Chapter 2

NYLA

The door slammed behind Evans, and the sound went straight through me. I stood there in the quiet house, staring at nothing, my fingers trembling around the pregnancy test results still tucked inside my palm. My throat tightened until it hurt to breathe. Everything I had been holding back just poured out of me. I dropped to the floor and cried so hard my chest felt like it was cracking open.

My phone buzzed beside me. I didn’t even check the screen. I just answered with my voice shaking.

“Hello.”

“Nyla?” Marisol’s voice rushed through the speaker. “What happened? You sound like you’ve been crying.”

I tried to speak but all that came out was a sob.

“Hey, hey, breathe. Where are you?”

“Home,” I whispered. “I’m home.”

“I’m coming. Don’t move.”

The call ended before I could say anything else.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand, but more tears just kept falling. I curled my knees to my chest because I didn’t know what else to hold onto. The silence in the house felt like it was catching up to me.

Less than an hour later. The door bell sounded followed by a knock on the door.

“Nyla, it’s me.”

I remained in that same position, unsteady. Marisol pushed open the door and stepped inside and her eyes widened the moment she saw me.

“Oh my god,” she breathed, pulling me into her arms. “Talk to me. What happened?”

I held onto her like she was the last familiar thing in my life. And she truly was the only person I could speak to about anything. She was my childhood friend, we were practically sisters at this point, and she knew me better than I knew myself.

“He wants an open marriage,” I whispered.

Her arms froze around me.

“What?”

I nodded against her shoulder. “He said he’s been seeing someone. He wants freedom. He doesn’t want to hide it anymore.” My voice cracked. “And I’m pregnant.”

Marisol pulled back and stared at me like she didn’t know what to feel.

“You’re… pregnant. Nyla, that’s huge.”

“I thought it would fix something. Or at least soften him a little.” I swallowed. “But he didn’t even look at me. I told him no. I told him this isn’t happening and he just…walked out.”

Marisol cupped my cheeks. “Listen to me. You don’t deserve that. You never did. You have given everything to that man and he treats you like you’re an inconvenience.”

A shaky breath slipped out of me. “What do I even do, Mari?”

“You breathe first,” she said softly. “You stop blaming yourself. And you let me be here for you.”

She led me to the couch and sat with me.

 

“I had secretly bought baby socks, because I wanted to surprise him but now they sat in my bag. I feel like a joke, Mari.” And I broke down even more.

Marisol held my hand the entire time, nodding, rubbing the back of my palm with her thumb.

“You’re going to be okay,” she whispered. “I promise.”

I leaned into her shoulder, exhausted.

“I don’t want to do this.”

“You don’t have to. We will figure it out.”

We sat there until my tears slowed. Marisol checked the time and sighed.

“I should head out. You need rest.”

She hugged me tight before leaving.

“Call me if anything feels too heavy,” she said. “I’m serious.”

I nodded and watched her walk away.

I was still sitting where she had left me when I heard a car pulling into the driveway. It was Evans' car and I felt anxious again. 

He walked in like nothing happened. Like he didn't just leave me in a pool of tears.

“We need to talk,” he said.

I didn’t move. “About what.”

He slipped off his watch like this was just another night. “About the pregnancy.”

I shot a glance at him. My voice barely came out. “What?” I tilted my head in confusion. 

“You heard me,” He said calmly.

“How do you know?” 

He paused, looking confused  by my question. “I don't understand, you told me.” 

I stepped closer. “No I didn't,” I stood up slowly, “Evans.  How do you know I’m pregnant?”

He swallowed, I could sense his nervousness even though he tried to hide it.

“I am not here to play mind games. We need to address this pregnancy now.” He was being more loud, this could only mean he was hiding something.

“I…I didn't tell anyone. Except–”My breath shook.

“Mari.”

Evans closed his eyes for half a second. And that was all it took.

Everything clicked so fast it made me dizzy. I was sure I was about to go insane.

 

I stumbled back a step.

“Evans,” I whispered, “please tell me you aren’t doing this. Please tell me I’m wrong.”

He raked a hand through his hair. That nervous gesture he did only when he was caught.

“Nyla…”

My world froze, “It is impossible.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“I can explain,” 

“No. Evans No, you do not get to do that to me.” I moved backwards. “You don't get to have the one person I could confide in about this marriage,” 

“Listen to me,” His phone buzzed and I yanked it off from his hand. And I saw Mari's picture and I swiped to accept the call. 

“Baby, I think she knows something is up,” Marisol’s voice came from the phone. My eyes burned and my chest felt like it was about to erupt. I threw his phone across the room.

I covered my mouth with my hand. My knees went weak till I couldn't stand properly.

“You’ve been seeing Marisol,” I said. “Haven’t you?”

He tried to reach for me but I flinched away.

“Nyla, it isn’t—”

“It is,” I cried. “Oh my god, Evans. She was just here. She just held me while I cried about you. She sat right there and comforted me.”

He closed his eyes again. That was another answer.

I felt sick. Actually sick, “Out of all the women in the world, you picked my best friend?” 

I turned toward the wall because I couldn’t look at him without breaking again.

“How long,” I whispered. “How long has this been going on.”

“Nyla…”

“How. Long.”

He hesitated, and that hesitation burned worse than the truth.

“Months,” he finally said.

My chest tightened so sharply I had to hold the chair to stay upright.

Months.

She had been in my house. In my life, calling me sister. Holding my secrets and telling me everything will be okay, while she secretly fucks my husband.

“She told you,” I said. “About the baby?”

 “I didn’t ask her—”

“Oh, shut up,” I snapped, my voice raw. “You don’t get to defend her. She told you because she was scared to lose you, she wanted to be the one to inform you about something this huge.”

Evans stepped forward. “Nyla, listen. This baby will–”

“My baby, you mean?”

The word came out with more strength than I expected. 

He tried to touch me and I moved back.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t try to explain this like it’s some tragic misunderstanding. You cheated on me with my best friend. You told her enough lies for her to hate me quietly while pretending to be my comfort.”

Evans lowered his head. He had no words.

For a moment, the world around us stood still.

Then I said quietly, “Leave.”

He looked up, surprised. “What?”

“Leave before I collapse again in front of you. I don’t want you to see anything else. Just go.”

For once, he didn’t argue.

But before he left he looked at me in disgust, “I am only being this calm because of the pregnancy. Get use to having Marisol as my girlfriend,”