Chapter 003

The water stopped running but Lyriel’s hands were still trembling.

She quickly deleted the message, her fingers moving faster than her thoughts. She locked Victor’s phone and placed it gently back on the dresser... the very spot where it had been, untouched, unseen.

Then she sat on the bed, quietly. Her heart wasn’t beating the same anymore.

When Victor stepped out of the bathroom, she didn't move. She didn’t smile. She didn’t speak.

He walked over, calm and smiling like the man she used to know… or maybe never really knew at all.

He kissed the top of her head. “You’re awake,” he said gently, but it didn’t sound the same to her anymore.

She nodded slowly.

He turned away, pulling open the drawer beside the dresser, and her eyes followed him, every movement like slow motion.

From the drawer, he brought out a small, familiar bottle.

The pills. The ones he always gave her.

But this time…He took two out. Not one.

He turned to her, his smile light, effortless. "You should use this," he said, placing the pills in her palm. "It’ll help you conceive"

Conceive.

The word echoed inside her like a cruel joke.

She stared at the pills. So small. So harmless looking. Her throat burned, but she forced a smile anyway.

She put them in her mouth and took a sip from the glass of water he gave her.

“Thanks for loving me,” she whispered, her voice barely holding together.

Victor leaned in and kissed her again. But for the first time in years, she felt nothing. Just… empty.

“I’ll take Ava to school,” he said as he buttoned his shirt.

She nodded, still smiling faintly. “I’ll take my bath too,” she said quietly.

Then she walked into the bathroom, gently closing the door behind her.

As soon as it shut, she spat the pills into the sink. Her body shook with silent sobs as tears streamed down her cheeks.

A few minutes later, she was dressed and about to leave the room when her phone buzzed in her bag. It was a message from her best friend, Sophia.

"I made breakfast for Ava. I’m heading to the hospital now. Not feeling too well."

Lyriel stared at the message for a moment, then typed a short reply:

"Thank you."

She slipped her phone away and walked into the living room.

Sunlight filled the space, lighting up the photos hanging on the walls.

Their wedding. The day they adopted Ava.

One picture showed the three of them at the beach, Ava's small arms wrapped around Lyriel’s neck, her missing front teeth flashing in a grin.

Lyriel smiled faintly. But the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

She turned away and stepped out of the house. She got into her car and drove off quietly, as if she were heading anywhere but where her heart truly was.

Minutes later, she stood in front of the hospital that had sent her the report.

The glass doors slid open, and she walked inside.

She was heading toward the reception when someone bumped into her. She lost her balance for a second, but strong hands caught her just in time.

“Are you okay?”

The voice was familiar. She looked up.

Damien Cruz.

“Oh… Mr. Cruz. I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile.

But it was weak. He could see through it. His eyes lingered on her face with concern.

“I’ll excuse myself,” she added quietly, giving a small bow.

Without waiting for his reply, she walked away.

He didn’t stop her. He just watched her go.

Inside the doctor’s office, Lyriel sat with her hands resting on her lap.

“Are you sure this report is right?” she asked. “I’m… pregnant?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. You’re five weeks along.”

She nodded, but her eyes didn’t move. It was as if her thoughts were still catching up with the words.

Then she reached into her bag and pulled out a small, neatly folded paper.

“This,” she said, handing it to the doctor, “I want it analyzed.”

The doctor glanced at her, then called in a nurse.

"Take this to the lab.”

The nurse nodded and left quickly.

"The results will be ready in an hour," the doctor said.

Lyriel nodded again. But she didn’t leave.

She waited.

Not because she wanted to, but because she needed to know.

That one hour felt endless. When a knock finally came, her heart jumped. The nurse was back, holding an envelope.

The doctor took it, opened it slowly, read the results… then looked at her.

And in that one look, Lyriel felt the truth hit her. Her fingers tightened around the chair.

Still, she asked. “What does it say?”

The doctor hesitated, then slid the paper across the desk.

Lyriel leaned in and read the words.

She swallowed hard.

The pills were contraceptives. Every single one.

Not vitamins. Not fertility boosters.

She had been swallowing lies... Tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. Not here.

She stood slowly, holding the paper between her fingers. "Thank you, doctor." she said quietly.

Then she walked out of the office, heading home.

****

As soon as Lyriel stepped into the room, she collapsed to the floor.

Her back pressed against the door. Her knees pulled to her chest. Her hands covered her mouth as a deep sob finally escaped her.

Tears ran down her face, one after another. She wasn’t crying because she was finally pregnant; she was crying because the man she trusted most had been feeding her lies for years—giving her pills not to help her conceive, but to make sure she never could.

And she had thanked him for it. Every single time.

A broken laugh slipped through her tears. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t a scream.

It was the kind of cry that came from deep inside, where the pain sat heavy and quiet.

Her body trembled, but she didn’t make a sound. She had learned how to cry without noise. To suffer silently. She had learned that in this house. From this man.

Now she knew the truth.

Why she had never conceived.

Why her body always felt strange after the pills.

Why Victor always looked so calm afterward—so sure.

He never wanted a child. Not with her.

But then… why agree to adopt Ava? Why hold her hand through it? Why pose for pictures like they were a real family?

Her fingers tightened slightly.

What else didn’t she know?

What had he really been hiding?

Her heart pounded. Her thoughts raced. And then her hands moved.

She pulled out her phone and searched for a number she hadn’t dialed in a long time.

Jerry.

The man she once trusted more than anyone. The man she had personally fired after Victor convinced her he wasn’t needed anymore.

Her thumb hovered, then pressed the call button.

It rang.

“Lyriel,” came his voice; calm and familiar, like always.

She tried to steady her voice. “Jerry…” But he heard the crack in it.

“You’re crying,” he said softly.

That alone broke her again. Another tear slipped down her cheek.

“I need help.”

“Anything.”

“Look into Victor for me,” she said, her voice low but steady. “Everything. From that rainy night in front of the hospital… until now. I want a report before morning.”

There was a pause. Then: “Consider it done.”

She ended the call without another word.

The screen went black in her hand.

For so long, she had stayed quiet. Patient. Loyal. Loving.

But not anymore.

She was going to find out everything he didn’t want her to know.

Every lie. Every secret. Every mask he wore.