Georgia's POV.
For the past week, I had been trying to reach out to Michael after his text but he didn't return my calls, nor did he reply my texts.
I was starting to get worried, my chest tightened whenever I recalled the text about wanting to divorce.
I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it.
We had sworn to be with each other to death separated us, and he hated the idea of break ups, talk more of a divorce so I struggled to wrap my head around the message.
I wanted answers, answers to the thousands of questions surging through my mind.
I had also tried calling Anna but she was also out of reach.
As I paced back and forth in the luxurious room I shared with Henry, I decided to dial her one more time.
The phone vibrated in my ears, as I silently prayed for it to get connected.
My heart skipped a beat when I heard Anna's voice.
“Anna, oh my gosh. What happened? I've been trying to reach out to you but you weren't responding.” I immediately expressed my worry.
“I'm so sorry bestie, but so much has been going on here and I didn't want to bother you with it.” Her voice came, low and laced with fatigue.
I placed a palm on my temple as I took a seat on the bed, “Tell me everything.”
“Well, after he woke up, he asked about you. I told him everything just like we had planned but he seemed so mad. He wouldn't listen to what I had to say and he told me to stay away from him.” Anna suddenly stopped, like she was giving me time to swallow every word she said.
My heart sank as I listened to her, I struggled to keep the phone on my ear as my fingers became sweaty.
Then she continued, “I stayed away as he demanded, and few days later, I saw him with another woman. I'm sorry Georgia.”
“What?!” I blurted out, unable to contain my shock.
I took steady deep breaths, my chest rising slightly with ever drag of air but it didn't seem to help with my shattered heart.
I clutched at my chest tightly, trying to numb the pain but it only made it worse.
“I'm really sorry Georgia, I truly tried but…it's like he woke up from coma as a different person.” Anna added, adding to the pain.
“How…how could he? Why would he betray me like that?” I asked, my lips quivering as I struggled to keep my voice from cracking.
My eyes moistened with tears as the memories of his proposal, our wedding and our anniversary flooded my mind.
He promised to stand by me till forever so what changed?
I was literally fighting to save his life and he broke mine without thinking twice.
Why was it so easy for him to hurt me?
Did our relationship even mean anything to him?
This couldn't be.
We can't end like this.
“Anna, please tell me he hasn't moved on. I refuse to believe that,” I declared as I fought back the tears.
“I know, and I couldn't believe it too. But that's the truth, he's with someone else now. Please, try to move on too, there's no use crying over spilled milk.” Anna encouraged but her words only weakened me the more.
Each word felt like a stab at my chest, I found it difficult to breath.
My head throbbed with pain as I sobbed softly, not wanting Anna to hear me.
But she did.
“Georgia, this isn't the time to be weak. You have to be strong. So what if he betrayed you and cheated on you? It just shows how lowly he can be. Now it's time for you to fight back, show him you can live without him as well! You deserve better!”
“But how do I move on? Anna, you know how much I loved him. I just can't believe he would do this to me.”
A sigh from Anna followed my words, “I couldn't believe it too. He was really good at pretending, really good at making you think he cared about you. Now that his true colors have surfaced, forget about him. I'd advise you start something new with Henry.”
“No, I can't. It's not a deal marriage remember? I don't even love him!” I said, my voice cracking into a whisper.
A low him was all I could hear from Anna, and her silence said a lot. She didn't know what else to say.
I gently wiped my tears, “But don't worry, he's not worth my time like you said. I'd try to get over him and I'd be strong.”
“Promise?” Anna asked, her voice ringing with hope.
I exhaled deeply, “Yes, I promise.”
“That's my girl! I love you. Now make sure to wipe those tears, and start looking like the queen that you are!” She cheered on and I could only smile, it still hurts me deeply.
“I love you too. I'll talk to you later,” I said, hanging up the call right after.
As I dropped the phone, my hands dug right into my head, pulling as hard as I could.
I wanted to forget everything.
I was feeling a mix of emotions–fear, guilt and disappointment.
Fear, because I didn't know how to move on from this.
Guilt, because I wondered if I was the problem at some point.
And disappointment, because it was so easy for him to move on from what he claimed was lifelong.
This was unbearable.
Loving Michael was peace but whatever I felt now was threatening to squeeze life out of me. I pressed a palm over my lips as I muffled the sounds of my sobs.
The air in the room suddenly felt stuffy, like I was suffocating. I wanted space, I wanted to breathe.
As I ros
e up from the bed, headed to leave the room for the garden.
I met the scrutinizing gaze of Henry's cousin.
