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He Fed My Baby's Medicine to His Mistress

Novelix Completed

追妻火葬场、追悔莫及、打脸、背叛、出轨、前夫、大女主、女性力量/大女主、剧情/戏剧、现代/都市、现代

Chapters (3)

第1章

The night before Valentine's Day, a group of friends organized a driving trip to the mountains around Aspen. My husband, Lucas, suggested we draw lots for the passenger seat. "Let Chloe pick first. She's a lot more delicate than Ava." His personal assistant, Chloe Bennett, drew the passenger seat. No surprise there. She said, perfectly at ease, "I'll ride up front with Lucas, then. Sorry Ava has to squeeze into the back." Lucas gripped the wheel without turning his head. "Nothing to be sorry about. Ava, we agreed on this beforehand—don't be a sore loser." Chloe saw I wasn't saying anything and turned back with a pitiful look. "Ava, maybe I should switch with you after all?" Lucas cut her off immediately. "She gets carsick—a little discomfort won't kill her. Your stomach's bad. You can't handle the bumps." I clenched the pregnancy test results I'd just gotten and quietly curled into the corner of the back seat. Until Chloe accidentally brushed the playback button on the dashcam. A recording cut through the cabin, jarring and abrupt. "Mark the slip so Chloe draws it first. She gets sick in the back—I have to look out for her." Snow drifted outside the window. I felt nauseous enough to be sick. So his passenger seat had someone else's name written on it a long time ago. ... I pulled open the car door and dragged my suitcase down with me. The sound of it hitting the ground was mostly swallowed up by the snowstorm. I dragged the case toward the service station lobby. The snow was up to my ankles. Behind me, a car door slammed shut. "Ava." Lucas's voice, tight with impatience. He caught up in three long strides and grabbed the handle of my suitcase. "What are you making a scene for. Get in the car." I looked at his fingers wrapped around the handle. "I'm not getting in." He frowned. "Everyone's watching. Can you not do this every single time?" The rear window rolled down and Maggie leaned out. "Ava, honey, it's freezing out there. Come on, get in. We can talk about it once we're at the lodge." Chloe got out too, wrapped in a cashmere throw, standing in the snowstorm with red-rimmed eyes. "Ava, is it because I took the front seat? I'll switch with you." She took two steps toward the back. Lucas immediately pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Sit down. The wind out here is brutal. Your stomach's already a mess—don't push it." The wind whipped snow crystals against my face. My own stomach turned over. The electronic sign at the service station scrolled a message: I-70 CLOSED AHEAD DUE TO SEVERE SNOW. Lucas saw it too, and his tone softened a fraction. "Just get in. We'll deal with it at the lodge. Don't be stubborn." I let go of the handle. This snow wasn't going to give me a way out. Not yet. I climbed back into the rear seat and pressed myself into the gap between the seat and the window. Up front, Chloe rewrapped herself in her blanket and asked softly, "Is the AC a little cold? Want me to turn it up?" "Adjust it however you like. Don't tough it out," Lucas said. Warm air, mixed with the scent of the car's diffuser, poured into my nose. I slid my hand into my coat pocket. My fingertips brushed the lab report, folded and refolded. Chloe laughed from the front seat. "Lucas, you drive so smoothly." "It's alright. If you feel sick, just lean back and sleep a while." Another bump. A short, sharp cramp seized my lower abdomen. Cold sweat soaked through the back of my shirt in an instant. I gripped the armrest, nails digging into my palm. Lucas glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Sit still. Don't bang your head on the glass." He seemed to have forgotten, or maybe he simply didn't care— My stomach problems were serious too. Two hours later, the car pulled up in front of a mountain lodge. Lucas killed the engine, got out, and walked around to the passenger side to open Chloe's door. "Careful. It's slippery." He offered her a hand. Meanwhile, my fingers had gone so stiff I couldn't get any strength into them. I tried twice and couldn't push the door open. He didn't so much as glance my way. Ethan climbed out of the other car. Seeing I was still stuck inside, he came over and pulled the door open for me. "Ava, you okay? You don't look great." I shook my head and used the door to slowly pull myself up. Black spots swam across my vision. Lucas walked back over then, his brow slightly furrowed. "What's the matter, you look terrible. Never mind, get inside where it's warm." He reached to put an arm around my shoulders. I stepped sideways. "No thank you." His hand hung in the air a moment before he pulled it back. He turned and went to help Chloe with her bags. Inside the lodge, we asked the owner about rooms. The lodge owner rubbed his hands together as he explained—too many guests had been stranded by the snow that day, and vacancies were tight. They had one king room with a private bath left. Plus a few makeshift cots set up in storage rooms at the end of the hallway. "If you take one of the extra cots, I can give you a discount. You'll have to work out among yourselves who gets the king," the owner said. The friends all looked at Lucas. They didn't really care, of course. The question was me and Chloe. Which of the two of us should get the king room—only Lucas could decide. He hesitated, his eyes flicking between me and Chloe. Just before he spoke— Chloe suddenly doubled over, clutching her stomach, beads of sweat on her forehead. "I'm fine." She waved a hand. "Ava and Lucas should take the king room. I'll find somewhere to crash." Everyone's eyes snapped to me at once. Lucas frowned and steadied Chloe, then turned his head. "Ava, give her this one. Her stomach's bad—she can't handle the cold." "I'll make it up to you next time." Next time. Again. Over the years, there had been more "next times" than I could count. I gave a small laugh. I walked to the front desk and took a key labeled storage room off the counter. Behind me, my friends laughed with audible relief. And Lucas's voice, urging everyone else to make do as well. The storage room was at the far end of the hallway. I pushed the door open and a wave of damp mildew hit me. No heat. The pain in my stomach sharpened. I set down my luggage, sat on the edge of the creaky cot, and pulled out my phone. In my contacts, Lucas's name was still followed by the tag Husband. I stared at it for a few seconds. Then I changed it to his full name. Lucas Whitmore. I turned off the screen. I closed my eyes in the dark. Half an hour later, a knock came at the door. First a sigh, weary. "I know you're stubborn. But the only reason I rigged the draw for Chloe was because I knew you wouldn't agree otherwise." Two more knocks on the door. "Ava. Open up." "I made some ginger tea. Drink it, warm yourself up." I looked down at the wastebasket by the bed. Inside was a wad of tissues stained a dark red. The doctor had told me I couldn't get cold, or I'd risk a miscarriage. Instinctively, I pressed a hand to my belly. The pain came in waves. After a long silence, he knocked twice more. His footsteps faded down the hall.

