll go far. Miles Harrison.”
I widened my eyes in shock and looked over at him. This name was clearly the one I had chosen for our unborn child back then.
Now, it was to be given to another child.
I bit my lip, trying hard to hold back my tears.
Tessa’s gaze flickered between me and him, a smile playing on her lips:
“Are you here for a prenatal check-up too, sister?”
She turned towards me, taking my hand and placing it on her still-flat abdomen.
It was warm, with no movement yet, but enough to make me envious.
Suddenly, Tessa let out a sharp scream, yanking my hand away and shrinking into Gabriel’s arms:
“How could you be so cruel as to press on my belly!”
“Just because you’re jealous that I’m having a baby doesn’t mean you can hurt me like this. This is the most precious child of me and my husband.”
I was startled for a moment, staring blankly at Gabriel:
“No… I didn’t…”
He frowned, his expression barely concealing his anger as he held Tessa protectively in his arms.
Tessa burst into tears almost instantly, burying her face in Gabriel’s chest.
Gabriel forcefully pressed the button for the nearest floor, glaring at me ominously.
His voice turned cold and distant:
“A vicious woman like you doesn’t deserve to have her own child.”
Something in my heart seemed to collapse with a crash.
I didn’t even notice when Gabriel left, shielding the young woman.
It wasn’t until I got home that I received a text from Gabriel:
[Sorry, I was a bit out of line earlier.]
[Things aren’t what you think. I’ll explain when I get back.]
My fingers were still trembling, my heart felt squeezed and breathless, the jumping text before my eyes appeared blurred, soaked by tears.
In the end, I didn’t reply to the message.
What does it matter if Gabriel dates his current girlfriend or goes for prenatal check-ups? What does it have to do with me, his ex-wife?
The house was eerily quiet, endless loneliness engulfing me.
It wasn’t until late at night that Gabriel returned, startled when he turned on the lights and saw me.
He handed me a sickeningly sweet cream cake, his voice gentle and concerned:
“I bought you a little treat.”
I stared at the cake in my hand, stunned for a moment.
He had forgotten that ever since my figure changed, cake was the thing I hated most.
It was also something he had never cared about.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet? Still angry?”
Gabriel picked me up and carried me to the bed, his voice low and gentle, once again becoming my attentive husband.
I no longer had the energy to answer him, pulling the covers over myself and mumbling a perfunctory ‘no’.
He lowered his head and kissed the tip of my ear in the darkness:
“Goodnight.”