Not My Baby

One week before our wedding, my fiancee told me she wanted to have a baby with her childhood best friend. When I said no, she looked at me as if I were the unreasonable one. "It's just IVF," my fiancee said. "Nothing is going to happen between Logan and me. His parents have been pressuring him to get married so badly that he almost died in a car accident. Now they have finally agreed to back off as long as he has a child. We should help him." I stared at her, my face drained of color. "We're getting married in a week, and you want to have another man's baby? Do you honestly think that's fair to me?" Her expression softened, and she reached for my hand as if she were soothing a child. "Daniel," she said gently, "after we're married, we'll have children of our own too." In that moment, whatever love I had left for her died completely. She was right about one thing: I would have children of my own someday, but not with her. I turned around, opened my phone, and posted a status for everyone to see, 'I'm getting married in one week, but I'm missing a bride. Anyone interested?' Chapter 1 A Bride Who Answered Not long after I posted the status, my phone rang. The name on the screen made my breath catch: Olivia Hart. I had not seen that name in a long time. Olivia was my childhood friend, and also the person I had fought with for as long as I could remember. We grew up together, but we were never exactly sweet to each other. Our relationship had always been loud, messy, and full of sparks. After I started dating Vanessa Grant, Olivia seemed to disappear from my life overnight. I answered the call, assuming she had heard about my failed relationship and had called to laugh at me. Instead, the first thing she said was, "I heard you're looking for a new bride. What do you think of me?" I froze for a second. "Are you serious?" But if I really had to replace the bride at the last minute, there was no one more suitable than Olivia. Our families were well-matched. We knew each other's backgrounds, habits, tempers, and preferences better than anyone else. There would be no need for lengthy explanations, and no time wasted pretending. Olivia's voice sounded a little tense. "Yes. I'm flying back today. I'll land tomorrow night and come to your house the morning after. We can talk about the wedding then." The wedding still had to happen. I couldn't let my entire family become a joke because of Vanessa. So I agreed. "Okay." After I hung up, Vanessa happened to push open the door and walk in. There was a faint nervousness on her face. "Who were you talking to just now?" she asked. I looked at her calmly. "The delivery guy." Vanessa visibly relaxed. Then she came over and held my hand. "Daniel, I love you. I would never do anything to betray you." I said nothing. She continued, "But Logan is in such a terrible situation. His parents pushed him so hard about marriage that he's still lying in the hospital after the accident. Now they've finally agreed to stop pressuring him as long as he has a child. He and I grew up together, and he begged me for help. Daniel, I have to help him. If I don't, something might happen to him again." I had heard this explanation many times before, but every time she said it, it still hurt, like something sharp pressing into my chest. I pulled my hand away and asked, "Did I cause his accident? Why am I the one who has to compromise?" Vanessa's expression stiffened. I continued, "If you have his child, what am I supposed to tell my parents? And when that child grows up and wants to find his mother, what are you going to say then?" My voice turned colder. "If I give in today, are you going to expect me to play along while you live between two families?" "Daniel…" Vanessa sighed, reaching for my hand again. "I know this is unfair to you, but it won't be like that. It's just this once. I'm only giving him a child. There won't be anything more after that." She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Can you help me keep this from your parents? Logan is my best friend, and he's your friend too. I know you'll understand." I let out a short laugh. "Why do we need to hide it? Is it because even you know this is shameful?" Vanessa's expression darkened. "Why do you always have to make everything sound so ugly?" she asked. "I'm not cheating on you. I just don't think your parents need to know. But if you really want to tell them, then go ahead." Just then, her phone buzzed several times. She gazed down at the messages, and almost immediately, she let go of my hand and stood up. "Something came up at work. I need to go out for a bit." Before leaving, she added, "Rest at home and check the guest list. See if we missed anyone on the invitations. I'll send out the rest later." Chapter 2 A Different Bride Vanessa didn't wait for my answer. She left in a hurry. I had seen the messages on her phone. Logan Wells had texted her, saying his hand hurt and that he wanted to see her. That was all it took for her to rush out the door. I laughed at myself. Vanessa had once told me she wanted to marry me and become the best wife she could be. I had believed her. For years, I carried that promise in my heart. I worked until I nearly broke myself, turning a tiny startup into a company with more than a hundred employees. It took me five years. