He Said She Was Just a Friend. I Said ‘So Am I Now’

That evening, Preston came home early and immediately began preparing dinner.

Dinner was ready, with various dishes spread out on the table. Preston enthusiastically introduced each dish, explaining its health benefits while looking at me expectantly.

I tasted each dish and complimented him, which made him smile with satisfaction.

"I'm glad you like it. Thanks to Brianna, really. I helped her assemble a bookshelf today and she gave me a lot of pregnancy recipes," he said.

Suddenly, I lost my appetite.

At that moment, Preston's phone screen lit up. Normally, during dinner, he would never respond to messages, only taking urgent calls. But this time, he looked at the screen and picked up the phone.

After reading it, he handed the phone to me. "Look, Brianna really cares about you. She just sent me more pregnancy tips to make sure I take good care of you."

I didn't take the phone. Instead, I murmured, "I'm full," and went back to the bedroom.

This time, Preston didn't follow me immediately.

Preston and I met when I was in grad school. He was already a successful entrepreneur, invited by the school to give a lecture. I never expected to see him again, but after his speech, he stopped me as I was leaving.

From that day on, he pursued me with fervor. Having always been a good girl with a lack of self-esteem, I found his attention confusing and initially rejected him. But he never gave up. Despite his busy schedule, he came to the school every day to have meals with me. When he traveled for work, he always brought back gifts. When I was busy in the lab, he stayed up all night outside and then walked me back to my dorm.

After a year of his relentless pursuit, we got together.

On the day we started dating, he was over the moon, eager to announce his happiness to the whole world.

After graduation, we naturally got married. I worked at a research institute post-marriage, but I found out I had difficulty conceiving. I eventually quit my job to focus on trying to get pregnant.

However, after three years, my stomach remained flat. Preston's mother constantly found faults with me, but he always defended me, never considering giving up on me. I even overheard him discreetly inquiring about adoption conditions at an orphanage.

Then, last month, I suddenly felt nauseous. Preston, concerned, took me to the hospital.

After numerous tests, the doctor told me I was pregnant.

I looked at Preston excitedly, but he showed no reaction. He was engrossed in a conversation on his phone, a slight smile on his lips, clearly pleased by some message he received.

"Honey? Honey? Honey?" I called out three times before he snapped out of it.

"We're having a baby!" I exclaimed.

Initially, he was frozen in surprise, then he wanted to hug me but stopped himself, afraid to squish our baby. He put down his phone and dashed out of the office, running wildly through the hospital.

I picked up his phone. The password was still my birthday. I unlocked the screen to find the WhatsApp chat window open.

Brianna: "I saw a puppy while shopping. It looks just like the one we used to have."

Preston: "Did you get it?"

Brianna: "No, I can't afford it."

Preston: "I'll pay for it, and I'll cover all the dog food too!"

There was an immediate large money transfer. She replied with an adorable "Thanks, boss" sticker.

I scrolled up through their conversation. It was mostly about their daily lives and sharing funny memes. Nothing overtly inappropriate, but it was very frequent, and it made me feel uneasy.

I had never liked Brianna.