No Longer Yours, My Ex-fiance

For the ninetyseventh time, my boyfriend of eight years was in a secret relationship, Soren Whitaker, once again chose to abandon me for his first love, Hannah Ruiz.

The first time was on the day he proposed to me. Coincidentally, it was also the day Hannah returned to the country. I waited for him by the seaside, standing in the cold wind all night.

The second time was on my twentyfifth birthday, a party he had carefully planned. On the way home, we were ambushed. To protect the two of them, I was seriously injured. Yet Soren left me behind and carried Hannah away.

This time, the ninetyseventh time, I was in my second trimester of pregnancy. I slipped at home.

I called him. He said he’d be there soon. I endured the sharp, unbearable pain and waited for half an hour. The ambulance arrived and just then, I got a message from him, saying, [Hannah’s depression flared up. I have to go to her.]

I didn’t reply. I simply picked up the pen and signed the surgery consent form myself.

The baby couldn’t be saved. After crying through the night, I greeted Soren the next day with a cheerful smile.

What he didn’t know was that I was only waiting for the ninetyninth time he would hurt me.

After that, I would leave completely. Just because he had once been kind to me ninetynine times.

But when I finally boarded the helicopter to Europe and reclaimed my identity, why did he break down in tears, begging me to look at him just one last time?

Looking at that cold line of text on my phone, tears burst from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks and blurring the pool of blood beneath me.

Before being wheeled into the operating room, I steadied my voice and dialed a number in Europe.

“Send a helicopter to Texas. This time, I’ll go back with you.”

There was a twosecond pause on the other end as if they couldn’t believe what they heard and then they answered quickly, afraid I might change my mind again.

I hung up and silently said goodbye to Soren in my heart. That’s it.

I didn’t want to love this kind of man anymore. If the child wasn’t meant to stay, then so be it.

After comforting the emotionally shattered Hannah, Soren came to see me at the hospital.

When he learned the baby couldn’t be saved, his eyes filled with guilt and pain. He held me tightly, gently kissed the top of my head and softly patted my back.

“We’ll have another child in the future.”

My eyes welled with tears, soaking my lashes. Soren lay beside me, holding me close. The longlost warmth made me instinctively nestle into his arms.

He kissed the corner of my lips.

“Sleep. No matter what happens tonight, I’ll be here with you.”

Feeling reassured, I closed my eyes, about to drift off, when his phone suddenly vibrated.

Hannah’s timid voice came through the crackling static. “Soren, I had a nightmare… So much blood… I… I’m scared…”

Before she could finish, Soren had already gotten out of bed and started dressing.

“Hannah’s condition still isn’t stable. Here in Texas, I’m the only one she trusts. I have to go take care of her.”

His voice was soft. I couldn’t tell if he was speaking to me or just murmuring to himself.

I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep, saying nothing.

Soren seemed relieved, leaned down to kiss my forehead and tiptoed away.

Hannah was his first love.

Years ago, when the Ruiz Family went bankrupt, she was sent abroad to avoid trouble and broke up with Soren.

A year ago, she returned in a highprofile way. From that moment on, she became a shadow between me and Soren, always there, never fading.

She always found a way to appear at the most important moments between us, using any excuse to pull him away.

Countless times, she used her socalled depression episodes to take away the nights that should have belonged to me and Soren.

She clung to the guilt he felt for her. Later, she claimed she couldn’t afford rent and moved into the home I shared with Soren. Then, pouting and saying she couldn’t sleep well alone, she insisted he stay by her side.

At first, Soren complained to me. But eventually, he simply sent me out of the master bedroom and let Hannah move in. Lying awake in the guest room, I could sometimes hear Hannah’s coy whining and Soren’s helpless attempts to comfort her.

They grew closer and closer. Compared to me, Hannah seemed more like Soren’s wife. Slowly, her place in his heart became greater than mine.

Just like today, when I, five months pregnant, fell and started bleeding heavily. Yet Soren, just because Hannah said she was feeling down, ignored my life and ran to her.

And now, once again, because she had a nightmare, he broke his promise to me and quietly left to be with her.

Not long after he left, I received a hotel checkin message. He had sent it to the wrong number.