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days. Now, I had a successful career, a house, and a car. I had put Vanessa's name on everything because I wanted her to feel secure. I wanted her to know that my future belonged to her. The night she accepted my proposal, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep. After all those years, we were finally about to get married. Yet when I refused to let her have another man's child, she kept telling me I should understand her. We argued countless times. And countless times, I fell apart. I stopped sleeping. My hair began falling out. I could barely eat. Yet, she didn't notice any of it. All she cared about was taking care of Logan after his car accident. All she could think about was how good I had always been to her, how surely I would understand, and how surely I would accept her having a child with Logan—becoming the mother of another man's baby. I took a deep breath and began packing my things. In a way, maybe Vanessa was right. If I stopped loving her, she could start a family with as many men and become anyone's mother as she pleased. I would accept it all. And since she was so determined to secretly have another man's child while hiding it from everyone, then I would secretly replace her as my bride. For the next two days, Vanessa didn't come home. I didn't ask where she was. Instead, I submitted my resignation at work. Other than Vanessa, I had no friends in this city and nothing worth staying for. Since the company needed time to hand my responsibilities over to someone else, HR approved my resignation three days later. Early the next morning, I was awakened by the sound of Vanessa opening the door. Her beautiful face was filled with guilt. I glanced at her, frowned, and closed my eyes again. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Daniel, I know you're angry. I can explain. Logan's parents have been pushing him really hard these past two days, and his condition has gotten worse. "He kept saying he didn't want to live anymore. I was afraid he would do something stupid, so I stayed with him. That's why I didn't contact you. He's doing better now, so I came home right away." Then her voice softened even more. "Daniel, we're getting married soon. Can we please not let something like this ruin our mood?" With my back still turned to her, I answered calmly, "Okay." Vanessa thought I had given in. Her face immediately lit up with relief, and she leaned toward the bed, trying to kiss me. I pushed her away. A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and I nearly threw up in front of her. Vanessa froze, then reached for me with concern. "Are you sick?" she asked. "Did you eat something bad? Tell me what's wrong. I'll take you to the hospital." I pushed her hand away. "I've just been staying up too late. I'll be fine after some rest." The truth was, I saw Logan's online post the night before, where he shared Vanessa's IVF paperwork. I knew exactly what she had been busy with for the past two days. I also knew that every word she spoke was a lie. It didn't matter. I had been busy these past two days, too. I personally canceled all my wedding plans. The hotel, the flowers, the dress, the decorations, the custom gifts—everything I had carefully prepared was either refunded or returned. Then I cleared my phone. Years of photos, videos, and chat records were deleted with one tap. My photo album was empty. Our chat history was empty. So was I. The man who had once come to this city alone for her, dreaming of marrying her and becoming the best husband in the world, disappeared completely from that moment on. Vanessa noticed none of it. She only relaxed and smiled at me. "I'll go buy you breakfast. You rest first." When she came back, she was carrying a bag of my favorite pastries and a bouquet of white lilies. She handed me the flowers with a bright smile. "Your favorite pastries, and beautiful lilies for my favorite future husband." Chapter 3 The Wrong Flowers "I already ate. I'm not hungry," I replied. Then I looked at the bouquet in her hands and added calmly, "We've been together for so many years, Vanessa. Did you forget I'm allergic to lilies?" If I remembered correctly, lilies were Logan's favorite flowers. For a second, the air went still. Vanessa froze. Then she quickly turned and threw the bouquet outside. "I just thought they looked pretty when I saw them," she explained. "I forgot about your allergy. When I get off work tomorrow, I'll buy you roses instead. Okay?" I thought, 'My resignation should be approved tomorrow. Once it is, I'm packing my suitcase and leaving. Olivia's flight is only delayed by a few hours, so she'll be here this afternoon. 