Goodbye, My Toxic Fiancé: I'm Done Being Your Second Choice

After I got pregnant, Ethan came home less and less.

I was left alone, dragging my heavy pregnant belly around, doing the laundry, cooking, and taking care of his bedridden, eighty-year-old mother.

In the middle of the night, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I looked down, and fresh red blood had stained the bedsheets.

Terrified, I called him, sobbing, begging him to take me to the hospital.

But all I got from the other end of the line was his irritated roar. "Can you stop bothering me in the middle of the night? I'm extremely busy right now!"

Cold sweat drenched my forehead. My body felt weak and useless. And then, through the receiver, I heard a womans sweet, soft coo next to him. "Stop it, Ethan... gentler~"

Before I could even process it, the line went dead, leaving only a cold dial tone.

When I woke up again, I felt nothing in my lower stomach. No kicking. No movement.

I unlocked my phone, and a Snapchat notification popped up. It was a photo.

In the picture, my fianc was holding his secretary on his office desk, locked in a passionate, heated embrace.

In the past, if I saw my fianc fooling around with another woman, I would have rushed to his office immediately to confront them.

But now, looking at this photo, I felt absolutely nothing.

It was as if my heart had died and been buried right alongside my unborn child.

I slowly placed my hand on my flat belly. I had imagined this babys face so many times. Would he have my eyes? Or his fathers nose?

Because I didn't know the gender, I had even prepared two sets of baby clothes. Now, none of them would ever be worn.

I had loved Ethan for ten long years. I chased him for a decade. On the night he finally proposed to me, I cried like a baby, thinking I was the happiest woman alive.

I thought our love had finally won. I didn't know that right after the proposal, he locked himself in the study with his buddies, drinking the night away.

I heard his friend, Tyler, ask him, "Are you sure you dont want to wait for Amber to come back? Youre just going to marry any random woman?"

I knew who Amber was. She was Ethans college girlfriend, the love of his lifethe one that got away.

And I was just the "random woman" in his friends eyes.

That night, I stood frozen outside the study door for a long time, waiting for Ethans response.

I desperately hoped he would say I wasn't just "anyone," that he actually loved me.

But I waited and waited, only to hear three icy words from him: "It doesn't matter."

As long as it wasn't Amber, anyone would do.

I guess that was my worth to him.

"I know you don't care, but Chloe is different," Tyler sighed. "Shes chased you for ten years. Anyone can see how much she loves you. If you marry her and Amber comes back, how are you going to shake her off?"

My heart turned to ice.

Before we were even married, Ethan was already thinking about how to get rid of me.

I clenched my fists. I was young, stubborn, and desperately in love. I believed that as long as I kept treating him well, he would eventually forget Amber and love me back.

Looking back, I was so incredibly naive and stupid.

Trying to use marriage to touch the heart of a man who doesn't love you is just self-torture.

Ethans heart was harder than stone. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't chip away even a fraction of it.

I checked myself out of the hospital alone. The moment I walked through the front door of our house, I saw Ethan sitting on the sofa.

Seeing me enter, his first words were a sharp scolding. "Where have you been all day? Look at the bathroom. Why haven't you washed the laundry yet?"

I didn't say a word. If he had bothered to look at me for even two seconds, he would have noticed how deathly pale my face was.

"Are you still throwing a tantrum over last night?"

"I told you, I was busy at work. What are you crying about now?"

In the past, whenever he came home, the house would be spotless, and a warm, delicious dinner would be waiting for him. I wanted him to feel the warmth of a home after a long day at the office.

But now, I was done being his unpaid maid.

My love for him had been completely chipped away, and I had nothing left to give.

I took a deep breath, clenched my nails into my palms, and spoke quietly. "Ethan, let's call off the engagement."

Ethan had only proposed to me, but we had never registered our marriage, nor had we held a wedding.

Our relationship was neither legally recognized nor publicly celebrated.

In the past, I used to beg him for a real wedding, to give me a legal title. But my pleas were always met with his cold shoulders and silent treatment until I eventually stopped asking.

Just like that, I lived with him for five years without a title.

When I found out I was pregnant this year, I thought he would finally give our child a legitimate family. But then Amber came back, and the topic was buried again.

In Ethans heart, no one was more important than Amber.

Hearing me say we should call off the engagement, his face instantly darkened. "Chloe! Since when did you become so petty and narrow-minded?"

"Just because I stayed late at the office and didn't come home, you want to break up?"

"I work so hard every single day. If you can't help me with my business, can you at least show some understanding?"

Understanding?

