Fallen in love (1)

After the call was hung up, the air inside the study turned somber.

Nina slumped back in the chair as Madison’s mocking voice echoed in her ears.

“You are just a mere replacement.”

“LJ has been waiting patiently for her all these years.”

“Bet you might not even know who your biological father is.”

“He married you so that he could fill in the void left behind by Emma.”

All the pieces of the puzzle suddenly began to fall into place.

So, all along, she had been living in the shadow of a life that had never truly belonged to her. She was a substitute, a pathetic replacement of his true love he couldn’t let go of.

As the truth settled in, the world seemed to close in around Nina.

Suddenly, an unexpected downpour of tears fell onto the iPad screen one after another. The wetness on her cheeks startled her, and Nina instinctively reached out to wipe them away.

She didn’t want to cry.

Crying was for the vulnerable. Crying meant that it affected her. And she wasn’t weak.

Taking a deep breath, s