a's

dges of betrayal dulled, the memories of Bruce and Debbie faded into background noise,

d it felt really good to feel myse

ea came, curling low in my stomach like a knot I couldn't untie. Then fever struck out of nowhere, leaving me shaky and drained. And the

en the thou

f I was

ing deeper the harder I tried to pull away. I had even forgott

er gave me a second look. I clutched the small paper bag against my chest lik

seat, heart hammering in my ears. One by one, I lined the stick

stretched

unforgiving. Two crimson lines

my fingers clumsy as they clung to the counter for balance. Tears

y bones had been scooped out and I was just a shell. Collapsing onto the bed

ly. No one to lean on. My job barely paid my bills, let alone a baby. And t

est strips to my chest until my knuckles

cut through the st

smooth and

e was. The man from that night. Standing at a podium, cameras flashin

ume until his voice filled the room, curling a

sion," his smooth voice carried through the s

ps curling into

hispered that maybe he still thought about me. Maybe if I met him, if I told him about our child, he'd be hap

th you that I am officiall

stomach lurched, and for a second, I th

iress, the perfect daughter of the Adonis empire. She was f

fumbled for the remote and shut the screen off. The silence that followed was dea

e venom. You really thought he'd come bac

through me. My throat closed up, shame and heartbreak tang

found it instinctively, palm pressing against the fragile life growing inside

o now? How was I supposed

oved it away. No. I couldn't. This was my baby. My blood. A tiny p

cing my breaths to even out. He didn't deserve this

se this child alone, if

all kitchen when my eyes fell on the necklace resting on

. My steps faltered, and for a second, I just stood there, staring. Th

done with the weight of it forever. But another part... the softer, weaker part of me..

lace into the drawer with trembling h

en if I wanted to. And truthfully, I didn't want to anymore. It