A little while later, I saw Hannah had just posted a video on social media.

She was curled sweetly in Soren’s arms, waving a sparkler, her face glowing with joy.

I froze for a moment, then absentmindedly gave the post a like. The composition was quite nice.

From my phone’s notes, I pulled up a list and marked a check after the ninetyeighth time.

The ninetyeighth time. I could no longer remember when it started when his hurtful actions stopped stirring even the slightest ripple in my heart.

Soren and I had been in a secret relationship for eight years. In that time, he helped me ninetynine times. Initially, he even saved my life.

However, everything changed when Hannah returned.

Still, I chose to endure ninetynine instances of pain from him just to repay the kindness he once showed me.

He had been good to me once, so I repaid him with selfdestruction.

Each time he hurt me, that kindness meant less and less until the ninetyninth time, when it would be gone completely.

I slept very lightly.

Before dawn, I heard Soren quietly open the door and come in.

He lay down beside me gently as if he had never left the night before.

I didn’t move, but I could still smell the faint scent of him. It wasn’t his. It was Hannah’s.

Soren wrapped his arms around my waist and fell into a deep sleep. But I couldn’t sleep again.

I turned to face him, eyes lowered and silently watched his sleeping face.

I instinctively reached out, wanting to trace his features, but just before my fingers touched him, I pulled my hand back.

Soren still looked the same as he did years ago. But the person in his heart was no longer me.

I turned my back to him again.

In the darkness, a tear slipped from the corner of my eye, soaking into the pillow.

Just one more time left.

When I felt Soren stir beside me, I knew he was awake. I sat up and reached for my phone on the nightstand.

He paused for a moment, clearly surprised to see me awake so early.

Under the pale moonlight, the scar at the corner of his eye became more visible.

It was the mark left from when he took a bullet for me.

I still remember how he pulled me, frozen with fear, into his arms.

The bullet grazed his cheek, nearly blinding him.

Afterward, I applied ointment to the wound, my heart aching the entire time. But he didn’t mind at all.

He only said it was a man’s badge of honor.

The wounds a man suffered protecting the woman he loved were a lifetime’s pride.

He had kissed away my tears then, calming my frightened heart.

“Don’t cry. As long as I’m here, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

I lowered my eyes.

He wouldn’t let anyone hurt me. Turned out anyone didn’t include himself, huh?

How laughable.

I never imagined the final time would come so soon.

While Soren went downstairs to buy me food, the doctor came in with a hesitant look on his face.

“Miss Diana Silva, the results from the specialist consultation are in.”

He paused and sighed. “Due to poor care during pregnancy and delayed treatment after the miscarriage, your uterus has suffered severe damage. Surgery must be done right away. The uterus has to be removed.”

It hit me like a thunderclap.

“There’s, no way to fix it? Doctor, I… I’m only twentyseven. Are you saying I’ll never be able to have my own children again?”

The doctor nodded.

“If the uterus isn’t removed, your life will be in danger. Please inform your family. I’ll schedule the surgery immediately.”

My hand clenched the bedsheet tightly. After a long hesitation, I still called Soren.

At that moment, he was the only one who could sign the consent form for the surgery.

And he was just downstairs getting food. He should be back soon.

The call rang twice, then picked up.

I was just about to speak, but instead, Hannah’s voice came through the line.

“Is this Miss Silva? Soren was too tired and just fell asleep. If there’s anything, you can tell me. I’ll let him know when he wakes up.”

I hung up immediately.

“Doctor, same as last time. I’ll sign it myself.”

Since Soren couldn’t even carry out the most basic duty of a family member, then he… I would abandon him.

After coming out of the operating room, once the anesthesia wore off, in complete darkness, I reached for the phone on the nightstand, enduring the pain.

There were a dozen missed calls, all from Soren.

I stared blankly for a moment.

Maybe Hannah had told him I’d called earlier.

In our WhatsApp chat, the last message had come ten minutes ago.

[Can’t pick up the phone? I’m heading to the hospital now, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.]

I didn’t reply. I just sat quietly in the unlit hospital room, my hand resting on my lower abdomen.

From now on, I would never be a mother again. That right had been taken from me.

And all of it was because of Soren.

