Chapter 1

Sarah’s chest tightened as she stared at the message on her phone.

“Dinner tonight. 8 PM. We need to talk.” — Greg

Those four words made her stomach twist.

Greg never said we needed to talk… unless something was wrong.

Behind her, Ann’s voice cut through the silence.

“You’re still going to tell him, right?”

Sarah swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around her phone.

Two years.

Two whole years of hiding the truth.

And tonight… she had promised.

“I’ll tell him,” she said quietly, though the words felt heavier than they should.

Ann studied her face, unconvinced.

“You said that last time.”

“This time is different.”

It had to be.

Greg needed to know about Emily.

Sarah’s composure cracked, and her voice trembled as she spoke again.

“What if he leaves… like the others?” she whispered, tears already gathering in her eyes. “I love him so much, Ann.”

Ann’s expression softened immediately. She got up and moved closer, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“Hey… don’t cry,” she said gently. “You don’t get to decide that for him. Let him choose. And if he does leave…” she paused, brushing Sarah’s arm reassuringly, “…then he was never meant for you in the first place.”

Sarah sniffed, nodding slowly, though the fear in her chest refused to ease.

“Just promise me you’ll tell him tonight,” Ann added, her tone firmer now.

Sarah hesitated for a brief second… then nodded.

“I will.”

“Good. Now go get dressed before you change your mind.”

A few minutes later, Sarah stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her outfit.

She stared at her reflection longer than necessary, her thoughts racing.

This could change everything.

With a quiet sigh, she grabbed her purse and turned toward the door.

“Girllll, you look stunning!” Ann’s voice rang out from behind her.

Sarah paused, rolling her eyes slightly despite herself.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to seduce Greg tonight.”

“Ann, please,” she muttered, though a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Just then, the headlights of her cab flashed through the curtains.

“Looks like my ride is here,” Sarah said, exhaling softly.

As she reached for the door, Ann suddenly grabbed her hand.

Sarah turned back.

“Just be strong,” Ann said, her voice gentle but steady. “And remember—no matter what happens, I’m here for you.”

Something in her tone made Sarah’s chest tighten again, but this time, she nodded with a small, grateful smile.

“Thank you.”

And with that, she stepped out into the night.

The city lights blurred past as Sarah sat in the backseat of the cab, her fingers clenched tightly around her purse. Her heart refused to slow down, each beat louder than the last, like it was warning her to turn back. But there was nowhere left to turn.

This was it.

No more hiding. No more fear.

Tonight, everything would change.

When the cab finally pulled to a stop, she looked up at the familiar glow of the sign.

DE’Flings.

Her favorite restaurant. The place Greg always chose for special moments. The place that once meant warmth, laughter, certainty.

Now it felt like a beginning of something she couldn’t undo.

She stepped out slowly, the night air brushing against her skin like a warning she couldn’t read.

Inside, the soft music played just as it always did, the scent of rich spices and warm dishes filling the space. Everything looked the same.

But nothing felt the same.

Her eyes searched the room—and then found him.

Greg.

Seated at a corner table, perfectly composed in a tailored suit, as if nothing in the world could disturb his order. But there was something off tonight. No smile waiting for her. No warmth in his eyes. Just stillness. Distance.

Like he had already left, even though he was right there.

Sarah hesitated for only a second before walking toward him.

“Hey,” she said softly.

Greg looked up. His gaze lingered on her face longer than usual, unreadable.

“You’re here.”

No warmth. No greeting. Just a statement.

Her stomach tightened, but she forced herself to sit.

“I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?”

“No.”

One word. Flat. Final.

Silence settled between them almost immediately, heavier than the noise of the restaurant around them. The waiter came, took their orders, left—but the space between them only grew colder.

Sarah’s hands began to tremble under the table.

Something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones.

“Greg…” she finally said, her voice careful. “Is everything okay?”

He leaned back slightly, studying her in a way that made her skin prickle.

“That depends,” he said slowly. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Her breath caught.

So that was it.

