Don’t Cry After I’m Gone

[Ruth, I'm pregnant. It's Shawn Grey's.]

[You've been with Shawn for three years and couldn't get pregnant. No wonder everyone calls you useless!]

[From now on, my child will be the heir to the family fortune. Ruth, are you going to divorce Shawn yourself, or do you want him to kick you out?]

[The engagement with Shawn was supposed to be mine anyway. You're the homewrecker who stole what was mine!]

At the end of the message was an attached image—a test report that clearly showed: 7 weeks pregnant.

The same format as Ruth's own test report on the table in front of her.

Except hers showed 12 weeks.

Her hand holding the phone trembled even more violently. She even forgot to respond to her adoptive father's voice in her earphones.

"Sweetheart, the family has been preparing for Grandpa's 80th birthday. He really wants to see you. I was wondering if you have time to come back?"

Michael Becker's tone carried a hint of pleading, so careful and cautious that it broke her heart.

Ruth took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and held back her tears and the lump in her throat. "Of course I have time. Grandpa's birthday is next month—I remember."

"Really? You're free?" Michael got excited immediately. "When are you planning to come back? I'll arrange a private jet to pick you up! Sorry... I'm being too eager. I didn't mean to rush you. Just let me know when you've made arrangements."

Ruth's tears finally broke through. The lies from her biological parents, the sweet words from her husband Shawn—all fake.

The only genuine affection she could feel came from her adoptive parents' family.

"Dad." She hadn't called Michael that in a long time. "I'll definitely be back before Grandpa's birthday. I just need to handle some things first."

Michael's breathing suddenly became rapid at hearing her call him "Dad."

"After I come back this time, can I stay home for good and never come back here again?"

"I want to divorce Shawn. And I'm pregnant. I want to keep this child, but I don't want the child to have any connection with Shawn."

Michael's voice choked up on the other end. "Baby girl, did Shawn bully you? I'll deal with him for you!"

"No need, I can handle my own affairs." Ruth closed her eyes. "I just... never want anything to do with him again. Let him think I'm dead."

After hanging up, she leaned back on the sofa and had a good cry.

Three years ago, after a genetic test, Ruth's biological parents came looking for her.

They were wealthy people from Los Angeles who held Ruth and cried until they couldn't breathe, hoping she would come home.

Ruth softened and agreed, but when she got home, what awaited her was a family marriage arrangement.

Her fiancé Shawn had just been in a car accident and become a vegetable. The adoptive daughter Vivian Howard, who was supposed to marry him, happened to be going abroad for a ballet tour and couldn't fulfill the engagement.

Ruth couldn't bear to see the couple kneeling before her begging, so she softened again.

She and Shawn had no wedding ceremony. After marrying him, she—who had never done hard labor—began learning to bathe him and give him massages.

The less than one percent chance of him waking up actually became a miracle under her careful care.

After waking up, Shawn had a terrible temper because he wasn't used to his immobile body. Throwing things during rehabilitation was common, but Ruth stayed patiently by his side.

She stood firmly behind him, accompanying him as he regained his health and reclaimed his position as head of the Grey family.

He also gradually fell in love with Ruth, going from resisting the marriage arrangement to making the entire city the backdrop for his declarations of love.

On her birthday, skyscrapers displayed his birthday wishes. On Valentine's Day, he used helicopters to create a rain of roses for her...

When she got sick, he was so anxious he couldn't sleep for days, bringing in the world's best doctors to treat her. When someone bullied her, he directly cut off that person's right hand.

If she frowned even slightly, he would immediately drop his billion-dollar business deals to be with her. When she was in a bad mood, he would rack his brains to make her happy, buying entire stores of bags and jewelry, sending rows and rows of luxury cars and supercars.

Ruth used to think that this man she had pulled back from hell would love her to his bones and be her lifelong home.

Until a month ago when she went to his company to find him.

Through the half-open door, she heard his assistant's report: "Mr. Grey, here's a list of all the famous supermodels in the circle. Which one do you like? I'll arrange a meeting for you."

Ruth thought the assistant was joking, since Shawn had long said she would be his only woman in this lifetime.

But then she heard his lazy response: "Just pick a few randomly. They all look the same anyway, nothing interesting."

The assistant chuckled: "Mr. Grey has high standards. Vivian still suits your taste best."

Was he talking about her? In such a frivolous tone? Ruth felt displeased and was about to push the door open when she heard Shawn laugh.

"Vivian is indeed quite charming and knows how to act cute—a different style from Ruth."

Those words hit her like a blow to the head, making her vision go dark.

Vivian was the Howard family's adoptive daughter. After Ruth was brought back to the Howard family, Vivian, who had always looked down on her, had actually become Shawn's new lover.

But she had told him long ago that she disliked Vivian.

"But no matter what, Vivian can't be seen in public. Keep this well hidden and don't let Ruth find out."

That day, Ruth left in a daze and got completely drunk at a bar.

When the heartbreak reached its peak, she couldn't even cry anymore.

For the past two weeks, she had forced smiles in front of Shawn and actually fooled him. After all, he came home less and less. Since she didn't make a fuss, he didn't realize the distance between them was gradually growing.

Her phone rang again. It was Shawn calling.

"Baby, what are you doing?" His voice was rich as wine, full of affection, no different from usual. "I might be home a bit late tonight."

Lately when he called her, it was mostly to say he'd be home late.

"It's fine. You don't need to check in with me anymore." Ruth's voice was slightly hoarse, and he immediately noticed.

"You've been crying? Who bullied you?"

"No one bullied me. I watched a movie." Ruth brushed him off casually.

"I should have watched it with you, but I've had too many projects lately and really can't get away. Wait for me, okay? Once I finish this busy period, we'll go see the Northern Lights."

He was incredibly gentle when coaxing her, but now she couldn't help wondering—how much of what he said was sincere?

Had he said the same things to Vivian?

Nausea washed over her. She didn't want to hear his sweet talk anymore and hastily dropped a line: "You go ahead and work. Your job is important."

Then she hung up.

At the Grey Group building, in his office, looking at the disconnected call, Shawn frowned slightly, knowing she was unhappy because he kept not coming home.

In the past, he would have called back immediately to continue coaxing her, but today he suddenly didn't feel like it.

Vivian would never be like this. She was always obedient and would find different ways to make him happy.

Just as he was thinking this, his phone vibrated. Vivian had sent him a picture.

Seeing the words "7 weeks pregnant," Shawn's expression changed dramatically, and he immediately called her.

"Vivian, I wore protection every time!"

"How could you be pregnant?"