The Day He Proposed, the Day He Picked Her Up, the Day I Threw Away the Baby Chapter 02

The Day He Proposed, the Day He Picked Her Up, the Day I Threw Away the Baby Chapter 02

When I woke up the next morning, Garrett had already left for work.

He always left earlier than I did. He’d left breakfast on the table, still warm.

As I ate the oatmeal, a wave of daze washed over me.

He was always this thoughtful, this gentle. That was why I had mistaken it for love.

Halfway through breakfast, my phone buzzed.

Tessa had created a group chat for a reunion.

[Miss you guys so much! Nobody’s allowed to bail on tonight’s get-together!]

I hadn’t planned on going.

But then I scrolled down and saw Garrett had already replied.

[I’ll be there.]

Maybe I still hadn’t completely given up. So I replied too.

[I’ll be there.]

I ended up working late that day and arrived after everyone else.

When I pushed open the door, the private room was already buzzing.

Tessa sat in the center seat while Garrett sat beside her, smiling in a way that looked effortlessly handsome. It was a smile he rarely showed me.

Tessa was the first to stand up. Her voice was bright and sugary sweet.

“Cassidy, you’re late! You have to do a penalty shot!”

I forced a smile and glanced around before quietly taking an empty seat in the corner.

I stole a glance at Garrett. But from beginning to end, his attention stayed on Tessa.

He poured her drinks, added food to her plate, acting like he barely knew I existed.

And of all people, the one sitting next to me happened to be Tristan Foster, my high school nemesis.

He looked completely entertained by the situation and deliberately raised his voice.

“Huh? Why aren’t you sitting with your husband Garrett?”

The room instantly fell silent. Everyone’s eyes darted between me and Garrett.

Tessa didn’t even look surprised. Instead, she pressed her lips together in a knowing little smile.

She asked, “Garrett, I thought you were against marriage. Guess you just hadn’t met the right person yet.”

Then she turned to me with a grin.

“Cassidy, congrats! Garrett’s way more successful now.”

“You should thank me for turning him down back then.”

I said nothing. I just looked at Garrett quietly.

Honestly, part of me was grateful she’d asked. Because I really wanted to know how he’d answer.

Garrett glanced at Tessa, then curled his lips into a dismissive smile.

“Come on. Cassidy and I only did it to get our families off our backs.”

The room exploded with chatter.

“When did you guys get married? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“You’ve stayed single all these years… were you waiting for Tessa?”

“Cassidy, are you two actually together or not?”

I gripped my glass so hard my knuckles went white. I didn’t dare lift my head.

Maybe Garrett noticed how uncomfortable I was, because he added casually, “Cassidy and I go way back.”

“Our families know each other well. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”

His vague explanation shoved every tear back down my throat.

I smiled and looked up. “Yeah, it’s fake. There is nothing between us.”

The entire time, I kept my eyes locked on Garrett’s.

He frowned slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.

For a second, I thought he might actually explain.

But a moment later, he looked away. He never looked back at me again.

The atmosphere slowly became lively once more.

Then Tristan suddenly spoke up, “Well, if the marriage is fake and Tessa’s back… Garrett, doesn’t that mean you finally have a shot?”

Someone nearby immediately joined in.

“Seriously, dude. You chased her for three years. Now you’re both single. Perfect timing, right?”

“You know what, you two actually look pretty good together.”

Tessa blushed, laughing as she told everyone to stop teasing her.

But her eyes stayed bright as she looked at Garrett.

Garrett didn’t respond. He just smiled faintly and made no effort to stop them.

The noise around me made my head pound. Then my stomach twisted violently.

I rushed to the bathroom and threw up until my stomach was empty.

After splashing cold water on my face, I stared at myself in the mirror and forced my expression back into place.

But when I walked out, I realized I had worried for nothing.

The private room was still noisy and lively.

Garrett only glanced in my direction once before looking away again, continuing to pour drinks for Tessa.

The party didn’t end until very late.

Tessa had drunk a lot and kept clinging to Garrett’s arm, swaying as she laughed.

Garrett steadied her. “Let’s get her home first.”

I shook my head. “You go ahead. I’ll just grab a cab.”

He frowned slightly. His lips parted like he wanted to say something.

But before he could, Tessa mumbled something and nestled closer into his arms.

Garrett immediately looked down at her with tender concern, as if she were something precious.

He paid no more attention to me. He just helped her into the car.

Tessa loved being adored.

Garrett was her loyal lapdog. And even if she didn’t want him, she’d never let anyone else have him.

Standing there alone, I suddenly laughed.