第2章

I lay awake for a long time. The dull ache in my abdomen didn't let up. I fished the box of progesterone out of my suitcase and read the instructions by the light of my phone. Two tablets per dose. Swallow with warm water. But there was no warm water. I took a mouthful of bottled water and forced the pills down, biting back a cough. Through the wall, laughter drifted from the main room. I could make out Chloe's bright voice. Lucas's low murmur in reply. And the clink of glasses. I put the remaining four pills away and tucked them back into the inner zip pocket. I laid my palm against my belly. I couldn't feel anything. But it was there. It really was. ... In the early hours of the morning, another knock came. Weakly, I got up and opened the door. Lucas stood in the hallway light, a thick ceramic mug in his hand, steam curling from it. I glanced at him, said nothing, turned and went back to bed, propping myself against the headboard. He came in and stood at the side of the bed. "Still angry?" I didn't answer. He sighed, set the mug on the table, and sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached out and touched my forehead. "You're freezing." "You have to say something when you don't feel well, honestly." His palm was warm. His fingertips brushed the loose hair at my temple. My eyes stung. I had said something. He just never remembered. I slid my hand into my pocket and clenched the lab report, its edges gone soft with wear. He propped me up and brought the mug to my lips. The sweet-hot smell of honey ginger tea filled my nose. "Drink. I borrowed a pot from the lodge owner—took forever to brew." I was just about to open my mouth— His phone buzzed. The ringtone was jarring in the quiet room. It was the specific ringtone I had heard countless times in our life together. The one that belonged exclusively to Chloe. He glanced at the screen. Set the mug down immediately. Without a moment's hesitation. "You drink it yourself. Chloe's window is broken—I'll go check on it." He stood, not even bothering to grab his coat. I reached out, trying to catch the last thread of hope. "Lucas, can you stay?" He was already at the door. He only paused long enough to say, over his shoulder, "Don't wait up. Get some sleep." The door opened. The door closed. Cold air rushed in through the crack. The steam rising from the mug dissolved before my eyes. That cup of ginger tea. I never took a sip. Not until it had gone completely cold. ... Later that night, the dull ache turned into a wringing, downward pull. I curled up, cold sweat running down my spine. Something warm gushed out of me. Damp and sticky against my skin. Dark red again. I called Lucas. Fifteen rings. No answer. I called again. Still nothing. The fifth time, it connected. The person who answered wasn't him. "Ava." Chloe's voice, lazy and languid. In the background, the steady breathing of a sleeping man. "Lucas is exhausted. He's already asleep." She paused, her voice lower, laced with a small laugh. "Don't worry, nothing happened. He passed out on the couch—I didn't have the heart to wake him." "Whatever it is, can it wait till morning?" I opened my mouth. No sound came out. She hung up with a soft chuckle. I clutched the phone. I didn't call a sixth time. ... Bracing myself against the wall, I made it to the sink. The water was ice cold. I soaked a towel, wrung it out, folded it into place. Lay back on the cot with my palm on my belly. The pain dulled into numbness. At daybreak, I washed my face and changed into clean pants. I pushed open the door. Everyone was in the dining room having breakfast. Maggie was the first to spot me. "Ava, you don't look so good today." I gave a small smile. "I want to head back early. You all keep having fun." The whole table froze. Lucas looked up from the sofa. He was still holding his thermos. "What are you throwing a fit about now?"

