Never Meant to Stay

Bianca glanced at me, then nodded hard and started explaining.

"Theo stayed unmarried all the way until his thirties because of me. Now, he's about to die. I have to at least fulfill his wish."

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed slightly, as if what she was about to say next was hard to get out.

"Theo…stayed a virgin for me. He's never been with a woman. So I've decided to have a child for him. I've already talked it through with him. The baby will take your last name. That should be fine, right?"

Seeing how stiff my expression was, Bianca hurried to add that last part.

I stared at her in disbelief and shot to my feet.

"What the hell are you talking about? You want to have Theo's child and then have me raise it?! No! I won't agree to this. Before, when you were taking care of Theo, I turned a blind eye. Now you're openly telling me you want to cheat on me? What are you even thinking?"

My anger exploded in an instant, and I completely lost control.

All these years, because I loved Bianca, I tolerated the fact that she still couldn't let go of Theo. I even accepted that she went to take care of him.

But what she just said felt like a hard slap across my face. It was painful and humiliating.

Bianca froze for a moment, clearly not expecting such a strong reaction from someone who had always indulged her.

She snapped back to herself and said unhappily, "What are you doing, Logan? I'm not discussing this with you. I'm informing you."

She frowned at my flushed face, her expression full of dissatisfaction.

"Besides, even though I married you, my uterus belongs to me. If I want to have a child for someone, do I really need your permission? And if you hadn't insisted on marrying me back then, I could've run away with Theo long ago. You just took advantage of the situation!"

When Bianca said that, the way she looked at me was filled with resentment.

All my strength to argue or question her drained away in an instant.

I never imagined Bianca would blame her separation from Theo on me.

Back then, Bianca was humiliated and secretly photographed. When Theo, who was her boyfriend at the time, found out, he left the city.

Her parents, who had spent their lives working in education, couldn't handle the blow and fell seriously ill.

That was when I stepped forward.

I had loved her for years. I wouldn't deny that I took advantage of the timing.

But I couldn't help myself. The moment I first saw Bianca at school, I had already chosen her. Everyone knew she was dating Theo back then, and I never would've tried to steal her away.

Later, Theo was gone, and Bianca fell into despair.

How could I stand by and do nothing when the woman I loved was suffering?

During the two years Bianca struggled with depression, I stayed by her side the whole time. Maybe my sincerity moved her, or maybe she finally gave up on Theo.

Two years later, Bianca asked me to marry her. I thought my devotion had finally paid off.

After we got married, I kept watching over her. I didn't dare let my guard down, worried her depression would return.

But now, six years later, Bianca actually blamed me for the regrets between her and Theo.

What a joke!

That simple accusation erased all my effort and all my sincerity.

"Then what am I to you? A disposable ATM?" I almost roared those words out.

Anger turned my eyes red and made my mouth twitch. I couldn't form another complete sentence.

I couldn't understand how Bianca could treat me like this. We had been married for six years. How could she be so cruel?

"You're so dramatic!" She glanced at me, her eyes full of disgust. "Forget it. I don't care what you think. I'm having this child for Theo."

I was just about to say something when Bianca's phone rang. The ringtone was distinctive, and I immediately knew it was Theo.

From the phone, Theo's voice came through, faint and unsteady.

"Bianca, my stomach hurts again. I really want to see you. Can you come over?"

The man's voice sounded weak. I saw with my own eyes the worry and tenderness flash through Bianca's gaze.

It was an expression she had never once shown me.

I instinctively grabbed Bianca's hand. "Bianca, please don't do this. You're my wife…"

She shook my hand off, irritation written all over her face.

"Can you stop this already? Theo is sick! He really needs me right now. Even if you're jealous, at least consider the timing. Is this really the moment for that? Stop making a scene. Theo doesn't have much time left."

When she said that last line, her brows were tightly drawn together, as if I were the only one being unreasonable.

I felt something shatter inside my chest.