On the night of Lothario’s birthday, I had everything planned. I made reservations at his favorite restaurant, arranged for a private rooftop dinner, and picked out a gift I knew he’d love. Tonight, I would finally tell him my secret—I was pregnant.

It wasn’t planned, but when I saw the two pink lines, I didn’t feel fear. I felt joy. Hope. Excitement.

Lothario was always late, but this time, he promised. Yet as the hours ticked by—eight, nine, ten—I sat alone in my apartment, staring at my phone. No missed calls. No messages. Just silence. I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to stay calm. He must be busy. Maybe something came up at work.

To distract myself, I scrolled through my phone, mindlessly checking the news. That’s when I saw it.

Alessia Ricci Returns to Italy—World-Famous Supermodel Spotted at Milan Airport!

My fingers tightened around my phone. Alessia Ricci. Lothario’s first love. The woman he once swore he couldn’t live without. A cold knot formed in my stomach as I clicked on the article. She had been overseas for years, making a name for herself in the fashion industry. Reporters had been buzzing about her return, speculating if she was back for good.

My heart pounded. It was just a coincidence. That’s all. I told myself there was no reason to worry, but my hands moved on their own, typing her name into Instagram. Her profile popped up immediately—millions of followers, perfectly curated pictures.

And then I saw it.

Her latest post. A photo of a candlelit dinner at a five-star restaurant, wine glasses clinking, soft golden lights reflecting off the table. And across from her—Lothario.

The caption made my breath catch.

“Some things never change. Good food. Good wine. Even better company. My man.️”

The comments were flooded with excitement.

“Omg, are you and Lothario back together?”

“Y’all were my favorite couple! This is EVERYTHING.”

“Rekindling an old flame? ”

My hands trembled as I swiped through her Instagram stories. Another clip—Lothario pulling out a chair for her, his smile warm. The same smile he used to give me. A final picture. Her hand resting lightly on his, their fingers brushing.

I felt like I was going to be sick. No. This had to be a misunderstanding. He wouldn’t do this to me. Not tonight. Not when I had something so important to tell him.

I dialed Lothario. No answer. I called again. Voicemail. Tears blurred my vision. I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to breathe. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe—

I shook my head. Who was I kidding?

I knew exactly where they were. That restaurant—it used to be Lothario and Alessia’s place. It had been their favorite long before I came into his life. Before I could think, I grabbed my coat and keys. I needed to see him. I needed to know if this was real.

The roads were slick from the light drizzle earlier, streetlights casting a golden glow on the pavement. My hands rested on my stomach as I whispered, “We’ll find out together, okay?”

Then— Bright headlights. A deafening horn. Impact. Metal screeched, glass shattered, my body jolted forward as everything spun into chaos.

A ten-wheeler. Brakes failing. Cars crashing into each other like dominoes. And mine—caught in the middle of it.

Pain exploded through me. My world tilted, and darkness swallowed me whole.

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the smell of antiseptic. The second was the sharp, rhythmic beeping of a machine. Hospital. My body felt heavy, my limbs weak. Something tugged at my arm—a drip, IV fluids slowly dripping into my veins.

I blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights, my vision swimming before settling on the doctor standing beside me. His face was unreadable. Cold dread curled in my stomach.

“Ms. Rivera…” His voice was gentle, but there was no warmth in it. “I’m sorry. We couldn’t save the baby.”

For a moment, I couldn’t process the words. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. I reached for my stomach with trembling hands. Flat. Empty.

No. No. No.

The world blurred as a sharp, shattering pain cleaved through my chest. My baby. My child. Gone.

Tears burned down my cheeks, and my body shaking with the weight of my grief. Still, I waited. Waited for Lothario.

Minutes. Hours. The nurse came and went, checking my vitals, offering comforting words that meant nothing.

Lothario never came.

With shaking fingers, I reached for my phone. My heart pounded as I dialed his number. It rang. Once. Twice.

