He Ran to Her, I Saved Myself

Three months into my pregnancy, I discover that the only contact Shayne Lark has pinned to the top of his chat list is his female student, Summer Solis. Suddenly, those cute stickers he's been sending in his recent conversations make sense. I refuse to torment myself over it, so I give Shayne two choices. "Either I terminate the pregnancy and divorce you, or you cut off all contact with her." Shayne says nothing. He locks himself in his study for the entire night. When he finally comes out, his eyes are red as he kneels at my feet. "She doesn't know anything. I'm the one who let my feelings get the better of me. I promise it won't happen again." After six years together, I can't bring myself to throw everything away over this one incident. Not until the day I suffer complications during childbirth… Just as I'm struggling through labor, Shayne receives a phone call. "Shayne, my parents are trying to force me into marrying someone. Please come and save me!" His hand, which has been holding mine, suddenly slips away. He turns and rushes toward the door. A sharp pain shoots through my body. Gritting my teeth, I shout after him, "Shayne, if you walk out of this operating room today, we're getting divorced!" He stops for a moment but leaves anyway. My baby cries out, but Shayne never looks back. In that moment, I realize that this three-year marriage should have ended long ago. Chapter 1 The nurse stood frozen, her hand that was holding the scissors suspended awkwardly in the air. Through the pain, I reached over and cut the baby's umbilical cord myself in Shayne Lark's place. I looked at the tiny, unfamiliar face and felt utterly hollow inside. Six years of love and three years of marriage had meant nothing compared to a young woman he'd known for just six months. When they wheeled me out of the delivery room, my mother, Lucy Kidman, hurried over with a heartbroken expression over my suffering. After checking on me, she couldn't help voicing her frustration. "I thought Shayne was a reliable man. How could he walk out halfway through his own wife's delivery after taking a call? Whatever emergency he had, how could it be more important than staying by your side through childbirth?" I forced a bitter smile and said, "Mom, he's fallen for another woman. I'm divorcing him." The anger on Mom's face slowly faded. She stared at me for a long moment as tears welled up in her eyes. In the end, she reached over and tenderly wiped the sweat from my forehead. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you," she said quietly. At those words, I could no longer pretend to be strong. I threw myself into her arms and finally let myself cry without holding anything back. When Shayne was 18, he'd single-handedly taken on more than dozens of thugs just for me. Even when he was completely exhausted, he'd still pulled me into his arms and comforted me. However, the man who had once been willing to give his life for me had now turned his attention to another woman. I should have divorced Shayne the moment I realized his feelings for me had changed. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't bear the thought of our unborn child growing up without a father. She was already three months along, and I could even make out her little facial features on the ultrasound. So, I confronted Shayne about it. That night, he'd shut himself away in his study. Meanwhile, I'd stood on the balcony, letting the cold wind blow against me until dawn. In the end, Shayne chose me. Right in front of me, he submitted a request to the university to reassign his student, Summer Solis. He transferred her to one of his colleagues. That night, sleeping in separate rooms almost felt like a bad dream. Still, I knew a crack had formed between Shayne and me. One fine day, it would eventually tear us apart. I just never expected that day to come so soon. The day after giving birth, I finally saw Shayne again. He brought Summer with him. She seemed to be jittery and shaken. She stayed close to his side, taking tiny steps as she clutched the hem of his shirt. Shayne walked in, while she remained by the hospital room door. Shayne knelt in front of me, looking at me with a mixture of guilt and anticipation. "Is our baby a boy or a girl?" The scene felt painfully familiar. That night, he'd knelt at my feet in exactly the same way, promising that he would never have anything to do with Summer again. I jerked my hand away and summoned every ounce of strength I had to slap him across the face. "Get out!" I shouted. Chapter 2 My outburst aggravated the tear from childbirth, and a sharp pain shot through me. As I clutched the blanket, my forehead broke out in a cold sweat. Shayne licked his lips, his voice dry and strained. "There were special circumstances this time. Summer's parents think there's no point in a girl like her getting educated compared to their son. They were trying to force her to go back home and marry a 50-year-old widower. "Naomi, I know you're a kind person. You wouldn't want to see a young woman with such a bright future have her life ruined, would you?" Shayne was using morality to put me in a tough spot. If I said no, he could easily accuse me of being a coldhearted monster. I had nearly died giving birth just yesterday. My amniotic fluid had caused an obstruction, making the delivery dangerously difficult. If the baby had been born even a minute later, the prolonged lack of oxygen could have left her with permanent brain damage. Shayne hadn't shown the slightest concern for me. All he cared about was getting me to forgive him. Every word he said was about how helpless he had been and how much he sympathized