Chapter 3

Mia's POV

The cab was faster than Julian's car.

I had the driver drop me off at the neighborhood entrance, paid the fare, and got out.

Then I saw Julian holding Tessa's hand as they turned into the slate-blue house right next door to my parents' place.

Moments later, Richard and Margaret went in too. Margaret was carrying a baking dish, and Richard had a bottle of red wine tucked under his arm. Their steps were light and brisk, acting like they were attending some joyous occasion.

Next came Ethan and Rachel. Ethan was carrying two grocery bags while Rachel clung to his arm. They were laughing as they walked, Rachel laughing so hard she kept leaning her head against Ethan's shoulder.

The small courtyard quickly buzzed with life. I bypassed the shrubs between the two houses and crept along the neighbor's wall until only a wooden fence separated me from their yard.

Laughter continuously drifted out from inside.

Peering through the gaps in the ivy-covered fence, I saw Margaret placing the baking dish on the patio table. "The second I saw this house listed for rent the other day, I snatched it up immediately," she said.

She dusted off her hands, a hint of smugness in her voice.

"This way, whenever Julian comes to see Tessa, he can just tell Mia he's visiting us. How convenient is that?"

Rachel clapped her hands together. "Margaret, you really think of everything."

She sighed right after. "It is a bit unfair to Tessa, though. Living here means she has to stay indoors most of the time, otherwise it'd be a nightmare if Mia bumped into her."

I watched as Tessa sat on Julian's lap, her arms draped around his neck.

Julian looked down, a flash of heartache crossing his face. I knew that expression all too well. Back when my illness was at its worst, he wore that exact same look every time he left the house.

"It's been hard on you, Tessa," he said.

Tessa shook her head, her eyes welling up on cue. "As long as I can be with you, nothing else matters."

She forced a brave little smile, the corners of her eyes glistening with tears.

Margaret shook her head sympathetically, walking over to pat Tessa on the back with a heavy sigh. "Tessa is so understanding. Not like Mia..."

That sigh was terribly light, yet it slammed into my chest like a ton of bricks.

Rachel probably felt the mood was getting too heavy and quickly changed the subject.

"Look what I bought for my goddaughter! Little dresses, baby socks, and this singing bunny—"

Her excited tone reminded me of a long time ago, when Rachel and I used to squeeze onto the full-size bed in my old apartment.

She had just found out Julian and I were dating. Poking me in the ribs, she had said, "Promise me, your future daughter can only call me godmother. No one else is allowed."

I had laughed and shoved her playfully. "It might be a boy, you know."

At this very moment, Tessa said those exact same words, her tone just as light and breezy.

Rachel's expression faltered for a second. Just for a split second, her smile froze, and something I couldn't decipher flashed in her eyes. Then she gave her head a tiny shake and pulled her lips back into a wide smile.

She turned to Julian, tilting her head. "Have you guys picked out a name yet?"

Julian's gaze fell to Tessa's flat stomach, and he gave a gentle nod.

"We have. Julian Vance Jr." He paused. "And his nickname will be Austin."

My eyes shot wide open.

Two years ago, Julian and I had a child too. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was trembling with excitement. I couldn't sleep that night, scrolling through baby names on my phone until dawn.

I chose Austin because it was the name of the male lead in the movie Julian and I watched on our first date.

After I caught him cheating, I lost the baby. The doctor said my body simply couldn't handle the extreme emotional trauma coupled with chronic insomnia.

That name was meant for the baby I never got to meet.

In the courtyard, everyone's expression shifted for a fraction of a second. Margaret's hands froze in mid-air with the plate. Richard's sudden throat-clearing sounded deafeningly loud. Ethan stared down at his shoes, while the corner of Rachel's mouth twitched.

But no one said a word.

Dry, brittle ivy dug into my palms as I shoved the wooden gate open.

The rusty metal hinges let out an ear-piercing shriek. The courtyard went dead silent in an instant.

Margaret nearly dropped her plate, and Richard shot up from his seat.

In perfect unison, they all moved to block Tessa from me. Julian stood at the very front, all the color draining from his face.

"Mia, how did you..." He swallowed hard, his voice starting to shake. "You know?"

The others didn't look much better. Margaret stood there with her mouth hanging open, unable to speak. Richard furrowed his brow, Ethan avoided my gaze entirely, and Rachel instinctively took a half-step back.

A raging fire burned inside me, scorching its way up from my stomach to the back of my throat.

"That bastard in her stomach," I pointed a trembling finger at Tessa, my voice so hoarse I barely recognized it, "deserves to have the same name as my unborn child?"

Margaret gasped sharply, the plate slipping from her hands and shattering loudly onto the ground.

Julian's pale face morphed into a dark, livid scowl. He stared at me coldly, as if looking at a complete stranger.

"Mia," he gritted out, word by word, "watch your mouth."