Chapter 51: Unspoken Feelings

Stacey was already fast asleep on the sofa when Lia quietly entered the house. The lights were off except for the warm glow of the hallway lamp. Lia tip-toed upstairs, wanting nothing more than to collapse into bed.But the moment she pushed her bedroom door open, the lights flicked on.“Who is he?”Lia nearly jumped out of her skin.Trudy stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed, looking like a furious mother catching her daughter sneaking in after curfew.“Fuck! You scared me!” Lia exhaled sharply, clutching her chest.“I tried calling you,” Trudy said, eyes narrowed. “Only to find out you were out with some guy you haven’t told me about.”“My battery died! And Damien is just a friend,” Lia defended, dropping her bag.“Ohhh, Damien Salvator,” Ava chimed in through the phone. They had her on video call, and she and Trudy had clearly seen everything through the window.“The name suits him. My man is hot,” Ava added with a dramatic smirk.“Oh my God...Ava, not you too,” Li

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-03

Chapter 52: The Reason

Lia sat across from Tyler’s mum, Miss Laura at a small table tucked between two tall bookshelves in the quiet bookstore. The place smelled faintly of old pages and cinnamon tea, and the morning light filtered gently through the front windows. Laura looked healthier than the last time Lia had seen her, almost glowing with regained strength.“Hey, Miss Laura,” Lia greeted softly.“Please, just call me Laura,” she replied with a gentle smile.Lia nodded, returning the smile. “How’s your health? I can see you’re a lot better now.”“Yes, dear. I can’t remember the last time I felt this healthy…” Laura sighed, a weight shifting in her voice. “…and that brings us to why we’re here.”Lia straightened slightly, her stomach tightening. “What do you mean? What deal did Tyler take?” She leaned in without realizing it, completely captured by the seriousness in Laura’s tone.Laura’s eyes drifted to her hands as she folded them together. “While I was in the hospital, the medical bills kept going up,

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-06

Chapter 53: Unfolding Storm

“Mum?” Lia’s voice came out small, almost like a child’s, half question, half fear. “…is everything okay?” She stepped further into the room, her heartbeat thudding in her ears.Stacey turned just enough for their eyes to meet, and in that single look, Lia felt her stomach twist. Something was wrong. Very wrong.Before she could speak again, the door opened. Tyler and Asher walked in, both stopping dead the moment they saw who was present. Shock flashed across their faces, mirroring Lia’s own confusion.“What’s going on?” Asher asked, his brows drawn tight, eyes bouncing between Stacey and Adrian.Principal Gabriel rose from his chair with a soft sigh. “I’ll give you all some privacy.” His voice was gentle, like he already knew the storm that was about to unfold. He stepped out.“Thank you, Gabriel,” Stacey said quietly.Silence followed, it was thick and suffocating.“What are we doing here?” Tyler finally snapped, his jaw clenched tight. He looked like every fiber of his being rejec

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-08

Chapter 54: Another Chance

They sat on the rooftop in silence, the cool breeze brushing against their skin as they gazed down at the school grounds below. The world felt strangely distant from up there, smaller, quieter. Almost like it paused just for them.“I am sorry, that you have to have a father like Adrian,” Lia finally managed to say. Her voice was soft, weighed with sympathy and guilt she knew she didn’t owe but still felt.“There is nothing to be sorry about, it’s not your fault...” Tyler replied, shaking his head as he leaned back against the railing. “Besides, I have already gotten used to it. I shouldn’t expect anything different.” His words held no anger, just resignation, the kind that came from years of disappointment.“Why didn’t you tell me about the deal? You knew I would have understood,” Lia said, turning toward him with hurt lingering in her eyes.“I know, and I am sorry.” Tyler’s voice dropped lower, his expression tightening as if the truth pained him. “I should have told you, but… I gues

Dernière mise à jour : 2025-12-09

Chapter 55: Denial

“Please, just play along,” Damien pleaded, his voice low and urgent. “Okay…” Lia agreed, still confused, but the moment she noticed his friends, the same group from her first day at work, walking toward them, irritation washed over her face. Of all people. Of all nights. “Damien! Didn’t think we’d see you here,” the blonde, Nick, said first, his grin loud and confident. “Hey guys, I just came to watch a movie with...” Damien started, but he didn’t get to finish. “wait... your girlfriend?” Bobby, the brown-haired one, cut in with a suspicious look. “Yeah,” Damien said quickly, slipping his hand around Lia’s waist. His touch was gentle, careful, but Lia stiffened instantly. Still, she forced a convincing smile, reminding herself this was just an act. “Wow, dude! Didn’t think you’d actually pull this one,” Nick said in amazement. “pull what??” Lia repeated, her brows knitting together as she turned to face Damien. “It’s not like that...” Damien tried to correct immediately. “The

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-02-01

Chapter 56: "I am gay"

By the time Lia got to school, the atmosphere felt different. Whispers followed her through the hallway, eyes lingering a little too long as she passed. Phones were subtly lifted, murmurs spreading like wildfire but Lia kept walking. She refused to let it slow her down.“Hey,” Trudy said, jogging to catch up with her. “Are you okay?”“Yeah,” Lia replied flatly. “Why wouldn’t I be?” She didn’t even break her stride.“Well… everyone thinks you know the reason the wedding was called off,” Trudy said, glancing down at her phone. “And the comments? They’re awful.”“What?” Lia stopped. “Let me see.”“No,” Trudy said quickly, pulling the phone back. “If you haven’t seen it yet, you really shouldn’t.”“Oh yeah?” Lia scoffed, already pulling out her own phone. “You do know I have social media, right?”Trudy cursed under her breath. “Lia, you really shouldn’t...”Too late.Lia scrolled through Twitter, her jaw tightening with every swipe.“Wasn’t Lia adopted? Yeah, she’s definitely infertile. T

Dernière mise à jour : 2026-02-03