I Left My Pregnant Fiancée Behind

On the day I was finally recognized as the true heir to the Dwight fortune, the imposterthe boy who had lived my life for twenty yearslooked at me with tear-rimmed eyes and offered to give back his engagement.

I thought of my girlfriend, who had just told me she was pregnant, and quietly declined. "No need. My heart already belongs to someone else."

The moment the words left my mouth, a series of glowing, translucent lines drifted across my vision.

[Lmao, look at this bitter second-lead acting so noble. Hes going to regret this the second he sees the female lead.]

[Too bad shes still going to choose the adopted brother anyway. Cue the pathetic stalking phase.]

[Codys going to be driven to a suicide attempt, and this guy will end up hated by the family, despised by his ex, and dying a miserable, lonely death. Absolute clown.]

I lowered my eyes, a cold wave of absurdity washing over me. Stalking a strange woman? I had my own life. I had the woman I loved.

Just then, soft footsteps echoed behind me.

Cody wiped his tears, quickening his pace to meet the newcomer. "Margot, this is my brother... Wyatt. The engagement... it should have been his all along."

I turned around, and my heart stopped. I was staring into a pair of agonizingly familiar eyes.

It was Margot. The woman who had funded my life for five years, the woman currently carrying my child.

1.

When Margot saw me, a flash of pure panic crossed her features. But it was gone in a heartbeat.

She masked it immediately, adopting a polite, distant expression. "Mr. Dwight," she said, her voice cool and detached. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Then she reached out, gently smoothing her hand over Cody's. Her tone was soft but unyielding. "Don't talk nonsense, Cody. Our engagement was decided a long time ago. Nothing is going to change that."

In the air before me, the text feed exploded.

[Here it comes! He's going to play the victim, expose their secret affair, and force her hand!]

[Hes totally going to use the pregnancy to blackmail her and steal the engagement!]

I took a slow, deep breath, pulling my gaze away from her. "Nice to meet you, Miss Crestwood," I said quietly.

The text paused for a second.

[Wait... that's it? Why isn't he throwing a tantrum?]

[He's just acting. Let's see how long he can keep up the charade.]

[Oh, I get it. Reverse psychology! Playing hard to get.]

Margot clearly hadn't anticipated this response. She shot me a lingering look, a mix of warning and quiet calculation.

My biological mother, Lydia, seized the moment. "You mentioned you had someone you loved, Wyatt? How serious is it?"

All eyes fell back on me. I looked at Margot. Her expression was perfectly composed, but I noticed her clenched fists trembling slightly at her sides.

I looked up, meeting their expectant stares, and let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Serious enough that... she had to go home for an arranged marriage. So, I got dumped."

The living room fell into a suffocating silence. Lydias face contorted as if she had swallowed a fly. My father, Richard, cleared his throat and awkwardly shifted his gaze. Margot's face drained of color, turning visibly rigid.

Cody eagerly pressed, "So... you really don't want the engagement, Wyatt?"

"I don't," I replied, my voice clipping short and clean. There was no hesitation, no lingering affection. "Since you two are so deeply in love, the arrangement is yours."

The text rolled again:

[Keep faking it! Hes definitely going to corner her in private and cry like a baby.]

My biological parents visibly relaxed.

Lydia stood up. "Wyatt, let me show you to your room. Cody isn't well; he shouldn't be sitting up for too long."

My room was at the very end of the hallway. When she pushed the door open, I was greeted by a cramped, drafty space. It had a shared bathroom down the hall, and its north-facing window let in absolutely no sunlight.

Lydia's voice was dismissive. "You'll have to make do with this for now. Cody's been in his room for twenty yearshe's used to it, and it wouldn't be fair to make him move. You're the older brother, so be understanding."

Richard followed her, lingering in the doorway to add, "Cody has always been delicate, and he's highly sensitive. Make sure you yield to him. We need harmony in this family."

I stared at the room, which was smaller than the master bathroom Cody likely enjoyed. I nodded. "Understood."

A few minutes after they left, there was a soft knock. Margot stood in the doorway, her voice a sharp whisper. "Wyatt, watch your mouth. The last five years were nothing but a transaction. I felt sorry for you, so I threw you a bone."

"Cody is the man I am marrying. As for the baby in my womb, he will call Cody 'Dad.' You'd better learn your place."

I stared at her stomach. Only an hour ago, I had foolishly believed that being recognized by the Dwights would finally bridge the class divide between us. I thought I could finally stand beside her in the light.

It turned out to be nothing but a pathetic illusion.

Pushing down the bitter ache rising in my chest, I looked her in the eyes. "Margot, we're done."

