Ghosts of What We Had

Harvey sent me a photo of a pregnancy report—the name on the report was Wendy Johnson!

Once I saw the gestational age, my mind started spinning. The report clearly stated that she was three weeks pregnant.

In other words, Wendy had already gotten herself artificially inseminated a month ago in order to conceive Harvey's baby. From the very beginning, she never actually considered seeking my approval first.

Since that was the case, why had she stubbornly continued to ask me about it for the past month? Was she just trying to ensure she could do it with a clear conscience?

Feeling as though all my strength had been sapped out of me, I crumpled onto the floor. It felt like my heart was being crushed. I could scarcely breathe.

This explained why Wendy couldn't keep the smile off her face just now, and why she had rushed off after the call. She must've found out that the procedure had been a success. She was now pregnant.

She was probably hurrying to the hospital to celebrate with Harvey right now.

I closed my eyes. An overwhelming sense of sorrow filled me. I couldn't believe that the woman I'd loved for so many years was now pregnant with another man's child.

Just two months ago, I proposed to her, and she accepted. The wedding ceremony had been set for next month. I'd already prepared our outfits and booked a hotel ballroom for the ceremony.

All this while, I eagerly anticipated our wedding day. I looked forward to finally taking Wendy by the hand and making her my wife. All of my hopes and expectations just vanished into thin air.

My phone started buzzing, pulling me out of my thoughts. I instinctively took the call. The voice that came through belonged to my college senior, Gemma Chambers.

"Nathan, I know you're about to get married, but I just have to ask you one more time. Are you sure you don't want to consider joining our research lab?" Gemma queried. "You were always Professor Kelley's most gifted student. He still hopes you can help him out with his research.

"Since you're about to start a family, Professor Kelley has said he can grant you a special leave of absence for two weeks off after working in the research lab every month. That way, you can still spend quality time with your wife."

Six months ago, I heard that my old professor, Lawrence Kelley, had set up a new research lab. Professor Kelley called me and personally invited me to join his team. However, taking the job meant no contact with the outside world. I could only leave once the research work had been completed.

That would take a few months, at least, if not a couple of years.

I didn't want to spend so much time away from Wendy, and I couldn't bear not being able to get in touch with her. Thus, I declined Professor Kelley's invitation.

But right now, what came to mind was the pregnancy report I saw.

Wendy was already pregnant with Harvey's baby. Since she made her decision without giving any consideration to our relationship or our impending marriage, there was no reason to continue with the wedding.

I subconsciously tightened my grip on the phone as I replied, "I'll join the research lab, Gemma, and I don't need the special leave of absence. We can just stick to the research schedule."

"That's wonderful news! Professor Kelley will be delighted," Gemma exclaimed in joy. "When do you plan on coming over? Why don't you join us a week after the wedding? That way, you can still go on your honeymoon first."

"That won't be necessary," I replied quietly. "I'll come over on the day of the wedding."

My eyes fell on the calendar on the table. I'd circled the 15th of the following month with a red marker. At the time, I did it so that I had a constant reminder of how many days I had left till the wedding. That made it easier for me to make all the arrangements.

It was now a countdown to the day I left Wendy. These last 15 days served as an adjustment period for me to get used to leaving someone I'd known and loved for over two decades.

After 15 days, Wendy and I would never see each other again.