Suddenly, the hospital door burst open.

Light from the hallway spilled in and when I looked up, I met Soren’s worried eyes.

“Why didn’t you turn on the light? Still not feeling well?”

He flipped on the switch.

The room lit up instantly and I saw the bouquet of bright red roses in his arms.

“For you.”

I pressed my lips together.

Roses?

I never liked them. I never liked those flashy, useless things.

And worse, I was allergic to pollen.

And he knew that.

I silently observed him, trying to read his thoughts.

So? Why did you bring me roses? Could it be because Hannah liked them?

A scene flashed through my mind. The day Hannah returned to the country, 9,999 roses had filled the entire airport.

She walked gracefully through the sea of flowers and embraced Soren in the middle of that dazzling display.

Soren placed the bouquet on the cabinet and then handed me a shopping bag with a luxury brand logo.

“I had something to do at the mall this afternoon and picked out a pretty bracelet for you while I was there. Try it on? I think it will look great on you.”

Was he shopping with Hannah?

I glanced at the love marks on his neck, clumsily hidden and slowly opened the bag.

The moment I saw the diamond bracelet inside, my hand trembled.

My heart pounded and the haze from the pain cleared in an instant.

In the first year, I was with Soren, we made a promise.

I told him that if one day he no longer loved me, he didn’t have to say it. Just give me a diamond bracelet. That would be enough for me to understand.

Nine years had passed in a blink and I never thought that the day would truly come when I would receive a diamond bracelet.

Whether Soren did it intentionally or not, the moment I saw that bracelet, everything between us came to an end.

“You don’t like it?”

Seeing my silence, Soren frowned slightly and looked at my wrist.

I felt something wasn’t right.

As I was thinking, he sat beside me and reached out to remove the bracelet.

“Let me help you take it off.”

I pulled my hand back and looked at him cautiously.

“Soren, what do you mean?”

Soren hesitated. He stared at his nowempty hand for a long time before finally speaking.

“I’ll be honest with you. Hannah’s depression is getting worse. The bracelet on your wrist is something I gave you. Technically, it’s mine. I want to give it to Hannah to wear for a while. It can help calm her, like I’m with her even when I’m not.”

He paused, then added, “Diana, don’t overthink it. I didn’t tell you earlier because I didn’t want you to worry, it could affect your health.”

I opened my mouth, but no words came.

I thought maybe he gave me the bracelet out of guilt.

But it turned out it was just to prepare for taking it back.

I quietly removed the bracelet and handed it to him.

“Here.”

Soren, from this moment on, we were completely even.

Yet he didn’t notice anything strange about me. He simply clutched the bracelet to his chest, leaned in and kissed my forehead.

“Diana, I knew you were the most understanding. Don’t worry, once Hannah has this bracelet, I won’t need to stay with her so often anymore. We’ll have more time together. Diana, we’ll have a baby again very soon.”

I just smiled.

There wasn’t much time left. And there would never be another child.

Just as Soren was about to pull me into his arms, there was a knock at the door.

The doctor walked in, holding a medical chart in hand.

“Miss Silva, after the hysterectomy, are you feeling any discomfort?”

At those words, Soren suddenly stood up. In disbelief, he looked at me and then turned to the doctor.

“What did you say? What did you say Diana had removed?”

The doctor glanced at him in confusion, his tone sharp with reproach.

"You, as a husband, are truly negligent. You don’t care at all about your wife’s condition! Miss Silva’s uterus had pathological changes. Any further delay would’ve cost her life! We called you at 1 p.m., but you didn’t answer. Miss Silva had no choice but to sign the surgery consent form herself!"

Soren staggered back two steps, only to be steadied by a soft, delicate hand at his waist.

Then, a gentle voice followed.

“Soren, are you alright?”

Looking down, Soren saw Hannah gazing at him with worry, her whole figure dainty and fragile as she leaned against his chest.

He was tall and handsome; she was gentle and petite. From where I sat, they looked like a perfect match, truly wellsuited.

Interrupted by Hannah, the regret and guilt that had just filled Soren’s face quickly disappeared.

All his attention shifted to her.

“Miss Silva just had surgery. Step outside. I’ll explain some postop precautions.”

