Happiness is Never Denied

The heater, wrapped in the smell of alcohol, filled the private room, and the noisy New Year's party was about to blow the roof off. I touched my lower abdomen, where a tiny life just two months old was growing. Leo Luke sat beside me, his fingertips occasionally brushing the back of my hand with a polite gentleness. Penny Scott smiled brightly as she raised her glass; she was Leo Luke's childhood friend and the center of attention at the party. The bottle for Truth or Dare spun round and round, finally coming to a steady stop pointing at Penny Scott. Amid the jeering, she covered her mouth, laughing, her eyes flickering toward Leo Luke. "I did very private things with Leo back in the day." That one sentence stabbed the noisy room like an ice pick; after an instant of silence, an even louder burst of mocking laughter erupted. Leo Luke's face flushed beet red, but he didn't deny it, only murmuring, "That was so many years ago." My blood turned ice cold instantly, a dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen. I steadied myself on the table and stood up, my voice trembling but clear: "Leo Luke, we're getting a divorce." The laughter in the private room suddenly died down, and all eyes locked onto me. The smile on Penny Scott's face froze, then she quickly put on a hurt look. "Annie, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously." "Joking?" I stared at Leo Luke. "Is this something you can just joke about? How many more things are you hiding with her?" Leo frowned and grabbed my arm. "Don't make a scene. We'll talk about this at home." "At home?" I shook off his hand. "I don't want to stay there for even a second." Penny was still stirring the pot next to us. "Annie, you're pregnant. Don't get so emotional—you might hurt the baby..." "I'll protect my child, I don't need your fake concern!" I shouted, my chest heaving fiercely. Leo saw how firm I was and his tone hardened: "Annie, can you just be sensible? It's New Year's eve—don't kill the mood for everyone." "Sensible?" I laughed through tears, "I'm carrying your child, and your childhood friend shamelessly says that in front of everyone—are you seriously telling me to be sensible?" The argument blew up like an explosion in the private room. Looking at these two disgusting people in front of me, I couldn't hold it in any longer—I grabbed my bag and stumbled out. The biting cold wind outside made my tears stream down, and the pain in my lower abdomen grew sharper. Back in the empty villa, the servant carefully handed me a cup of warm water. I sat on the sofa, my mind replaying Penny Scott's smug yet hurt expression.