'By tomorrow, we'll already be talking about the wedding. And those flowers? Vanessa can give them to that b*stard.' I didn't answer. I simply continued packing my clothes, ironing each shirt before placing it neatly into my suitcase. Vanessa set the pastries down and murmured, "Something came up at work recently. Can we postpone the wedding for a few days?" Her voice softened as she purred, "Daniel, I know you won't make things difficult for me." In the past, no matter how badly we argued, I was always the one who gave in. I never wanted to make things hard for her because I loved her. Even at the wedding, if something went wrong, I would only ask a few questions. If she needed help, I would rush to fix it. If she didn't need help, I would comfort her until she was happy again. But this time, I stayed silent. Vanessa seemed ready for me to comfort her, but when I said nothing, she looked surprised and moved closer. Then she frowned. "Why are you only ironing your own clothes?" she asked. "What am I supposed to wear when I go out later?" I answered calmly, "There's another steamer. You can do it yourself." "Are you seriously upset just because I bought the wrong flowers?" she muttered. "Fine, don't help me if you don't want to." Then she changed the subject. "Come with me to the hospital later to visit Logan. A few old friends are going too. If you don't show up, he might take it personally." My hands paused. "Okay." To be honest, I wanted to see for myself just how badly injured Logan was that Vanessa had to spend so much time and energy on him. So I went to the hospital with her. The moment we reached the door of his room, Logan rushed toward Vanessa and kissed her on the cheek. "Vanessa, you're finally here," he breathed happily. "I missed you." Vanessa stiffened and pushed him away immediately. "Logan," she reminded him quickly, "my boyfriend also came to see you." Only then did Logan seem to notice me standing beside her. He looked at me with an innocent expression, as if he had only made an honest mistake. "Sorry, Daniel," he said. "A kiss on the cheek is just how we've greeted each other since we were kids. You're not mad, are you?" Then he smiled. "Vanessa and I grew up together. We're just close friends. Honestly, if anything were going to happen between us, you probably never would've had a chance, so there's really no need to overthink it." His words sounded harmless, but the look he gave me was full of provocation. The friends around us noticed the tension and fell silent. I smiled. I didn't care about their little display of intimacy anymore, but I still couldn't help mocking him. "Vanessa told me you were in a serious accident and kept threatening to hurt yourself," I remarked. "I thought you were in such bad shape that you needed her watching over you for two days straight." I looked him over. "But here you are, running and jumping around like you're perfectly fine." Vanessa frowned and warned, "Daniel, he's a patient. You don't have to be so harsh." Logan reached out and grabbed my arm. "I really did hurt my head," he insisted weakly. "And I have scrapes all over. They might even leave scars. I was just too happy to see you both, so I..." As he spoke, his fingers dug hard into my arm. I yanked my arm away without mercy. Chapter 4 The Last Time I Looked Back "Argh!" Logan suddenly cried out as if I had shoved him with all my strength, then fell hard to the floor. "Logan!" Vanessa gasped. She rushed over in panic and helped him up before turning to me, anger burning in her eyes. "Daniel, what is wrong with you?" she snapped. "Logan is still recovering. He has multiple injuries from the accident. How could you push him? If you're angry, take it out on me. Why would you bully someone who's hurt?" Logan's eyes reddened. "I was in a car accident. I almost died," he choked out. "Vanessa, you've been my best friend since we were kids. I just wanted you to stay with me for a while. Is that so wrong? "Why does he have to make our friendship sound so dirty? Why would he put his hands on me? Does he want me dead?" I gazed at the red marks he had left on the back of my hand. Then I looked at Vanessa, who was protecting Logan as if he were the man she was about to marry. A bitter ache cut through my chest like a blade. But somehow, I laughed. Because in that moment, I was finally done. For years, I had only heard about how much she favored Logan over me. Now that I had seen it with my own eyes, there was nothing left for me to hold on to. I didn't explain myself. I simply turned and walked away. Vanessa froze, as if she hadn't expected me to be so calm. Then she hurried after me and grabbed my arm. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to snap at you just now. Logan is emotionally unstable. Wait outside for me for a bit. Once I calm him down, I'll take you home." I pulled my arm free and walked away without looking back. It had started snowing outside. The air was freezing, and I couldn't get a taxi, so I stood there and waited for Vanessa to come out and drive me home. But instead of Vanessa, one of her friends, Evan Carter, hurried over. "Daniel, I'm sorry," he said awkwardly. "Logan just tried to cut his wrist, and Vanessa is busy calming him down. She probably won't be able to leave for a while, so she asked me to take you home first." He looked at me and let out a deep sigh. "Daniel, Vanessa loves you. It's just that Logan grew up with her, and she's always valued old friendships. Please don't blame her or misunderstand her relationship with Logan. There's really nothing between them. I can promise you that." Hearing that, I felt nothing. I almost wanted to laugh. "It doesn't matter anymore." I held out my hand. "Give me the keys. I can get home myself. And do me a favor, will you? Tell Vanessa that she and I are over." Evan stared at me in shock. I took the keys from him and left. On the way home, Olivia called. She had just landed. She asked when I would be home, whether I was wearing a coat, and whether I knew it was snowing outside. They were simple questions, but somehow, they felt more genuine than anything Vanessa had