Chapter 2: Two Pink Lines

I don't remember how I got home.

The taxi ride was a blur.

The streets.

The traffic lights.

The driver's questions.

Everything faded beneath the crushing weight in my chest.

By the time I reached my apartment, the rain had soaked through my clothes and chilled me to the bone.

With trembling fingers, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Silence greeted me.

Usually, I loved the quiet of my small apartment.

Tonight, it felt unbearable.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, the strength I'd been clinging to vanished.

I slid down against the wall and burst into tears.

The sobs came hard and fast.

Years of trust.

Years of love.

Years of believing Ethan Blackwood was different.

Gone.

Destroyed in a single evening.

I buried my face in my hands.

Images from the hotel replayed endlessly in my mind.

Vanessa's hand wrapped around Ethan's arm.

The diamond ring.

The applause.

The congratulations.

Worst of all—

Ethan's silence.

If there had been some mistake, why hadn't he corrected them immediately?

Why hadn't he pushed Vanessa away?

Why hadn't he told the world the truth?

The questions tore at my heart.

My purse slipped from my shoulder and landed on the floor.

The ultrasound envelope fell out.

My breathing hitched.

For several moments, I simply stared at it.

The future I'd dreamed about only hours earlier now felt impossible.

Slowly, I picked it up.

Inside was the tiny black-and-white image.

Two tiny lives.

Two tiny heartbeats.

Two babies.

My babies.

And Ethan's.

Fresh tears filled my eyes.

Just that morning, I'd taken another pregnancy test.

Not because I doubted the doctor's confirmation.

I simply wanted reassurance.

Wanted to see the result for myself.

Wanted proof that the miracle was real.

The unopened test still sat on the bathroom counter.

I stood and walked toward the bathroom.

My reflection in the mirror startled me.

Mascara streaked down my cheeks.

My eyes were swollen.

My face was pale.

I barely recognized myself.

The pregnancy test box remained exactly where I'd left it.

Almost mechanically, I picked it up.

Opened it.

And stared at the result.

Two pink lines.

Positive.

There it was.

The proof I couldn't deny.

A shaky laugh escaped my lips.

It sounded more like a sob.

Hours ago, those two pink lines had represented happiness.

Hope.

A family.

Now they felt like the beginning of a battle I never expected to fight alone.

I lowered myself onto the closed toilet seat and rested one hand against my stomach.

"Twins," I whispered.

The word echoed softly through the room.

Twins.

Two children depending on me.

Two innocent lives who had done nothing wrong.

My chest tightened.

No matter how broken I felt, I wasn't alone anymore.

I couldn't afford to fall apart.

A loud vibration interrupted my thoughts.

My phone.

I walked back into the living room.

The screen lit up.

Ethan.

Calling again.

I stared at his name.

The familiar picture attached to his contact sent a fresh stab of pain through my heart.

The phone stopped ringing.

Then immediately started again.

Ethan.

Again.

And again.

And again.

My apartment filled with the constant buzzing.

Missed call.

Missed call.

Missed call.

A voicemail notification appeared.

Then another.

Then another.

I didn't listen to any of them.

I couldn't.

Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

Another call arrived.

This time, I answered.

Not because I wanted to hear his voice.

Because I wanted it to stop.

The moment I pressed the button, Ethan spoke.

"Sophia?"

His voice sounded breathless.

Panicked.

Relieved.

As though he'd been searching for me.

"Sophia, thank God. I've been trying to reach you all night."

The concern in his voice nearly broke my resolve.

Nearly.

"What happened?" he asked. "Why did you leave?"

A bitter laugh escaped me.

Why did I leave?

Was he serious?

"You know exactly why."

A long silence followed.

Then Ethan said softly, "No. I don't."

The sincerity in his voice confused me.

For a moment.

Only a moment.

Then I remembered Vanessa.

The ring.

The reporters.

The lies.

"You should be celebrating your engagement," I said coldly.

The silence on the other end became deafening.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Sophia, listen to me—"

"No."

My voice cracked.

Pain slipped through despite my efforts.

"I saw everything."

Another silence.

Then Ethan cursed under his breath.

"Sophia, it's not what you think."

The oldest excuse in history.

I closed my eyes.

"I don't care what explanation you have."

"You need to let me explain."

"No."

"Sophia—"

"No, Ethan!"

The words exploded from me.

Years of trust shattered in an instant.

Tears spilled freely down my cheeks.

"You stood there while another woman announced your future together."

His breathing grew heavy.

"Please. Just meet me."

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see it.

"I can't."

"You can."

"I can't."

"Sophia."

The desperation in his voice hurt more than anger would have.

Because part of me still loved him.

Part of me wanted to believe him.

Part of me wanted him to tell me there had been some terrible mistake.

But the image of Vanessa's ring refused to leave my mind.

"Goodbye, Ethan."

"Don't do this."

I ended the call.

Immediately.

Before I lost my courage.

Before I gave him another chance.

Before I believed him.

The phone rang again.

I rejected it.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Finally, I powered the device off completely.

Silence returned.

This time, it felt permanent.

I sat on my couch and stared out the window.

The rain continued falling outside.

Hours passed.

The city grew darker.

My thoughts grew heavier.

By midnight, one truth became impossible to ignore.

Everything had changed.

I was pregnant.

I was alone.

And Ethan Blackwood was no longer part of my future.

A fresh wave of tears threatened to overwhelm me.

But instead of crying, I placed both hands over my stomach.

Protectively.

Gently.

A mother's instinct already forming.

"I promise," I whispered.

The apartment was empty.

No one heard my words.

No one except the two tiny lives growing inside me.

"I'll protect you."

The tears finally fell.

"But I won't let anyone break our hearts again."

Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.

Inside, a decision slowly began taking shape.

A painful decision.

One that would change all of our lives forever.

By morning, I knew exactly what I had to do.

I had to disappear.