I Saw the Comments and Ran Away Pregnant

My boyfriend had just gotten home from a long day at the construction site when I demanded that he go out in the pouring rain and buy me a box of premium cherries. His voice was tired. "We're running low on money. Rent's due tomorrow. How about strawberries instead?" I grabbed a throw pillow and hurled it at him. "Get out, you loser!" After throwing him out, I curled up on the couch and sulked. Then a stream of floating comments suddenly appeared before my eyes. [This woman has no idea she's calling a billionaire heir a loser! He only ended up working construction because he lost his memory after being set up!] [His fiancée will find him soon. Once he regains his memories, he'll discover this woman has been lying to him all along!] [This spoiled brat is already pregnant. Later she'll use the baby to cause trouble, but she'll be killed right after giving birth, and the child will be abused too!] I froze. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach. Pregnant? At that moment, the front door opened. Landon Pierce stepped inside, soaked from head to toe, a box of premium cherries clutched in one hand. He looked at me nervously and spoke with careful hesitation. "I spent the last two hours delivering food orders so I could afford the box of premium cherries." He held it out to me. "Please don't make me leave, okay?" Chapter 1 Landon Pierce stood in the doorway, drenched from head to toe, looking painfully like a golden retriever that had been left out in the rain. The scrolling comments still lingered in my mind. "Spoiled brat." "Billionaire heiress." "Liar." "Pregnant." "Kill her." "The child gets abused." My knees felt weak. Under normal circumstances, I would've snatched the cherries from his hands, called him a useless idiot a few more times, eaten the entire box myself, and told him to sleep on the couch. But today, I didn't dare. I took a deep breath, my voice coming out a little strained. "Go change out of those wet clothes first." Landon visibly froze. He probably expected another round of insults. He held out the box of cherries awkwardly. "I wasn't trying to ignore you earlier. I just wanted to finish a few more deliveries so I could earn enough to buy these for you..." My gaze dropped to his hands, pale and wrinkled from hours in the rain. My heart sank. For the past year, I'd yelled at him and picked fights over the smallest things, yet he had never once talked back. "I said go change your clothes first." I turned away, my voice tight. Landon lowered his eyes. "Okay. I'll go right now." He set down the cherries and hurried off to find some dry clothes. The moment he disappeared into the bathroom, I stared at the box of premium cherries on the table, tears threatening to spill over. The comments had said I was pregnant. That I'd cling to him desperately, only to be killed by his true love. That my child would be abused. If I wasn't pregnant, maybe there was still hope. But what if I was? [So, she is finally scared? Too late.] [Honestly, pretending to be nice now won't save her. Landon's fiancée is already on her way.] [I feel so bad for him. He's put up with her abuse for way too long.] I clenched my jaw and forced the tears back. Landon emerged in dry clothes and found me staring blankly at the cherries. He asked carefully, "Want me to wash them for you?" I immediately grabbed the box. "Come on. We're returning these." "Huh?" He blinked. "They're way too expensive. This box cost over forty dollars. That's nearly a full day's pay for you. We're taking them back." I grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the door. Landon stumbled after me, looking completely bewildered. "You... weren't these your favorite?" "I don't want them anymore." I didn't dare look at him. After returning the cherries, I took some money and stuffed it into his pocket. "Put it toward the rent." Landon stood there as the rain eased into a drizzle. He simply looked at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. He appeared little like surprise, and a little like concern. "Carol..." he began cautiously. "Are you on your period?" Chapter 2 "What nonsense are you spouting?" I nearly snapped back, but caught myself at the last second. "Let's go home." The rental apartment had only one bed. That night, I curled up against the wall, facing away from him. After his shower, Landon climbed into bed. He lay there silently for a long while before speaking in a low voice. "I'm really tired today... can we skip the usual tonight?" My whole body went rigid. "The usual" was his polite way of putting it. Whenever I was in a good mood, I'd tease and torment him in bed. He never refused, even after spending an entire day doing construction work until his back could barely straighten. But now the comments were saying I was pregnant. Instinctively, I pressed a hand over my lower abdomen, my thoughts in complete disarray. "Mm... let's just sleep," I muttered. A few seconds of silence followed. Then Landon quietly replied, "Okay." His voice carried a trace of disappointment