The Wedding Gift Was My Abortion Report
Grinning, I turned to Dean Kinsley, the man Id lived with for exactly five years, and asked, So, if we ever break up, are we going to split all the assets?
Dean, who usually couldnt stand the mention of a breakup, looked at me with chilling composure.
"Strictly speaking, what I'm spending on you right now is marital property belonging to me and your best friend. If were going to talk division, you'll walk away with nothing and probably owe me."
Seeing my stunned silence, he pulled out a marriage certificate and sighed, a gesture of weary patience.
"The truth is, Serena and I signed the papers two days ago. You know about her extreme phobiathe one where she's averse to men? She's only immune to me. Her family is pushing her hard to get married. Were doing the wedding tomorrow, and then Ill file for divorce immediately. You are the one I want to be my wife."
"Its just a piece of paper, Sum. For the sake of your best friend, you wont make a big deal out of this, right?"
I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I simply nodded.
And then I quietly booked an appointment for a termination the next morning.
Five years of love wasnt worth a single request for help. This love was over.
1
"I swear to you, Im only helping her out. You are the person I love the most, the person I want to marry!"
"I know I shouldnt have kept it from you. But her parents are literally threatening to cut her off. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."
His words slammed into me like a thunderclap. He married my best friend to help her out.
Then what was the point of all the times Id brought up marriage, only to have him deflect, joke, or sidestep the issue?
Last year, when my mother was in the ICU, her dying wish was to see me married. I begged him, and he told me he wasn't ready, that he didn't want to rush such a lifelong commitment, and he wanted our wedding to be perfect, not tainted by urgency or sadness.
Three months ago, a relative saw me leaving my OB-GYN and gossiped to my father that I was going for "checkups" before marriageshameful, indecent. My dad beat me so badly I spat up blood and told me hed disown me if I didn't get married. Dean told me marriage was too important to be rushed by external pressures. He swore he would be my family forever, even if my father abandoned me.
Even last week, when I felt sick, the doctor told me I was at risk for a miscarriage and needed to rest. I joked that we needed to get married before I passed my prime childbearing years. He replied that not having children was fine, too; he didn't want me to risk my health. I genuinely believed he was looking out for me.
But two days ago, I was doubled over in pain, about to tell him I was pregnant. Thats when Serena called. She just casually complained that her parents were going to kill her if she didn't get married soon. Dean didn't hesitate. He threw on his jacket, told me curtly to go to the emergency room if I felt worse, and rushed out to marry her.
I stared at the marriage certificate on the coffee tablethe certificate Id begged for for a yearnow bearing his and someone else's smiling faces. Tears I couldn't control streamed down my face.
Guilt flashed in his eyes. He reached for a tissue to wipe my tears, just as my phone rang.
It was Serena.
My hands were shaking. I couldn't process any of it. I moved to hang up, but Dean snatched the phone, a frown creasing his brow.
"Don't hang up. Shell overthink it, and I dont want her to feel guilty or burdened over something this small."
He quickly answered the call and pressed the phone back into my hand.
I was stunned.
In the past, his philosophy was that my feelings were paramount. If I was even slightly unhappy, hed sit with meno matter what I didjust so I wouldn't bottle up my emotions.
"Sum, you... why aren't you saying anything? Are you still mad at me? Im so sorry, I know I shouldnt be so selfish, but youre my best friend..."
Dean abruptly pushed my arm and took the phone back. His voice was instantly warm and gentle.
"No, shes just a little surprised. Dont worry, Im taking her to try on bridesmaid dresses in a minute."
He hung up and began rubbing my stiff, numb hands.
"There. Whole charade. I know youre upset, but after tomorrow, I promise everything goes back to normal, okay?"
He grabbed my wrist and dragged my lifeless body to a high-end bridal boutique, a place you needed to book at least a year in advance.
Serena stood before us, wearing the wedding dress Dean had designed for me two years ago.
