Selena's POVI struggled to calm my racing heart. What on earth was he doing here of all places he could be? Did he know? He couldn’t, right? My doctor does not know who I am, or was she pretending back then? Did she call him here?When my heart was under control, I opened the door and stepped out. I guess my body was not under control yet, as my legs gave out on me. I fell forward, and Jake caught me, making me rest on my open door.We were standing just too close, and my hormones were running wild at the moment. A moan escaped my lips as I felt his hand on my bare skin. "Selena! Get yourself under control!" I scolded myself. He must have heard me because he pulled back without letting go.He seemed unsure about how balanced I was on my feet. "Are you okay? Why are you here?" he asked.I blinked several times and refocused on the situation. How could I tell him I was going back to demand an abortion from my doctor? "I... I brought someone here?" I said, but it came out like a questio

Rose’s POVThe restaurant I entered for our reunion buzzed with activity. Back in high school, our class only had 30 students, so booking a larger space was necessary."Over here!" A friend waved me to their table. After greeting people at other tables, I scanned the room, noticing some missing faces."How are you?" Hope, one of my good friends from back then, inquired."I'm good, it's great to see everyone," I replied to the table at large. There were at least five people: two women and three guys, all close friends with Jake back in school. One of them, the one who kept in touch with him during our relationship, was now absent."Do you think Jake will make it?" Justin asked. "I was surprised to hear he married someone else."I forced a smile. "Well, things didn't work out at the last minute," I lied. I couldn't bear the thought of them knowing Jake dumped me for someone I once considered a friend. As I looked around, I saw no sign of her. Did she even receive the invitation? Would s

Jake’s POVI wasn't sure if I should be happy I came to the reunion or furious. Here I was, discovering I'd been lied to. Why? It floored me to learn Selena attended the same high school, even befriending Rose – we were all classmates!The way they were talking to her – "thief," "cheat" – sent chills down my spine. Could she have been the girl the girls always complained about back then when Rose was absent? How could I have missed it? Back then, I was laser-focused on studying, obsessed with being top of the class.Why hadn't Selena said anything? She must have known who I was from day one, yet she kept it a secret. Why? Did she think I was a fool? Or was this all some elaborate plan – running into me, agreeing to marry me so suddenly?She must have gotten a kick out of toying with me, laughing behind my back. The guys tried to reason with the girls, but Rose had them on her side. They were relentless. Finally, I stepped in, pulling Selena away when she seemed frozen. I let them know

Jake's POVI waited for Selena's response, but she remained silent for a while. She worried her lips, her face etched with sadness and tear stains. Finally, she met my gaze."Funny, I don't even know where my family is," she said softly.What? What did she mean? Did she lose them somehow? "But you have an aunt," I pointed out."I do," she murmured. "She took care of me, but she never tells me anything about my family." She looked genuinely downcast. If she was telling the truth, I couldn't imagine the pain of not knowing your family's whereabouts.Was it possible her family didn't care about her? "Why not ask your aunt for information?" I suggested. "Where is she?"Selena shrugged. Suddenly, her phone in her jeans pocket rang, startling her. She calmed herself enough to take it out and glance at the screen before looking back at me with trepidation.Her hand holding the phone dropped limply to her side. "Why aren't you picking up?" I asked, concerned."I... I can't talk right now," sh

Jake's POVI should have been focused on the file in front of me and what my employee was discussing, but I was lost in thought. There had been whispers about the scandal, but the conversation ceased whenever I entered the room.The whole company was likely buzzing, but thankfully, sales hadn't dropped. At least the news wasn't painting me in a bad light. Selena was bearing the brunt of it all. Honestly, it was her fault for not being upfront about her family. Even with everything swirling around her, she hadn't said a word to me.Reporters were hounding me about my wife, but somehow, they hadn't gotten a hold of her yet. She must be good at staying hidden in these situations.Suddenly, I heard a voice calling my name from afar, and I felt a hand on my arm. I jolted back to reality. Jeff was giving me a questioning look."Mr. Marino?" the voice called again. "Is there a reason you're not responding?"I turned my attention back to the presentation. The head of the administration depart