Chapter One

I stare at the two pink lines, my breath hitching. My fingers shocked slightly as I grip the test tighter, as if squeezing it could somehow change the result. But no matter how many times I blink, the truth remains.

I'm pregnant.

A shaky exhale leaves my lips, my heart pounding against my ribs. I should be happy. I should be excited. Ryan and I always talked about having a family someday, laughing about baby names in the quiet of the night. This should be a moment of joy. We promised to name our first son Ethan and first Daughter Sophie

So why does my stomach twist with unease?

Lately, Ryan has been different. Distant. The late nights, the cold stares, the way he barely touches me anymore—it all looks at me like a cruel whisper of something I don't want to notice

But this… this will change everything. I believe so, I tried to reassure myself silencing the small voice inside of me

I ran outside immediately. He has to know now. This might make him realise that he needs to be there for- the child, -me and our love.

The rain poured in relentless sheets as I sprinted through the empty streets, my heart slamming against my ribs. My fingers clenched around the pregnancy test in my pocket, the tiny plastic stick that held the power to change everything.

I was terrified. Overwhelmed. But beneath all that, I was happy.

Ryan loved me. We had talked about the future so many times—how he wanted a family one day, how he would take care of us no matter what. I could already imagine the way his eyes would light up when I told him.

The wind howled as I reached his apartment building. I barely felt the cold as I ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Excitement bubbled in my chest. This was it. The beginning of everything.

I reached his door and hesitated just for a moment before pushing it open.

And then my world stopped.

Ryan was there.

But he wasn’t alone.

Ashley—my best friend—was draped over him, her arms locked around his neck, her lips on his.

My breath vanished.

For a moment, I thought maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe this wasn’t real. Maybe—

Ryan’s hands gripped Ashley’s waist, pulling her closer.

A strangled sound escaped my throat. It must have been loud enough because Ryan's head snapped toward me. His body stiffened, and his face darkened—not with guilt, but irritation.

Ashley turned lazily, her lips curling into a smirk as she leaned into him, completely unfazed by my presence.

I stared at Ryan, my heart begging for an explanation. A sign that this wasn’t what it looked like.

But all I got was cold, empty eyes.

“What are you doing here, Emma?” His voice came out irritated.

I flinched like he had slapped me.

Ashley let out a slow, mocking laugh. "Guess she didn’t get the memo," she said, running her fingers down Ryan’s chest. "Ryan and I have moved on."

I felt sick. My stomach twisted violently, bile rising in my throat.

"Ryan?" I whispered. I wasn’t even sure what I was asking for—an explanation, the truth, a lie that would hurt less than this.

But Ryan just sighed, running a hand through his hair like I was nothing more than an inconvenience.

“You need to leave, Emma.” His voice was sharp. “We’re done.”

The words sliced through me, each one deeper than the last.

My body shook. “But… but why?” My voice cracked.

Ashley’s laugh was like nails on a chalkboard. “Because you’re pathetic, Emma. Always so needy. So desperate for love.” She tilted her head, eyes glinting with amusement. "Ryan deserves someone better."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them.

I turned to Ryan, silently pleading, begging for something—anything—to prove this wasn’t real.

But he didn’t even look at me.

Instead, he reached for Ashley’s waist, pulling her closer.

"You heard her," he muttered. "Get out."

I felt the world collapse around me.

I took a shaky step back, then another. The door felt miles away, but somehow, I made it there. My fingers trembled as I reached for the handle.

Just before I walked out, I turned one last time.

Ryan didn’t care.

He didn’t even glance my way. Isn't he gonna laugh and tell me all of these was a prank?. Why is she still in his arms?

How could Ashley do this to me?

Ashley leaned up and kissed him again, right in front of me. My heart ached at the scene. I have never believed that there would be a day like this in my life. A day I would lose the only man I have ever loved .

That was the moment my heart shattered.

I stumbled out into the cold, rain pouring over me, drenching my clothes, mixing with the silent tears that finally escaped.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, a choked sob slipping out.

He didn’t even know.

And now, he never would.

Chapter Two

I don’t remember how I got home that night.

The rain had soaked through my clothes, but I felt nothing. My body was frozen, my mind empty, my heart shattered beyond recognition.

Ryan’s words echoed in my head over and over again.

"We’re done."

"Get out."

