Best Friend Carries My Boyfriend's Baby

My boyfriend Ethan saved me from kidnappers, but afterward, he developed severe sleep disorders.

Every time he slept beside me, he would have panic attacks and convulsions throughout his body.

Desperate and anxious, I had no choice but to turn to my best friend Stella, who worked as a sleep therapist.

At first, the two of them were like oil and water, constantly at each other's throats.

"Luna, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't take this case for any amount of money." My best friend bit down on her cigarette, fuming.

Ethan sneered coldly. "Luna, if it weren't for you, I would never accept her treatment."

Three years passed, and his sleep disorder was finally almost cured.

Until a week before the wedding, I found out I was pregnant. I couldn't help wanting to interrupt the treatment to surprise them both.

But outside the door, I heard Stella's choked voice:

"I'm pregnant. I'll get rid of the baby."

"If you dare tell Luna about this, I will never forgive you."

"She loves you so much. You two need to live a good life together."

I froze in place.

After a long while, I finally heard Ethan's defeated voice:

"But I can't bear to let you go."

"Every time I see you, I can't help but want you."

"What am I supposed to do?"

I smiled bitterly and crumpled the pregnancy test report into a ball, tossing it into the trash.

That's easy to solve

That evening, I scheduled an abortion appointment for one week later.

Over the past three years, to avoid affecting Ethan's sleep therapy, I would always wait downstairs.

I'd wait until I was nearly dozing off, wait until Stella had gently lulled him to sleep, then she'd quietly come downstairs and scoop me up with concern:

"Luna, stop exhausting yourself waiting like this. No man is worth sacrificing your health for."

Back then, I would nestle in her arms, feeling completely safe.

Now, sitting on the sofa, looking at this home.

My heart grew cold inch by inch.

Back then, to make her comfortable, I had deliberately filled the home Ethan and I would share after marriage with things she liked, little by little.

Ethan had even gotten jealous:

"Babe, if you keep decorating like this, it's going to turn into Stella's home."

She had looked smug:

"Jealousy won't help you. Who told you Luna loves me most?"

Seeing them about to argue again, I had worried and mediated between them, finally coaxing them both into good moods.

I couldn't understand it.

How did things turn out like this?

It wasn't until late at night that Stella came downstairs quietly, wrapped in a trench coat, her eyes rimmed with red.

Seeing I was awake, her body stiffened slightly. She grabbed my ice-cold hand:

"Luna, why didn't you listen and go to bed early again?"

I opened my mouth but didn't know what to say.

She looked at me, unable to hold back a sob, though her eyes held some indescribable emotion:

"Look how cold your hands are. Ethan's a grown man, and I'm here. What are you afraid of?"

I instinctively wanted to nod and smile.

But from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the red marks on her neck, half-hidden by the trench coat.

My heart felt like it was being gouged out with a knife. I immediately lowered my eyes.

That's right.

Before I met Ethan in college, as long as she was there, I wasn't afraid of anything.

Growing up in an orphanage, I was thin and small. On the way to school, I couldn't avoid being bullied.

It was Stella with her purple-dyed hair who grabbed a stick and drove them all away.

I pulled out a few dollars I'd earned selling scrap and treated her to cake.

She squatted by the roadside, eating, and tears fell:

"Kid, in all my life, I've never received a gift before."

"From now on, your problems are my problems."

After that, she would boldly protect me on my way to and from school.

When she learned I'd almost been assaulted by the orphanage director, she went crazy and charged in with a knife, forcibly taking me away.

We huddled in the cheap rental apartment she'd found. Life was so hard, yet she still found ways to give me proper nutrition every day.

I washed dishes at a restaurant to save up tuition. Somehow she came back one night with a thick wad of cash, her body covered in bruises. But she just smiled, took my wet hands, and gently dried them:

"Our Luna is such a good student. You should be hanging high up in the sky like the moon. You can't end up like me."

Later, she hugged me and suddenly said she wanted to change her name.

"Luna, you're educated. I don't like the name Pandi. Help me think of a new one. Preferably one that makes people know we're sisters right away."

I thought about it all night, then told her: Stella.

She smiled, her eyes reddening as she nodded. "Luna and Stella. That's right, that's right."

"From now on, I'll be Stella. I'll always revolve around you. You can see me whenever you look up."

And then later, she got pregnant with my lover's child.

I looked up.

Stella was cupping my hands, breathing warm air into them.

Uncontrollable bitterness welled up in my heart.

I forced a relaxed smile:

"Of course. With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

So you don't need to be afraid either.

The two people I love most don't need to be afraid.

Because in one week, I'll be gone.