and confusion. [Seriously? Why is he disappointed? He's wired!] [Landon's only treating her this well because she tricked him. Once he gets his memories back, he'll realize she deceived him.] [Can his fiancée hurry up and show up already?] I buried my face in the pillow. I barely slept all night. Landon, on the other hand, had fallen asleep. His breathing was steady, one arm draped loosely around my waist. Even after I'd turned him down, he still protected me out of habit. At the first hint of dawn, he quietly got out of bed. I pretended to be asleep and watched him through half-closed eyes. He padded into the kitchen and made breakfast. After quickly finishing his own breakfast, he left mine in the oven to keep warm. He reached the door, then suddenly turned back. He leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to my forehead. The moment the door closed behind him, I waited a few minutes before jumping out of bed. I skipped breakfast, pulled on a mask, and hurried to a pharmacy, where I bought two pregnancy tests from different brands. Back home, I locked myself in the bathroom. My hands shook so badly I could barely open the packaging. The few minutes of waiting felt like the longest minutes of my life. Both tests showed two lines. I sat frozen on the toilet, my legs so weak I couldn't stand. I really was pregnant. Everything the comments had said was true. [Told you. Pregnancy confirmed.] [The fiancée, Selena Lowe, is about to arrive.] [This woman's good days are over. The moment Landon gets his memories back, she'll be the first person he dumps. That's what she gets for lying to him all this time.] Suddenly, I remembered the first time I met Landon. He'd been injured at a construction site and rushed to the hospital, the back of his head covered in blood. But one look at his face and bearing, and it was obvious he wasn't an ordinary man. For reasons I still couldn't explain, I'd told him after he woke up, "I paid your fifty-thousand-dollar medical bill. I saved your life." I'd thought he'd be overwhelmed with gratitude and reward me with tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Instead, he'd replied with complete sincerity, "Thank you, but I'm just a construction worker... I'll work hard and pay you back." I'd been stunned on the spot. But he was ridiculously handsome, and he indulged me in everything. Before long, we ended up together. Later, I quit my nursing job and let him support me. I complained that he was poor, yelled at him every day, ordered him around, and constantly told him to "get out." Not once had he ever said no. Looking back now, I couldn't understand it. I'd treated him so badly. How could he still have been so good to me? I covered my face, but even my sobs came out soundlessly. [She’s crying now? A little late for that.] [She is pitiful too. Chasing vanity felt great at the time, but there's always a price to pay.] I stepped out of the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were swollen and red. Chapter 3 No. I couldn't just sit around and wait for my fate. The comments said I'd use the baby to make a scene and cling to him desperately. Then I simply wouldn't. I needed to find a way to survive. And I needed to protect this child. However, once Landon regained his memories, would he still be kind to the woman who had lied to him? I sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, and suddenly remembered the things I'd said to him before. "You're useless." "I must've been blind to end up with you." "You'll never be able to afford a house in your life." Back then, he'd only fallen silent. Then he'd worked even harder—taking on more construction jobs and making delivery runs whenever he could. I pressed a hand against my chest. It hurt. That afternoon, I forced myself out to buy groceries and tried learning how to cook. Landon had always been the one who cooked when he got home from work. I'd barely set foot in the kitchen. After two hours of trial and error, I ended up with a tray of burnt roasted vegetables and a soup so oversalted it was practically inedible. In the end, I gave up and made grilled cheese sandwiches with fried eggs, which barely qualified as dinner. When Landon came home that evening, he noticed the apartment had been cleaned. Then his gaze landed on the table—the simple dinner I'd managed to throw together, alongside my two disastrous attempts at cooking. He froze. "You made all this?" His voice tightened. I lowered my head. "Yeah. Try it." He picked up his fork and took a bite of the blackened vegetables. Without changing expression, he swallowed. "It's good." My nose stung. I nearly burst into tears. He set down his fork and frowned as he looked at my hands. "Don't do this again. Just wait for me to get home and cook." I shook my head hard. "You can't do everything yourself... You're already exhausted from work." Landon was silent for a few seconds. Then he suddenly took my hand. "What happened to you?" [Landon, don't touch her!] [Did this woman suddenly gain self-awareness or something? What's with the