And Ashley… my best friend. Her smirk. Her mocking voice. The way she clung to him like I had never existed.

But even after all that, I wasn’t ready to give up.

Maybe Ryan was just confused. Maybe Ashley had manipulated him. Maybe… maybe if I talked to his family, they could help me.

Ryan’s mother, Mrs. Calloway, had always been kind to me. His younger siblings adored me. If I told them what had happened, they would tell Ryan he was making a mistake.

They could fix this.

They had to.

The Calloway's mansion was just as I remembered—tall gates, perfectly trimmed hedges, marble steps leading up to the grand entrance. But as I walked up to the door, something felt… wrong.

The warmth I had always associated with this place was gone.

Taking a shaky breath, I knocked.

A few moments later, the heavy door creaked open. Mrs. Calloway stood there, her sharp brown eyes sweeping over me.

For a second, I saw something flicker in them—surprise, maybe. Or disgust.

Then her lips curled into a thin, unimpressed smile.

"Emma," she said, voice cold. "What are you doing here?"

I forced myself to smile, pretending I didn’t notice the shift in her tone. "I… I needed to talk to you. It’s about Ryan. He—he made a mistake. I just—" My voice wobbled, but I pushed through. "I just need to talk to him, but he won’t listen to me. Please, Mrs. Calloway, if you could—"

She held up a hand, cutting me off.

And then, she laughed.

A low, cruel sound.

"Ryan didn’t make a mistake, dear." She tilted her head. "He simply outgrew you."

Her words slapped me harder than Ryan’s betrayal had.

I stepped back. "What?"

Mrs. Calloway sighed dramatically, as if my presence was exhausting her. "Did you really think you were good enough for my son? That a girl like you could ever be his future?"

My blood turned to ice.

"You were fun for a while," she continued, "but Ryan has bigger dreams. A serious future. And that future doesn’t include… whatever you are."

My heart pounded in my ears. "But—he loved me. He told me he wanted a family one day. That he—"

"He was young and stupid," she snapped, her voice loud "But he knows better now."

I felt my chest crack open. Was this real at all?

I had loved this woman. Respected her like she was my own mother. She had once treated me like family.

But now?

Now she was looking at me like I was garbage. Have I done anything wrong to deserve this from them?

Her lips curled. "Take my advice, Emma. Leave. Find someone in your own league. You were never meant to be part of this world."

I wasn't Ryan league?. After staying with him all my life and after sacrificing my own happiness for his.

A hollow silence stretched between us.

And then…

"Who’s at the door?"

I turned just as Ryan’s younger sister, Olivia, walked up behind their mother. She was only sixteen, with bright green eyes that had always been full of admiration for me.

But the moment she saw me, her face twisted into a sneer.

"Ugh," she scoffed. "Why is she here?"

My stomach twisted painfully. Was this a planned work from them,?

Mrs. Calloway chuckled. "I was just telling her the truth. Ryan has moved on."

Olivia smirked. "Finally. She was so clingy and embarrassing. Ashley is way better for him."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands clenching at my sides.

Olivia had once called me her big sister. I took her as my younger sister, I've always watched her grow into the beautiful lady she is becoming.

Now she was laughing at my pain.

Something inside me snapped.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped back.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Mrs. Calloway arched a brow. "For what?"

I lifted my chin, forcing the tears back. I won't allow them get to me.

"For showing me exactly where I stand in Ryan’s life."

I turned without another word and walked away, my steps slow but steady.

They thought they had broken me.

They thought I would beg.

But they had done something much worse.

They had made me angry.

And as I stepped onto the street, pressing a trembling hand to my stomach, I made a silent promise.

Ryan would never see me again.

And neither would they.

Chapter Three

Six Years Later

The morning sun spills through the windows of the cozy little bookstore, casting golden light over rows of shelves filled with well-loved stories.

The soft chime of the bell above the door rings, signaling another customer. I glance up with a polite smile, but it quickly turns genuine when I see the familiar messy curls bounding toward me.

“Mommy!”

A small boy rushes through the store, weaving between shelves until he collides gently into my legs, his little arms wrapping around them tightly. I laugh, bending down to his level and smoothing a hand over his dark hair.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” I whisper, brushing a stray curl out of his face. “What’s all the excitement about?”

