Walking Away While Pregnant: Dear Ex-Husband, I Don't Love You Anymore novel Chapter 199

Chapter 199: Chapter 199

On the studio desk lay the lock-of-longevity design draft Elise had drawn halfway all those years ago—a piece intended for her children, just a tiny fraction away from completion.

Her fingertips gently brushed over the paper, tears dropping onto the surface and blurring the graphite lines. She reached out to wipe them away, but it only smeared the drawing further. A faint sob slipped from her throat as she pressed the design to her chest, scalding tears cascading down her tense, trembling jaw.

Her eyes slowly swept across every corner of the room.

In the picture frame on the desk, their wedding photo still sat intact. In the photograph, her smile was radiant, brimming with the sweet, pure happiness of someone whose long-cherished wish had finally come true. Yet as Elise stared at it now, it felt like an entire lifetime ago.

Suddenly, a subtle, soft flutter echoed in her womb—the unborn baby kicked gently.

Holding her swollen belly, Elise sat down heavily at the desk and looked down at the row of drawers near her feet.

She reached out and pulled open the top drawer. Inside lay various design sketches alongside scattered charcoal portraits of Dylan she had drawn when bored. She gazed at them quietly, leaving them untouched. Wiping her face, she pulled open the second drawer.

Her body instantly froze.

Resting right at the very top was a thick stack of printed pages with three bold words written across the cover: "Prenatal Care Records."

It was written in Dylan’s unmistakable handwriting.

Hands trembling, Elise lifted the thick stack out and began flipping through them page by page. All the medical records she had assumed Dylan destroyed were kept right here, carefully preserved.

And beside each record were detailed notes handwritten by Dylan himself:

[First check-up today. Pregnancy confirmed at 6 weeks + 4 days. Elise has mild pregnancy symptoms—she’s sleepy and a bit sluggish. I don’t know much about this, so I added Chief Physician on Messenger and had Oliver buy some educational books on pregnancy. People say prenatal education is crucial too, so I’ll have Oliver order books on that as well. I’ll read bedtime stories to the babies every night.]

[I don’t know how to be a proper father. Ever since I can remember, I’ve lived with my grandmother. From my father, Bruce, I never experienced what it felt like to be loved or valued by a father. But Elise chose me without hesitation back then; I cannot let her down. Moving forward, I need to learn how to be a good father and a good husband.]

[12 weeks today—opened the official file and did routine tests. The ultrasound revealed it’s twins! Fraternal twins! The chief physician mentioned there’s a high probability of it being a boy and a girl. The babies are very healthy, but Elise’s morning sickness is severe—she almost fainted after the blood draw. Dr. Williams advised extra nutrition with smaller, more frequent meals. I’ll have Oliver hire a specialized nutritionist, and we need to hire another chef too...]

[16 weeks—Down Syndrome screening today. Luckily, I did my research in advance. Standard screenings only have around 70% accuracy, which leaves too much margin for error. After consulting with Dr. Williams, we went straight for non-invasive DNA testing. Elise was nervous, but I reassured her with complete confidence that our children would be healthy. In truth, I was terrified too—as a first-time dad, there’s so much I don’t know. I have to study harder! The results came back: green light all across the board! As expected of our children! Fantastic!]

Seeing the phrase "As expected of our children!", Elise’s tears overflowed once more, smearing the word "children."

A short, bitter, self-deprecating laugh escaped her lips.

Who could have ever imagined that Dylan—a man renowned for his icy, taciturn demeanor, who rarely showed any emotion on his face—would secretly write such words on medical forms, documenting the babies’ growth line by line, meticulous like a nervous, wide-eyed adolescent boy?

He had cared about her. He had cherished their children deeply.

He was capable of all this tenderness after all.

So how... how did everything end up changing in the end?

The man’s bold, sweeping handwriting carried subtle pauses between the strokes—far more deliberate than his usual swift signature on corporate contracts. He had written every single entry with utmost gravity.

Through her blurring tears, Elise turned to the next page:

[20-week anatomy scan today. A critical milestone, especially for twins. Thankfully, everything looks perfectly healthy. Elise and I got to see the babies’ faces. She said they look like me, but honestly, I hope they resemble her more. Imagining two mini-Elises running around—they’ll definitely be beautiful and adorable!]

[Dr. Williams quietly asked if we wanted to know the genders. I love both boys and girls equally, so I asked Elise if she wanted to know. She said no need—boy or girl, they’re our children, and as long as they’re healthy and safe, that’s all that matters. I feel the exact same way.]

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