After Ten Years of Chasing, I Finally Walked Away

The hospital organized a sperm donation program.

My fiance signed up her male best friend without hesitationand listed herself as the recipient.

By the time I heard the news and went to confirm it, both families were already seated together, hosting a celebratory dinner for the pregnancy.

Amid the laughter and cheerful chatter, the so-called best friend suddenly seemed to remember something and asked casually, "Oh right, Rachelhave you figured out how you're going to explain this to Ivan?"

"Well, I don't really care, but for a petty little guy like him? Once he finds out who knows what kind of scene he'll make."

"If he ends up throwing a tantrum and refuses to marry you, don't pin the blame on me."

Before Rachel could respond, her mother cut in smugly, "He wouldn't dare! Our Rachel has the hospital director's full supportshe's about to be promoted straight into the board."

"A man with Ivan's background marrying my daughter is already a blessing from heaven. What right does he have to make demands?"

Rachel rested a hand on her belly, her expression relaxed, even faintly disdainful.

"My mom is right. Besides, Ivan has been chasing after me for ten years, practically worshipping the ground I walk on."

"Asking him to give up marrying me would be no different from asking him to die. Just relax. I've got your back."

Their laughter pierced my chest like a blade of icy wind. I lowered my eyes, let out a self-mocking smile, and dialed my father's number.

"Dad, cancel Rachel's promotion for now," I said calmly. "I want to marry someone else."

When I pushed aside the screen and stepped in, Rachel was nestled in Tyler's arms. They were holding an ultrasound photo, chatting happily about who the baby would resemble in the future.

The moment I appeared, everyone's expressions soured, as if they'd just seen something filthy.

A flicker of panic crossed Rachel's eyes. She was about to pull away from Tyler, but he tightened his arm around her waist and led her toward me instead.

"Ivan, you came at the perfect time," he said, speaking first.

"I'll explain this for Rachel, so you don't blow things out of proportion."

"You know I don't plan on getting married. But my parents only want one thing in this lifea grandchild. That's why Rachel agreed to have the baby for me."

"If you're unhappy, take it out on me. Don't make things difficult for her."

Before I could respond, Rachel's mother stood up to play peacemaker.

"That's right, Ivan. We all agreed to this."

"We've known Tyler since he was little. He and Rachel are like real siblingsthere's no way he'd ever do anything to hurt your relationship. You can put your mind at ease."

"And besides, the child is already conceived. You wouldn't expect my daughter to abort it and commit such a sin, would you? You're a grown mandon't be so narrow-minded."

Watching their seamless switch between public smiles and private arrogance, I felt nothing but cold amusement.

I took off my ring and tossed it toward Rachel.

"Auntie, you're overthinking it. I'm just here to cancel the engagement."

Then I looked straight at her.

"Rachel, we're done."

Her face immediately took on that familiar here we go again expression.

And why wouldn't it? Ever since Tyler returned to the country, I'd proposed breaking up more than ten times.

Each time, I ended up talking myself into stayingthen crawling back obediently.

She was probably confident that after ten years of chasing her, I'd never find anyone better.

She frowned. "Do you really have to make a scene in front of my family?"

"Ivan, if I hadn't fought for you, my parents wouldn't have even approved of our marriage given your background."

"Besides, there's nothing between Tyler and me. What exactly are you being so upset about?"

"Because I don't want my wife giving birth to another man's child," I shot back.

"If I went and had a baby with another woman, would you be okay with that?"

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare."

Rachel's expression changed instantly. After a moment, she seemed to restrain herself and soften her tone.

"I was just helping him," she said. "What you're talking about is cheating. How can that be the same? Stop making a fuss, okay?"

I couldn't be bothered to argue anymore and turned to leave. Rachel reached out to grab me, and suddenly there was a loud bang.

Rachel's father slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"Let him go. Let him leave!"

"So the freeloader who's been living off my daughter thinks he can put on airs now?"

"When the time comes, don't come crying and begging to be taken back!"

As expected, Rachel obediently stayed where she was and didn't chase after me.

The cold wind on the street rushed toward me, just like that winter when I first fell in love with Rachel at first sight.

Back then, my buddies warned me, "She's famous in our departmentthe poor campus beauty who does nothing but study."

"Plenty of rich kids have chased after her, and she doesn't even spare them a glance. Ask her why, and she'll say she doesn't have time for childish dating games."

