Hannah left the apartment and returned to her car. It was late. She hesitated a moment before deciding to go home.

The setting sun cast a golden hue over Kensbury City, but Hannah was lost in thought. Had Oscar drifted away like a kite without its string? She hadn't heard from him since he left.

"Jimmy, stop," she murmured, a thought striking her.

Jimmy pulled over, and Hannah dashed into a drugstore. If not for Susan, she would have forgotten her contraceptive pill. It wasn't the right time for her and Oscar to have a baby. She took the medicine and returned to the car.

Her phone rang, her heart leaping into her throat. Trying to remain calm, she answered, "Have you arrived yet?"

"I just got here," Oscar replied. "Do you want to see around?"

"Video call?"

"I'll call you back."

After a while, Oscar initiated a video chat. His face filled the screen, his charm undiminished by the phone's camera angle.

"Let me show you," he said, switching to the rear camera. He showed her the room—a cozy space with two bedrooms and a living room, simply but neatly decorated.

"Not bad," Hannah commented, though it was a far cry from Oscar's usual luxury.

"You miss me?" he asked.

Hannah remained silent.

"I missed you," he said, his voice softening.

"Really? So you only call me now?" Hannah's tone was tinged with unhappiness.

"I thought you'd call me."

"Who knows how long your flight would take?" She didn't deny she'd been expecting his call.

Oscar chuckled. "Aren't you bidding on that new project today? I didn't want to disturb you."

"You know about it?" Hannah raised an eyebrow.

"The biggest construction project in Kensbury City. I heard about it. Charles is probably interested—he's probably already doing his research. Be careful."

"I know," Hannah nodded. She knew exactly what Charles was up to.

"Are you off work early?" Oscar asked, noticing she was in the car.

"Something big happened," she replied enigmatically.

"What is it?"

"Susan's pregnant."

"Whose child is it?" Oscar frowned.

Hannah hesitated. "Don't question my friend's character!"

"Fine, as long as it's Manuel's," Oscar smiled.

"What's your relationship with Manuel?"

"Guess what?"

"Fine, I'm not interested," Hannah said, slightly irritated.

Oscar smiled, but said nothing.

"Was the cake good?" he changed the subject.

After a pause, Hannah realized he was referring to the cake from the previous night.

"You can make dessert?"

"I can do a lot of things," Oscar laughed.

"When did you learn?"

"When I'm free."

"Don't you always pick up girls when you're free?" Hannah teased.

"Didn't you say I was a master of time management? A master balances his schedule," Oscar replied calmly.

Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Are you sore?" his voice turned serious.

"What?"

"Last night."

Hannah blushed, struggling to keep up with his rapid shifts in conversation.

"I had a look this morning..."

"Oscar, stop it, Jimmy's here," Hannah said, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"I'm deaf," Jimmy mumbled quickly.

Oscar's laughter echoed from the phone, while Hannah’s embarrassment deepened.

"That's all, I'll be home soon."

"Mrs. Wells," Oscar said, the term stirring something in Hannah. "I love you."

Hannah hung up without replying. Her racing heart refused to calm down.

Susan awoke to darkness. She hadn't expected to fall asleep after sending Hannah away, pretending to be asleep in bed. Hunger finally roused her. She sat up, switched on the light, and cradled her stomach. The events of the day made her wish she could die rather than carry Manuel's child.

She tried to rinse her mouth, but the gargling triggered nausea, and she vomited everything she’d eaten at noon. Feeling terribly ill, she was on the verge of collapse.

After a long time, she finally recovered, though pale. She'd never imagined pregnancy would be so painful. She made her way out of the bedroom.

In the brightly lit living room, Manuel and Tia sat on the sofa, Manuel correcting Tia's pronunciation. His voice was deep and pleasant. Noticing Susan, they both turned to look at her.

Tia quickly rose. "Ms. Phillips, how are you feeling? I made you some porridge. I'll get it now."

"Okay," Susan replied. She wouldn't have come out if she were truly hungry, and she did enjoy Tia's cooking. To her surprise, the porridge was already prepared.

She sat at the table.

"It's hot, be careful."

"Okay," Susan answered.

Urged by hunger, she couldn't resist. She ladled a spoonful, blew on it twice, and quickly ate it.

A violent cough erupted. The hot porridge burned her throat, and she felt she might die.