She froze, completely stunned. I closed the door in her face and didn't look back.

2.

But Margot was clearly infuriated by my finality. She shoved her hand against the door to keep it open, but before she could speak, footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Cody appeared, carrying a fruit platter. The moment he saw us alone, his eyes welled with tears. "Wyatt... are you still angry at me for taking the engagement?" He let out a trembling sob. "I really didn't mean to... If you love Margot, I... I can step aside..."

Lydia rushed over at the sound of his voice. Seeing the scene, her brow furrowed in deep disgust. "Wyatt! You just got back and you're already tearing this family apart? Cody is fragilehe can't handle this kind of stress!"

"How can you be so shameless? Creeping around your brothers fiance in the middle of the night?"

[Ooh! Caught red-handed! I bet hes going to expose her pregnancy right now to force her hand!]

[Classic victim-blaming. He's going to lose his mind and start screaming any second.]

"I didn't," I said, my voice entirely flat, devoid of any emotion. "If there's nothing else, I'd like to sleep."

Without giving them another glance, I shut the door.

Through the thin wood, I could hear Lydia comforting Cody. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Mom will make it right..."

[Wait, why didn't he scream?]

[He's playing the long game! His tactics have leveled up!]

The comments kept rolling, but I had already stopped caring.

My phone buzzed. It was a wire transfer from Margota massive sum.

Then came a text: Keep your mouth shut about the past. Do it out of respect for everything Ive done for you.

I stared at the screen, letting out a bitter laugh.

Yes. She had done a lot for me.

Five years ago, the grandmother who raised me fell gravely ill right after I finished high school. On the day my university acceptance letter arrived, I was working late at a high-end private club. I was short thousands of dollars for her medical bills, and I had already decided to forfeit my education.

That night, a group of wealthy older women cornered me in a VIP lounge. They poured whiskey over my head, tearing at my collar. I fought back, but my voice was caught in my throat.

Then Margot kicked the door open. Her bodyguards cleared the room, and she wrapped her designer coat around my shivering, half-clad body.

She didn't ask questions. She only asked, "Do you need money?"

I had nodded, my tears thick with humiliation.

She handed me a card. "Take it. Pay your bills, go to school, and never step foot in a place like this again."

She saved me. She gave my grandmother a fighting chance, and she paved a completely different path for my life. Afterward, she quietly funded my tuition, visiting me whenever she could. Eventually, on a rainy night, she stayed over at my tiny apartment.

Everything had felt so natural.

Before my grandmother passed, she held Margot's hand. "Please look after Wyatt," she whispered.

Margot had nodded. And I had believed her.

Five years. From eighteen to twenty-three, I gave her the absolute best years of my youth. I learned to run her household, memorized every single preference she had, sat in quiet companionship when she was exhausted, and spoke words of comfort whenever she needed them. I even learned to appreciate fine wine, read financial statements, and decipher the coded jargon of her elite social circle.

She told me her family demanded a match of equal status, so she asked me to wait. To wait until she had enough power to make her own decisions, to go public with us, to marry me. Just yesterday, she told me she was pregnant. Before we could even process the news, the Dwights tracked me down.

I had thought the universe was finally giving us a chance. I thought we were finally equals.

But she told me she was marrying Cody. A boy who wasn't even a Dwight by blood anymore. A boy who was no longer her equal.

My vision blurred. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I pulled up my email inbox. There was an unread message from three days agoan acceptance offer for a Master's program at the Royal College of Art in London.

I clicked Accept.

Margot, the baby, and those five ridiculous yearsI didn't want any of it anymore.

[Wait, what is he looking at? Is that a foreign website?]

[Who cares, probably plotting his next move to stalk her.]

[Can't wait for the drama to unfold!]

I locked my phone screen. The black glass reflected the hollow outline of my face.

3.

At breakfast the next morning, Cody approached me with a bowl of seafood chowder, his smile saccharine and innocent. "I made this, Wyatt. You should try some, it's really good."

"No, thank you," I replied politely.

He insisted on stepping closer, and then, his foot suddenly slipped.

The scalding liquid poured directly onto my lap. The porcelain bowl shattered against the floor. Sharp pain flared across my skin, leaving angry red welts. I hissed, gritting my teeth.

Instantly, Codys eyes flooded with tears. "I'm so sorry, Wyatt! I didn't mean to, I swear..."

Lydia was the first to speak, her tone dripping with annoyance. "Why didn't you catch it? Why were you just sitting there?"

Richard frowned. "So incredibly slow and awkward."

[Here we go! He's going to use this to make a scene!]

[He totally dodged it on purpose to make Cody look bad. So manipulative.]

