His Cheating During My Pregnancy

I sat on the off-white sofa in the living room, my right hand gently resting on my lower belly, where a three-month-old little life was growing. The warm feeling made my heart soften just a bit. But on the phone screen clenched in my left hand, the chat between Leo Luke and Ruby stabbed into my eyes like icy needles — "Ruby, Viola's morning sickness is really wearing me down. You're the only one who really gets me." I took a deep breath, swallowed the bitter lump in my throat, and waited for Leo Luke to get home from work. He pushed the door open, still carrying the cold from outside, and frowned the moment he saw me holding up my phone. "Viola, why are you snooping through my phone again?" Leo Luke tossed his briefcase on the hallway cabinet, his voice thick with impatience. I pointed at the message on the screen, my voice shaking a little: "What does she mean by this?" Leo Luke came over, snatched the phone, quickly swiped through the messages, then shrugged it off: "Ruby Xavier was just joking, don't make such a big deal out of it." He reached out to touch my lower belly, and I instinctively pulled back. His hand froze in mid-air, his expression darkened: "Pregnant women need to be more tolerant. Don't get hung up on such little things." After that day, Ruby Xavier's "jokes" only got more frequent. She'd send photos of desserts she made to me, with captions like, "Leo Luke said you can't handle greasy food, so I made this for him as a midnight snack," finishing with a playful smiley. I sent the screenshots to Leo Luke, asking why he didn't just put a stop to it. His reply was just a short line: "We've been childhood friends. Rejecting her would be too awkward. Don't overthink it." Morning sickness peaked in the fourth month. I was throwing up like crazy every day—even just drinking a sip of water made my stomach churn. That morning, I was leaning against the wall coming out of the bathroom, just about to head back to the bedroom to lie down, when I heard a familiar woman's voice from the kitchen. I clung to the doorframe to peek inside, and my heart sank straight to my stomach—Ruby Xavier was there, wearing my favorite light gray loungewear, standing by the stove, directing Leo Luke to make her soup. "Leo, put less salt, I've been craving bland food lately," she said, scooping a spoonful to taste. Then she frowned and added, "Add some goji berries—you said those are good for your health." Leo Luke worked diligently without complaint. When he looked up, he saw me and froze for a moment before forcing out a smile, "Viola, you're awake? Go back inside and lie down, it's really smoky here." Ruby Xavier also turned her head, still holding my soup spoon, smiling as she said, "Viola, with your morning sickness so bad, I'll help take care of Leo's meals from now on. We've grown up together, so I know exactly what he likes." I clenched the edge of my shirt, my nails digging into my palm. "My loungewear—how can you just wear it like that?" Ruby Xavier's smile froze for a moment, then she quickly forced it back to normal: "Ah, I accidentally spilled some water on my clothes earlier. Since this one was hanging on the balcony, I just put it on. Viola, you won't mind, right?" Before I could say a word, Leo Luke jumped in: "It's just a piece of clothing. Why are you making such a big deal over it with her?" He came over, trying to help me back to the bedroom, but I jerked my hand away. Suddenly, a dull ache hit my lower belly, and my face went pale instantly. "Don't get mad," Leo Luke said, clearly panicked seeing me like this. "I'll just have her take it off and give it back to you." Ruby Xavier stood beside me, a faint, almost unnoticeable smile twitching at the corner of her lips as she softly said, "Viola, actually, there's something else I want to tell you — from now on, Leo Luke and I will help you raise the baby." I stared at her, my blood nearly freezing everywhere, "What exactly do you mean by that?" "Nothing special," she shrugged, voice light and casual, "Leo Luke and I are basically like family. Of course I'm gonna take care of his kid." That night, I didn't sleep at all. The dull ache in my lower belly came and went, while the pain and anger inside me crashed like waves in a storm. After Leo Luke got back, I told him I wanted to stay at my parents' place for a while, but he just thought I was still being moody.