第3章

Lucas walked over and lowered his voice. "You're serious?" "Yes." "The roads are closed. How are you planning to leave?" "Then I'll wait for them to open." He looked at me for a couple of seconds, then twisted his mouth into a smirk. "Fine, you want quiet, have your quiet. Just don't use it as a scare tactic." He turned and walked back into the crowd. Chloe was sitting by the fireplace. Lucas handed her a cup of hot chocolate. ... By late morning, the main hall had erupted into activity. String lights were being draped over the rafters. A row of foil letter balloons had been taped to the wall. HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY MR. & MRS. WHITMORE — AND WELCOME CHLOE TO THE TEAM. Ethan grinned nearby. "Lucas, Chloe's a thoughtful one." "Since your fifth anniversary happened to fall on the same day she officially joined, she figured they should celebrate both at once—save you from having to throw her another party later." "So she pulled the front desk staff out first thing this morning to help her hang it all up. Sweet girl." Lucas glanced up at the banner and his brow tightened. But one look at Chloe, standing beside him with her eyes bright with expectation, and in the end he didn't have anyone take it down. He turned and lowered his voice at me. "She's just trying to be part of it. Don't take it so seriously." I stood there, looking at that line of letters, feeling utterly hollow. The cake on the table was mango coconut mousse. I was severely allergic to mango. And mango was Chloe's favorite. That cake wasn't for our fifth anniversary. It was for Chloe's first day on the job. The friends started egging me on. "Ava, get over here, have a drink!" Chloe walked over holding a glass, her voice soft. "Ava. Happy fifth anniversary." Lucas held out a champagne flute. "Happy fifth anniversary. Come, have a drink together." I looked at the glass. I didn't take it. His tone dropped. "Ava." I still didn't move. Chloe's eyes went red. "Ava, is it because my name is up there? You're upset?" "I'll go tear that half of the banner down—really, don't mind me." "Don't." Lucas stopped her, then turned back and fixed me with a hard, cold stare. "Not in front of everyone. Don't make a scene!" He shoved the flute into my hand. The champagne sloshed. I flicked my wrist. The whole glass emptied onto the floor. A few drops splashed onto Chloe's shoes. She let out a small shriek. The hall went dead silent. Lucas's face went black. He seized my wrist and yanked me hard to the side. The force sent me stumbling back two steps. The small of my back slammed into the corner of the bar counter. His grip faltered for a moment, then released. Pain exploded up my spine and radiated down into my abdomen. The world blurred out of focus. Ethan grabbed Lucas by the arm. "Lucas, cool it." Lucas shook him off, his eyes still fixed on me, heavy with anger. "What is it you actually want?" I braced myself against the bar counter. The dragging pressure in my lower abdomen had started up again. "Happy fifth anniversary?" I looked at him. "This anniversary I'll remember for the rest of my life." I walked over to the table, picked up the entire cake, and dumped it into the trash can. The mango-coconut mousse hit the bottom of the bin with a soft thud. Nobody said a word. Chloe was hiccuping softly the whole time. Someone spoke up to smooth things over. "Ava, come on, isn't that a bit much? Lucas was just trying to lighten the mood." "Yeah, Chloe's just a young girl. Why stoop to her level?" I poured myself a cup of warm water and took a sip. "The show's over. I'm going back to my room." As I passed Lucas, he grabbed my arm. "Ava, you're going to apologize to Chloe tomorrow." I pried his fingers off one by one. "Why should I. If anyone owes an apology, it's you." ... Back in the storage room. I slid down the wall to the floor, forehead slick with cold sweat. I dug the box of progesterone out of my bag. Two pills left in the bottle. I swallowed them. My throat closed up. My phone buzzed. A text from Lucas. Just say a soft word to Chloe tomorrow, then we can put this behind us. Enough, Ava. I stared at the screen. Typed four words back. As you wish. Consider it behind us.