Then, someone answered.

But it wasn’t Lothario.

A woman’s voice, smooth and familiar. Alessia.

“Lothario’s busy right now.”

My stomach twisted into a cold knot. “Who… who is this?” I whispered, even though I already knew. I just needed to hear it.

A soft chuckle. “Alessia Ricci.” A pause. Then, she delivered the final blow. “His fiancée.”

Fiancée?

Then what am I to Lothario?

The call ended before I could even speak. My fingers went numb, and my phone slipped from my grasp. I stared at the ceiling. It was a joke. A mistake. It had to be…

But deep down, I already knew. Lothario had betrayed me.

The days blurred together in a haze of grief, pain, and emptiness. I barely ate. I barely slept. The hospital walls felt suffocating, pressing in on me with every passing second.

But the worst part? The silence. No messages. No calls. Lothario never came.

I should have known better, but a small part of me still clung to hope. Maybe he didn’t know. Maybe he hadn’t heard about the accident. Maybe, just maybe, there was a reason for all of this.

So the moment I found the strength to stand, I forced myself out of bed, ignoring the soreness in my limbs and the bandages wrapped around my body. I had to see him. I needed answers.

But as I reached for my coat, memories flooded in—memories of the Lothario I once knew.

I remembered the time I got lost in the forest. It was supposed to be a simple hike, but the sun had set too quickly, and before I knew it, I was alone, freezing, and bleeding from a nasty cut on my leg. Lothario had found me. I could still hear his voice, thick with worry.

“Pearl! Where the hell are you?”

The moment I saw him running toward me, I burst into tears. He dropped to his knees, checking my injury with shaking hands. “Damn it, Pearl. Why would you go alone? What if I didn’t find you in time?”

I tried to laugh it off. “You always find me, Lothario.”

He scoffed, lifting me into his arms. “That’s not the point. You scared me.”

He didn’t leave my side that night, sitting beside my hospital bed, fingers intertwined with mine. “I’m never letting you go off on your own again, understood?” he'd whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shake off the ache in my chest. Where was that Lothario now?

Then, another memory surfaced—the winter we went ice skating. It had started as a perfect day, with snowflakes dancing in the air as we skated hand in hand. But I’d been careless, too excited, and ended up twisting my ankle. I remembered the way Lothario had caught me just before I hit the ice, his arms strong around me.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt?” he had asked, his face etched with concern.

I had tried to play it off, but the pain was too much. Without hesitation, he had carried me off the rink, his jaw clenched in frustration. “You’re so damn stubborn. Why didn’t you let me teach you properly?”

“Because I wanted to be good at it already."

He had sighed, gently massaging my ankle before carrying me to the hospital. And after? He showed up at my apartment with my favorite food, a bouquet of roses, and the biggest teddy bear he could find.

“Since you can’t walk for a while, you’ll have to hug this instead of me,” he'd joked, ruffling my hair.

That was Lothario. That was the man I loved.

And yet, now? Nothing. No Lothario. No calls. No messages. No flowers. No teddy bear. Not even a simple 'Are you okay?'

I clenched my fists, swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill. Maybe I had been a fool to believe I still meant something to him.

But I needed to hear it from him. I needed to see the truth for myself.

So, with shaking legs and a heart that felt too heavy to carry, I walked out of the hospital.

---

Lothario’s estate was the same as always. Grand, untouchable. But something was different this time. The guards at the gate hesitated before letting me in. The maids inside lowered their gazes when they saw me. A thick silence hung in the air, as if the entire house was holding its breath.

This was the third time I had been here. Unlike before, when we lived together in a small apartment, this mansion was newly bought by Lothario after he became a millionaire. When he asked to live alone, I agreed without question—I didn’t want to suffocate our relationship. Space was supposed to be good for us.

But now, standing in the middle of his grand estate, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was nothing more than a guest in his life.

And then I saw them. The invitations. Neatly stacked on the marble foyer table.