act?] [None of this changes the fact that she lied to Landon. Once he gets his memories back, he'll definitely settle the score with her!] Startled, I yanked my hand away. "N-Nothing's wrong." He looked at me. There was concern in his eyes, along with confusion, and another emotion I couldn't quite name. I sat there feeling increasingly uneasy, terrified that he'd see through me. … Over the next few days, I seemed like a completely different person. I stopped sleeping until noon and started getting up early to have breakfast with Landon. After he left for work, I did the laundry. I ruined one of his work shirts, but at least I tried. I also attempted to learn how to cook, though the results were still questionable at best. Every time Landon came home, he would silently take whatever I was doing out of my hands and guide me to the couch. "Sit down. I've got it." [Who is she trying to fool with this sweet-and-devoted act? Where was all this kindness when she was yelling at and hitting Landon?] [This is hilarious. Doesn't matter how hard she tries to win him over—Selena is already here.] [This women's ending is brutal. Just wait and see.] Every time I saw those comments, it felt like a hand was squeezing my heart. But every bit better I treated him, the better my chances of surviving. Even if he didn't want me anymore after getting his memories back, surely he'd remember that I'd been good to him these past few days. Landon had been acting strange lately, too. He kept receiving calls from unknown numbers at night. Every time, he'd step onto the balcony or go outside to answer them, speaking in a voice so low I could barely hear it. Whenever he came back, his expression was unusually serious. When I asked who called, he always said it was someone from the construction site. I didn't believe him. According to the comments, Selena had already found him. One night, he went out to the balcony to answer another call. I quietly followed and listened through the narrow gap in the door. "...I don't remember anything from before. I have a girlfriend now. Stop contacting me." Then he hung up. Afterward, he remained standing on the balcony for a long time. Chapter 4 I climbed back into bed, my heart pounding. [Aww, Landon is so devoted. Even with amnesia, he's still completely loyal.] [Once he gets his memories back, he'll choose Selena anyway. People belong with their own kind.] [This woman never deserved Landon's love. Maybe she should've thought about that before treating him like dirt.] That night, after we lay down, Landon rolled over to face me. "Carol." "Yeah?" "I'm not that tired tonight." His voice was low. "What do you want to do? I'm up for anything." I opened my mouth but couldn't find the words. In the end, I only managed two. "I don't." He reached out and brushed his fingers against my cheek. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly. "Just tell me. I'll fix it." I took a deep breath. Part of me wanted to stop hiding and just tell him everything. "Landon, I'm actually preg—" Before I could finish, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID. His brow furrowed. After a moment's hesitation, he answered. "Hello?" I had no idea what the person on the other end said. But I watched his expression shift from confusion, to shock, and finally into a gravity I'd never seen before. "I understand." He ended the call and immediately sat up to get dressed. "What happened?" I asked, my nerves tightening. "Something urgent came up." He pulled on his shirt. "Get some sleep. Don't wait up for me." He hurriedly kissed my forehead, slipped on his shoes, and left. The moment the door closed, new comments drifted across my vision. [Selena has arrived with a top neurologist. Tonight, Landon gets his memories back.] [This women's good days are officially over.] [By this time tomorrow, Landon will be the heir to one of Kingsford's most powerful families. This apartment will have nothing to do with him anymore.] I sat alone in the darkness. Cold seeped through my entire body. Landon never came home that night. … At ten o'clock the next morning, someone knocked on the door. Thinking Landon had finally returned, I rushed over and pulled it open. A woman stood outside. She was dressed in designer pieces straight off the latest runway, a Hermès bag hanging from her arm. Every detail of her appearance was flawless, down to the last strand of hair. Everything about her clashed with the shabby surroundings, like a diamond dropped into a junkyard. She looked me up and down once. The contempt in her eyes wasn't even concealed. "You're Carol Stone?" [She's here! Selena Lowe is here!] [Look at that presence. Carol doesn't stand a chance.] [It's over. She is finished.] Before I could answer, she walked straight inside. Her gaze swept across the cramped living room, and the corner of her mouth twitched downward. "My name is Selena Lowe. I'm Landon Pierce's fiancée." She turned to face me, her tone calm and matter-of-fact. "He lost his memory. That's the only reason he ended up with you. Now that he's getting those