Chapter 3
The sound of the immigration officer typing echoed through the quiet hall.
“Everything will be processed within two weeks,” the officer said, handing Marissa her documents. “Please be patient.”
Marissa thanked them softly and walked away.
Back home, she opened the closet and began packing, piece by piece. Each item felt like tearing open an old wound.
The shirt–she gave it to Matt on his birthday. He wore it when they watched the sunrise from the mountain. The scarf–she stayed up all night knitting it. He used to say it smelled like her. In the drawer, two expired concert tickets still lay there. It was raining that night, and they spent hours curled up on the sofa, listening to records.
Marissa’s hands trembled slightly, but she didn’t hesitate as she tossed everything into the trash bags.
As the sky darkened, she dragged the last bag toward the door, only to hear familiar footsteps outside.
The door opened. Matt stood there, supporting a very pregnant Leah.
“Mr. Holloway, don’t forget to come by later,” Leah said sweetly, her eyes glancing meaningfully at Marissa before she strolled off toward the guest
room.
“Marissa,” Matt stepped closer, lowering his voice, “Leah’s due any day now. The doctor said she shouldn’t be left alone, so… I’ll be staying in the same room to keep an eye on her.
0.00%
22:52
Chapter 3
“But don’t worry,” he added quickly. “Nothing will happen between us.
He braced himself for Marissa to cry or lash out; he’d even rehearsed what to say to calm her down. But to his surprise, she simply nodded calmly.
“Do whatever you want.”
Matt was taken aback, then let out a breath, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Just one more month.”
Marissa didn’t respond. She just turned and walked toward the bedroom.
That night, Matt moved all his clothes and personal items into the guest room. Leaning against the doorway, Marissa watched him move back and forth, and for a moment, it felt like he was slowly pulling himself out of
her life.
In the dead of night, a knock suddenly echoed. Marissa opened it to find Leah, with a bulging belly, standing there smugly.
“Marissa, Mr. Holloway forgot the stretch mark oil he bought for me. He’s going to help me apply it later, so I came to grab it.”
A sharp pain shot through Marissa’s chest,
Didn’t Matt say Leah was just a surrogate? Then why was he personally taking care of her stretch marks?
She turned and took out the bottle from the drawer, her fingers trembling slightly as she handed it over.
Leah took it but didn’t leave. Instead, she looked at Marissa up and down.
“Married to Mr. Holloway for five years and still couldn’t give him a child. I got pregnant on the first try. Doesn’t that make you feel… inferior?”
22:52
Chapter 3
H
Marissa looked at her calmly. “You know better than anyone how that baby really came to be.”
“So what?” Leah shrugged with a smug smile. “Sure, I stole the condom you and Mr. Holloway used after sex. But now? I’m carrying the only heir to the Holloway family. And you? You’ve got nothing.”
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You know what I hated most about you? That superior look on your face, like every time you helped me, it was some kind of charity. But now, I’ve finally crushed you under my heel. Once this baby is born, you’ll never be able to beat me.”
Marissa had no interest in hearing another word.
She reached out to shut the door, but suddenly, Leah threw out her arm to block it, then flung herself backward with an exaggerated scream.
“Ah!”
Before Marissa could even react, Matt came rushing over, immediately scooping Leah up from the floor.
“Marissa!” He looked up at her, eyes full of disbelief. “Didn’t you say earlier you’d try to hold it together?”
“I didn’t push her,” Marissa said calmly. “She threw herself down to frame me.”
“She’d risk her own baby just to set you up?” Matt’s voice suddenly rose. “Do you believe that?”
It was the first time he had ever yelled at her.
Marissa’s eyes burned, but she stubbornly lifted her chin.
“I swear I didn’t. If you don’t believe me, let’s check the corridor cameras. She reached out to grab Matt’s arm.
57.80%
22 52
Chapter 3
“Enough!” Matt shoved her aside. “Stop bullying her!”
Caught off guard, Marissa fell backward, hitting her head hard on the door frame. Sharp pain exploded, and warm blood flowed from her temple.
But Matt didn’t spare her a glance. He bent down and gently lifted the still–pretending, groaning Leah into his arms.
“Don’t worry, I’ll call our private doctor right away.”
Then he walked away, his figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Marissa slumped to the floor, then suddenly laughed softly.
Her broken, trembling laugh, mixed with tears, echoed in the dead, silent corridor.
