Chapter 2

She told the doctor she needed a minute to make a phone call, stepping out into the hallway, her mind a chaotic storm. All she wanted was for this nightmare to end once and for all.

When she dialed his number, he picked up almost immediately.

“Hi, love,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’m calling to tell you that... I’m at the doctor’s office. He suggested I take a pregnancy test.”

Panic surged through the line. The phone went completely silent on the other end.

“You know you can’t be pregnant, love,” he said, his tone heavy with dread.

She understood exactly what he meant. She was significantly older than him, and deep down, she knew this love should never have happened in the first place.

“You need to get an abortion before it’s too late,” he urged. “Before anyone suspects I’m responsible for this.”

Her next words shook him to his core. “Babe... there’s something else.” She paused, taking a breath. “There are two.”

A soft groan escaped his lips. “Oh, baby... I am so sorry. I wish this was an acceptable relationship in our culture and beliefs. I would marry you this second, have these babies, and grow old with you.”

She listened in stunned disbelief. After five years of having unprotected sex with him without a single slip-up, it made no sense that it was happening now.

And not with him.

For the past year, she had been secretly preparing her body for a pregnancy—going through medical evaluations, eating according to medical advice, and taking fertility supplements to ensure a healthy child. But that plan was never meant for him. She had never told him she was trying to conceive with another man, knowing it would crush him, ignite his rage, and ruin what they had forever.

Their love was fiercely passionate; their chemistry, unstoppable. The very fact that their bond was forbidden was what made it so intense, so intoxicating, and so dangerous. They were inseparable. Some villagers, friends, and family had their suspicions, but no one had ever proven it. They loved each other so deeply that the decision before them felt like dying, yet they knew they had to make it.

Seeking an abortion was the only way to survive.

The call dragged on, her mind racing as she debated whether to reveal the truth about the other man. The terrifying possibility that these twins weren't even his still burned in her mind.

She recalled every single intimate moment with the other man—going to fertility clinics together, tracking ovulation, and trying recommended positions for maximum chances of conception. They had followed every piece of medical advice to the letter. All the while, she had been secretly giving her heart to a young man whom the world would never let her keep—a man whose exposure would mean their immediate exile, banishment from their family, community, and country.

“Baby, speak to me,” his voice broke through her thoughts. “Talk to me.”

She wanted to hang up, but her hand wouldn't move.

“Don’t panic,” he insisted gently. “I’m sending a driver to bring you to my house. Come over so we can talk through everything together.”

When she stepped into his home moments later, her gaze landed on him—tall, strikingly handsome, young, and effortlessly commanding. Seeing him reminded her instantly of why she had lost herself in him completely. At the same time, his eyes locked onto her—taking in her glowing skin and effortless elegance. The mutual pull between them was immediate and overwhelming.

They rushed into each other’s arms, holding on tight, and surrendered to a passionate embrace—making love as if it were the very last day of their lives.

As they lay together afterward, the crushing weight of reality settled over them. They both recognized just how lethal their secret had become.

And in her heart, Miss Vale knew: this affair had to end.