with Summer. I stared at him in a daze, suddenly feeling as though I didn't recognize the man standing before me anymore. Shayne had knelt before me three times in total. The first time was when I was diagnosed with kidney failure and needed a million dollars for a kidney transplant. Back then, he'd only recently become a literature professor. He'd worked himself to the bone, taking on every speaking engagement he could find. Some people accused him of being obsessed with money, saying he'd wasted all those years of education. He never paid them any attention. He'd said, "If I can't save the woman I love most, what's the point of holding on to my so-called scholarly integrity?" When my condition worsened, Shayne had knelt before me and begged me to hold on until he'd saved enough for the surgery. I'd been overjoyed and convinced I'd married the right man. However, his claim that I was the woman he loved most only lasted three short years. The other two times he'd knelt before me had both been because of Summer. He claimed to have chosen me, but his actions showed he instinctively favored her. When I remained silent, Shayne let out a deep sigh. "Summer's situation is different from yours. She may have both her parents around, but they only see her as a way to make money. You grew up in a single-parent household, but at least your mother loves you." Every explanation revealed just how much sympathy he had for Summer. Disappointed, I turned my head away. "In that case, you'd better take good care of her. I'll mail you the divorce papers after I'm discharged." Shayne's head snapped up. "Naomi, we just had a child! Why are you throwing a tantrum now? Do you really want our child to grow up with a single mother just like you did?" I gritted my teeth and was about to respond when a sharp slap rang out from the hospital room door. Through the window, I saw Mom furiously confronting Summer. Without a moment's hesitation, Shayne rushed outside and shoved Mom hard to the ground. A loud thud echoed through the hallway. I heard the sickening crack of bones breaking. Shayne shielded Summer behind him and scolded Mom angrily. "How could you attack my student, Lucy? She came all this way just to congratulate me on becoming a father. She didn't mean any harm!" Ignoring the pain, I hurried to the doorway. The moment I saw the blood running down Mom's forehead, my eyes reddened. "Hasn't Mom treated you well all these years? How could you lay your hands on an elderly woman like her?" Hearing this, Mom came over and gently supported me, concerned. She said, "I noticed something was off between you and Shayne several months ago. I thought things might get better once the baby was born. I never imagined he'd cheat on you! Now, he even has the nerve to bring his mistress right to your door! I had to stand up for you!" Her protective words made my nose sting, and I nearly burst into tears. Summer's face flushed red with indignation. "Ma'am, if you don't know the whole story, then stop making baseless accusations!" Shayne touched the red handprint on Summer's cheek, his heart going out to her. Chapter 3 When Shayne turned back to look at Mom and me, he had a deep scowl on his face. He scolded, "Lucy, you're old enough to know better. You should learn to distinguish right from wrong. Stop believing everything Naomi tells you! Women who have just given birth tend to be overly sensitive and suspicious. Maybe it was your baseless suspicions back then that led to your divorce from your husband." Mom trembled with rage. I looked at Shayne and felt utterly disappointed. When I'd told him about my father's secret older child, he held me in his arms and swore he would never betray me. He had technically kept that promise; I was the only woman in his life. Still, an emotional affair cut just as deep as physical cheating. Summer hid behind Shayne and sobbed quietly. "Let's go, Professor Lark. Dealing with uncultured and uncivilized people is terrifying. They remind me of my parents." Hearing that, Shayne warned me to "think things through carefully" before leaving. I ignored Summer's little act and called for a nurse. Mom still needed treatment for the wound on her head. There was no point wasting another second on two people who no longer mattered to me. After returning to my hospital bed, I opened the divorce agreement I'd never gotten around to finishing. My phone vibrated. It was a message from Shayne. He texted, "I deposited some money with the hospital. Don't worry about saving it. Spend it on whatever you need." 15 minutes later, a delivery courier arrived with a bouquet of roses. The nurse administering my IV looked at me enviously. "Ms. Salter, your husband is so romantic!" I smiled bitterly and murmured, "Is he?" Actually, I was allergic to roses. On our first date, Shayne had given me roses. As I was afraid of embarrassing him, I'd forced myself to say I loved them. From then on, whenever he bought me flowers, roses were always his first choice. Even when my nose turned red from the irritation and countless tiny rashes broke out across my arm, Shayne never noticed. The latest post on my Instagram feed was from Summer. She'd uploaded a photo of a meal without showing the man's face. Still, she'd made sure to capture his hand as he cut into a steak. The ring finger that should have worn a wedding band now bore only a faint, pale mark. I closed the app and took off the wedding ring I'd worn for three years. Then, I sent Shayne the completed divorce agreement. The next moment, my phone rang. Shayne's voice came from the other end. "Naomi, what exactly are you trying to pull? Do you think I can't live without you and assume you