When His Ex-Wife Moved In

The wind carried a sharp chill that tickled my face. With ten days until the New Year, red lanterns were already hanging in the streets, and the festive scent drifted in on the breeze. Carrying the incense candle I had prepared in advance, I walked into the Green Dragon Temple on the outskirts of town. I came to pray for Sergio Hamill's wellbeing. Sergio Hamill is a surgeon; even on New Year's Eve, he has to be on duty, with surgeries scheduled back-to-back as usual. I'm three months pregnant and still fairly agile. I thought I'd draw a fortune stick for him, wishing that his clinic visits in the new year would go smoothly and that he'd stay safe. The temple was alive with incense smoke and a steady flow of worshipers, most of them like me, seeking peace and stability for their families. I followed the crowd to bow before the Buddha statue in the main hall. Just as I was about to find a monk to interpret my fortune, I spotted a corner of a familiar suit jacket peeking out from behind a side hall statue. It was the dark gray cashmere suit Sergio Hamill often wears—the one I picked out for him last year on my birthday. A sudden tightness gripped my heart, and my feet moved unconsciously in that direction. The huge shadow of the Buddha statue hid their figures; all I could hear was the woman's sultry whisper and Sergio Hamill's low reply. I held my breath, hiding behind the stone pillar, and caught a clear glimpse of the woman's face. It was Juliette Hunt, Sergio Hamill's ex-wife. They'd divorced two years ago, and I'd never seen her before. I only knew from Sergio's occasional mentions that she was a proud and temperamental woman. At that moment, Juliette was standing on tiptoe, her arms around Sergio's neck, red lips pressed against his jawline as she said with a hint of irritation, "Sergio, how long are you going to drag this out before you finally divorce her?" Sergio Hamill's hand rested on her waist, but the grip was hesitant. His voice came from a distance, carrying a casualness I'd never heard before: "Don't make a fuss. I won't get a divorce." "Why not?" Juliette Hunt's voice suddenly pitched higher, then quickly dropped, "You said you still had feelings for me, right? Could it be that you've actually fallen for Rhoda Powell?" My fingers clutching the incense candle went white, the joints aching faintly. My ears buzzed as I waited for Sergio's response. He was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking. His words pierced me like an ice pick, stabbing sharply into my heart. "She's pregnant." No extra explanation, not a hint of guilt—like my child and I were just his excuse not to divorce. The incense candle slipped from my hand and dropped onto the bluestone floor, making a sharp, clear sound. Both of them turned their heads at the noise; a flash of panic flickered across Sergio Hamill's face before he quickly regained his composure. Juliette Hunt wore a teasing smile as she reached up to adjust Sergio Hamill's tie, her eyes sweeping over me with contempt. I didn't have the courage to confront them, so I turned and stumbled out of the temple. The cold wind hit me in the face, turning my eyes red, but the tears wouldn't fall. All I felt was a dull ache in my chest, wave after wave. Memories from the past surged uncontrollably through my mind. A year ago, my family fell on hard times—my father's company went bankrupt, and my mother was rushed to the hospital from the shock. Then Sergio Hamill showed up. He was my mother's attending doctor. After learning about my situation, he offered me a place to stay at his home and even helped cover my mother's medical bills. I was desperate back then, with nowhere else to turn but to him. He treated me incredibly well—gentle and thoughtful. He remembered all my likes and knew I loved flowers, so he spent a fortune buying the vast flower field on the outskirts of the city, saying he wanted me to see blooming flowers every day. I thought I had found salvation and truly believed he cared for me, so when he proposed, I said yes without hesitation. Life after marriage was calm and sweet—until I found out I was pregnant. I told him joyfully, but though there was a smile in his eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible distance remained. At that time, I just thought he was too busy with work and under a lot of pressure, never really giving it much thought. It turns out that all along, I was just being wishful.