2
"You finally came! I thought you were angry and wouldnt show up. Quick, tell me, dont I look beautiful?"
My heart clenched, again and again.
That dressthe style, the fabric, the meaning behind itwas everything I had ever wanted. I had maintained my weight and figure to fit into it perfectly. Dean had told me he would only pick up his pen again to design a gown for the woman he loved the most. I had dreamed of the moment I would wear it and walk toward him.
I had even told Serena how much this dress meant to me. Yet, here she was, wearing it right in front of me.
Before I could speak, Dean's gaze swept over her, full of admiration.
"Stunning! The alterations are perfect. It fits you like a glove."
A sudden, sharp pain flared in my chest. I fought back tears and looked at him.
He offered a helpless shrug. "She really loves this one. It's just a dress. You two are practically sisters; dont be petty about it. Well have it altered back afterward."
Serena gave me a pained, apologetic look. "Sum, if you mind, its fine. I don't need it. I already asked you..."
Dean placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "My bride, my call."
Serena smiled playfully and looped her arm through his. "Will you help me choose the accessories? Sum won't mind, will she?"
Watching their easy intimacy, all the minor, nagging details I had suppressed over the years surfaced, like shards of glass. At a party, hed casually cover for her, saying, "Shes on her period," and drank her share of cocktails. While shopping, a single, embarrassed glance from her was enough for him to pull a maxi pad out of his pocket.
Id always told myself he was trying to make a good impression on my best friend. Now I knew he wasn't just showing 'friends-of-my-love' affection. His heart had simply drifted off course.
A torrent of hurt, fury, and betrayal welled up, and tears began to fall. I didn't want to make a scene here. I took a deep breath and started to leave.
Just as I turned, I heard Serena call out.
"Oh, Sum! That heirloom jade bangle of yours would go perfectly with this dress. Can I borrow it?"
My hand instinctively tightened around the cool, smooth stone on my wrist. This was the bracelet my mother had placed on my hand just before she died last year. She said I had to wear it on my wedding day so it would feel like she was walking beside me.
I looked down at the soft glow of the jade. My voice was raspy. "I cant lend this. My mother gave it to me. They have plenty of suitable accessories here."
Serena sighed, visibly deflated. "Oh, well. That's a real shame."
As she spoke, a vice-like grip clamped down on my hand. Dean leaned down and awkwardly tried to yank the bracelet off my wrist.
"Its just a bracelet. Your aunt didn't just leave you one thing, did she?"
"Besides, if Serena hadn't pulled you out of that situation with that predator three years ago, would you even be here today? Aunt Clara saw her as a daughterits just a bracelet. She deserves it. Dont you dare forget who saved you, Sum. Ungrateful people tend to repeat their mistakes!"
The jade ground against my bone, agonizingly painful. But his flippant words tore my heart open. The man I loved most was peeling back the scar tissue and stabbing a deeper wound into the original injury.
He used to endlessly regret not being there to protect me that night. Now, he was wishing Id repeat my mistakes.
Slap!
He froze, clutching his cheek, looking at me.
My eyes were blazing red.
"Do you know what youre saying? You know exactly why that happenedbecause you ditched me to go drinking! I called you a dozen times, and you answered none of them! That's why it happened!"
"And you know this bracelet was put on my wrist by my mother. Now, because of her little sigh, you want to strip me of the most important thing I have left?"
The anger in his eyes was replaced by a look of crushing guilt. He looked at my wrist, rubbed raw by the jade, his face contorted in a mix of pain and conflict.
Serena rushed over, gazing at Dean with feigned distress. "Sum, it's my fault. Please, dont fight because of me. You shouldnt have grabbed her hand like that."
Her words were like a constant, needling jab, suggesting my value in Dean's eyes was rapidly diminishing. I swallowed the lump in my throat and readjusted the bangle on my wrist.
"You two go ahead and try things on. I dont feel well. Im leaving."
3
With that, I turned to walk away.
But before I could take a step, a searing smack across the face sent my head spinning.