can do whatever you want?" I let out a self-deprecating laugh and mocked, "You're enjoying yourself having dinner with Summer at the most romantic restaurant in town, aren't you?" A brief silence followed before he answered, his voice somewhat diffident. "How did you find out? Did you get someone to trail me?" "I'm not that pathetic," I replied coolly. I heard his footsteps, as if he were moving somewhere more private. After that short pause, he continued, "It's not what you think between Summer and me. I was busy dealing with her parents' situation last night, and she hadn't eaten all day. We just picked a random restaurant. I couldn't just let her go hungry just to avoid raising suspicion, could I?" I tightened my grip on the phone, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Shayne, do you know what I've noticed? You always have a lot more to say when you're feeling guilty." Before he could respond, I hung up. After I was discharged, I left the baby at Mom's house and returned to our apartment alone. I hadn't been back in a month, and the place was almost unrecognizable. There was a pair of pink slippers by the entrance. My favorite tea set was gone from the dining table, replaced by a brand-new coffee machine. Even the flowers and plants I'd carefully tended on the balcony had disappeared, and in their place hung a set of delicate lingerie that clearly didn't belong to me. I still remembered the day Shayne had handed me the deed to our apartment. Back then, his eyes had been filled with nothing but love for me. "Naomi, we finally have a home of our own. When we have kids someday, we'll move somewhere bigger." Chapter 4 Now that Shayne and I finally had a child, the future he'd once promised me would never come to pass. The front door unlocked. Summer walked in with her arms wrapped around Shayne. The smiles on their faces froze the moment they saw me. "Why are you back?" Shayne asked. I held up my suitcase. "Can't I come back to my own home?" Shayne's expression immediately darkened. "Couldn't you at least have told me you were coming back? Why are you being so passive-aggressive?" His gaze fell on my suitcase. "And you didn't even bring the baby? Are you planning to move back in with your mother?" I retorted, "Didn't you already see the divorce papers? You're the one who cheated. The apartment and the child are both mine." Shayne didn't react, but Summer's expression soured dramatically as she stood beside him. She said, "How could you say that, Mrs. Lark? There's nothing going on between Professor Lark and me! Besides, I saw you the other day..." At that point, she abruptly covered her mouth. "I didn't mean to let that slip. It's just..." Her hesitant expression made Shayne's expression turn grim. "What did you see?" Summer replied, "I saw Mrs. Lark at a bar playing some kind of kissing game with several men. But… maybe I was just seeing things." Summer took out her phone and showed Shayne the photos. After looking at them, Shayne turned his icy gaze on me. "Is this why you've been so determined to divorce me? You've fallen for someone else, Naomi!" I looked up at him in disbelief. "Do you seriously believe her? I just gave birth! I've spent the entire past month at home. How could I possibly have gone to a bar?" Shayne froze. Summer began to sob. "I must have been mistaken, Professor Lark. Please don't argue with your wife because of me." Her phone suddenly chimed as notifications popped up. She glanced at the screen as if she'd seen something horrifying. Then, she shrieked and threw herself into Shayne's arms. "S-Someone found my contact information and started sending me messages. They're calling me a slut and a homewrecker!" With tears streaming down her face, she looked at me. "How could you do this to me, Mrs. Lark? You know perfectly well that there's nothing going on between Professor Lark and me!" Shayne shot me a disgusted look. "Did you do this?" Although he'd phrased it as a question, his tone made it clear that he'd already found me guilty. I tried to defend myself, my voice weary. "It wasn't me." Shayne didn't believe me. "Who else would do something like this? Why would you go out of your way to ruin a woman five years younger than you?" He shoved his phone in front of me, his eyes filled with disappointment. "How dare you accuse me without proof?" I countered. Shayne sneered, "You came back at this exact moment because you wanted to see Summer suffer with your own eyes, didn't you? When did you become so vicious, Naomi? Apologize to Summer now!" I bit my lip, stubbornly refusing to back down. "Where's your proof? Do you have any evidence that I did this?" He was momentarily at a loss for words. But when Summer started crying again, he grabbed my hand and forcibly dragged me to my knees. The moment my knees hit the floor, a stabbing pain shot through my lower abdomen. My vision went black from the pain, but I clenched my teeth and refused to make a sound. Shayne still had a death grip on my wrist. He was squeezing so hard it felt as though he would break my bones. He looked down at me with eyes full of coldness and a sense of unfamiliarity that I'd never seen before. It was as if I were some unforgivable criminal. "Apologize to Summer!" He repeated the command, his voice leaving no room for argument. Summer burrowed herself in his arms, smiling triumphantly at me. I laughed. In fact, I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face. Then, I shoved him away and threw the documents I'd gathered from my investigation at him. "Shayne, open your damn eyes and take a good look! Take a good look at what kind of woman this precious student you've been defending really is!"