001. Disappearing with the pregnancy

Thea's POV.

“Oh my God!” 

The pregnancy test slipped from my fingers and clattered against the tiled bathroom floor.

For a moment, I stared, unable to breathe. 

There were two red lines on the strip. Not one, but two freaking red lines!

Fingers trembling, I picked it up again, pressing a hand over my mouth.

I was pregnant with our baby. A cute, tiny little Myles. 

I lowered myself into the bath tub and cried tears of happiness.

We had spent three years building a life together. Three years of loving each other. And eventually we were going to get married and have children.

I smiled through my tears. I couldn't wait to tell him. 

I grabbed my phone and dialed. He picked on the second ring.

“Are you busy?“

“A little. Why?" 

“Can you come home? I have something important to tell you.“ 

I spent the next one hour fixing my appearance, and making his favourite lunch. By the time I was done, the apartment smelled of the pasta I'd made, sunlight spilling over the plates and the two glasses of wine I'd poured.

The moment the door opened, I hurried to the entrance, resisting the strong urge to squeal my good news.

“Babe, I —” the words died in my throat. 

Something was wrong. Myles stood in the doorway, his sleek black hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. His broad shoulders were tense and his sculpted jaw, hard.

The warmth I usually saw in his deep blue eyes was gone, replaced by coldness. A knot formed in my stomach.

"Are you okay?"

He avoided my gaze, "Thea, we need to talk."

The excitement drained out of me so fast I felt hollow.

“What happened?"

He removed his suit jacket and tossed it onto a chair. His jaw tightened as he looked at me.

"We need to end our relationship."

Silence. The room tilted. I grabbed the edge of the table. 

"What did you just say?"

His eyes closed and exhaled,"You heard me."

“Ha.“ I laughed. This couldn't possibly be real.

"What kind of joke is this, Myles?"

"It isn't a joke. I think it's best if we seperate." He replied, now pacing the room.

My chest tightened with pain. I stumbled back, leaning against the wall for support. 

 I stared at him, my eyes brimming with hot tears.

“Why are you doing this, Myles? Did I do anything wrong?“

“No, Thea.“ 

“Is there... someone else?“ I asked.

He froze. “No.“ 

“My mother wants it over. She called me just after you did.“ he added. 

A sudden feeling of coldness expanded inside me.

“Since when did your mother decide who you love?“ 

He didn't answer. Suddenly I understood. He chose his family over me, over everything we had. I felt sick.

“You're doing this to me even after three years of us? I turned down career opportunities just to be with you, Myles! I became estranged with my own mother because of you! Yet one word from your mother and you do as she says?!“ I yelled.

“You think I wanted this?!“ He raked a hand through his hair.

“If I don't do this, I will lose my inheritance to my cousin, my half sister loses her leukemia treatment and you will..." He sighed. 

“I will what?“ I asked.

“Nevermind.“ He shook his head.

“You wanted to tell me something earlier?“ he asked. 

I squeezed the pregnancy test in my pocket and bit my lip, wiping my tears.

“No, Myles. I didn't have anything to tell you.“  

I'm sorry, baby. Your father doesn't deserve us. 

“Thea..“ he made to touch me.

I flinched. “Don't.“ 

My fingers dug into my palms as I glared at him. I spun away and ran outside, tears blurring my sight. 

I had to get away as quickly as possible to clear my head. I entered my car and slammed the door.

"Drive." I ordered.

"Where to, Ma'am?" My driver asked softly. Where do I go? I had no friends and my mom wouldn’t stand the sight of me. My heart squeezed so hard I couldn't breathe. 

I touched my stomach, realising the life inside me needed my strength to come into this world. 

"Take me to the hospital." 

* * *

I lay on the hospital bed, the room was cold and smelling faintly of antiseptic. I stared at the white ceiling, lost in thought. 

“Ma'am, are you listening?“ The doctor tapped me. I looked at him.

“I'm sorry, what did you say?“ 

“The foetus is four weeks old. Have you told your husband? He will be over the moon.“ He smiled.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My throat bobbed as I fell silent.

As the doctor left, a woman entered, heels clicking, followed by men in black suits. Her silver bob was cropped short at the jaw, her expression cold. She wore a creamy cashmere coat over her shoulders.

 Augusta Grosky, the matriarch of the Grosky family and Myles’ mother. I swallowed, dread coiling in my stomach. 

The door clicked shut behind them.

I sat up. "How did you—"

"I had you followed." Mrs Grosky sat across from me and folded her gloved hands on her knee.

"You're pregnant," she continued.

I clenched my jaw. "That's none of your—"

"It becomes my business the moment it threatens my family." Her tone was clipped, her voice icy. 

 "You will not have this child here." Her stare sent chills up my spine.

"You will not have it near my son, or near anything that belongs to the Grosky family."

The room temperature dropped.

"You can't tell me what to do with my child." I retorted.

"Of course not." Mrs. Grosky reached into her bag and withdrew a brown envelope and set it on the chair beside me. 

 "But I can make things very difficult for you and the child. Miscarriages happen daily, Theodora. Hospitals are complicated places."

I swallowed, "You're threatening my baby."

I touched my stomach instinctively.

"I'm offering you a choice." She nodded toward the envelope. "There is enough in there to start a life somewhere else." 

"You will sign an agreement, no contact, and no claims to this family. You will leave this city and you must never return to Myles. And in exchange, you and the child will be safe."

My hands had gone numb.

I thought about Myles. He had stood in our apartment, unable to choose us. I thought about the tiny heartbeat I was carrying, entirely dependent on the decision I was about to make in the next sixty seconds.

I thought about what it meant to be truly raising a child alone.

Then I pressed my eyes shut. Finally, I exhaled.

"Give me the papers.“ I stared at Mrs Grosky. I had fully decided, despite the fury engulfing my heart, that I was powerless against her. I would sign. And I would leave.

I would have this baby in a city where no one knew my name, where no one could reach us, where the only person I needed was the baby I was protecting.

But I will remember this day.

I would remember this woman's face, the coldness of it, the diamond earrings, the gloved hands folded on her knee like this was a business luncheon and not the dismantling of my entire life.

And someday — not today, not for a long time — I would come back. And Mrs. Grosky would wish she had never known me.

"Good." Mrs. Grosky took the paper I signed. "Take that and disappear from my son's life.“