For reasons she couldn't explain, Seraphina dialed Damian's number.

The call went unanswered. She stubbornly tried again, and again, listening to the monotonous ringing until she finally let out a bitter laugh.

Damian, the man who had professed his undying love for her, now called her a temporary fixture.

There was a time when he would drop everything at a moment's notice, rushing to her side if she so much as hinted at wanting to see him.

But people change. Her hopes for him were completely gone.

All the lingering resentment, love, and hate vanished in that moment.

She was so glad she was leaving. Damian, I hope we never meet again.

Seraphina stood up to leave, but a sharp, cramping pain shot through her lower abdomen. A warm trickle of blood slid down her thigh.

Her vision went black. The last thing she heard was someone shouting, "Help! Someone collapsed!"

"You were at risk of losing the baby, but luckily, we were able to save it. You must avoid emotional distress during your pregnancy."

Seraphina recalled the doctor's words, her eyes filled with a dazed emptiness.

It felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on her.

That night, she returned home and saw a message from Damian.

Honey, I was swamped with work today, sorry I missed your calls.

I won't be able to finish tonight, so I'm not coming home.

She knew they were all lies. She should have confronted him, demanded an explanation, but she didn't care anymore.

There were more important things to do. She contacted her real estate agent and put all the properties in her name up for sale, including the sensational villa he had designed for her, the one he named "The Love Nest."

Every piece of jewelry and every luxury item he had ever given her was listed on resale sites. Since the prices were well below market value, they were snatched up almost instantly.

The photo albums that held their happy memories were fed into a shredder, one by one, until they were nothing but dust.

She wanted nothing that came from him.

Erasing every trace of their past was her way of saying goodbye.

The next afternoon, as she was checking the sales orders on her phone, the bedroom door was flung open.

Damian strode towards her and pulled her into his arms, his voice trembling.

"Honey, if you're mad that I didn't answer your calls, you can hit me, you can yell at me, but why would you sell The Love Nest?"

"I designed that house for you with my own two hands. Every inch of it is filled with my love for you. Are you selling it because you don't want me anymore? Are you leaving me?"

She gave him a gentle push, freeing herself from his embrace.

She studied his eyes, which were filled with sorrow, like a puppy about to be abandoned.

It was laughable. He was sad at the thought of her leaving him, so why did he do things that shattered her heart?

In the past, her heart would have melted, and she would have agreed to anything he asked.

But now, she just stared quietly at the man with tear-filled eyes and said calmly, "You're overthinking it. I just don't like it anymore."

"I'm your wife. It's not like I can just run away."

Inside, she was sneering. So you do realize I might not want you anymore. Then why are you still fooling around outside? Are you so full at home that even shit on the street looks delicious?

Or do you just think you're so good at hiding it that you can get away with anything?

"Honey, you love me so much, why don't you design a new house for me?"

She didn't want to tip him off yet, so she had to lie, pretending she sold the house simply because she grew tired of it.

As she expected, Damian stopped obsessing over The Love Nest.

He promised her eagerly, "Baby, I swear, you will be completely satisfied with the design of the new villa."

Just the thought of her leaving him made him this upset.

She couldn't wait to see how he would react when he found out she was gone for good.

Suppressing her revulsion, she patiently soothed him.

Only after she promised him again and again that she would never leave did Damian's anxious heart finally begin to calm down.

But a sense of unease still lingered in him. He told himself not to be paranoid. Seraphina was his wife. They would be happy for the rest of their lives.

All he had to do now was not slip up.

He had been so careful. Nothing could go wrong. He was just being too sensitive.

Yes, that had to be it.

Two days later, Seraphina was back at the OB-GYN for a check-up. The baby was fine.

The doctor had warned her that, given her physical condition, terminating the pregnancy was not recommended. This might be the only child she would ever have.

In that case, she would treasure this little angel. But this angel would be hers alone.

She sat on a bench in the hospital hallway, gently stroking her still-flat stomach.

Not far away, Lila emerged from an examination room, clinging to Damian as if she had no bones of her own.

Perhaps because Seraphina was wearing a mask and a hat, neither of them recognized her.

Lila looked dejected. "Ugh, I really thought I was pregnant."

"I was so excited, and it was all for nothing."

"What even is a phantom pregnancy? I really had morning sickness!"

Seeing Damian trying to hold back a laugh, Lila became annoyed and started playfully punching his chest.