Part 3The Moon Never Returns

“But what about your international AI competition finals?”

The question flew out of Toby’s mouth before he could stop it. Both Isabelle and I were stunned into silence.

I never knew he could be so impulsive, especially when it came to her.

My voice rose, sharp with disbelief. “You’re going to fly overseas to help her compete? Toby, tomorrow is Christmas Eve! Both our families are coming over for dinner!”

I was going to announce my pregnancy then. For years, both our parents had been dropping hints. My mother-in-law would always sigh wistfully whenever she talked about her friends becoming grandparents.

And Toby… Toby had always wanted a child. During our most intimate moments, he would whisper against my ear, his voice thick with tenderness, “Let’s have a baby, one just as sweet as you. What do you say?”

On the phone, Isabelle’s voice suddenly cracked. “Toby… is that your… friend?”

I cut in before he could answer. “We’re married.”

There was a choked sound from the other end. Toby shot me a furious look, but still tried to reason with me. “It’s just technical support, Olivia.”

Yes, just technical support.

Then why was it “I’ve never competed” when I asked, but the moment she called, he was ready to drop everything and fly across the world for her?

The silence crackled with tension. Isabelle was the first to speak. “You know what? Never mind.”

“Wait,” Toby said hurriedly. He covered the receiver with his hand, pried my fingers from his shirt, and hissed, his voice dangerously low, “Can you please stop making a scene?”

“She’s a girl, alone in a foreign country. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get to this point? What’s wrong with me helping her out as a friend?”

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.

But it’s been hard for me to get here, too…

This year was supposed to be my best chance at a promotion to team lead. But my performance had been unstable since I got pregnant. Our partners were worried about project delays and were even considering moving me off the core team. My friend had to fight to get me a spot in the post-holiday open-day presentation, but the algorithm engineer on my team said my code gave him anxiety and flat-out refused to partner with me.

I’m not a genius. I’m the kind of person who has to code until my wrists ache just to keep up. Now, because of this pregnancy, I might lose everything I’ve worked for.

But even so, I had never once regretted carrying his child.

There was so much I wanted to say, so much pain I wanted to voice, but the moment I opened my mouth, the tears started to fall.

Toby was already packing a bag, moving with a frantic urgency. He saw me crying and paused.

I thought he would come hold me, like he always did. Or at the very least, offer a word of comfort.

But all he said was a detached, “Drink some hot water when you’re done crying. I’m leaving.”

My nails dug into my palms.

My voice came out as a ragged whisper. “Are you really going? And you won’t regret this?”

Toby stared at me for a long, hard moment, then lowered his eyes. “Get some sleep.”

The front door clicked shut, leaving me alone in the vast, silent house.

My hand rested gently on my stomach. I cried for a long, long time. Then, I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, I’d like to inquire about a painless abortion.”