Lothario De Luca & Alessia Ricci.

Engagement Party – This Friday.

My vision blurred. The walls of my stomach twisted painfully, and before I could stop myself, I stumbled into the nearest sink and threw up. He was mine. Wasn’t he?

A soft, familiar voice cut through the fog in my mind.

“Pearl?”

I wiped my mouth, my entire body trembling as I turned. Lothario stood there, tall and perfect as ever. As if nothing had happened. His eyes ran over me, but he didn’t frown at the bruises on my skin, didn’t notice the bandages peeking out from beneath my sleeves. He just smiled.

“I’ve been meaning to call you,” he said casually, stepping closer. “I got busy.”

I swallowed the bitterness on my tongue. He reached out, pulling me into a warm embrace. The scent of his expensive cologne wrapped around me, familiar yet sickening. My body stiffened, but I let him hold me. No need to lash out. Not yet.

“Come,” he murmured, pulling away. “Have dinner with me.”

I followed him into the dining hall, my heart pounding in my chest. The long table was already set. Crystal glasses, silver cutlery, steaming plates of perfectly arranged food. He poured me a glass of wine like nothing had changed. Like we weren’t broken.

I forced myself to stay calm, to play along, even as my hands trembled around the glass. I watched him, waiting. Finally, as he twirled his fork into his pasta, I spoke.

“What am I to you, Lothario?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “The woman I’m going to marry.”

I felt my stomach drop.

“The woman I want to have a child with,” he added.

The words struck like a blade. A child.

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. He didn’t know. He didn’t know I had been in an accident. He didn’t know I had been carrying his child. He didn’t know that I had lost everything.

And worst of all—he didn’t care enough to ask.

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. Should I test him? Should I see if I still meant something—if there was even a small part of him that would choose me over Alessia?

The words left my lips before I could stop them.

“Lothario… I’m pregnant.”

Silence. I held my breath, waiting for his reaction. Waiting for him to say something—anything.

But he just sat there, twirling his fork, focused on his food like I hadn’t just dropped a bomb on him. No excitement. No anger. No concern. Just silence.

The lump in my throat grew heavier. My hands shook as I reached for my wine glass, but in my panic, I choked. I coughed violently, gasping for air, my vision blurring with unshed tears.

Still, nothing from him. That silence… that was my answer.

Before I could even process the pain cutting through me, the dining hall doors swung open.

“Babe,” a soft, melodic voice called.

Alessia.

I barely had time to compose myself before she walked in, looking effortlessly beautiful in a sleek red dress, her heels clicking against the floor.

Lothario immediately stood up and went to her, his entire demeanor changing. His face softened, his eyes warm and full of something I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Then, right in front of me, he cupped her face and kissed her.

My heart stopped. The sound of their lips meeting felt louder than the ringing in my ears. My whole body went numb, my hands gripping the edge of the table to steady myself.

They kissed. Right there. Like I didn’t exist at all. Like I was nothing.

And then they started talking—about their engagement party, about the guest list, about how perfect everything had to be.

I just stood there, frozen. Tears slipped down my cheeks, but I couldn’t even move to wipe them away. I wasn’t sure if it was from heartbreak or humiliation.

Then, as if finally noticing me, Alessia turned to Lothario, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“Who is she?” she asked. “Why is she crying like bitch? Why is she even here?”

Lothario let out a sigh, like this was just some inconvenience he had to deal with.

“She's my newly hired maid. I'll deal with her.”

A maid? Me? My lips tremble. Then he walked over to me, grabbed my wrist with force, and pulled me toward the door.

“I’ll call you later tonight,” he muttered, his voice low. Then he wiped a tear from my cheek, as if that would somehow erase everything.

Before I could say a word, he shut the door in my face.

A loud bang.

And just like that… I was locked out. Thrown away. Like I had never mattered at all.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream.

Instead, I walked away that night with my head held high. But I wasn’t done yet. If they wanted a grand celebration, I’d give them a night they’d never forget.

