The Day I Stopped Choosing You

At a party the night before Aiden and I are supposed to officially get engaged, someone starts a round of "Never Have I Ever." One of my fiancé's friends raises his glass. "Never have I ever gotten my fiancée's best friend pregnant before getting engaged." The room goes dead silent for a second. Then everyone bursts out laughing. I pretend I don't hear a thing and keep feeding my fiancé, Aiden Bassett, pieces of fruit like he's the only person in the room. Aiden takes a slow sip of his drink, then looks over at my best friend, Sharon Moore, his expression soft. "Sharon's always wanted a baby, but she never wants to get married. I just helped her out." Sharon looks away shyly. "Okay, enough. Renee's right here." My fingers tighten around my glass. That's when it finally hits me that they're talking about Aiden. The second his friends notice my reaction, they rush to smooth things over. "Renee, don't be upset. You're so good to Aiden. You're sweet, and you've always got everything handled. We just didn't want to keep this from you!" "Honestly, Aiden did you a favor too. If you're okay with it, you get a baby without ever having to go through pregnancy yourself. Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?" "Exactly. Sharon and Aiden have known each other forever. She's practically family." I don't cry or make a scene. I just smile, stand up, and give up my place beside my fiancé. What they don't know is that I only play the good girl when it benefits me. I'm not obligated to raise someone else's baby. Chapter 1 I took off Aiden Bassett's jacket and draped it over Sharon Moore's shoulders. "You guys have fun. I'm going home." Aiden pressed his lips together, clearly caught off guard by my reaction. "Renee, that's it? You don't have anything else to say?" Sharon caught the hem of my dress. "Renee, I'm sorry. I'm not asking Aiden to make anything official with me. Please don't do this." I pulled her hand away. By the time I looked back at Aiden, I had slipped right back into my usual sweet, obedient act. "Aiden, let's break up." Everyone in Aiden's circle knew me as the girlfriend who never made a fuss. No matter what he did, I was always understanding. Once, I had a 104-degree fever, but he stayed at the bar with Sharon after she got drunk. I calmly told him I understood. Another time, he forgot to get me an anniversary gift, then turned around and spent 50 million dollars on a necklace for Sharon at an auction. I just smiled and said it was fine. Back then, he loved pinching my cheek and teasing me. "Babe, you're always so understanding. Would you even get mad if I got another woman pregnant?" Now I realized he hadn't been joking. He really thought I was supposed to go along with everything, even raising someone else's child. One of Aiden's friends suddenly laughed. "Renee, where'd you learn that trick? Playing hard to get isn't going to work." Aiden frowned, studying me as if he were trying to decide whether I was serious, a hint of anger creeping into his expression. "I already explained everything to you. Don't push your luck." I didn't want to argue, so I turned and walked away. I had barely made it a few steps when Aiden followed me out and grabbed my wrist. "Can't you be a little more understanding, like you used to be? Sharon's always wanted a child, but she has no interest in marriage. Just think of it as me returning a favor." The whole thing was ridiculous. "Aiden, I don't care who you owe favors to, but I don't have time to raise a child for the two of you. With all the fertility options out there these days, why didn't she just find herself some genetically gifted donor from overseas?" Aiden frowned. "Renee, I don't want to fight with you. Sharon's been in a bad place emotionally lately. You can be mad at me all you want, but don't make a scene in front of her." He leaned closer, his voice softening. "Renee, Sharon has already sacrificed a lot for this baby. I can help keep your family's businesses afloat, but she's having this baby." Right. My family was already hanging by a thread. I'd been with Aiden for two years, and I'd learned a lot from him. What he taught me had helped me pull my family back from the brink. Early on, he'd made one thing clear. The woman by his side couldn't just be a pretty face. So I worked hard, never stepped out of line, and never once complained. But as I looked at him now, he suddenly felt like a stranger. He hadn't changed at all, yet I barely recognized him. I lowered my gaze and collected myself before looking back at him. "Aiden, since you're so big on repaying favors, why don't you give Sharon my place as the bride too? I don't want it anymore." Aiden pressed his lips together, his expression turning cold. "If you're going to play the good girl, then keep it up. You've put up with everything else, so why are you suddenly being so petty? My patience is wearing thin!" He ran his thumb lightly over the diamond ring on my finger. He'd slipped it onto my finger three months ago when he proposed to me in Norlune. "Besides, I'm the only one who can save Wilde Group." So he had known all along how much I'd put up with for him. He had simply chosen to ignore it. It didn't matter anymore. We had both