Chapter 5

Elena’s POV 

When Leo turned a year old, I went back to school . Balancing motherhood , part-time classes , and my cleaning work wasn’t easy, but it was something I owed myself ; and him. I freelanced here and there , took whatever small cleaning gigs I could find , and slowly started building a name for reliability . It wasn’t glamorous , but it was honest work .

By the time I finally graduated , I thought the world would open up to me . Instead , I found myself staring at closed doors . Job after job turned me down , each rejection letter another reminder that I wasn’t the kind of woman they pictured in their office . Still , I refused to stop moving . If I couldn’t find an opportunity , I would build my own . 

Leo was four now — my sweet , curious little boy . He had a smile that could melt the hardest heart and a laugh that could brighten even my worst day . Since I didn’t have a car , I leased a tiny office space near his preschool so I could walk him there each morning and pick him up in the afternoons . It wasn’t much , but it gave me a place to organize my clients , my tools , and a piece of my independence . 

Mila and her boyfriend had gotten married the year before . They bought a cozy little house and spent most weekends hosting people . When she invited me and Leo to a barbecue that Saturday , I hesitated ; but she wouldn’t take no for an answer . So , after visiting the shelter that morning like Leo and I always did , we took a cab to her house .

It was warm and lively when we arrived , the smell of grilled meat mixing with the chatter of friends . Most of the people there were Mila’s husband’s colleagues , so I felt a bit out of place . Mila and I were never good at making friends — years of being judged and whispered about had taught us to keep our circles small . 

The weather turned gloomy that afternoon , thunder rolling in from nowhere , forcing us inside . The men stayed out with Leo , laughing under the patio cover , while Mila and I curled up on the couch , half-watching TV and half-gossiping about work . I wasn’t paying attention to the broadcast ; not until I heard a name that froze the air in my lungs .

    **** “It’s now been confirmed that Julian Hayes , the billionaire businessman , remains unreachable . His longtime girlfriend has announced their engagement earlier this morning .” ****

Julian Hayes.

My eyes snapped to the screen . And there he was ; confident, composed , that familiar smirk on his lips like the world itself bent for him. I couldn’t breathe . The room tilted , my chest hollowed out. The same man who had held me like I was the only woman in the world was now paraded beside another , smiling for cameras . 

I wanted to scream , but all I could do was stare. Five years ago , that man was mine — at least for a night . The realization hit me like a wave : he’d already been with someone then . I wasn’t special . I was a secret , a mistake .

Tears blurred my vision , and Mila’s voice became distant . All I could see was his face . I’d told myself he disappeared because fate was cruel , because maybe something had happened to him . But no : he’d chosen to leave . Chosen to forget me .

By the time Leo and I got home that night , I was hollow. I bathed him , tucked him into bed , and sat in the quiet darkness of my room , shaking. He could have protected me . He could have used something . Anything . But he hadn’t . I was naïve enough to believe that night meant something . I was wrong .

Still , I reminded myself — his absence had shaped me into who I was . Leo and I had survived without him . Thrived , even. And if Leo ever asked about his father , I’d tell him the truth I could live with : that his father was alive , but couldn’t be with us . That was better than admitting I’d been forgotten . 

The next morning , I dropped Leo off at school and went to my office . Business had picked up lately ; enough that I’d hired two extra cleaners . They were both hardworking , cheerful, and helped me take on more clients than I ever imagined . Life was slowly , quietly settling into something that looked like peace .

Until the call came .

Leo’s teacher sounded frantic . “ He’s having an allergic reaction : you need to come right now .”

My heart nearly stopped . I’d never seen my son sick before , and the thought of him in pain sent terror clawing up my throat . I rushed out of the office , barely remembering to lock the door behind me .

When I got to the school , I found him crying , his tiny body covered in red blotches, skin swollen and hot . I scooped him up , trembling, and ran straight to the hospital . People stared as I burst through the doors , breathless , clutching him to my chest . 

I collided with an older woman in the hallway , dropping everything from my bag in the chaos . She bent to help me , her voice calm and steady as she quickly made a phone call . 

 “ Follow me ," she said firmly , and somehow , I instinctively did . 

Within minutes , we were inside a private ward — bright , clean, and stocked with equipment I could never afford .

“I’m sorry , but there must be some mistake ,” I said , panicking . “ I didn’t book the VIP room .”

“ Don’t worry ,” the doctor replied . “ It’s been taken care of .”

“ By who ?”

“ I did ,” said the same older woman , stepping forward.

I blinked . “ Ma’am , you didn’t have to…. ”

“It’s alright , child,” she interrupted softly . “ What matters is that your boy gets treated . If you want to repay me , just bring him to visit . I live alone , and a child can bring warmth back into a quiet house .”

My throat tightened . “ Thank you . I will . I promise .”

As the doctor examined Leo , I explained what had happened : the Ceviche and Conch Fritters at school , foods I’d never served at home . 

“ Assist me in removing his shirt ,” the doctor said . I carefully lifted it , revealing the small birthmark on Leo’s shoulder blade . 

The woman’s eyes lingered there . “ Does anyone else in your family have a mark like that ?”

I shook my head . “ No . Maybe his father… I don’t really know .”

She smiled gently , though her eyes held something deeper — recognition , maybe . “ Would you bring him to see me this weekend ?”

“ Of course .”

“ If it’s not too much , perhaps every weekend. My home can be quite lonely .”

I nodded , relieved . “ That’s fine . It’s hard to find someone I can trust with him , anyway .”

We exchanged numbers , and as Leo began to calm under the sedatives , I finally exhaled . Watching his small body relax , I whispered a silent prayer of gratitude ; for the stranger who’d helped , for the chance to breathe again , and for the little boy who gave my life its meaning .

Something about that woman lingered with me : her warmth , her eyes, the quiet knowing in her voice . I couldn’t explain it , but I felt… connected to her . As if somehow , our lives had brushed against each other before fate even meant them to .