"You little tramp! Who gave you permission to bully my nephew-in-law?"
"You keep crossing the line just because my niece is your friend. You like being the side piece, dont you?"
A large woman I didn't recognize grabbed my collar. Before I could react, her hand swung back and struck my face again.
"Speak up! My niece and nephew-in-law tolerate you, but I wont!"
Dean stepped forward to intervene, but she shoved him away.
"What are you doing? Your wife is standing right here! Why are you defending this little tramp?"
I watched him take a staggering step back, his guilty eyes sweeping over me. My heart hit the floor.
Clutching my stinging cheek, I glared at him. "Dean Kinsley! Are you just going to stand there and watch me get hit?"
He hesitated, about to speak. The next moment, Serena lightly wrapped her hand around his arm, leaving him completely helpless.
"Sum... I'm getting married tomorrow. You need to keep your distance and manage your expectations."
His dry, flat words cemented my identity as the other woman. Tears burned as they streamed down my throbbing cheek.
The woman raised her hand again. I shoved her away, pulled out my phone, and opened my photo gallery.
"Look closely! These are pictures of us! We are..."
Smash.
The phone was knocked out of my hand and shattered on the floor, the screen instantly black. Dean was agitated and furious, glaring at me. He swung his hand without hesitation.
"Enough! If you're not here to give your sincere blessing, then get out! Don't ruin things before our wedding! If it werent for Serena, I wouldnt even give you the time of day! Stop now!"
I stumbled backward, my lower abdomen slamming into the door handle, the spot where the bangle sat hitting the metal. The weight on my wrist instantly vanished.
I stared at the shattered pieces of jade on the ground. A cold, empty feeling washed over me, as if my last tangible connection to my mother had been severed.
"No... Mom, don't... don't leave me."
A flicker of distress crossed Deans face. He started to bend down to pick up the pieces, but Serena clutched her leg and cried out in pain. A trickle of blood began to seep between her fingers.
Dean panicked. He swept her up in his arms and sprinted for the door. His urgent steps knocked me over. The shattered jade cut into my palm.
And it sliced my heart in two.
He paused for only a split second before leaving without a backward glance.
The older woman sneered and kicked the scattered shards of jade across the floor. "The little bastard thinks she can steal my niece's man! Pfft!"
Under the scornful gaze of everyone present, I was shoved out the door.
In the freezing snow, I endured the sharp, stabbing pain in my lower abdomen. I clawed through the icy dirt and slush, eventually retrieving the last fragmented piece of the bangle.
Clutching the remnants, I disappeared into the night, step by agonizing step. The warm, viscous liquid pooling on my inner thigh turned icy cold. I felt the life that shouldn't have beenthe life Dean had indirectly stolenslip away.
And with it, five years of my life with Dean.
I woke up in a hospital room. The acrid smell of disinfectant stung my nose. A nurse beside me gasped.
"She's awake! Shes awake!"
"Where is your family? Your pregnancy was unstablewhy were you running around in this weather?"
"And your phone was broken! We were so worried!"
I touched my flat, empty stomach. My voice was a raw whisper. "The baby? Is it gone?"
She sighed. "You're young, and your health is good. You can try again later."
She handed me a small box and a blurred ultrasound image, then quietly turned and left.
Staring at the tiny, blurry bud of life resting in the cold container, I felt as though my core had been hollowed out. Why did everything I cherished, everything I carefully protected, have to be taken from me?
The doctor checked on me periodically. Seeing my quiet sobs, she stressed the need for rest. I borrowed her phone and ordered a new one. After transferring my old SIM card and paying her back, the constant ping of new notifications began.
Most were from Dean.
[I told you to wait it out. It would all be over tomorrow. Why did you have to make a scene?]
[It wouldve been better if you just gave her the bracelet; then it wouldn't have shattered.]
[Whatever. We can get it repaired later.]
[Oh, and make sure you have a wedding gift ready tomorrow as an apology.]
