Chapter 5

The phone trembled violently in Valerie’s hands as she pressed Julia’s name.

It rang once.

Twice.

“Juls,” Valerie whispered the moment the call connected. Her voice cracked. “Can you—can you come get me?”

There was no hesitation.

“I’m on my way,” Julia said firmly. “Where are you?”

Valerie gave her the address with shaking breath and ended the call before she could break completely.

She sat on the curb, knees pulled to her chest, the night air biting through her thin jacket. Her bag lay beside her like a reminder of everything she’d been forced to leave behind. She didn’t cry this time. She felt emptied out—hollowed by shock, by shame, by the echo of a door slamming behind her.

A few minutes later, Julia arrived, breathless, hair disheveled, eyes sharp with worry.

“Val,” she said softly, kneeling in front of her. “Come on.”

Valerie stood on unsteady legs and let herself be pulled into Julia’s arms.

They didn’t talk right away.

Julia drove them to their favorite place by the river—the one they used to go to after exams or long shifts, when all they had were coins in their pockets and a craving for something warm. The streetlights reflected softly on the dark water, vendors calling out orders, smoke from grills curling into the night.

They sat on a low concrete edge, plastic containers between them—fish balls, fried noodles, rice wrapped in paper. Cheap. Familiar. Safe.

Valerie stared at the food for a long moment before lifting her fork.

“Eat,” Julia said gently. “For you. And for the baby.”

That did it.

Valerie’s eyes burned.

They ate slowly, chewing in silence as the river flowed beside them, indifferent to everything that had collapsed.

“What are you going to do now?” Julia asked quietly.

Valerie shrugged, staring at the water. “I don’t know. I can’t go back. I don’t have money. I can’t stop working.” She laughed bitterly. “I can’t even afford to be sick.”

Julia reached for her hand. “You can stay with me for now.”

Valerie shook her head immediately. “Your parents—”

“They’ll understand,” Julia insisted. “You’re my family.”

Valerie wanted to believe that. But fear gnawed at her. She had learned not to rely on kindness—it always came with an expiration date.

She sighed and lifted her gaze—

And froze.

Across the road, beyond the river lights, was a restaurant glowing warm and golden. Glass walls. White tablecloths. A place she had only seen from afar.

Inside—

Drugo Hawthorne sat at a table.

Her breath left her lungs.

He looked exactly as she remembered—sharp, composed, devastatingly out of reach. His posture was relaxed, confident. Across from him sat a woman—beautiful, elegant, her laughter bright as she leaned closer to him.

Valerie’s chest tightened painfully.

Julia followed her gaze. “Val?”

She didn’t answer.

Drugo reached into his pocket.

Valerie watched in slow motion as he pulled out a small box and opened it.

A ring caught the light.

The woman gasped, covering her mouth, eyes shining with tears as she nodded eagerly.

The world tilted.

“He told me,” Valerie whispered hoarsely, eyes burning. “He told me he’d take responsibility.”

Julia stiffened. “What?”

“He promised,” Valerie said, her voice breaking as she watched the woman slip the ring onto her finger. “He said he’d come back for me.”

Even tho there was a tiny hope she had, it didn’t stopped her heart to ache and felt disappointment with him.

Julia’s jaw clenched. “That bastard.”

Valerie’s chest ached so badly she thought it might split open. She felt foolish. Small. Invisible.

She felt like she got played.

Then something inside her snapped.

Anger surged—hot, violent, consuming.

She stood abruptly, chair scraping against the pavement.

“Valerie,” Julia said sharply, standing too. “What are you doing?”

“I’m done, he have to pay for it.” Valerie said, her voice suddenly steady. Too steady. “I have to live... for my babies.”

She crossed the road before Julia could stop her.

The restaurant doors opened with a soft chime.

Conversation hushed as Valerie marched straight toward their table.

Drugo looked up—

He looks cold but there has a glimpse of shocked.

“Valerie?” he breathed, standing abruptly. “What are you doing here?”

The woman beside him frowned. “Drugo?”

Valerie didn’t look at her.

She looked at him.

“I want five million,” Valerie said flatly.

The words stunned the table into silence.

Drugo stared at her, disbelief written across his face. “What?”

“I’m asking for money,” she repeated, voice sharp, unflinching. “Five million.”

The woman stood slowly. “Excuse me—”

“This doesn’t concern you,” Valerie snapped, eyes never leaving Drugo’s. “He knows exactly why.”

Drugo smirked in disbelief. “Let’s talk privately.”

“No, I don’t have time for that.” Valerie said coldly.

“You don’t get that luxury.” Drugo said coldly, like insulting her.

Her hands trembled, but her voice didn’t. “Oh, really? If you don’t want me to scandal here right now. Give me a 5 million.”

Drugo scoffed, “Do you really need that money so bad, huh?”

“And I was poor,” Valerie shot back. “Of course, I need money— I want money. I think, you were satisfied that day. You couldn’t even forget me.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “Drugo, what is she talking about?”

Drugo didn't answer. He was looking intently to Valerie, trying to read her face and figured out what’s in her mind.

Valerie laughed bitterly. “Ask him about the night he couldn’t remember. About the girl he promised he wouldn’t forget.”

Drugo’s expression hardened—not in anger, but in disappointment.

“So that’s it?” he said quietly. “You came here for money?”

Valerie’s chest heaved. “I don’t have the right to ask where you’ve been. I don’t have the right to question your life.” Her voice wavered. “But I have the right to ask compensation for what happened.”

Drugo looked at her like she had struck him.

“I thought you were different,” he said hoarsely. “I thought—”

“I thought you were different too,” Valerie cut in, tears spilling now but she immediately wipe it off. “But look at us.”

Disgust flashed briefly across his face—not at her body, but at the situation, at himself, at the wreckage between them.

“You don’t get to solve this to money,” he said. “You don’t get to erase everything with a price.”

Valerie shook her head. “I’m not erasing it. I’m surviving.”

They stared at each other—two people bound by one irreversible mistake.

“I don’t want to ruin your life,” Valerie whispered, voice cracking. “I just want to... live... for my baby.” She whispered to herself while caressing her tummy.

Silence stretched.

When Drugo saw the eagerness and firmness in a soft face of Valerie. He handed a 10 million cheque on her.

When she took the money, Valerie turned away.

She didn’t wait for his answer.

She walked out of the restaurant with her head held high, even as her heart shattered with every step.

Outside, Julia rushed to her, wrapping her arms around her tightly as Valerie finally broke—sobbing into her shoulder, body shaking, breath uneven.

Behind the glass walls, Drugo Hawthorne remained standing, watching her disappear into the night—

Realizing too late that one mistake had already changed more than just her life.