gotten what we needed out of this relationship, and Aiden was no longer the only one who could save Wilde Group. I could do it myself. I met his dismissive look, yanked my hand free, and turned to leave. Chapter 2 The rain came down in sheets, taking me back to the day Mom died, Dad fell seriously ill, and my family was on the brink of collapse. I was still waiting for a cab when a cold gust of wind blew up my sleeves. I pulled my coat tighter around myself. Not far away, Aiden was gently helping Sharon into his sports car. He had always been a complete clean freak. On rainy days, he wouldn't let anyone ride in his car. Once, we'd gone hiking together. It started raining just as we were getting ready to head home. I reached for the passenger door, but he stopped me. "You're soaked. Find your own way home." Then he started the car and drove off. Clearly, it had never really been about keeping his car clean. I just hadn't mattered enough. When I got home, the lights were already on. The front door was slightly open, like someone had been waiting for me. But when I pushed it open, I found Aiden carefully feeding Sharon spoonfuls of soup, treating her like she was something precious he'd finally gotten back. I told myself I didn't care, but my chest still tightened. That kind of tenderness used to be mine alone. Sharon noticed me first and quickly pushed Aiden's hand away. "Aiden, Renee's back. I can do it myself. I don't want her getting the wrong idea." Aiden simply brought the spoon back to her lips. "Come on, be good. You just threw up, and you're still weak. Have some more." I watched him finish feeding her, help her into the master bedroom, and close the door behind her. He looked like a husband taking care of his pregnant wife. Then he casually handed me a document. The title at the top was impossible to miss. It read, "Wilde Group Acquisition Plan." I gripped the pages tightly, my fingers trembling. "What is this supposed to mean?" "Renee, once we're married, Wilde Group and Bassett Group are going to merge anyway." He knew that wasn't what I meant. I meant the extra clause on the last page. "30% of Wilde Group's shares will be transferred to Sharon Moore." Aiden lit a cigarette, his words drifting out with the smoke. "Sharon's having this baby on her own. The shares will give her some security. You're a woman too. You should understand what she's going through." The heat was on, but I felt cold to the bone. I tossed the document back onto the table. "I need some time to think about it." Aiden nodded, put out his cigarette, and went into the master bedroom. I stepped onto the balcony, pulled out my phone, and called the number Dad had given me. "If I marry you, can you guarantee you can save Wilde Group?" He didn't answer right away. Instead, I heard a quiet laugh. "Renee, are you asking me for a favor, or are you telling me what to do?" "Call it whatever you want. All I care about is Wilde Group." "Fine. I can save Wilde Group, but I have one condition." Early the next morning, Aiden texted me the address of a hotel and told me to come by. When I got there, a staff member showed me inside. "Ms. Wilde? Mr. Bassett is already waiting for you. He said you can decide all the details for the wedding reception." I was about to tell her there wasn't going to be a wedding when I spotted two familiar figures inside. Sharon stepped out of a dimly lit area wearing the champagne-colored dress I'd ordered for the reception. She lifted her skirt and turned in a circle while the wedding planner worked on the waist. "We'll need to let this out a little. You're starting to show, and we don't want it too tight around your stomach." I walked over and stopped in front of them, my face blank as I looked at Sharon. Aiden's expression didn't change. He just kept a hand protectively near Sharon's waist. "You're here? The dress just came in, so I had Sharon try it on for you." I looked at the dress. Aiden had come with me when I tried on wedding dresses last year. When the sales associate brought this one out for the reception, he took one glance, nodded, then answered a phone call and left. I stood alone in front of the mirror for a long time before finally ordering it. Now Sharon was the one wearing it. I crossed my arms. "Take it off." Sharon hesitated, nervously fiddling with the edge of the skirt. "Renee, don't be mad. I was only trying it on to help you. You've never done this before, and I just wanted to make sure everything fits right when the time comes—" "I told you to take it off." Her smile disappeared, and her eyes started to turn red. She lowered her head and reached for the clasp at the side of the dress. Before she could undo it, Aiden pressed his hand over the clasp. His tone turned sharp. "Renee, why are you picking on a pregnant woman? She's only trying on the dress." My expression hardened, and I was about to argue when Sharon quickly pulled away from Aiden and headed for the fitting room. "Forget it, Aiden. Renee's upset. I'm done trying it on." She gave me a cautious look. "Renee, could you come in and help me undo the clasp?" I was about to call over a staff member, but when I looked around, I realized the three of us were the only ones there. The moment I followed Sharon into