Chapter 1No Regrets, Only Love

When Mike, my fiancé, died in the earthquake, he entrusted me to his older brother, Eason. This care stretched into five long years. Then, one night, fueled by too much wine, we lost control. A reckless night led to a life stirring within me.

Clutching the pregnancy test results, my mind racing with visions of a diamond ring I'd glimpsed in his drawer, I hurried home, eager to surprise him. But as I stepped inside, I stumbled upon a scene I could never have imagined: him and Vivian, his one true love, in a moment of intimate passion.

My face went stark white. I turned to flee, but his voice, rough with raw need, snagged me.

“Cathy, could you run to the pharmacy for some condoms?”

I clutched the pregnancy test results, my smile a grimace of despair.

When I returned with the purchase, Eason paid me ten thousand credits for my errand. Vivian cast a triumphant glance at the small package, then a venomous one at me.

“Eason, your… sister-in-law looks so innocent, yet her taste is surprisingly sharp!”

Eason’s gaze swept over me, sharp and commanding. “This is adult business, not for little ears. Go stay at a hotel for a few days before you come back!”

I ended our child’s life. I obeyed. I left. And I never came back.

* * *

The doctor, seeing me return so soon, looked at me with a questioning gaze. “Is something wrong?”

She had reason to ask. When I first discovered I was pregnant, my cheeks had bloomed with joyous color. Now, they were deathly pale.

“Please, schedule the earliest possible abortion for me.”

Having witnessed countless human dramas, she offered no further persuade. But when it came to signing the consent form, she insisted I get a family member’s signature.

I pulled out my phone, instinctively hitting the speed dial. The phone buzzed once before Eason disconnected it, faster than my own hand could react.

I gave a bitter laugh. “I have no family; I’ll have to sign for myself.”

Stepping down from the operating table, I saw a screenshot of a hotel booking on my phone. Eason had thoughtfully booked a week’s stay at a luxury hotel. His message read: “Unless it’s a matter of life or death, don’t disturb me these next few days. You understand.”

And what was there not to understand, especially after seeing the diamond ring on Vivian’s finger? It was laughable how I had deluded myself, believing it was meant for me. Even more ludicrous, that he might remember our one night of reckless abandon.

I glanced at the bloody, indistinct form of the embryo, my heart turning to ashes. I left.

The luxury suite was fully equipped, as comfortable as the cozy bedroom Eason had always provided for me. But as I curled up under the covers, all I felt was a pervasive chill.

My hands trembled as I dialed a number. “Dr. Sharma, that medical aid mission to Africa you mentioned last time? Count me in.”

Dr. Sharma, perceptive and thoughtful, expressed her delight at my willingness to join, then probed gently. “Cathy, didn’t you say your late fiancé’s brother wouldn’t approve of you going to Africa? Did you two have a fight?”

“Don’t you dare throw a tantrum and run off with me! He’ll turn the world upside down looking for you!”

Dr. Sharma’s concern was understandable. After Eason and I had that chaotic night, I had slipped away while he was asleep, mortified. Afterward, he acted as if nothing had happened, maintaining his protective, older-brother demeanor. Angry that he dared to act so irresponsibly, I had run off on a trip to clear my head. Eason, in his frantic search for me, caused a city-wide uproar. Everyone knew he valued his “sister-in-law” more than his own eyesight. Seeing the news, I automatically assumed I was important to him.

It turned out I had been foolishly overthinking. He was now so entangled with his beloved that he could dismiss me to a hotel for a week. Once he married, that house would surely offer no place for me. And I had no desire to watch him and another woman in sweet affection, day after day.

“Dr. Sharma, he agreed to it.”

“Alright, then I’ll add your name to the roster immediately. I’ll send you the details shortly so you can prepare.”

Poring over the documents, I booked a flight for seven days later. I would stay at the hotel for a week, then leave. As for what I needed to take, I tried to recall, but it seemed there was nothing I truly needed. Since the earthquake, I, a girl without a home, had everything bought for me by Eason. He had covered all my expenses, leaving my parents’ inheritance untouched.

The debt I owed him, I had to repay. I kept a little for myself, then transferred the rest to the bank account linked to the card he’d given me.

With everything settled, my mind finally at peace, I fell into a deep sleep.

In my slumber, the room seemed to sway again. My phone rang repeatedly, yet I heard nothing. Then, an urgent pounding on the door.

“Cathy? Open the door!”