Hadn't I been understanding enough?

During our five years of engagement, he lived like a king. He never had to lift a finger at home. I shielded him from every single domestic stress. I never asked questions I shouldn't ask, and I even used my fathers business connections to help his company grow.

What more did he want from me?

Seeing my eyes well up with tears, Ethan impatiently pulled a pair of earrings from his pocket and tossed them onto the coffee table. "Here. Take it as an apology for last night."

I stared at the earrings. They didn't even have a box.

What Ethan didn't know was that I had seen Amber wearing these exact earrings on her Instagram story.

He was handing me Amber's leftovers as charity.

At that moment, my heart completely died.

Thinking of my lost baby, a sudden wave of relief washed over me. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe my baby knew his father wouldn't love him, so he chose not to come into this miserable family.

Holding back my tears, I snatched the earrings and threw them right at Ethan's face. "What do you take me for, Ethan? Am I a trash can for Ambers garbage?"

Ethans eyes widened in shock. He jumped up and roared, "Chloe! Ive been way too nice to you! What the hell is your problem?"

"Yes! Amber was with me at the office last night! So what? She is my secretary. Isn't it normal for her to work late with me?"

"We were in a rush for a meeting, so I hung up on you. Afterward, she was even sweet enough to pick out a gift for me to bring back to you!"

"Why can't you be more like her? Instead, you stay at home all day, acting paranoid and crazy like a hysterical housewife!"

Ethan rarely got angry like this. Usually, he preferred silent treatment and cold shoulder. Silence was his weapon to make me submit.

But whenever Amber was involved, he lost his temper instantly. He couldn't stand anyone saying a single bad word about her.

"Since you think Amber is so perfect, then me leaving is just perfect, isn't it? Im clearing the path for her."

Seeing how serious I was, Ethan kicked the coffee table in frustration. "Are you seriously doing this? You want to call off the engagement?"

I nodded. I didn't want to waste another second.

"Chloe! Have you forgotten how you begged me to be with you ten years ago? Who do you think you are to dump me?"

"Besides, youre pregnant with my kid. If you leave me, who else is going to want a woman with baggage?"

To Ethan, the baby in my womb was just "baggage"?

How pathetic.

I watched his cold, retreating figure as he turned around and walked out. The pain in my stomach flared up, and I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Chloe, oh Chloe.

For the past ten years, you really lived your life as a joke.

With a loud *slam*, the front door shut. I knew Ethan did that on purpose to show me he was angry.

For the ten years I chased him and the five years we lived together, it was always like this. He would throw a tantrum, and then wait for me to crawl back and beg for his forgiveness.

But not this time.

I dragged myself up from the floor, leaning on the sofa. I walked into the bedroom, packed my clothes, and left without looking back.

As I walked out of the building, a young girl accidentally bumped into my shoulder. I stopped. She quickly apologized with a polite bow and then ran right back into her boyfriends waiting arms.

I remembered the first time Ethan ran toward me like that.

I was in high school back then. On my way home, a group of girls cornered me in the woods behind the school. They had been bullying me for two years, constantly extorting money from me.

Before I met Ethan, my life was a living hell.

But that day, he appeared in those woods. He didn't just beat those bullies off; he reported them to the school board, ending my nightmare once and for all.

That single glance was the start of my ten-year obsession.

From then on, I quietly followed him. I studied like crazy just to get into the same university as him.

Every step of my youth had Ethans shadow in it.

I spent three years transitioning from a mere acquaintance to his friend. I watched him date girl after girl in college, until he met Amber. I knew instantly that he had fallen hard.

He was different with Amber. He overcame his extreme fear of heights to go bungee jumping with her, and he ate spicy hotpot with her even though it gave him terrible stomach ulcers.

Later, when Amber went abroad, he was devastated for months, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every single day.

That was probably his lowest point. I had never seen him sober.

It was during that dark period that Ethan proposed to me.

I knew he hadn't forgotten Amber, but I wanted to gamble. I gambled that my love would eventually touch him. I gambled that one day, Ethan would open his eyes and love me back.

During our five years together, Ethan gave me everything except a marriage certificate. He was attentive and took good care of me. Just when I thought I had finally won his heart...

Amber came back.

From the moment she set foot back in the country, Ethan started disappearing. He ignored my texts and treated me like air.

Ambers presence was a slap in my face, reminding me that my five years of devotion were nothing but a joke.

I wanted to leave back then, but fate played a cruel trick on me.

I got pregnant.

I thought the baby was a sign from God to save our relationship. I thought the baby wanted me to try one last time.

