Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)
Chapter 0429

I thought to myself, we could not go on like this if we did not divorce. His love was like a rose in a glass greenhouse. It looked vibrant and full of life, so rich and alluring, but I did not have the key to that greenhouse. I could only hear about his love from his words. I could not smell the rose's fragrance, but I knew roses had thorns. One touch and I would be covered in scratches.

Even if I carved my heart to complement his, we still would not fit together. I knew this all too well.

When I tried to compromise, he vanished from my life without a trace. I faced the emotional backlash alone with no one to talk to. I barely made it through the withdrawal, and now he was talking about not getting divorced? I laughed bitterly. "When a man suddenly thinks his ex is great, it usually means his current partner doesn't measure up."

Nicholas was such a smart man. Even I know Claudia and Nelson were having an inappropriate relationship. How could he not know?

Or maybe he was playing dumb. He would rather not know and instead choose to live in this messy situation with Claudia. He must really love her.

"Ariana, there's never been anyone else. Don't accuse me in front of the baby. If she's born with memories from the womb, she'll definitely hate her daddy," Nicholas protested softly, his eyes fixed on my belly.

I covered my stomach with my hand. "It's just an embryo now. It can't have memories. Besides, this is my child. It has nothing to do with you."

Nicholas scooted closer, ignoring the rejection in my words. He rambled on, "Our child will definitely take after me. So smart. I had memories in the womb, so our baby surely will too."

"Stop exaggerating!" I snapped coldly.

My heart ached. If I had a perfect marriage, what loving words would a husband say when his wife was pregnant?

I would probably lie in his arms, whining, "I'm so tired. I don't feel well. The baby wants to eat this or that!"

During my pregnancy, I would be the most delicate little wife with clothes and food ready whenever I needed them.+would even make him do things he would not normally do for me

We would go to prenatal check-ups together, watch the baby grow, prepare baby supplies, pick out names: Everything about our little creation, we would do together.

But that was not how it was now. That person could not be Nicholas.

Suddenly, a warm hand caught mine. Nicholas gently squeezed my hand before moving the one covering my belly away.

The next moment, he lowered his body in front of me. He pressed his ear against my stomach. We were so close I could almost feel his heartbeat.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" His heart was racing. He was nervous too.

He laughed excitedly. "Ariana, I can hear the baby's heartbeat! It even kicked me!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm not even three months along!" I shoved him away, my hands shaking.

What right did he have to share in the joy of my pregnancy?

"Nicholas, keep your distance. All you did was provide some physical effort and plant a seed. You're nothing else! I'll say it again, this is just my child. It has absolutely nothing to do with you!"