He knew something. Or he suspected.

Either way, the ground beneath her suddenly felt unstable.

There was no more delaying it.

Sarah inhaled shakily. “There is…” she began, her voice barely steady. “Something I should have told you a long time ago.”

Greg didn’t interrupt. He just watched her, waiting.

Sarah swallowed hard.

“I have a daughter.”

The words fell into the space between them like a crack splitting glass.

For a moment, Greg didn’t react at all. And that silence—strangely enough—felt worse than anger.

“…What?” he finally said, low and controlled.

“I have a daughter,” she repeated, her voice shaking now. “Her name is Emily. She’s seven years old.”

Silence again.

This time heavier. Suffocating.

Greg let out a short, disbelieving laugh, shaking his head slowly. “A daughter,” he repeated. “You have a whole child… and you never thought to mention it?”

Sarah’s eyes filled instantly.

“I was scared—”

“Scared?” he cut in, voice rising just slightly. “We’ve been together for two years, Sarah. Two years. And you’re just telling me this now?”

People nearby began to glance over, sensing the shift in energy, but neither of them cared.

“It’s not what you think,” she said quickly. “I didn’t lie because I wanted to—”

“Then why?” he demanded. “Why would you hide something like this from me?”

Her voice broke.

“Because of how she came into my life.”

That made him pause.

A flicker of confusion crossed his face. “What does that mean?”

Sarah hesitated. This was the part she had avoided for so long. The part she feared would change everything.

“The pregnancy wasn’t planned,” she said carefully. “It wasn’t something I chose.”

Understanding began to creep into his expression slowly, like a shadow spreading across his face. Shock first. Then discomfort. Then something colder.

“Oh…” he muttered.

Tears slipped down Sarah’s cheeks now. “I didn’t know how to tell you. Every time I tried, I thought… What if you look at me differently? What if you leave?”

Greg pushed his chair back and stood abruptly.

“This is insane.”

“Greg, please—”

“No,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I need a minute.”

He paced once, then turned back to her, his expression tightening.

“You should have told me from the beginning. Not now. Not after everything.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I know I should have, but I was afraid—”

“And you think this makes it better?” his voice sharpened. “Finding out like this?”

Sarah felt her chest collapse inward.

“Greg… please don’t do this,” she said softly. “Don’t let this end us.”

He went quiet.

Too quiet.

When he spoke again, his voice had changed. Controlled. Detached.

“There’s something else,” he said.

Her stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

He exhaled slowly. “The reason I brought you here tonight…”

Sarah held her breath.

“I was going to propose.”

Her eyes widened instantly, tears blurring her vision further.

“What?”

“But that’s not happening anymore,” he added flatly.

The words didn’t feel real. Like they belonged to someone else’s life.

Greg continued, his tone now distant. “My company is merging with another firm. “It’s a big deal. Bigger than anything we’ve done before.”

Sarah stared at him, confused, hurt, lost.

“What does that have to do with us?”

“Everything,” he replied. “My family… They want me to marry the partner’s daughter. They believe it will strengthen the business relationship.”

The words didn’t register at first, she stared at him struggling to process it.

When they did—

It shattered something inside her.

“You’re joking…” she whispered.

“I’m not.”

“And you’re actually considering that?” her voice trembled. “After everything we’ve been through?”

Greg didn’t hesitate.

“I don’t have a choice.”

A bitter, broken laugh escaped her lips even as tears fell.

“There’s always a choice, Greg.”

“Not this time.”

The finality in his voice ended something inside her.

Sarah slowly stood, her legs unsteady but her expression shifting into something quieter, something sharper.

“So this is it,” she said softly. “Two years… and it ends like this.”

Greg didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

She nodded once, swallowing the pain in her throat.

“Thank you,” she said.

He frowned slightly. “For what?”

“For proving I was right to be afraid.”

Then she turned.

And walked away.

Each step felt heavier than the last, but she didn’t stop.

Didn’t look back.

Because if she did—

She might not leave at all.