"If you want to pursue her, that'll be harder than climbing to the heavens."

But I still liked her.

So I hid my identity, transferred into her major, and started shamelessly showing up everywhere just to make myself noticeable to her.

In private, I paid her tuition and living expenses through anonymous sponsorships, pulled every string I could to get her mentored by renowned doctors, and made sure she had opportunities to attend high-level academic conferences freely.

I turned down every wealthy socialite my father introduced to me and centered my entire world around Rachel.

In the end, as someone who was now her "equal in status," I naturally became her boyfriend.

After graduation, arrangements were made for both of us to enter my father's hospital.

I didn't move into the luxury apartment my father had bought long ago. Instead, I squeezed into a tiny studio near the hospital with her.

We once had a genuinely sweet period.

In the mornings, when I refused to get out of bed, Rachel would coax me, even helping me brush my teeth and wash my face.

In the evenings after work, we'd hold hands and go grocery shopping together.

Curled up on the couch watching TV, I'd hold her in my arms while she fed me fruit she had peeled herself.

But after Tyler returned to the country, everything changed.

He became Rachel's one and only priority.

The car she bought with her first paycheckits passenger seat became Tyler's exclusive spot.

"Home is so close to the hospital anyway," she'd say casually. "Walking a bit counts as exercise for you."

One night after a late shift, I was followed by a deranged patient.

My hands were shaking, I called Rachel and begged her to come pick me upbut she was on her way to Tyler's place instead.

"Tyler caught a cold and has a terrible headache. He can only stomach the ginger tea I make," she said impatiently.

"Can you stop being jealous and unreasonable at a time like this?"

When the man lunged at me with a knife, I struggled in sheer desperation.

I grabbed a brick and swung it wildlyblood splattered all over my face.

The next day, after leaving the police station, Rachel never came.

Instead, I saw two plane tickets posted on Tyler's social media.

[Just a minor cold but feeling downmy best friend immediately took me traveling to clear my head~]

The destination was Maldivesthe place I had begged Rachel to go with me countless times.

Every time I brought it up, she would say our priority was saving money for marriage, not spending it on indulgences.

But when it came to Tyler, all talk of saving money vanished into thin air.

I let out a soft breath and wiped away my tears.

Then I remembered every visit to her parents' home, where I ran around serving the entire family without complaint.

Her mother would always press the family heirloom jade pendant into Tyler's hand, sighing again and again about how wonderful it would be if he and Rachel were a couple.

One incident after another. One moment after another.

I had always thought that as long as I loved Rachel enough, I could endure it all.

But now, I was exhausted.

If in their family's eyes I would always be an outsider, then from this moment on, I no longer wanted to wrong myself for anyone.

I went back to the villa that was supposed to be our marital home to pack my things and leave.

But the password lock on the front door failed again and again.

Just as I was about to call Rachel, the door opened from the inside.

Tyler stood there wearing my pajamas, arms crossed, his face full of annoyance.

"What are you doing here?"

Before I could even question him, Rachel arrived. She immediately pulled Tyler behind her as if shielding him, then explained hurriedly, "Ivan, don't misunderstand. Ever since I got pregnant, I've been sleeping lightly. Tyler moved into the villa so he could take care of me more conveniently."

"Besides, the lease on the apartment near the hospital hasn't expired yet. Why don't you keep staying there for now? Just make do for a bit. Once the baby is born and we get our marriage certificate, you can move back in."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"I paid half for this house too. On what grounds did you let him move in without my consent? And on what grounds do you get to decide where I live?"

What she didn't know was that this villa was worth far more than she imagined.

My father, unwilling to see me suffer, had covered eighty percent of the price in advance.

On paper, Rachel and I had each paid half.

A trace of guilt flickered across her face as she looked away.

The next second, Tyler shouted smugly, "Because the property deed has my name and Rachel's on it!"

"I didn't even call security to kick you outpurely out of respect for Rachel!"

I turned to Rachel in shock. Only then did she explain reluctantly, "Tyler grew up with me. He's practically family. He won't be getting married, and he'll be raising the child in the future. I'm the motherof course, I have to leave him some security."

"Besides, you and I are going to get married sooner or later. I won't abandon you no matter what. Does a name on a deed really matter more than our relationship?"