***

The night of the engagement party, I slipped into a sleek black dress. The kind that clung to my curves, elegant but bold. A dress that demanded attention.

My makeup was flawless, my lips painted the deepest shade of red. If I was going to crash this party, I was going to look like I belonged there.

I arrived at the venue without an invitation, but I didn’t need one. The moment I stepped into the grand ballroom, heads turned. Gasps followed.

But I didn’t care about them.

My eyes found him immediately.

Lothario De Luca.

My Lothario.

No—not mine. Not anymore.

He stood tall, his arm wrapped around her. Alessia. The woman he had always been waiting for. The woman he had chosen.

They looked perfect together. Like a couple out of a fairy tale. And I?

I was the tragedy they had left behind.

But not tonight. Tonight, I would remind Lothario exactly what he threw away.

The moment I stepped into the ballroom, silence spread like wildfire. Gasps rippled through the crowd, whispers trailing behind me.

I felt their eyes. Their judgment. But I didn’t stop. I walked straight toward him.

Lothario’s entire body stiffened when he saw me. His blue eyes locked onto mine, widening slightly before narrowing into something sharp—something cold.

“Pearl?” His voice was laced with disbelief. With warning.

I tilted my head, smiling sweetly. “Surprised to see me?”

Alessia turned, her perfectly curled hair bouncing as she looked me up and down. Then, she let out a dramatic gasp.

“Oh! You’re—” She snapped her fingers, pretending to remember. “You’re the maid, right? Lothario’s personal housekeeper?”

The room erupted into soft chuckles.

Maid? My chest tightened, but I refused to break.

I lifted my chin. “That’s cute, Alessia. But if I were just a maid, your fiancé wouldn’t have spent six years in my bed.”

Her smile faltered. The guests whispered louder now, shifting uncomfortably.

Lothario’s jaw clenched, his fingers twitching at his sides. “Leave, Pearl.”

I ignored him. Instead, I reached into my clutch and pulled out the truth.

One by one, I threw the papers at him.

A pregnancy test. Ultrasound images. Hospital records. The final one hit his chest and fluttered to the floor—the miscarriage report.

Gasps filled the ballroom. Someone dropped their champagne glass.

Lothario’s face paled, his eyes flickering to the documents at his feet. His lips parted, but he said nothing. Nothing. He didn’t even try to deny it. But Alessia did.

She let out an exaggerated laugh, crossing her arms. “This is pathetic. Truly.” She glanced at the documents before rolling her eyes. “What are you even fucking trying to prove? That you had some fake pregnancy to trap Lothario? How desperate.”

My nails dug into my palm. “I lost my child because of you,” I whispered. “Because of both of you!"

Alessia scoffed. “Oh, please. Lothario wouldn’t be dumb enough to get someone like you pregnant.”

Someone like me.

Lothario finally moved then.

But not toward me. He turned slightly—toward Alessia.

I saw the hesitation in his eyes. The flicker of something unreadable. But it lasted only a second before his expression hardened.

Then, in a voice so cold it cut through me, he said:

“She’s lying.”

I froze. The air around me seemed to vanish.

Lothario’s gaze met mine, but there was nothing there. No guilt. No regret. No warmth.

Just denial.

“She’s a nobody,” Lothario continued, his tone emotionless. “Just a bitter ex who can’t accept reality.”

The world spun around me.

“Lothario…” My voice cracked.

But he wasn’t done. He turned to the guards standing near the entrance. “Get her out of here.”

A sharp pain sliced through my chest.

He—he was throwing me out? Just like that?

Alessia smirked, stepping closer to him. “Oh, and make sure she doesn’t come near us again. If she tries, I’ll sue her for defamation. Crashing my engagement and throwing these ridiculous allegations? It’s laughable.”

Laughter echoed around the room. Mocking. Cruel. Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

I refused to break. Instead, I reached for the nearest table and grabbed a knife.