4
[If Serena and I hadn't smoothed things over, her family would have plastered your mistress status all over social media. Pick something expensive, apologize, and don't cause any more drama!]
[Does your face still hurt? Learn a lesson from this. Don't be so impulsive in the future!]
[I'm not coming back tonight. Pack your things up in the apartment. Her family needs to see the place tomorrow, and we cant have any slip-ups.]
I let out a hollow laugh, staring at the frigid, heartless words.
He was the one who promised me a home. Now he was ordering me out of it.
He was the one who cried over a tiny burn I got while cooking. Now he slapped me and told me I deserved it, that I needed to "learn a lesson."
I laughed until the tears started again. They dripped onto the screen.
The phone lit up. This time, it wasn't Dean; it was Serena.
[You can see he cares about me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have married me in a day when you couldn't get him to commit in five years.]
[It's awful to say this, and I know it's unfair to you after five years, but thats just how love is. People get bored.]
[A person's value is in their self-awareness. Some mistakes don't need correcting. If you really love him, then let him be happy.]
[Consider it repaying my life-saving kindness to you.]
Tears blurred my vision. Seeing their new profile picturesa matching couples setleft a taste of bitter acid in my mouth. I clicked on social media, where videos celebrating Deans wedding were already circulating.
I sighed deeply. Maybe this was just fate. If that night three years ago hadn't happened, perhaps none of this would have unfolded.
I slowly made my way home to pack.
When the elevator stopped on the surgery floor, two familiar-looking girls stepped in.
"Oh my god, I can't believe she actually pulled it off. Three years, lying in wait next to that poor girl, just to steal her boyfriend. That's next level."
"Seriously! You have no idea how twisted she is. She staked out their party, hired some guys to pull the boyfriend away, and then got thugs to corner the girl in the alley. When the timing was perfect, she pretended to just 'stumble upon' the scene and rescue her. Became her best friend naturally! Shes been eating food shes supposedly allergic to for three years to fake that men-aversion thing, just to chip away at them."
"Holy hell! Thats insane! That other girl is seriously unlucky!"
"Shh! Quiet down. We don't want anyone hearing."
Ding. The elevator reached the first floor.
Watching their backs disappear, a wave of cold nausea washed over me.
I shakily unlocked my phone and looked at the picture Serena had posted just moments ago, showing friends visiting her in the hospital. In the picture, besides Deans attentive figure, two girls were wearing the exact same outfits as the ones who had just left the elevator.
My entire rescue, my salvation, had been her calculated scheme.
I wiped my tears and went to the surveillance office. Citing a lost item, I reviewed the elevator footage and recorded the audio and video.
Next, I filed a police report for intentional harm.
I would give them a wedding gift they would never forget.
The next day, at the wedding.
A subtle feeling of dread lingered in Dean Kinsley's heart. Especially when he saw Serena Meyer's radiant, smiling face. For a fleeting second, he regretted everything. This day was supposed to be his and Summer's.
"Do you, the groom, take this beautiful woman to be your wife?"
He hesitated. Serenas eyes, full of gentle supplication, were fixed on him.
Whatever, he thought. Just a bad dream.
He parted his lips. The word "I" hadnt even left his throat.
CRASH.
The doors to the ballroom burst open.
It wasn't the figure he secretly yearned for.
The crowd buzzed, but no one dared stop the commotion. Under the watchful eyes of two uniformed officers, a delivery man handed a small box to Dean.
"This is a wedding gift from Ms. Summer Weston."
Serena looked panicked, urging him to open it after the ceremony. But the dread in Deans heart had finally found its anchor. He trembled as he lifted the lid.
Inside were two items.
An ultrasound image of a five-week-old fetus.
And a medical diagnostic report bearing Serena Meyer's name, which read:
[Diagnosis: Patient exhibits no symptoms of androgen-related phobia or aversion to the male hormone.]
First, search for and download the MotoNovel app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "315494" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
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