the fitting room, she pretended to trip over the hem of the dress and grabbed me. I instinctively reached out to steady her. Instead, Sharon gripped my arm hard and shoved me toward the nearby couch. Then she slammed herself into the corner of the table beside her. She clutched her stomach, her face pale with pain, her voice breaking. "Renee, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were such a clean freak, but the baby didn't do anything wrong!" The crash caught Aiden's attention, and he shoved open the fitting room door. His eyes went straight to the pool of bright red blood beneath Sharon. I had never seen him look so grim and furious. He bent down, and Sharon immediately threw herself into his arms. She rested her head against his chest and struggled to speak between sobs. "Aiden, my baby. Please save my baby…" Aiden quickly scooped her up. With his back to me, he snapped, "Renee, I told you. You can make all the trouble you want, but leave Sharon's baby out of it!" I opened my mouth to explain, but suddenly, I didn't know what to say. The blood was still on the floor, and Sharon had been lying there just moments ago. Nothing I said would matter. I rubbed my swollen, aching ankle and slowly got to my feet, watching them leave. Then I pulled out my phone and texted the man I'd called the night before. "Can you come back sooner?" A few seconds later, he sent back a voice message, sounding as laid-back as ever. "Renny, who's picking on you this time? Just wait till I get back. I'll take care of it." Chapter 3 Aiden never came home that night. I hadn't really expected him to. He had just lost his own baby, and Sharon was still in the hospital and needed someone by her side. I was in the study going through Wilde Group's accounts when a friend suddenly sent me a string of frantic messages. "Renee, how did Sharon's miscarriage get blamed on you?" My heart sank. I opened the link she sent me and found a long post from Sharon. Nearly half of it was her apologizing to me. What stood out most was the medical report confirming her miscarriage. She wrote that she hadn't meant to wear my dress and that she didn't blame me for what happened to the baby. She said maybe she and the baby just weren't meant to be. But the more she played the victim, the more people turned on me. Before long, people all over the internet were attacking me. A few minutes later, my assistant called me, sounding frantic. "Ms. Wilde, Bassett Group just sent us a letter from their lawyers." I opened the document she forwarded. Bassett Group was cutting off funding to three Wilde Group subsidiaries, citing "gross negligence resulting in the breakdown of the parties' business relationship." They also demanded that we repay everything they had already paid on our behalf within three days. The total was 76 million dollars. My blood ran cold. I checked the hospital listed on Sharon's medical report, grabbed my keys, and drove straight there. When I got there, Aiden looked completely calm. "Renee, I'm not forcing you. Think it over." "Not forcing me?" I was so angry I almost laughed. "You just hit Wilde Group with a 76-million-dollar bill and gave us three days to pay it. That's your idea of not forcing me?" His tone didn't change. "That's business. It has nothing to do with what's going on between us." "So now that your 'personal matter' ended in a miscarriage, we're back to business?" "Renee, I told you. If a cat's claws get too long, you clip them." I said nothing. Then I heard a soft whimper behind him. "Aiden, it hurts." Sharon stood in the doorway of her hospital room, clutching her lower stomach. Her eyes were red as she looked at Aiden's back. Aiden took a deep breath and hurried over. He gently scooped her into his arms, then spoke to me without turning around. His voice was cold. "Renee, sign it. Make it up to Sharon, and I'll let this go." In Aiden's arms, Sharon looked over at me and gave me a smug smile. I wasn't angry. After all, this might be the last time she ever smiled. The next day, Wilde Group held a shareholders' meeting. There was nothing on the table except a document and a pen. Aiden had arrived early and was already sitting at the head of the table. The other shareholders were all there too, waiting. Clearly, everyone in the room was already waiting to get something out of this. Aiden tapped the table twice. "Sign it, Renee." I picked up the document and casually skimmed it. "What's the rush? Are you that eager for me to apologize to your dead son?" The room was silent for three full seconds. I watched anger and impatience creep into Aiden's eyes. "Renee, bring up the baby one more time. I dare you!" I let out a small laugh, picked up the pen, and twirled it once between my fingers before tossing it straight into the trash. Then I tore the agreement to pieces. "Sorry. I'm not signing this." Aiden's face darkened. He tugged at his tie and got to his feet. "Renee, you brought this on yourself. Get ready to file for bankruptcy." Just then, the conference room door slowly opened, and a casual voice cut through the tension. "Looks to me like Bassett Group is the one that should be filing for bankruptcy." The room went quiet. Aiden stared at the man who had just walked in, his eyes darkening.