When I fell, a few kind neighbors rushed forward and broke my fall, so I didn't just split open on the pavement.

But still, I was pregnant.

The impact was severe.

Blood started pooling beneath me, a relentless flow.

When Ryan finally arrived with a few off-duty firefighters he'd managed to call, this was the scene he walked into—

Me, surrounded by a crowd, my face as white as a sheet, covered in burns.

My white dress was stained with a huge, terrifying patch of red.

"Ch-Chloe..."

He pushed through the crowd, his voice trembling.

"What happened? Liam said you were faking it."

The pain in my stomach had stolen all my strength.

I could only breathe in ragged gasps, glaring at him.

"Does the whole department just do whatever Liam says?"

"You just believe everything that comes out of his mouth?"

The neighbors started yelling.

"What kind of firefighters are you?!"

"This is completely irresponsible! We waited for almost an hour!"

"The fire was huge! What if someone had died? Is that a risk you're willing to take?!"

"And she's pregnant! Look at her, she's not okay..."

Ryan couldn't say a word.

He knew they were right.

He just hung his head, unable to even look at me.

When the ambulance came, he insisted on riding with me to the hospital.

The whole way, he kept apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I had no idea this would happen."

"It's my fault. I trusted Liam too much..."

A nurse cut him off.

"Please don't disturb the patient. Her condition is critical."

"Are you family?"

Ryan shook his head.

"Then you need to contact her family, now."

"We might need someone to sign consent forms."

That's when Ryan scrambled to call Liam.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Hey, Ryan, what's up?"

He must have put it on speaker so I could hear.

Hearing Liam's voice sent a shiver down my spine.

It was noisy on his end, like a girl was crying in the background.

Ryan didn't seem to notice.

He just blurted out what had happened to me.

"Liam, the fire was real."

"Chloe jumped from the window."

"We're on our way to the hospital now. You need to get here."

"They might need you to sign something."

I don't think he was prepared for Liam's reaction.

A scornful laugh echoed from the phone, as if he'd figured out our little game.

"Ryan, how much did Chloe pay you to go along with this little act?"

"And even if it were true, we live on the fifth floor."

"It's not like the fall would kill her."

Before Liam could say more, a soft, fragile female voice cut in.

"Liam, is something wrong with Chloe?"

"Maybe you should go be with her."

"I'll be okay here by myself, I promise."

"I won't try to jump again... It's just... living is so hard."

It was clearly Lily.

Liam didn't even hang up the phone.

He just started comforting her.

"Chloe's just being dramatic."

"Nothing's wrong with her."

"Shhh, Lily, don't worry about it."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm staying right here with you, okay?"

His voice was so gentle, like he was cooing at a child.

It just made me feel sick.

He always believed every word Lily said.

But everything I did was just an act.

The double standard was so blatant.

How did he have the nerve to claim they were just friends?

Even Ryan couldn't take it anymore.

"Liam, that's your fiancée and your child!"

"You're over there with your high school ex while your fiancée could be dying?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Liam must have moved away from Lily, probably so she wouldn't hear.

His tone turned angry, annoyed at being called out by a subordinate.

"Ryan, who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?"

"She's not my wife."

"We're not married yet."

"If you're so concerned, why don't you have her?"

Hearing that, Ryan looked like he wanted to smash the phone.

"Liam, you're a real piece of work."

"I can't believe I ever trusted you!"

Liam just sneered.

"So what?"

"She's too afraid of dying to ever actually get hurt."

"I just wanted to teach her a lesson."

"Maybe now she'll stop with all the drama."

"I'm hanging up."

"Don't bother me again."

"I need to get back to Lily."

Ryan wanted to scream some more, but Liam hung up on him.

He looked like he was about to throw his phone against the wall.

Everyone else in the ambulance had heard Liam's cold, heartless words.

They all looked at me with pity.

I took a deep breath.

Even though I knew how cruel he was, a sharp pain still pierced my heart.

That was five years of my life, gone.

I had truly loved him.

I had been ready to build a family with him.

I gently touched my stomach.

Maybe it was a mother's intuition, but the intense cramping from before seemed to fade away.

But the faces of the paramedics grew pale.

"Her pressure's dropping!"

"Get ready to resuscitate!"