Georgia’s POVThe rain had not stopped for days. It drummed against the windows of my office like nervous fingers. The city outside blurred into lines of silver and black, and every sound felt heavier than it should. I was looking at the clock on the wall when the door opened without a knock. My heart skipped. “I hoped I’d find you here,” said a voice I had not heard in years. I froze. My pen fell from my hand. He stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him. His coat was wet from the storm, his hair darker from rain, but his eyes, the same eyes that once made me feel safe were unreadable. “I should have called,” he said. “But I didn’t trust what you’d say.” “Why are you here?” I asked, my voice thin. “To see you,” he said simply. I stood, but the room swayed. Memories rushed back: the almost-wedding, the necklace he gave me, the night I ran. “You’re married now,” I said. “I saw the announcement.” “I am,” he said. “But I still needed closure.” His words cut
(Henry’s POV)The envelope felt heavier than it should. Even as I tore it open, my fingers shook. The room was dim except for the single lamp on the desk, its glow creating long shadows like claws reaching across the floor. “Read it,”I whispered to myself. “Get it over with.” The paper inside shook in my hands. My chest stiffened as my eyes ran over the words. “It’s… it’s not mine,” I breathed out. My voice cracked. The test was clear. The childGeorgia’s daughter wasn't mine. I let the paper slip to the desk. A sour laugh left me but died halfway. The sound in the quiet room was like glass breaking. “I wanted her to be mine,” I mumbled. “I wanted a piece of Georgia that no one could take away.” I pressed my hands into my eyes, but it didn’t stop the burn. My mother’s lies, Mary’s betrayal, Georgia’s running it all crashed down at once. A soft knock at the door made me lift my head. “Come in,” I said hoarsely. The door opened slowly. Georgia’s daughter stood there.
Georgia’s POVThe sky was the colour of steel when Georgia burst out of the house, rain soaking her hair, her heart pounding. She had just seen her daughter holding the hand of the boy with Henry’s eyes. The world tilted; all her careful hiding, all the years of silence, cracked like thin glass. “Anna! ” she shouted into the storm. “Come back to me! ” A flash of movement near the trees. Two small people. She ran, mud pulling at her shoes, breath tearing her lungs. When she reached the edge of the park, the children were sitting under the bandstand, talking in low voices. Her daughter looked up, shocked. “Mama” “Come here now,” Georgia said, voice shaking. The boy stood protectively in front of Anna. “She’s my friend. Don’t be mad.” Georgia grabbed her daughter’s hand. “We’re going home. Right now.” Anna struggled. “But Caleb” “No. Now.” The boy’s lower lip shook. “Daddy said I could play.” Georgia froze. “Your… daddy? ” A tall person stepped out of the shadow
Georgia’s POVThe wind rocked the shutters of the beach house as if trying to tear away the life she had built. She pressed her face against the cold glass, looking at the endless gray water. Somewhere out there, she thought, the man she once loved still walked among strangers. “Are you happy, Mama?” the little voice at her hip asked. Georgia flinched, then forced a smile down at the dark-haired girl holding a stuffed rabbit. “Of course, darling. We’re safe here.” But the words felt like sand in her mouth. Safe did not mean free. Safe did not mean she had forgotten the man whose touch still burned in her dreams. The girl tilted her head. “Then why do you cry at night?” Georgia’s breath caught. “You heard me?” “You say a name. Over and over.” The mother turned away, heart racing. “It’s just a ghost from the past,” she whispered. A knock at the door made her jump. She rushed to the peephole, heart in her throat. A messenger stood there, rain dripping off his cap. Sh
Henry’s POVThe rain hammered against the glass like an angry beating. Inside the dim library, shadows stretched across the carpet, taking the polished wood shelves whole. He stood in the center, holding the old folder as though it might disappear if he blinked. His voice cracked in the silence. “So it’s all been a lie?” The air itself seemed to answer with a cold hiss. He felt the shaking in his own hands as he opened the folder again, scanning the papers that had already burned into his mind. Birth papers. Hospital reports. A death letter. And a blurry picture of the woman he thought he’d lovedMarybut with a different name. “She’s not Mary,” he whispered. “She was never Mary.” His heart felt like a fist in his chest. Betrayal bled into every breath. He remembered her laughter, her warmth in the nights when shame had eaten him alive, the way she had looked at him with such quiet dedication. And now he knew that woman was dead. Someone imposter had been in his arms.
(Georgia’s POV)The veil felt like a rope closing around my throat. Perfume, flowers, and whispered greetings pressed in on me until I could hardly breathe. My hands trembled on the bouquet as the organ thundered through the church, and for one frightening second I thought my knees would give out right there in the aisle. The church was a sea of white and gold candles glowing, guests turning their heads like an ocean of judgment. Donald stood at the altar, beautiful and steady, eyes soft with the promise of safety. Somewhere deep inside, though, another face burned behind my eyelidsdark eyes, tight jaw, the taste of a kiss that shouldn’t have happened. My heart whispered a name I shouldn’t be thinking. Donald’s smile faltered as I reached him. “You’re shaking,” he whispered, too low for the crowd to hear. “I’m fine,” I lied, holding the bouquet so hard the petals broke. “You don’t look fine,” he said kindly. “If you’re not ready” “I’m ready,” I cut him off. “Let’s just… g