[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260313014099-55":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},55,7,"Chapter 7: The Last Thing I Heard","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jesse’s anxious eyes met mine as I sat up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope, you… you should rest a bit longer.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I waved him off and asked the question that was burning in my gut, “Did I lose the baby?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jesse looked away, unable to meet my gaze. “You can have another child, Penelope. Don’t be too upset. Focus on recovering your strength. The doctor said you’re still very weak…”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His words “you can have another child” were the last thing I heard before the world went fuzzy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A wave of dizziness washed over me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I’d known all along this baby was a goner.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Lying to Archer about the abortion? That was just part of my plan to not keep it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I just never imagined Archer would be the reason it all went sideways.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">During my last prenatal check-up, the doctor warned me my emotions had been too volatile, my body too weak.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Miscarriage risk was sky-high if I wasn’t careful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The first trimester is basically a fetus’s survival mode. And guess what I discovered during that critical window? Archer’s affair. How could I possibly protect that little one?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That day, I called Archer as soon as I left the clinic. No answer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When I got home that evening, a single strand of a woman’s hair was clinging to his black suit jacket, reeking of some sickly-sweet perfume.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and reached for Jesse. “Phone.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Oh,” Jesse said, fumbling and handing me his.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I called the family driver, but it wasn't him who showed up. It was my parents, and Archer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Archer said you ran off in the middle of the night and wouldn't let him follow you. It’s so dangerous, Penelope, especially when you’re pregnant…” My mother’s voice, laced with that familiar worry, filled the car.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I dodged Archer’s attempt to help me and let Jesse usher me to the family car instead.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer hesitated, then hopped into his own car.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I closed my eyes the second I was seated.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing my state, my parents wisely kept their questions to themselves.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When we pulled up to the house, Archer was already there, hand outstretched again, ready to help me out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I just stayed put, refusing to budge.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My mother, sensing the toxic vibe between us, put my health first and told Archer to go inside.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My plan was to bolt straight upstairs and ghost Archer, but he wouldn’t have it. He gestured for my mother to help me to the sofa.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thinking of the baby I’d lost, a chilling calm settled over me. Fine, I thought, my expression blank. Let’s get this over with.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once I was settled on the sofa, Mom sent the housekeeper for coffee and a blanket.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My face was stone. Archer stood to the side, looking awkward and totally ignored.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After a bit of fussing, Mom finally sat down. “What happened? Why were you at the hospital? Are you feeling unwell? You really need to be careful when you’re pregnant…”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“The baby is gone,” I stated, my voice unnervingly calm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“…What?” My parents echoed, completely blindsided.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“How could the baby just be gone? What on earth happened yesterday?” My father’s voice was already tinged with anger.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My expression remained deadpan. I glanced at Archer, who was hovering a few feet away, and gave him a subtle nod. Your turn.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Dad, please don’t blame Penelope. It’s my fault. Penelope has had some misunderstandings about me lately. She wouldn’t listen to my explanations, we argued, and she… she went behind my back and terminated the pregnancy…”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer spoke with practiced care, every word chosen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I almost snorted. This, I thought, is what they call ‘spin.’ Two years of running a company has definitely buffed him up from the clueless boy he used to be. On the surface, he was taking the blame. But each sentence subtly framed me as the unreasonable one.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My father, ever the man of action, was about to unleash his fury on me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thank God, I quickly retrieved the medical report from my coat pocket and slid it onto the table.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272931490]