Wife Bears Child for First Love, I Awaken, Join MSF Forever, Now She Regrets

Chapter 3

I went to the administration office to cancel my household registration and take care of the paperwork for going abroad.

With everything in order and government-approved documents in hand, the process went faster than I expected. The staff barely asked any questions. The whole thing was over before I knew it.

Just as I was about to leave, one of the staff members called out to me, holding out a handful of fruit candies.

"I hope all your wishes come true," she said with a smile.

I smiled back, grateful for the gesture, and then made my way to a nearby hotel.

After dropping off my luggage, I was about to head out for something to eat when I ran into Ottilie and Kieran, along with my in-laws.

Kieran, dressed in a perfectly tailored Armani suit, looked nothing like someone on the brink of death. He was the picture of health.

"Jude, I thought I saw you from a distance, but Ottilie insisted you couldn't possibly be in this area," he said, his voice smooth, almost teasing.

His eyes dropped to the recruitment flyer I was holding, and I saw a knowing smirk creep onto his face.

"Oh, so you're looking for work? With your... frail build, isn't working at a construction site just asking for trouble?"

I stayed silent. The flyer had been handed to me by a young girl on the street, who'd been standing out in the cold passing them out. I took one to be polite.

Kieran, seeing my silence and how tightly I was holding the flyer, smiled smugly.

"You should've said earlier you were job hunting. Maybe I could've helped. After all, we're family now, right? If you're doing well, Ottilie will have someone to rely on when she gets older. That way, I can rest easy."

I said nothing, but my silence was more than enough of an answer for him.

Ottilie, who had been looking confused, suddenly frowned deeply, her face twisting into one of disdain. She looked at me as though I was beneath her.

"What's there to recommend? He quit his good job as a doctor. Now even if he starves on the street, he doesn't deserve any sympathy."

"Jude Wilson, you really have no sense of responsibility. Do you think this will make me give up the child?"

I stared at her, but now she felt like a complete stranger. I remembered when we first got married, when I was considering changing careers because of the pressure at the hospital. She'd hugged me and whispered in my ear:

"We're in this together. Whatever decision you make, I'll support you."

"Quitting isn't a big deal. A true gem will always shine, and I'll always be by your side, honey."

That woman was now letting another man walk all over me without a second thought.

She'd forgotten her promises, forgotten the love we once shared.

Even my in-laws, the people I thought might have my back, were shaking their heads in disappointment.

"I was really blind before, actually thinking of entrusting my daughter's future to you!" my father-in-law scoffed.

"Good thing we're here. Who knows how you'd treat our daughter if we weren't around?" my mother-in-law chimed in.

The more they spoke, the worse it got. People passing by were starting to stare, some even stopping to listen.

I clenched my fists, my patience running out.

Just as I was about to say something, Kieran stepped forward, breaking the tension with his usual cocky smile.

"We were about to go take a family portrait. Why don't you join us, Jude? After all, I'll be counting on you to take care of Ottilie and the child for the rest of their lives."

Ottilie immediately cut him off with a cold laugh.

"Look at how shabby he looks. He'd ruin the quality of our family photo."

With that, she turned on her heel and started walking toward the photo studio. She didn't even wait for anyone. Kieran followed quickly, looking back at me over his shoulder.

"Well, we'll be going now. Don't let us keep you from your job hunt," Kieran called, patting me on the shoulder like I was a friend.

Watching them walk away, I felt nothing. No anger, no frustration, just an overwhelming sense of emptiness.

To anyone watching, they probably looked like the perfect family, happy, successful, and completely in sync.

If this was what Ottilie wanted, why should I fight it? Maybe letting go was the only thing I could do for her now.

It was time to move on.