said to me in a long time. Near the end of the call, Olivia suddenly went quiet. Then she asked, "Our parents will meet tomorrow to talk about the wedding. I want to confirm one thing. Are you really switching brides, Daniel? Was that just something you said in the heat of the moment, or do you regret it now?" I was surprised by how serious she sounded, but I answered without hesitation, "I don't regret it." There seemed to be a faint smile in her voice. "Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow." After the call ended, I contacted my manager. The company agreed to approve my resignation early. I let out a long breath, picked up my suitcase, and prepared to leave. Yet as soon as I reached the entrance, I ran into Vanessa, who had rushed back home. She stormed toward me, furious. "Daniel, what's wrong with you?" she demanded. "Why would you say something like that in front of Evan? You're breaking up with me over an IVF? Don't you think that's ridiculous? We're about to get married." I ignored her anger and carried my suitcase toward the door. She grabbed my arm and argued, "After the baby is born, I'll cut Logan off completely. I already made that clear to him at the hospital. I've compromised this much for you. I'm even willing to give up the friend I grew up with. Isn't that enough?" Chapter 5 The Bride Vanessa Never Saw Coming I looked at her calmly and replied, "Breaking up with you is not up for discussion. This is a notice. Let go." Vanessa was furious. She took a hard breath, trying to hold herself together. "Daniel, I know you're jealous, and I know you're using a breakup to threaten me," she snapped. "But our wedding is only days away. You know how much this marriage means to both of our families." Her voice sharpened. "If you call off the wedding now, how are you going to explain it to your parents? Don't act like I don't know how hard it is for a man to find a wife these days." Then she lifted her chin. "Let me make this clear. If you leave today, I won't attend the wedding. Don't come crying to me when your family is humiliated, because that won't be my responsibility." I pulled my arm out of her grip and left without hesitation. 'Regret it? Why would I? Her wedding is canceled, but mine is going ahead exactly as planned.' I returned to Havenbrook with my suitcase, and as soon as I got home, my parents pulled me aside and asked why I had broken things off. I told them everything about Logan asking Vanessa to do IVF for him. My mother immediately hugged me and cried. My father stayed silent for a long while before finally saying, "Thank God you didn't marry her." My lips trembled, but I could not stop the tears from falling. I wasn't crying for Vanessa; I was crying for the version of myself that had once traveled between cities for love. I was mourning the relationship I had fought so hard to save, only for it to end in the bitterest way possible. Over the next few hours, several of Vanessa's friends messaged me to ask when the wedding would be held. Only then did I realize Vanessa hadn't told anyone we had broken up. So I replied to all of them with the same message, 'Vanessa and I have canceled the wedding. Please don't make plans to attend.' Later that day, I went to a bridal boutique near my parents' house. I took photos of a few new wedding dresses and suits, then sent them to Olivia. Since the wedding was rushed, I needed to know whether she had any preferences. When I got back home, I saw two familiar figures standing downstairs. One was Vanessa. The other was Logan. Vanessa looked much more worn out than before. Her face was pale, and worry filled her eyes when she saw me. She walked toward me. "Daniel, stop making this harder than it has to be," she pleaded. "I've been really exhausted lately. When I heard you say we were breaking up this morning, I was too angry to respond. I'm sorry, okay? Please forgive me." Then she glanced at Logan. "I know you misunderstood everything, so Logan came with me today to explain. If you really don't agree, then we won't go through with the IVF." The moment Logan saw me, he dropped to his knees and cried, "I know this is all my fault. I won't do the IVF anymore. As long as you forgive us, I promise I won't bother your life again." Then he looked up at me with reddened eyes. "But you can't use the wedding to threaten Vanessa. You obviously still went to the bridal boutique today. If you keep threatening her like this, she'll take it seriously." Vanessa quickly helped him up. When she heard what he said, her expression darkened for a second. Then relief flickered across her face. She straightened as if she had regained her confidence. "Daniel, I won't hold this whole canceled-wedding stunt against you because I love you," she declared. "But love has limits. Don't bully me like this again, okay?" Her tone softened, as if she were giving me an order wrapped in forgiveness. "Stay home and rest for the next few days. On Friday, we'll go back to Ravenport and have the wedding as planned—" "Oh, Daniel!" a neighbor called out before Vanessa could finish. "I heard you're marrying Ms. Hart. Don't forget to invite me to the reception!" I smiled at her. "Of course, Mrs. Walker. How could I forget you?" Vanessa froze. Her face went blank with disbelief. "Ms. Hart?" she repeated. Then she turned to me, her voice rising. "Daniel, who exactly are you marrying?"