All Chapters of The Act of Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

When I got the results of my pregnancy test, I was elated and couldn't wait to tell my husband, Xavier Leeson.I found him on the rooftop of the hospital.From afar, I heard his colleague say, "Xavier, I heard that Sheila's been going through a lot to get pregnant. Isn't it inappropriate for you to continue your relationship with Rachel?"All of a sudden, I lost the strength to knock on the door.Rachel Solis was a nurse who used to pursue Xavier obsessively.Years ago, I had miscarried our first child when I caught Xavier cheating on me with her. Back then, he'd knelt before me and sworn that he never stopped loving me."I'm her first love. She loves me too much," Xavier explained lightly. "I can't let her down like that. The surrounding colleagues chuckled."Besides, being with Sheila just feels like a task to tick off my to-do list lately. She wants a child too badly. That makes me feel like a tool."He sounded more exhausted than joking.I had thought that he longed for

Chapter 2

I went upstairs. Just as I was about to open the door to the bedroom, I saw a pregnancy test in the trash can outside the door.The familiar shape visible through the plastic bag. It was the same one I'd used earlier today, and the results were the same, too: Rachel was also pregnant.It wasn't that Xavier didn't want kids. He just didn't want to have kids with me. The thought disgusted him.My nails dug into my palms. It felt as if vines had sprouted out of the ground and were strangling me. I couldn't breathe.No one knew better than I did how hard it was to grow up in a broken family.If that was the case, then it was just as well to have the child's own father end its life.Calmly, I restored everything to its original state.Before I left, I turned and looked back at the old house for one last time, thinking of all the memories that it held.Xavier and I had bought this house three years ago when we'd first gotten married. When we got the keys, he'd told me that I would be

Chapter 3

In a panic, I hid behind the curtains.Thankfully, the refrigerator in front of me blocked me, so Xavier and Rachel did not notice me when they came in.As soon as he put down what he was holding, Xavier pushed Rachel onto the dining table urgently. Through the gap in the curtains, I watched as Xavier's face drew closer to me suddenly. The silent air was suddenly filled with sweet, sticky sounds and Rachel's heavy breathing.Xavier was only about two feet away from me. He was so close that I could even see the tiny little mole on his knuckle.Nervous, I held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want to watch them have sex. Unfortunately, the lack of visuals just made Xavier's muffled groans louder in my head."Shelly, my beloved."I had to be losing my mind to think that he was calling my name.Memories came flooding back into my head.We'd done the same thing, in the same place, in the same position. Now, the woman he was kissing wasn't me.I bit my lips hard, not

Chapter 4

Xavier's gaze quickly swept over the blankets covering me. He had no idea that he was ending his own child's life with his own hands.He worked deftly—dilating the vaginal canal, suctioning out the fetus, and removing the rest of the placenta.I was under anesthesia, but my heart was clenched so tightly that I found it hard to breathe.Tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks. The cold liquid made me tremble.The surgery went on, and Xavier did not notice anything unusual.If only he'd looked more closely at the patient he was operating on, he would find something familiar about the scar on my thigh.But no. He did not recognize me at all.He wasn't the Xavier from two years ago—he'd forgotten what I'd gone through for him.All of a sudden, my body felt lighter than ever before. Something was taken away from me, and long with it was my love for Xavier.The surgery came to an end. Still, Xavier remained oblivious. He got the nurses to wipe away his sweat and clean up the thea

Chapter 5

Rachel leaned against the railing at the edge of the rooftop and looked down onto the crowd moving below."She looked a lot like you, you know," she said. "She'd just lost her child, too. That day, she jumped from the same height as this."She turned her head slightly to glance at me. Her voice was choked up, and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.I didn't fully understand what she was talking about, vague as she was, but I could tell she wasn't lying.Recalling what the nurse had said earlier, I began to form a rough guess.I patted her on the back lightly. "I'm sorry for your loss."Rachel turned away awkwardly, avoiding my gaze. "She was my cousin. Her name was Chloe. She loved me like a sister."From Rachel's story, I came to know a completely different version of Xavier.While I was still with my ex-boyfriend, Xavier hadn't waited for me like he claimed. He had a girlfriend, Chloe Solis, who bore a striking resemblance to me. They were classmates in college, and Xavier wa

Chapter 6

I turned and saw Xavier running toward me with a panicked expression on his face.He was still as handsome as ever. The once arrogant youth was now a mature and calm man.Two days ago, I thought of Xavier as nothing but a piece of meat that had turned rotten all of a sudden. Now, I knew better—he'd been rotten on the inside long before I ever noticed.I might have suspected it before, but I hadn't wanted to admit that I had been wrong about him.Xavier reached my side. The stench of rotting meat seemed to solidify around him.I could almost feel the sickening odor of blood splattering across my face.Xavier took my hand and held it tightly. "Let me explain, Shelly."I turned and wiped away my tears before smiling at him. "Explain what? Rachel was just telling me that she's about to get married. Do you know her husband?"Xavier paused for a moment. "I… No, I don't. How would I know who her husband is? I haven't spoken to her for a long time. I was just worried you would misunder

Chapter 7

The next day, I sought out Rachel.I hadn't spoken to her for long when Xavier showed up suddenly.This time, I hid in the kitchen, with Rachel knowing full well that I was there.To our surprise, Xavier's first words when he entered were, "We should end this."A loud slap echoed from the living room.Through the gap in the door, I saw Xavier's cheek flush bright red—Rachel hadn't held back at all."And what about our child?"He'd told her parents that day that he would take responsibility. Was this his version of being responsible?"Our child? They're illegitimate. I can't allow a bastard of mine to exist," Xavier said."You said you were going to marry me! How could you go back on your word like that?""I've thought about it for the last few days. I… I still love Shelly."Rachel sobbed hysterically as she pummeled Xavier with her fists.If I didn't know that Rachel wasn't pregnant, I would've believed her act."What do you take me for, Xavier Lesson? Am I something you c

Chapter 8

I walked to the side, took out a box from the cabinet, and handed it to him. "Here, Xavier. I got you a birthday present. Take a look and see if you like it."There was nothing unusual about the box from the outside. There weren't even any logos on it.Xavier took the box but made no move to open it."Take a look," I urged. "I think you'll like it."He seemed intrigued. After inspecting the box curiously for a few moments, he opened it.For a moment, he froze. Then, his hands started trembling.He must have recognized what was inside. After all, this was his expertise."Do you not like it? I've cleaned it up, so it's not disgusting anymore."Xavier did not move. He continued staring at me."What's wrong, Dr. Leeson? Did you forget that you'd performed the surgery on me yourself?" I continued.He stared at me with wide eyes, the fear in them almost palpable. "Why, Shelly? Did you… Did you find out about that?"No, listen to me. That's not true. I can explain."He fell to his

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