The next morning, clanging sounds came from outside the door.

I pushed open the door and looked out.

Ethan was wearing an apron, frantically busy in the kitchen.

I paused, looking at the eighth anniversary circled on the calendar.

For the past seven years, every year on this day, he would insist on cooking himself. Even though each time he burned everything beyond recognition, making it inedible, I would still rush to eat it all.

And he would look at me with red eyes, vowing that next time he'd definitely make me a successful dish.

I couldn't help but curve my lips into a smile, moving behind him:

"What delicious food are you making this time?"

Ethan jumped in fright, turning to look at me with a forced smile:

"Luna, did I wake you up? I'm so sorry."

I felt a bit dazed.

I didn't know when we'd become so polite and formal with each other.

Before I could speak, he frowned, his tone frustrated:

"Luna, I wanted to make the beef stew you taught me before, but I've ruined several batches already."

"Stella's been craving it for days..."

My smile froze.

The air fell into an awkward silence.

Ethan belatedly realized what he'd said. A flash of panic crossed his face, and he hurriedly explained:

"I've been having severe panic attacks these past few days. Stella stayed up with me for several all-nighters. And you've been focused on work, so I thought I'd make something to help her recover."

"After all, she's your precious treasure. I have to put in extra effort, right?"

I looked at how his shirt was soaked with sweat, and the corners of my mouth twitched.

If I'd heard these words from him before, I don't know how happy I would have been.

After all, one was my lifesaving lover, the other was the sister who raised me. Every year my birthday wish was for them to get along well.

Now it seemed my wish had really come true.

It's just that there seemed to be no place for me anymore.

I waved my hand dismissively, laughing it off:

"I'm just thankful you two aren't fighting. I'm beyond happy that you can put aside your differences and treat her well."

Perhaps my words were too sincere. Ethan's eyes actually reddened for a moment. He stood there, so guilty he didn't know what to say.

I smiled and stepped forward, taking the spatula from his hand:

"Watch me do it. You better remember well."

He paused for a moment, then smiled reflexively:

"Don't we have you, our master chef? If I don't understand something later, I can just ask you. Why would I, a cooking novice, need to remember everything in one go?"

The moment these slightly wheedling words left his mouth, even he stiffened, a trace of chagrin flashing across his face.

I ignored this subtle change and pretended to scold:

"Hey, there'll be times when I'm not around. If you learn more, one day you'll be able to do it independently."

He frowned, his lips moving slightly, as if he wanted to ask why I wouldn't be around.

In the end, he didn't speak up. He just nodded.

Then he picked up his phone and opened the notes app.

I quietly glanced at it

It was densely filled with Stella's likes and dislikes, so much that it was almost pushing down the notes about me.

I forced myself to stay calm and look away, but my heart felt like it was being pricked with needles, uncontrollably aching.

I could only keep consoling myself that this was good.

This way, after I left, they could take good care of each other.

Soon, I brought out a pot of fragrant, beautifully colored beef stew.

Before I could speak, Ethan had already rushed to Stella's door.

The moment his hand touched the doorknob, his peripheral vision caught me. He suddenly stopped, then immediately put on an impatient expression:

"Stella, has your nose stopped working? Get up already! If you're late, there won't be any beef stew left for you."

Stella came out with puffed cheeks, fuming, and immediately hooked her arm through mine.

"Luna, control that foul mouth of his. I'm really afraid I won't be able to stop myself from punching him one day."

Ethan immediately snorted coldly, but his eyes seemed glued to her, so tender and devoted:

"With Luna here, would you dare?"

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

The two started their daily bickering again, neither yielding to the other.

When Ethan and I first got together, Stella couldn't help frowning whenever she saw him.

Now it seemed more like flirtatious banter.

I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and covered my forehead helplessly. "Alright, if you keep arguing, the food will get cold."

Only then did Stella notice the apron Ethan was wearing. Her expression stiffened for a moment, then relaxed:

"Luna is still the best. Otherwise, what good could I ever get from him in this lifetime?"

Seeing the trace of disappointment flash through Ethan's eyes, I hurriedly smoothed things over. "That's not true. Ethan said you haven't been feeling well these past few days, so he specially made this for you. He even ruined several batches."

The moment the words left my mouth, her face changed dramatically, her tone growing heavy:

"It's your eighth anniversary with Luna. Why are you cooking for me?"

Ethan froze, then looked at me with guilt written all over his face:

"Luna, I... my brain is stupid. I forgot. I'll go make you a separate dish right now!"

I pulled at the corners of my mouth, smiling with difficulty.

How could a top university scholar be stupid?

