Chapter 4

I don't know how I made it through that night. It wasn't until the next morning, when the house finally went silent, that I pushed the closet door open with shaking hands.

Aiden and Juniper were gone.

I pulled a box from the back of a drawer, one I'd kept hidden for years. Inside were all the gifts Aiden had ever given me. Every single one came with a promise he'd made, whispered in my ear like a prayer.

Now those promises were just punchlines.

I wiped the tears off my face, forced myself to walk to the living room, and lit the fireplace. Then I took the box, all of it, and threw it into the flames.

The fire roared up. Every soft word, every tender moment, every lie, they all curled into ash.

I was about to sweep the remnants away when the front door swung open.

Juniper walked in. There was nothing fragile about her now. Her eyes glittered with smug satisfaction, her voice light and venomous:

"Bet that hurt, didn't it? Locked in that closet all night, listening to your own fiancé with another woman. "

I froze.

She saw the shock on my face and smiled wider, peeling off the mask one cruel word at a time.

"Did you really think I didn't know? Let me tell you the truth. From the very beginning, I've always wanted Aiden. I knew Mason was dead the whole time. And you have no idea how sweet he's been to me, playing the perfect husband night after night."

"Here's the best part. He chose me, Aurora. Between you and me, he chose me."

The words hit like a freight train. The blood rushed to my head so fast I could hear it roaring in my ears.

This whole time, this entire sick, twisted game, was her design. She'd planned every single piece of it.

Rage and hatred flooded through me, drowning out every rational thought. I drew my arm back and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

The crack of it was still echoing in the air when footsteps thundered from the doorway.

Aiden burst in.

Juniper's hand flew to her cheek. Her eyes welled up instantly, and she crumpled to the floor, her voice breaking into a trembling whimper: "Mason… the baby… it hurts… I'm so scared…"

Aiden shoved me aside and scooped her up without a second glance.

I hit the edge of the fireplace on the way down. My head cracked against the corner of the table, and for a second, my vision went white.

Aiden looked back at me, and his face was nothing but disgust.

"I expected better from you." His voice was ice. "How could you lay a hand on Juniper? If anything happens to her or that child, I swear to God, you'll answer for it."

Then he was gone, carrying her out the door. And I was left on the floor, alone.

Tears poured down my face, hot and unstoppable.

Aiden. You were this close. This close to hearing the truth.

After a long while, I patched myself up as best I could. My phone buzzed, Aiden's name on the screen. His voice came through, cold and flat:

"Juniper and the baby are stable for now. But what you did today was unacceptable. You need to come apologize. In person. "

Something in me snapped.

All the pain I'd been choking back for months, came pouring out in one raw, ragged scream:

"She knew the whole time. Juniper knew Mason was dead from day one! How much longer do you want me to play along with this disgusting farce? This bullshit split arrangement, these 'temporary measures'. You keep saying you love me, but this is what love looks like to you?"

"Enough!" His voice cut through like a blade. "Are you done throwing your tantrum? I told you, once the baby's born, this is over. Why can't you just hold on a little longer? I'm staying at the hospital with Juniper for the next few days. Don't come. Take care of yourself. And stay away from her."

He hung up before I could say another word. Like I was the one being unreasonable.

The pain came in waves, sharp, suffocating, crushing. And then, somewhere in the middle of it all, something shifted.

It felt like relief.

Just like he said, the next few days passed in silence. He stayed at the hospital with Juniper. Didn't call. Didn't text. Didn't even try.

It didn't matter anymore.

On the day we'd agreed on, my father's voice came through the line.

"Aurora. The lab's car is at the gate. It'll take you to the airport."

I swallowed hard, steadied my voice, and told him I know. Then I picked up my bag and walked out without looking back.

The engine hummed beneath me as the city rolled past the window. Streetlights flickered by one by one, familiar streets slipping into the distance. My phone buzzed one last time.

Aiden's message: [Juniper's stable now. Coming home tonight. What do you want? I'll take you shopping, anything you like.]

I stared at the screen. A strange laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep in my chest. I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks.

Then I hit delete. All of it. Every message, every memory, every lie.

Outside, the city lights were fading into the rearview mirror.

Aiden. We're done. For good.