Chapter 1

~CELINE~

“I’m pregnant.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I stared at the fourth test strip in my trembling hand. This couldn’t be happening.

Panic crawled up my spine. My parents would lose it.

I had enough on my plate already. Missing a period wasn’t a big deal for me, so I didn’t think much of it at first. But when I started eating more and my jeans felt tighter, Caroline had insisted I take a test.

And now here I was, sitting on the toilet, whispering to myself, “What am I going to do?”

My art school entrance exam was next week. This was the kind of curveball I couldn’t afford.

A knock on the door jolted me out of my spiraling thoughts. I scrambled to my feet, pulling up my shorts. Stuffing the test strips into a black plastic bag, I quickly tossed it into the trash and double-checked the bathroom for evidence.

“Celine, get out! It’s my turn!” Jesse’s voice cut through the door.

I let out a shaky breath. At least it wasn’t Mom. Gripping the doorknob, I took a moment to compose myself before unlocking it.

Jesse shoved past me as soon as I opened the door. “Were you giving birth in there or what?”

I didn’t answer. Her voice was as grating as ever.

Jesse was the golden child, studying medicine at NYU, the one my parents showered with attention and pride. Meanwhile, I was the disappointment who had to work two jobs just to get by.

I folded my arms as I watched her. “You didn’t need to yell.”

She flashed me a middle finger before slamming the door in my face.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep me from snapping back. My hands balled into fists at my sides. ‘She’s not worth it.’

“Bitch,” I mumbled under my breath, turning toward the kitchen.

My mom’s sharp voice echoed through the house as I walked in. She was on the phone, scolding Monroe again—something about a gas cylinder at her food canteen.

At the dining table, breakfast was laid out like a feast.

Every dish was Jesse’s favorite. Either she had big news to share, or Mom was doing her usual over-the-top routine to please her perfect daughter.

I grabbed a grape and popped it into my mouth. Mom’s head snapped up, her eyes narrowing in silent disapproval.

I rolled my eyes and kept chewing.

“What’s this?” Jesse’s voice came from behind me, and my stomach dropped.

I turned slowly, my heart pounding. She was holding a test strip.

My blood ran cold. *Why the hell was she digging in the trash?*

“What is that, Jesse?” Mom asked, stepping into the room, her phone still pressed to her ear.

Her face froze when she saw the strip. The person on the other end of the call faintly called her name, but she ended it without another word.

“Where… where did you get that?” Mom’s voice trembled, her expression shifting from confusion to suspicion.

“From the trash can in the bathroom,” Jesse said casually, as if she wasn’t about to blow up my entire life.

All eyes turned to me. My throat tightened, and I instinctively took a step back.

“Celine, don’t tell me this is yours,” Jesse said, though her tone already held the answer she wanted.

“No, it can’t be,” Mom interjected, shaking her head like she could erase the possibility. “It must be a prank. Someone’s playing a prank again.”

“Mom, it’s obvious it’s hers,” Jesse said, her voice cool and cutting. “She was in the bathroom this morning. Plus…” She gave me a smug glance. “I noticed she’s been gaining weight.”

I wanted to scream, but the words wouldn’t come. Jesse didn’t even give me a chance to defend myself.

************************

Three years had passed since that awful day, but the memory of their judgment still stung.

When Mom found out, she didn’t waste a second throwing me out of the house. My dad didn’t intervene. Jesse stood by with a smirk as I begged to stay.

If it weren’t for Caroline, I don’t know where I’d be. Her family took me in, and she even found me a job that I could manage until I gave birth. Because yes, I kept the baby.

It wasn’t an easy decision, but I don’t regret it. My son is my joy, my strength, my everything.

“Caesar, stop running! You might fall!” I called after him, my voice echoing down the hotel hallway.

His giggles rang out, bright and carefree. Despite numerous warnings from my coworkers, I’d had no choice but to bring him to work again.

“You’re going to get fired for this, Celine,” Blake said as we folded laundry later that morning.

“I know,” I admitted, glancing at Caesar, who was fast asleep on a blanket I’d laid out on the floor. “But I don’t have anyone else to watch him.”

“What about your mom?” Blake asked cautiously.

I froze, gripping the towel in my hands. “She wants nothing to do with me,” I said after a pause. “And I’m not taking my son there just to be insulted.”

Blake’s expression softened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”

“It’s not your fault,” I cut in quickly. “My family’s just… complicated.”

She set down her sheet and pulled me into a hug. “For what it’s worth, you’re doing an amazing job, Celine. Caesar’s lucky to have you.”

Her words brought a small smile to my face. “Thank you, Blake.”

But keeping Caesar out of sight was easier said than done.

“Caesar, mommy’s getting mad…” I panted as I chased him down the hallway again. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to….”

The elevator doors slid open just as he ran toward them. A man and a woman stepped out, and Caesar collided straight into the man’s legs.

“Caesar!” I called, rushing to his side.

I knelt beside him, checking for bruises, but he was fine—just startled.

Letting out a breath of relief, I looked up to apologize to the couple. The words died on my lips when I met the man’s gaze.

Piercing blue eyes stared back at me, freezing me in place.

They were the most striking eyes I’d ever seen.

And they looked exactly like Caesar’s.