memories back, it's time for him to come home." My grip tightened around the doorknob. "What proof do you have?" She took out her phone and pulled up a photograph. It was a picture of Landon standing beside an elderly man in front of a sprawling estate. In the photo, Landon was dressed in a tailored suit. He looked nothing like the man I knew. He was elegant, reserved, and untouchable, like someone from an entirely different world. "This was taken with his grandfather." Selena put her phone away. "His real identity is the sole heir of the Pierce family, one of the most powerful families in Kingsford, and the future head of Pierce Group. You were a nurse. Do you honestly think you're his equal?" Every word felt like a needle piercing my chest because she wasn't entirely wrong. This relationship was built on a lie from the very beginning. Yet hearing it spoken aloud so bluntly still hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes. "He... got his memories back?" My voice trembled. "Yes." Selena let out a cold laugh. "The treatment last night was very successful. He'll remember everything." She looked at me. "What do you think happens after he remembers who he really is? Do you honestly believe he'll still choose you?" Chapter 5 I bit my lip and said nothing. Selena glanced around the apartment again before letting out a mocking laugh. "You've been letting him live in a place like this? Supporting you with construction jobs?" She looked at me with open disdain. "Miss Stone, not only are you not good enough for him, you've made him suffer all this time. If you had even a shred of decency, you'd disappear on your own." She held out a check. "Buy yourself a flight ticket. Go wherever you want. Just don't come back." I didn't take it. Selena set the check on the table. "You took care of Landon for six months. On behalf of the Pierce family, thank you." Her gaze hardened. "But some fantasies need to end." She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Don't fool yourself. The first thing he'll investigate after recovering his memories is that lie about the fifty thousand dollars. You know exactly what you did." My entire body stiffened. "Leave, and I'll give you another one hundred thousand dollars. That should keep you comfortable for a while." I picked up my phone and called Landon. No answer. I called again, and still no answer. Seven or eight calls later, every single one had gone unanswered. [Landon has his memories back. He doesn't want to take her calls.] [He's about to enter an arranged marriage. Why would he bother with her anymore? Carol brought this on herself.] [Honestly, one hundred thousand dollars is a great deal. She should take the money and leave. It's a much better ending than she got in the original story.] The last of my hope shattered. Suddenly, I laughed. "You think this is enough to get rid of me?" "How much do you want?" Selena narrowed her eyes. My mind raced. If I was going to leave, I needed enough money set aside for the baby. "Ten million." "What?" For the first time, Selena looked genuinely stunned. "Are you insane?" "Then we don't have a deal." I turned as if to close the door. "I've been with Landon for months. I don't believe he'd just abandon me. I'll cling to him for the rest of my life if I have to. What exactly are you going to do about it?" Selena's face darkened. The hand gripping her designer handbag tightened until the veins stood out. After a long silence, she spoke through clenched teeth. "Six million. That's my final offer." "Deal." The answer left my mouth instantly. The truth was, my heart was pounding. I'd never even seen that much money before. After the transfer came through, Selena said coldly, "Leaves this afternoon. If you try to play games with me, I promise you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Then she left. I stared at my phone screen. Landon still wasn't answering. Tears splashed onto the display one after another. He had his memories back. Of course he hated me now. I sniffed hard, wiped away my tears, and started packing. Then I blocked every way Landon could contact me. I dragged my suitcase behind me and walked out of the apartment for the last time. As I passed the neighborhood market, the owner called out to me. "Carol, your boyfriend ordered those premium cherries you like yesterday. He was supposed to pick them up today. Do you want to take them with you?" I stopped in my tracks. Then I shook my head. "No. Just cancel the order." I cried the entire ride to the airport. The driver kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror, looking like he wanted to say something but never did. By the time I arrived, I had checked in and collected my boarding pass. I wiped my face, gripped the handle of my suitcase, and headed toward security. Just as I handed over my boarding pass and stepped toward the checkpoint, the airport announcement system suddenly crackled to life. "Attention, passengers. All departing flights have been temporarily delayed. We are currently attempting to locate the following individual—"