[Serves him right! That's what you get for hitting on Margot!]

Just then, Margot walked through the front door. Cody immediately threw his arms around her, buried his face in her neck, and let out a soft, wounded whimper.

Margots eyes filled with fierce protectiveness. She patted his back gently, then turned a freezing glare toward me. "Cody was only trying to be nice, Wyatt. Why do you always have to act so miserable?"

I looked past her, fixing my eyes on Richard and Lydia. "Mr. Dwight, Mrs. Dwight. Did I spill the soup?"

They fell silent, unable to argue, but Richard simply waved his hand dismissively. "The point is that your brother was startled. That's what matters."

To "comfort" Cody, Richard made an announcement right then and there. "The boutique consulting branch I planned to have Wyatt manage... we'll hand it over to Cody instead."

Margot nodded in agreement. "I'll throw in a few corporate clients of my own as an engagement gift for Cody."

"Whatever you want," I said quietly.

[Wait, why isn't he putting up a fight? This is weird...]

Back in my room, another transfer notification popped up from Margot. Along with it, a text: Stop taking your frustrations out on Cody.

I accepted the money. Then, with slow, deliberate fingers, I typed out a single line and hit send.

Margot, did you forget that I'm severely allergic to seafood?

The chat went dead silent.

A long time passed before another massive wire transfer cleared.

I smirked, accepting every single dime. Why shouldn't I? It was the least she owed mepenance for five years of my life and the price of my silence.

Outside my window, the sound of an engine revved, followed by Codys loud, carefree laughter. I assumed Margot had taken him out to cheer him up. It wasn't until dusk that they finally returned.

A few minutes later, Cody burst into my room, painting in mock panic. "Wyatt! My limited-edition watch is gone! It was the engagement gift Margot got me..."

He held up his phone, showing me a photo of the piece.

My chest tightened. I recognized that watch instantly.

A year ago, Margot had taken me to a private charity auction and told me to pick my favorite item from the catalog. I had chosen this exact watch. She bid aggressively, paying an exorbitant price to win it. I waited for weeks, expecting her to present it to me, but she never did.

When I finally built up the courage to ask, she had casually shrugged. "I gave it to my cousin."

It turned out, from the very beginning, it was always meant for Cody.

[Look at his guilty face! He definitely stole it!]

[Search his room!]

Margot gave me a hard, unforgiving look. "Wyatt. You were the only one home all day. Just give it back."

"I didn't take it."

Lydia hurried in, her voice strained. "We aren't accusing you, Wyatt. We're just asking if you saw it."

"Yeah, Wyatt," Cody whispered. "It's extremely expensive..."

The implication was loud and clear. They were calling me a thief to my face.

Margot stared at me, her dark eyes filled with a heavy, disappointing judgment. That look pricked me like a needle, leaving a tiny, dull ache.

Suddenly, an overwhelming exhaustion settled into my bones. I didn't even have the energy to argue.

"Ive been in my room all day. I haven't left once. If you don't believe me, check the security cameras." I met Margot's gaze directly. "There are cameras in the hallway and the main foyer."

Margot's expression faltered. Cody's face stuck in an instant.

"Oh, let's not get carried away with cameras. We're family..." Lydia tried to placate everyone.

Right then, the housekeeper hurried down the hall, holding the watch. "Master Cody! It was caught in the crevice behind your nightstand. I found it while dusting."

The room went completely quiet.

[Wait, it actually was a misunderstanding?]

[Looking at him, he doesn't seem interested in fighting back at all... This is getting weird.]

The comments thinned out, showing the first hints of doubt.

Margot's expression was frozen. She quietly sent another wire transfer with a brief note: My mistake.

I accepted it.

Once they cleared out, I opened my phone and pulled up flight schedules to London.

[What is he doing? I can't see his screen...]

[Who cares, probably plotting another scheme.]

I locked my phone, pulled the blanket over my head, and finally closed my eyes.

4.

The Dwights spared no expense for Cody's birthday gala. The guest list included the citys entire high society. Lydia had practically ordered me to attend. "If you aren't there, what will people think of us? They'll say we're hiding our own flesh and blood."

At the gala, Cody stood at the podium, giving a tearful speech thanking the Dwights for twenty years of unconditional love.

The crowd murmured with adoration. "Such a sweet, grateful boy. He's closer to them than any biological child could be."

A few guests glanced toward the dim corner where I sat, whispering behind their champagne flutes.

"Is that the real son? Why does he look like a statue?"

"Raised on the streets. He simply lacks the breeding for a room like this."

Margot stayed by Codys side the entire night, gently dabbing away his tears and holding the microphone for him with a soft, adoring smile.