It's just that a person's heart is only so big. It can't hold two people.

Seeing him turn to go back into the kitchen, I quickly spoke up:

"No need to go through all that trouble. I want to eat out today."

"Can we go to the restaurant where we first met?"

Ethan's form paused slightly. He smiled and nodded:

"Of course. We can go wherever you want, Luna."

Stella's expression stiffened slightly, but she also smiled:

"That's more like it. You two better not come back until you've had a great time today."

Ethan frowned slightly:

"Aren't you coming with us?"

I was about to agree when Stella shook her head, smiling as she pushed us toward the door:

"In just one more week you'll be married. I'm not going to stay and be a third wheel. I've already found a place. I'll move there this afternoon."

She paused.

"Brat, after I'm gone, you better take good care of my Luna. Otherwise, I won't let you off easy."

I wanted to say something, but from the corner of my eye, I caught Ethan secretly squeezing her hand, then finally releasing it helplessly.

I quickly turned my face away, forcing back the sourness in my nose, and grinned foolishly:

"Don't worry."

Soon enough, I'll be leaving this place forever.

And you two can love each other for a lifetime without any worries.

At the restaurant, Ethan naturally pulled out a chair for me and ordered many dishes I loved.

We sat facing each other, just like when we were madly in love.

Except his gaze no longer lingered on me. He kept glancing at the phone on the table.

"Ethan, do you still remember the first time we met?" I asked softly.

He paused, then nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Three years ago you proposed to me here too. Though Stella was cursing up a storm at the time, she was still wiping away tears while recording video for us."

At the mention of her, his handsome features couldn't help but fill with affection:

"I never thought someone like her would actually cry. It was really rare."

Memories vividly surfaced. The corners of my mouth unconsciously curved up, and I instinctively reached for the ring on my ring finger.

My gaze fell on his handempty.

Ethan became aware of my stare. His expression froze slightly, and he smiled with difficulty:

"I was afraid of losing the ring, so I put it away carefully. I'll put it back on when we get home."

I lowered my eyes and nodded.

The conversation died again. I could only talk by myself about our journey from first meeting to falling in love to getting engagedall the hardships, all the unforgettable moments.

At first Ethan would still smile, but the more he listened, the lower his head hung.

After a long while, his voice choked:

"Yeah, we've come such a difficult road."

My chest felt tight. I nodded.

But if it was so difficult, why would you easily change your heart?

The second half of the meal, he ate very quietly. My favorite dishes became tasteless.

It seemed that as long as I didn't actively find topics, we had nothing left to say.

After the meal, we walked to the riverside park. Ethan suddenly stopped, hesitating:

"Luna, Stella doesn't know anyone here. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to let her move out and live alone?"

I paused, my tone forced to sound casual. "Then what do you want to do? Have her stay?"

"Can I?!" His voice suddenly rose, hope igniting in his eyes.

I looked into those eyes. My chest felt like a boulder was pressing down on it, so stuffy I couldn't speak.

The air grew scorching with my silence.

He waited a few seconds. The light in his eyes dimmed bit by bit.

When he spoke again, his tone had grown cold:

"Luna, she came here because of you. Haven't you always said she's your best friend, even like a sister?"

"The house is so big. It's not like there's no room for her."

I fell silent for a moment, then forced out a smile:

"Of course she can stay. Just promise me you two won't bicker anymore if she stays."

Ethan's face lit up with joy. He almost immediately turned and got in the car, gripping the steering wheel:

"Then let's go pick her up and bring her home right now! She'll be so happy when she finds out this good news!"

I took a deep breath and smiled, shaking my head:

"You go. The company has something urgent. I need to go check on it."

Before I'd even finished speaking, he'd already hit the gas and driven off.

I turned and went to the company, quickly completing the paperwork for a permanent transfer to Switzerland.

My supervisor said in surprise:

"Luna, I remember you said you were getting married, which is why you kept refusing the overseas assignment?"

I smiled and shook my head:

"I'm not getting married anymore."

Perhaps the baby in my belly also sensed that neither of his blood-related parents wanted him. Suddenly there was a sharp pain.

My face turned pale. I clutched my stomach tightly. Just as I was about to hail a car to the hospital, I suddenly collapsed to the ground.

I pulled out my phone wanting to call Ethan for help, but he called first, shouting anxiously:

"Luna! Stella didn't leave a new address and her phone keeps going to voicemail. Something must have happened to her! Send me the address quickly!"

My heart jumped. Enduring the wrenching pain, I sent him the address.

Just as I was about to ask him to call an ambulance for me

The phone went to a busy signal.

Intense pain struck. I completely lost consciousness.