So, I tried to have an honest conversation with Ethan. I asked him to keep his distance from Amber, but he couldn't do it.

To him, my baby and I didn't even compare to Amber's little finger.

The moment Amber shed a tear, he would drop everything and run to her, leaving me and the baby behind.

Even on the night I called him in agonizing pain, he didn't even bother to ask why. When he came home, all he did was yell at me.

I lost this ten-year gamble.

But thank God, I could still walk away with what was left of my life.

After moving out, I couldn't find a permanent apartment right away, so I checked into a hotel close to the hospital for my follow-up checkups.

Right after registering at the clinic, I ran straight into Amber.

Seeing me, she jogged over with a sweet, mocking smile. "Oh, Chloe! Are you here alone? Why isn't Ethan with you?"

I stared at her coldly. I knew she was just trying to rub it in, so I ignored her and walked past.

But Amber wouldn't let me go. She followed me closely, and when she got bored of my silence, she stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

"Oh, silly me, I almost forgot!" she giggled, tapping her forehead. "Ethan is actually here at the hospital with *me*. How could he be with you?"

"I was feeling a little under the weather todayjust a mild headache and a tiny cold. I told him it was no big deal, but he insisted on taking me to the clinic. Hes so overprotective of me."

She was practically glowing with smugness. I raised my eyes and asked flatly, "Are you done?"

"Are you mad, Chloe?"

Amber stared at my belly, then slowly reached out, placing her hand on my stomach. "You shouldn't get so worked up. If you accidentally lose the baby because of your temper, Ethan will hate you even more."

A sharp pang of grief hit my chest. I violently slapped her hand away.

Amber let out a dramatic cry and fell to the floor. And of course, right on cue, Ethan appeared.

"Chloe! What the hell are you doing?!" he roared.

Ethan rushed over, bending down to help Amber up. Amber clung to him, her eyes red and tearful, looking like a helpless victim. "Ethan, don't blame her... I'm sure Chloe didn't mean to push me."

"Say no more," Ethan comforted her gently, wrapping his arm around her. "I saw everything. I won't let her bully you."

Watching them play the loving couple right in front of me made my stomach churn with disgust.

"Chloe, what is wrong with you?" Ethan glared at me. "First you run away from home, and now youre stalking me? Are you playing hard to get to make me apologize?"

"Youre about to be a mother, yet youre acting so malicious! If I hadn't arrived in time, would you have done something worse to Amber?"

"I am truly disappointed that my child has such a jealous, spiteful mother!"

I clenched my fists so hard my nails nearly drew blood.

Disappointed in a mother like me?

How laughably ironic!

My baby was already gone.

And Ethan still thought I was just jealous of Amber.

"Stalking you? What makes you think youre worth stalking?"

"If I see two dogs barking on the street, I walk the other way. Why would I willingly step in dog crap?"

"You!"

I didn't care what else Ethan had to say. I turned to walk away.

But after only two steps, Ethan grabbed my wrist tightly. "Did I say you could leave?"

"Apologize to Amber. Right now."

Me? Apologize to Amber?

In his dreams!

I barely used any force when I brushed her hand off my stomach earlier. She had staged that fall completely for his benefit.

Since she loved playing the victim so much, I decided to give her a real reason to cry.

I marched right up to Amber and shoved her to the ground with all my strength.

"You probably couldn't see clearly from over there, Ethan. Now look closely. *This* is what a real push looks like."

Ethan froze in absolute shock. When he finally snapped out of it, a loud *slap* echoed through the corridor.

He hit me right across the face.

My body was still incredibly weak from the miscarriage, and Ethan had used his full strength.

I stumbled backward, trying to grab the wall for support, but my legs gave out. I collapsed heavily onto the cold floor.

Immediately, a dark red stain began to spread across my sweatpants.

Ethan stared at the blood pooling underneath me, his face turning pale. He panicked and screamed, "Doctor! Doctor! Someone help! My pregnant wife is bleeding!"

Within seconds, a team of doctors and nurses rushed over. "Save the baby! Please save my baby!" Ethan cried out.

The lead doctor happened to be the same OB-GYN who had performed my miscarriage surgery a few days ago.

She looked at Ethan, her brow furrowing in confusion. "And who are you to her?"

"I'm the father!" Ethan yelled.

"Didn't Chloe tell you?" the doctor asked, looking bewildered. "She had a miscarriage days ago."

Ethan stumbled back, his face completely drained of color. He trembled, barely able to squeeze out the words. "Mis... miscarriage?"