Chapter 4: I felt replaced

The moment I pushed the door open, my heart stopped.

David was sitting on Charlotte's bed.

Charlotte was leaning against the headboard, one hand resting protectively on her growing baby bump.

David's hand was on her stomach.

And he was smiling.

Not the polite smile he gave strangers.

Not the business smile he used at work.

It was the smile I had fallen in love with.

The smile that used to belong to me.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then David looked up.

"Vivian."

I stood frozen by the door.

My chest tightened painfully.

"What are you doing here?"

David immediately stood up.

His expression changed.

As if he had been caught doing something wrong.

"It's not what you think."

I almost laughed.

Those words.

Every guilty person seemed to use the same words.

I looked at Charlotte.

She quickly lowered her eyes.

Then I looked back at David.

"Then tell me what I should think."

David sighed.

His hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was checking on her."

"Checking on her?"

My voice trembled.

"You've been checking on her every day."

"She's carrying our child."

"Our child."

I repeated the words quietly.

Something about the way he said them felt wrong.

Very wrong.

David walked toward me.

"Vivian, don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Make something out of nothing."

I stared at him.

The man who once couldn't spend an hour away from me now seemed irritated by my presence.

The realization hurt more than I wanted to admit.

Without another word, I turned around and left.

But the image of David sitting on Charlotte's bed stayed in my mind.

Refusing to leave.

As the weeks passed, things only became worse.

Charlotte was no longer treated like a surrogate.

She was treated like family.

No.

More than family.

Every morning, Scarlett Blackstone personally checked on her.

Every afternoon, special meals were prepared for her.

Every evening, everyone gathered around Charlotte.

As if she were the center of the universe.

One morning, I walked into the dining room.

Charlotte was already seated.

Scarlett placed a bowl of fruit in front of her.

"Eat more."

"You need your strength."

Charlotte smiled.

"Thank you."

Henry nodded approvingly.

"You must take good care of yourself."

I stood there awkwardly.

Nobody noticed me.

Nobody greeted me.

Nobody asked if I had eaten.

It was as if I didn't exist.

Finally, I pulled out a chair and sat down.

Only then did Scarlett glance in my direction.

"Oh. Good morning."

Just that.

Nothing more.

No warmth.

No affection.

No concern.

The same woman who once called me daughter now barely looked at me.

My appetite disappeared.

I quietly left the table.

No one stopped me.

No one even noticed.

David changed too.

At first, I tried to convince myself that it was because of work.

Then I blamed stress.

Then I blamed the pregnancy.

Eventually, I ran out of excuses.

Every free moment belonged to Charlotte.

Every conversation led back to Charlotte.

Every decision revolved around Charlotte.

One evening, I found David in the nursery.

The room had been prepared for the baby.

Tiny clothes.

Small toys.

A beautiful crib.

David stood in the middle of the room smiling.

For a moment, I smiled too.

This was our child.

Our future.

Our dream.

I walked toward him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

David nodded.

"It is."

I slipped my hand into his.

He gently pulled away.

The movement was small.

But I felt it.

Every bit of it.

My heart sank.

The silence between us became unbearable.

Finally, I whispered,

"David..."

He didn't look at me.

"Yes?"

"Are we okay?"

That got his attention.

His eyes met mine.

For a brief moment, guilt flashed across his face.

Then it disappeared.

"We're fine."

The answer felt rehearsed.

Like he had said it a hundred times before.

But I knew we weren't fine.

Not anymore.

The loneliness became unbearable.

I started spending more time alone in my room.

Reading.

Watching television.

Trying to distract myself.

Trying not to notice how invisible I had become.

One night, I woke up around midnight.

The space beside me was empty.

I frowned.

David wasn't in bed.

I sat up.

Maybe he was downstairs.

Maybe he couldn't sleep.

Maybe—

A strange feeling settled inside my stomach.

I climbed out of bed.

The mansion was silent.

Dark.

Cold.

I walked through the hallway.

Then I noticed a faint light.

Coming from Charlotte's room.

My heart began to pound.

Slowly.

Painfully.

I walked closer.

One step.

Then another.

The closer I got, the louder my heartbeat became.

The door wasn't completely closed.

There was a small gap.

And through that gap, I heard laughter.

A woman's laughter.

Charlotte's laughter.

Then David's voice.

Soft.

Intimate.

The way he used to speak to me.

My entire body froze.

No.

No.

No.

Slowly, I moved closer.

Then I looked through the opening.

And the world shattered around me.

David's hands were on Charlotte's face.

His lips were pressed against hers.

Charlotte kissed him back.

Passionately.

Comfortably.

Like this wasn't their first time.

Like they belonged together.

The air disappeared from my lungs.

I couldn't breathe.

Couldn't move.

I couldn't think.

The man I had loved.

The man I had trusted.

The man for whom I sacrificed everything.

Was kissing the woman carrying our child.

A sob escaped my lips.

Small.

Broken.

But loud enough.

David immediately pulled away.

His head snapped toward the door.

Our eyes met.

And at that moment...

He knew I had seen everything.