I slowly placed a trembling hand over my stomach, my fingers brushing against the fragile life I had no choice but to let go of.
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the crumpled pregnancy report, the secret I had kept from Brynn until the very end.
But it didn’t matter anymore. This child… I couldn’t keep it.
"Driver, take me to the hospital."
I closed my eyes, letting the silent tears slip past my lips.
When I signed the consent form, my fingers quivered, hesitating only for a breath. But in the end, my decision didn’t change.
By the time I returned home, the living room lights were still on.
Brynn stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed, his gaze flicking between his watch and the glowing screen of his phone. He was dialing my number again when he finally noticed me.
The moment he saw my pale face, he rushed over, worry clouding his features.
He pulled me into his arms, his hands cradling my face, the warmth that no longer reached me.
"Allison, weren’t you just picking something up? What took you so long?" His voice was thick with concern. "I kept calling, but you wouldn’t answer. I was worried sick."
"Why do you look so pale? What happened?"
I stared at him, the weight of irony pressing down on me.
Worried? Overthinking? If only he knew.
Back when he and Elijah schemed to frame me for "cheating," Brynn had looked at me with this exact same expression.
Like I was something rare, something precious, cherished as if I were the most irreplaceable thing in his world.
But reality?
If I hadn’t walked in on that scene, I never would have known the truth.
My childhood sweetheart. My husband. A man so skilled at deception, I almost believed him myself.
I took a step back, putting deliberate distance between us. The dull ache from the procedure still clung to my body, every movement a quiet struggle.
Faking indifference, I waved him off.
"The store owner invited me to dinner. I didn’t realize I ate something I was allergic to and had to go to the hospital. That’s why I was delayed."
"I’m exhausted. I just want to sleep."
Brynn gave me a sympathetic look, already moving to fetch me some water. Then his phone rang.
Kennedy’s syrupy voice spilled through the speaker, every word laced with feigned innocence.
"Brynn, my shower is broken."
"Elijah had to rush to the office for an emergency, so can you come help me? Wait, no, you’re married to Allison now."
"Even if I just need help fixing the shower, Allison will definitely accuse me of seducing you."
"Forget it, I’ll find someone else."
But before she could even finish, Brynn cut in, his voice quick, reassuring.
"It’s fine. I won’t let her know; I’ll come right over."
The motion of him pouring my water halted. His fingers tightened around the glass for the briefest second before he set it down. Then, without missing a beat, he threw on his suit jacket and lied to me.
"Allison, there’s an urgent matter at the office. I need to go now; rest well."
Before I could say a word, the door clicked shut behind him.
A bitter laugh curled in my throat. How fitting.
I leaned against the wall, dragging myself toward the bedroom, my legs barely supporting me.
But just as I reached the wardrobe, a misstep sent me stumbling. My shoulder knocked against the safe, Brynn’s safe, the one he always kept locked away.
He used to say it held the evidence of his love for me.
Photos taken in secret. Love letters he was too embarrassed to show me. Proof, he claimed, of how much he had cherished me.
But reality?
I hesitated for only a second before entering Kennedy’s birthday as the passcode.
The safe unlocked instantly.
Inside, meticulously arranged, were stacks of records, each one dedicated to Kennedy.
The sight of it sent a cold blade straight through my chest.
With trembling hands, I flipped through Brynn’s notes.
My gaze landed on a newspaper article, its headline praising Kennedy’s award-winning work.
A dull ringing filled my ears. My breath hitched.
Tears fell, unrestrained and bitter.
The designs I had poured my soul into for an entire year, works I had only ever shown to Brynn, were right there, credited to her.
He had taken my creations and placed a crown on another woman’s head.
And yet, once upon a time, he had looked into my eyes, his voice dripping with affection.
"Allison, your teacher says you have a gift for design, but if you really pursue it, you’ll be too busy to spend time with me."
"I want you by my side, always."
"Give up design and come work as a receptionist at my subsidiary, okay? It’s easy work, and we’ll get to see each other every day."
