Kelsey was still in shock as she was carried to the hospital bed.
She looked up at the man's dark expression and hesitated for a second before asking, "What do you want?"
Rhett gripped her shoulders tightly, his cold tone full of anger. "I should be asking you that. What do you want?"
He held her waist, their bodies almost touching.
Kelsey could feel the pressure of his presence and, after figuring out what he meant, she found it kind of funny. In a low voice, she said, "Let me go!"
She tried to pull her wrist free, but the man's grip didn't loosen.
Kelsey clenched her teeth, then suddenly looked up into his dark eyes. Slowly curling her fists, she said, "I was just getting some fresh air on the balcony. I'm not trying to kill myself, so don't worry."
Rhett still didn't let go. He stared at her like he was trying to read her mind.
After a while, he sneered and lifted her chin, his voice cold and sharp. "Yeah, with Dexter around, you wouldn't dare kill yourself."
With that, he finally let her go.
Kelsey sat up and looked at the man in front of her. "Mr. Clark, don't worry. I'm not that stupid, I wouldn't think about suicide just because of a divorce."
She looked down, avoiding Rhett's eyes, showing no emotion at all.
"Have you thought about the child?" Rhett suddenly changed the subject. His black eyes calmly locked on her. "The doctor's coming this afternoon. Be prepared."
Hearing that, Kelsey's pupils trembled slightly. She looked up at him. "What kind of mental preparation?"
"I thought you'd already figured it out over the past few days."
"There's no room for discussion?"
Kelsey instinctively touched her stomach. Her voice was soft and distant, with a bit of confusion in it.
"No."
Rhett didn't hesitate at all. Before leaving, he paused at the door and said his last words, "After this is over, someone will take you to handle the divorce paperwork."
After he left, the calmness in his voice still echoed in the air. Kelsey could still hear the cold and cruel tone in her ears.
She slowly loosened her tightly clenched fist, revealing red marks on her palm. More and more, she felt like their marriage had been a joke, just a long dream.
And she was the only one who hadn't woken up.
---
In the office.
Elise stared blankly for a moment at the man who had just come and gone. Then she propped her chin up and smiled at the doctor in front of her. "Thanks for the advice. I'll be careful from now on…"
Rhett had already walked back and stood behind Elise.
She naturally linked her arm with his.
The man's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked at where they were touching, but he didn't say anything.
He turned around, hiding the restlessness in his eyes. "Let's go."
Elise's face darkened a little, but she still smiled. "Okay."
Inside the car, Elise seemed really excited and kept talking about her check-up. "Rhett, the doctor said the baby's healthy and growing just fine…" She leaned on his shoulder, her eyes full of hope. "I don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl yet… Do you prefer a boy or a girl?"
Rhett helped support her shoulder and pushed her upright. "Sit properly. I'm going to drive."
Elise's eyes flickered. She hesitated a bit, then asked, "Rhett, are you in a bad mood?"
He had been acting restless since earlier.
No, to be honest, he'd been acting strange ever since the divorce with Kelsey.
Rhett was the quiet type, not someone who easily showed his emotions. But Elise was a woman, and she had sharp instincts when it came to the man she loved.
She bit her lip. "Rhett, are you thinking about Kelsey?"
The man suddenly looked up, his eyes tensing for a moment.
His temples throbbed, like he was holding something back. After a long pause, he forced out a sentence. "Don't mention her name."
Elise looked like she wanted to say something else, but when she saw how his face darkened all of a sudden, she shut her mouth and swallowed the wave of emotions.
"Okay. Let's not talk about her again, Rhett. Let's forget the past and start over."
…Forget the past and start over?
Rhett didn't say anything, closing his eyes as pain throbbed in his temples.
His thoughts were all over the place, too many images flashing through his mind, but they all settled on one face, Kelsey's. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she was still trying to be strong.
She was pregnant.
Rhett suddenly reached up and loosened his tie, feeling like he couldn't breathe in the stuffy car.
This child was an accident, and it was going to mess up all their plans and schedules—for both him and Kelsey.
But she seemed to want this child...
Rhett's eyelids felt heavy, and he rubbed his forehead with his hand.
---
The Golden Night Apartments.
This was a rich neighborhood, close to the city center, and surprisingly quiet.
The top two floors were where Rhett usually lived. He was always busy with work and traveled a lot, but aside from the Clark Family mansion and Kelsey's Stardust Villa, this was where he spent most of his time.
Before getting out of the car, Elise hesitated several times before finally putting down her pride. "Rhett, I've never been to your apartment… We're getting married soon. Can I go up and take a look?"
Rhett didn't miss the bit of shyness and the hint in her eyes, but he wasn't in the mood to think about it right now.
"You're pregnant, and the apartment isn't convenient. There's someone at the old house to take care of you. I'll have the driver take you back," he said.
Even though his words sounded thoughtful, Elise's face changed right away, turning nearly blank. "Okay, I got it," she said.
Rhett knew he should've said something to comfort her, but he just stood there, watching as she got into the car and left.
The light stretched across the road, leaving only the sound of the engine behind.
Outside the apartment complex, the streetlights were dim. For some reason, Kelsey's face appeared in Rhett's mind.
He turned around and saw the familiar iron gate. He imagined Kelsey standing there, waiting for him to come back.
In just a second, the shadow vanished.
Rhett stopped without thinking, feeling a bit frustrated inside.
The living room was simply decorated. Only the most basic furniture was there, making the space look empty and kind of cold.
Rhett sat down in front of the bar. He pulled out a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, a gift from an old business partner, and poured himself a full glass. His elbow rested on the cold surface of the table.
Before he could even take a sip, a soft and worried voice sounded in his ear. There was a trace of nervousness in it.
"It's late. Are you still going to drink? Drinking too much isn't good for your health…"
Kelsey always talked to him in this gentle, patient way, like she was always trying to please him.
Or maybe, deep down, she really loved him, and it showed even when she tried to hide it. "If you really want to drink, I'll go make you some sober-up soup, okay?"
The man closed his eyes. His Adam's apple moved slightly, and for a second, he didn't even realize it was all just in his head. He let out a deep "okay."
But no one answered him.
The silence dragged on like forever.
It was so quiet it felt weird. There wasn't a single person around.
He suddenly opened his eyes and realized, Kelsey was gone.
She had left him all alone.