Ethan grins, his bright brown eyes—the same shade as Ryan’s, though I never admit it out loud—gleaming with pure joy. He clutches something small in his fist and waves it proudly in front of me.

“Mrs. Thompson gave me a gold star today!”

I blink, momentarily distracted by the way his smile lights up his whole face. It’s infectious.

“Wow, a gold star?” I tease, pretending to be surprised. “That’s amazing, baby. I’m so proud of you!”

His smile widens, revealing the slight gap where his front tooth had fallen out just last month. My heart squeezes at the sight. Ethan is my whole world. My reason for pushing forward when everything felt impossible.

Six years ago, when I left the city, I had nothing but a broken heart and a growing baby inside me. I was scared, lost, and unsure how I’d make it. But now… now I have a home. A simple, happy life. And most importantly—I have Ethan.

He tugs on my sleeve, breaking me from my thoughts. “Mommy, can we get ice cream after work?”

I pretend to consider it, tapping my chin dramatically. “Hmm, I don’t know… have you been good today?”

“Mommy!” he whines, pouting just enough to make me laugh.

“Alright, alright,” I give in, pulling him into a warm hug. “Ice cream it is.”

“Yay!” He cheers, then dashes off to the little reading corner at the back of the store. I watch him, warmth filling my chest.

I may have lost Ryan, but I gained something far greater. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

But I never knew something was about to change.

---

It starts with a phone call.

I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear and reach for the phone behind the counter.

“Hello?”

“Emma, you won’t believe this.” Olivia’s voice crackles through the speaker.

I balance the phone between my shoulder and ear as I continue shelving a new shipment of books. “What is it, Liv?”

“I just got word—Ryan Carter is back in town.”

The stack of books in my hands slips from my grasp, tumbling to the floor with a thud. My heart clenches, a sharp sting shooting through my chest.

Ryan Carter.

The name I’ve spent six years trying to forget.

I swallow the lump forming in my throat and crouch down to gather the fallen books with trembling hands.

“Emma? You there?” Olivia’s voice is softer now, concerned.

“I… I heard you,” I whisper, barely recognizing my own voice.

I thought I was past this. I thought I had buried that name deep enough that it wouldn’t hurt anymore. But hearing it now? It’s like tearing open an old wound that never fully healed.

“Are you okay?” Olivia asks gently, knowing me too well.

I close my eyes and take a steadying breath. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

She sighs softly, and I can almost see the sympathetic look on her face through the phone. “Because he broke you, Em. And because I know you still have questions. You never got closure.”

Closure.

I let out a humorless laugh. What closure was there to be had? Ryan Carter didn’t just break me—he shattered me. Humiliated me. Abandoned me when I needed him the most. He left without a word, without an explanation, and without ever knowing that he had left more than just me behind.

“He’s a CEO now,” Olivia continues after a moment of silence. “Apparently, his company’s doing really well.”

Of course, it is. Ryan always had ambition. Even back then, when we were just two foolish kids in love, I knew he would go far. But none of that matters now.

“I don’t care,” I reply stiffly, trying to sound convincing.

Olivia hesitates. “That’s not all, Em.”

I frown, sensing her unease. “What is it?”

She takes a deep breath, as if bracing herself. “I heard he’s looking for someone.”

My heart skips a beat, dread curling in my stomach. “Who?”

There’s a beat of silence before she finally says, “You.”

I freeze, the phone pressed tightly against my ear.

Me?

“Why?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

“I don’t know,” Olivia admits. “But it’s not a coincidence, Emma. He’s been back for barely a week, and already, people are saying he’s asking about you.”

I shake my head, panic rising in my chest. No. This can’t be happening. I built this life to escape him. To protect Ethan. I can’t let Ryan waltz back into my life like nothing ever happened.

I grip the counter to steady myself. “I have to go, Liv.”

“Emma, wait—”

I hang up before she can say anything else. My hands tremble as I place the phone down, my mind racing with a thousand questions.

Why now?

What does he want?

And most terrifying of all…

What happens when he finds out about Ethan?

“Mommy?”

Ethan’s small voice pulls me back to reality.

“Are you okay?” he asks softly.

I force a smile, bending down to scoop him into my arms. “I’m okay, sweetheart,” I whisper, holding him close.

But deep down, I know everything is about to change.

Ryan Carter is back.

And whether I’m ready or not, my past is coming for me.