I scoffed, "Zach, why are you so insistent on watching over me? You've got a whole line of girls eager to have your child. Do you really want to risk both my life and the baby's for this? Aren't you afraid that neither of us might make it?"

Zach clamped his hand over my mouth. "I've said it before, only you can bear my child. The baby will be fine, and so will you."

At that moment, Laura waved at me from the entrance of the mall.

Seeing Zach, she teased, "Oh, Mr. Brooks, are you that worried about Nora? You have to keep an eye on her even when she goes shopping?"

Zach responded with a smile, "Of course. My Nora is just too charming to be left alone."

I was caught between their banter, listening to their playful exchange.

Had it been before, I might have laughed and told them to stop joking.

But perhaps the incident with Zara had made me more sensitive, and I felt an odd vibe between them that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I excused myself to the restroom, asking them to wait for me outside.

I stood at the corner of the bathroom, eavesdropping on their conversation.

They continued to bicker playfully about me, and I suddenly felt guilty.

Laura and I had been friends for ten years. How could I suspect her like this?

But just as I was about to step out, Laura's voice dropped, and her tone turned bitter.

"Why don't you come to see me lately? I miss you so much. What's the point of always staying with a pregnant woman? Or is your secretary better than me?"

Zach whispered soothingly, "You see, Nora has been upset with me lately. How dare I go out to see you? Besides, we've been together for so many years. Zara was just a fling. She can't compare to you."

My heart ached as if it were being stabbed. The pain was so intense that I bent over, clutching my chest and gasping for air.

Sweat dripped from my forehead into my eyes, stinging them and causing tears to well up instantly.

Zach's affair with Zara had already broken my heart once.

But I never expected that my best friend would also be involved with my husband...

And from what they were saying, they must have been sneaking around behind my back for years.

I suddenly felt like my life was a failure.

It seemed like everyone around me was wearing a hypocritical mask, hiding behind a human facade.

I couldn't tell who was genuine anymore.