Staring at the woman in front of me, spouting such twisted logic, I almost couldn't recognize her.

I had thought she simply didn't love me enough.

I never imagined that even the little affection she had left was already soaked in calculation.

This was the woman I had humbled myself to love for ten years?

It wasn't worth it.

Not at all.

Seeing my eyes reddened, Rachel instinctively took out a cigarette and lit itthen suddenly remembered she was pregnant. Flustered, she hurried away to extinguish it.

Tyler seized the chance to step closer, jabbing my shoulder hard with his finger.

"I'm sick of you petty, effeminate little men who nitpick over everything! Rachel wants to support mewhat's it to you?"

"If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of here!"

I raised my hand to knock his awaybut he suddenly shoved me with both hands, hard, sending me straight into the artificial lake beside the villa.

Hearing the splash, Rachel rushed back. Tyler spread his hands innocently.

"I didn't touch him."

Her hurried steps slowed. She looked at me struggling in the water, her gaze icy.

"That's enough. Stop pretending."

"Tyler isn't the kind of person who plays these petty tricks."

"Quit this pathetic act and climb out yourself."

Water flooded my mouth. My legs began to cramp.

"It was him! Save... save me!"

Realizing something was wrong, panic finally flashed across Rachel's face. She reached out instinctively.

Suddenly, Tyler clutched his head and cried out, "Rachel, the wind is so strong. My head hurts againit's killing me!"

She hesitated for only a second. Then she turned around decisively, shielding Tyler as she led him back into the villa.

Bang.

The door slammed shutas if sealing off my last chance at survival.

I didn't know how long I struggled. Just as my consciousness began to fade, a pair of pale hands finally pulled me out of the water.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a face that was both familiar, and strangely distant.

"Ivanhow did you end up in such a sorry state?"

Leila took off her coat and draped it over my shoulders. Her movements were elegant, but her expression and tone were just as sharp and teasing as they had always been back when she loved going against me.

I coughed up a few mouthfuls of water and asked hoarsely, "Why are you here?"

"My dad told me you were canceling your engagement," she replied smugly. "So I came back especially to see whether you got dumpedso I could laugh at you, of course."

She raised an eyebrow and was about to stand when I suddenly grabbed the hem of her clothes.

"Since you've already seen everything," I said quietly, "do you want to register a marriage with me?"

Leila froze, staring at me in stunned silence for a long moment.

"If you don't want to, forget it," I added calmly. "I can find someone else."

The moment I finished speaking, she grabbed my wrist.

"Who said I don't want to?"

She looked straight at me, her expression unusually serious.

"But let me be clear first, Young Master Mcmillanif you marry me, divorce is not an option."

...

One step on the accelerator later, Leila drove me straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Afterward, she took me to a hotel, helped me clean up, and changed me into fresh clothes. Then, with careful yet slightly clumsy movements, she began blow-drying my hair.

Not long after, my phone suddenly lit up with a message from Tylerfollowed by a livestream link.

[Ivan, actually, when Rachel accepted my sperm last time, we didn't go through the hospital at all.]

[We did it just like thison that very boat.]

[And after she got pregnant, she became even more insatiable with me~]

My heart skipped violently. My fingers trembled as I tapped the link.

On-screen, on the marital bed in the villa, Rachel and Tyler were entwined, completely lost to the world.

Between labored breaths, Tyler asked, "Me or Ivanwhich one makes you feel better?"

Rachel frowned. "Why mention him at a time like this?"

She moved against him eagerly, indulgent and unashamed. "Honestly, after all these years, I've gotten a bit bored of him."

"But youwho would've thought you'd always acted like a little boy, yet be so manly in bed? I'm almost addicted."

Obscene positions and filthy words flooded the screen.

I forced myself to keep watchinguntil my fingertips turned ice-cold and my mind reached an unprecedented clarity.

After exiting the livestream, I called one of my father's friends and demanded the return of the ten million my father had advanced for the villa.

"Uncle," I said calmly, "that villa has nothing to do with me anymore. Whatever money is still missingyou can ask the current owners for it."

Then I took out the marriage certificate Leila and I had just received, snapped a photo, and sent it to Rachel's family group chat.

I even tagged Tyler.

[If you like secondhand goods, consider it a gift.]

[I've already registered my marriage with someone else. From now on, I won't be in the way of your two families loving each other in peace.]