I sat alone, my wine untouched. The roaring chatter of the crowd pressed against my temples like rising water. I couldn't breathe.

Slipping away early, I walked back to my room.

But when I pushed the door open, I froze.

My desk had been completely ransacked. The drawers were pulled out, their contents spilled onto the floor.

My heart hammered in my chest. I rushed to the nightstand.

My grandmothers jade pendantthe only physical piece of her I had leftwas gone.

I ran back to the ballroom.

In the middle of the crowd, Cody was holding up a raw green jade pendant, turning it under the crystal chandeliers.

He laughed, speaking to his friends. "My brother lent it to me for the night. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Give it back," I said, stepping into his circle. My voice was quiet, but it vibrated with a sudden, dangerous edge.

Cody gasped, startled, and his fingers slipped.

The pendant hit the polished marble floor.

With a sharp, sickening crack, it shattered into pieces.

The entire ballroom fell dead silent.

Tears welled in Cody's eyes instantly. "Wyatt... I'm so sorry, it was an accident..."

The guests began to whisper, throwing me glances as if I were a lunatic making a scene over nothing.

Margot stepped in, barely looking at the broken pieces on the floor. Her tone was dismissive. "It's just a cheap pendant, Wyatt. Is this really necessary?"

I dropped to my knees, picking up the jagged pieces of jade one by one. The sharp edges sliced into my fingertips, but even as blood dripped onto the green stone, I felt absolutely nothing.

"My grandmother gave this to me," I whispered, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "The last thing she told me before she died was to keep it safe."

Margot's expression softened into realization. She, more than anyone, knew what my grandmother meant to me. She was the one who had stood beside me at the funeral.

But Cody sobbed harder, burying his face in her shoulder.

She hesitated for a split second, then wrapped her arms around him, murmuring softly, "Shh, don't cry. I'll buy you a much better one."

Lydia stepped up. "Wyatt, it was an accident. Don't be so petty."

Richard frowned. "Enough. It's a trinket. It broke, so be it. We'll buy you another one just like it tomorrow."

I stood up slowly, the broken shards cutting deep into my clenched palm.

I walked right up to Cody, raised my hand, and hit him. The slap cracked like a whip through the silent room. A collective gasp echoed through the crowd.

In the next second, Margot surged forward. She grabbed my wrist, and before I could react, her other hand came down hard across my cheek.

Slap.

My cheek burned with white-hot pain. The metallic taste of blood seeped onto my tongue.

Margots eyes were cold as ice. "Wyatt. You've gone too far."

[Oh my god! That was his grandmother's only keepsake!]

[Margot is a monster! She knew exactly what it meant to him!]

[I actually feel for Wyatt now. Who wouldn't lose their mind?]

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. I didn't scream, and I didn't cry. I carefully wrapped the broken pieces and the severed string in my handkerchief, tucking them deep into my breast pocket.

"Whatever debt I owed you," I said, looking at Margot, "is paid in full."

Then I looked at Richard and Lydia. "I don't want this family anymore."

I turned and walked out of the ballroom.

Behind me, Lydia's hysterical voice echoed: "Let him leave! If he walks out that door, he's never coming back!"

My phone buzzed relentlessly.

Margot sent a wire transfer: Stop being angry.

Richard and Lydia each sent massive sums, labeled Compensations.

I accepted every single one.

The next afternoon, I returned to the house to pack the last of my belongings. As I reached the corner of the hallway, voices filtered out from Cody's half-open bedroom door.

"Dad, Mom... Margot is carrying my baby. We need to expedite the wedding."

"I heard rumors that she kept some charity case on the side. Honestly, it makes me feel so insecure."

I froze, the air violently knocked out of my lungs.

The child she was carrying... belonged to Cody?

[Wow, Wyatt got absolutely wrecked. In the end, he lost his girl and his baby.]

[I officially support him going full villain mode.]

My chest tightened so hard I couldn't draw breath. Every remaining shred of hope and lingering affection I had harbored was ground into dust.

I didn't make a sound. I simply turned around and walked away.

I grabbed my suitcase and threw my few clothes inside.

An hour later, I was sitting in the airport lounge. I pulled out my phone and opened my chat with Margot.

I typed out a final message:

Margot, whatever mercy you showed me years ago, I paid back with five years of my life. I know the truth about the baby now. From this moment on, we are strangers.

I attached a picture of the broken jade pendant.

Send.

Block. Delete.

I powered down the phone, popped out the SIM card, and dropped it into a nearby trash can.

The overhead speakers crackled to life. "Now boarding flight 248 to London Heathrow..."

I stood up, picked up my bag, and walked toward the gate without looking back.