The doctor turned and left the room.

Soren glanced at me hesitantly, as if unsure.

Hannah spoke softly, “Go ahead, Soren. I’ll take care of Miss Silva.”

Right in front of me, Soren gently slipped the bracelet he’d just taken from me onto Hannah’s wrist.

He gently touched her face, his tone full of affection.

“Thank goodness you’re here. Sorry to trouble you, even though you’re not feeling well yourself, to keep Diana company for a bit.”

Watching the two of them so close, one of them still my husband, I felt a wave of nausea rise in my chest.

As soon as Soren left and the door shut behind him, Hannah’s soft, timid expression disappeared.

In its place was a cold, mocking smirk.

She walked toward me in her heels, one step at a time.

“My dear Miss Silva, I heard you signed off on two surgeries for yourself in just one week?”

She chuckled softly as if remembering something funny.

“Do you know? While you were lying on that operating table, taking a walk through abyss, Soren was holding me, whispering that I’m his one and only sweetheart.”

I trembled all over.

Curled up in the hospital bed, fresh blood slowly soaked the gauze on my abdomen.

Now that the anesthesia had worn off, the pain stabbed through me like a thousand steel needles twisting deep inside.

Hannah’s mocking stare and light tone felt like another round of torture.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?”

She lazily untied the ribbon on her top, revealing a trail of reddishpurple marks below her collarbone.

“When Soren got rough with me the other night, I hurt like hell too.”

The diamond bracelet on her wrist clinked against the headboard with a sharp, cold sound.

That bracelet, which had sat on my wrist for nine full years, was now on hers, taken back by Soren himself.

The broken sparkles from the diamonds under the white fluorescent light stung my eyes.

But it still wasn’t enough for her.

With her long, manicured nails, she poked at my lower abdomen and smiled brightly.

“You’ll never be able to have children again and the truth is, Soren won’t be sad about that at all.”

“When he was drunk once, he told me the truth. He said you, a fatherless and motherless orphan, have no right to give birth to the heir of the prestigious Whitaker Family of Arlington. Only I, only someone of equal status, someone truly in love with him, am worthy of bearing his children!”

“Even if your child had made it into this world, his fate would’ve been pathetic. Better off dead from the start!”

My nails dug deep into my palms.

“You’re lying. Let Soren in, I want to hear him say it to my face!”

I tried to press the call button, but Hannah grabbed my wrist and slammed it hard against the wall.

The moment the IV needle ripped out, Hannah covered my mouth and whispered in my ear.

“That day when you fell at home, it wasn’t an accident. Soren did it on purpose.”

Amid the deafening ringing in my ears, I seemed to see again the cold gleam of the scalpel cutting open my abdomen.

So, I didn’t just lose the child. The man I had loved so deeply was the one who caused it all!

Scalding tears soaked my hospital gown as Hannah casually unlocked her phone.

“Don’t believe me? Or just can’t take it anymore?”

She waved the phone in front of my eyes. A surveillance video.

Scattered across the hotel suite carpet were a white dress shirt and lace lingerie.

Hannah sneered and tapped play.

“Then come, listen to Soren say it with his own mouth.”

Entangled bodies, flushed skin, gasps and gasps filled with heat.

Then came the familiar voice, every word filled with cruel, cold, heartless contempt.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed the IV stand’s glass bottle and hurled it at Hannah.

But she caught my wrist and leaned back.

Just then, the hospital room door burst open and Hannah let out a piercing cry.

“Miss Silva, please don’t! I swear I’ll stay far away from Soren, I won’t interfere in your relationship ever again!”

“Diana, are you insane?!”

Soren rushed in, shielding Hannah in his arms. Without a word, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

My cheek swelled instantly, a searing pain spreading across my skin.

I opened my mouth to explain, but a sudden warmth gushed from my abdomen, soaking the sheets.

“Soren, I… it hurts, it hurts so much…”

He glanced at me, then turned away and carried Hannah in his arms, striding out without a word.

I stared at their retreating backs. The look Soren gave me before leaving burned into my mind: indifferent, cold.

As if the woman bleeding out on the hospital bed was nothing more than a stranger.

The ninetyninth time was over, Soren.