LOGINThe next morning, sunlight filtered weakly through the curtains, painting the apartment in a soft, golden haze. Emily stirred on the couch, still wrapped in the throw Alicia had draped over her the night before. Her stomach felt tender, a dull ache that reminded her that nothing would ever be the same.Alicia moved quietly around the living room, setting a small tray with fruit, toast, and a cup of tea on the coffee table. The aroma reached Emily’s nose, and for a brief moment, her stomach rumbled in response.“Good morning,” Alicia said softly, kneeling beside the couch to set the tray in front of her. “Eat a little. You need your strength.”Emily managed a weak smile and took a small bite. “Thanks, Aly… for everything last night.”Alicia settled beside her again, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from Emily’s face. “Don’t thank me. I told you…. I’m staying. And I meant it. You’re not alone in this.”Emily swallowed, her mind still spinning from the night before. “I just… I don
Emily did not remember how she got home.She remembered standing up from the café table, her legs unsteady, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. She remembered stepping outside and the evening air hitting her face, cold enough to sting. Everything after that blurred together.By the time she reached her apartment, night had settled fully. The silence inside felt heavy, pressing in on her chest. She shut the door and leaned against it, her breath coming out shallow and uneven.Her hand drifted to her stomach.“I’m sorry,” she whispered, though she wasn’t sure who she was apologizing to.She slid down slowly until she was seated on the floor, knees pulled close to her chest. Vin’s voice replayed in her head, sharp and careless.This isn’t my responsibility.The words settled deep, heavier than the breakup itself.A knock sounded.Emily stiffened.Another knock followed, softer this time.“Mily,” Alicia’s voice came through the door. “Open up.”Emily pushed herself up and unlocke
The cab moved through the city streets, but Emily hardly noticed. Her mind raced in circles, short, sharp thoughts cutting into each other. Does he deserve to know? No. Could I do this alone? Maybe I should.… I should just end it? Every option twisted her stomach tighter. She pressed a hand against her stomach, imagining the tiny life inside, fragile and unknowable, and felt both panic and an odd fierce protectiveness. Vin didn’t know, and maybe he never should, because it's clear that he was cheating on her. She had to decide quickly and quietly, for herself.When the cab pulled up to her building, Emily noticed a familiar figure at her door. Alicia stood there, arms crossed, brow furrowed, waiting. Relief and embarrassment hit Emily at once.“Alicia,” she whispered as she stepped out, her bag hanging heavily from her shoulder.“You look like hell,” Alicia said, voice gentle but firm. “Your phone has gone off.”Oh God,” she murmured. “I didn’t even notice. I’m sorry. How long have
Emily sat up at the edge of the bed, teardrops forming in her eyes as she stared at the empty space beside her. Vin was gone. He could not even wait till she woke up before leaving. Her phone lay beside her, silent, like it had nothing to say to her pain.For a moment, she remembered the first time he had stayed over. How she had woken to find him still there, leaning against the headboard, watching her like she was something fragile. He had brushed her hair back then, murmured something about mornings suiting her. She had believed that meant something. Now, the space beside her felt colder than the room itself.She sent him a text, hoping he would reply, but he did not. She dialed his number. The call was not going through.Her thumb hovered over his name again. She considered sending another message, something casual, something that would not sound desperate. She typed, deleted, typed again, then locked her phone. She did not want to beg for attention she had not been freely given.
Even though Nathan wasn't sure what to do next, he gripped the edge of the staircase near the garden were he sat, already certain that Andrea was not making life any easier for him and he needed to do something about it. Frustration, anxiety and confusion washed him over. “But, Master Nathan! Are you really going to let Madam Alicia go just like that, without a fight? You're really going to sign those divorce papers?” Celine asked, her brows furrowed.Nathan only shrugged.“All these years I knew you, even while you were married to her. I never saw you like this,” Celine continued. “You always had your head held high like a king. She gave you peace and did not give any reason to doubt her unlike Andrea.”She hesitated then lowered her voice. “Pardon me, Master Nathan, but I must speak the truth. Madam Alicia was a good wife. She was faithful, hardworking, and always wanted to please you. Yet you continued seeing Andrea as your mistress. I was shocked when you eventually brought her i
Nathan's POVI spent the night in a restless haze, thinking of nothing else but the confrontation earlier. Andrea’s trembling words, her shaky denials, the faint crack in her story; it all replayed in my mind like a broken record. Celine had promised to arrange the test discreetly, and by morning I expected clarity.But by the time I returned to the living room, it was already morning, something felt… off.Andrea was sitting rigidly on the couch, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. My mother hovered nearby, brooding in that way that always made me uneasy. There was tension in the air, an undercurrent I couldn’t place at first.Celine stepped aside quietly, her expression was tight. She avoided looking at Andrea. My instincts screamed that something had shifted.I fixed Andrea with my gaze. “Where’s the test?” I asked, keeping my voice calm, but sharp as steel.Andrea’s lips parted, and then she looked away. Something in her posture was too rigid and too guarded and that made my hear







