The next thing I knew, I was back in the sterile white embrace of the hospital. The same kind nurse from earlier was at my side, her face etched with worry. I had a throbbing pain in my head and a bandage wrapped around it. Concussion, she'd explained softly.
"I'm so sorry," I mumbled, my voice raspy. "About before. About Coleton."
She patted my hand. "Don't apologize for him, dear. Rest now. We'll take good care of you." Her warmth was a stark contrast to the cold indifference I'd just experienced.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table. I picked it up, my fingers clumsy. Annis Duncan. Her name flashed on the screen. Another social media post. My stomach dropped.
It was a gallery of pictures. Annis, draped over Coleton, laughing, her head resting on his shoulder. His arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. They were at a fancy restaurant, candles flickering, champagne glasses clinking. In one photo, he was feeding her a forkful of pasta. Her favorite pasta.
The caption read: "So glad to have my rock back. Some people just know how to cause trouble, but true connections always win. Thanks for a perfect night, my love @ColetonS."
My blood ran cold. My head throbbed, not just from the concussion, but from a fresh wave of betrayal. He was flaunting their relationship, less than 24 hours after secretly terminating our pregnancy.
Another notification. A direct message from Annis. "Clarissa, honey, I heard about your little tumble. So sorry! Coleton told me you were just a bit clumsy. He really is worried about you, you know. But you really should have posted that apology like he asked. It would have saved a lot of trouble. Anyway, hope you feel better soon! xoxo"
It wasn't an apology. It was a thinly veiled threat, a twisted taunt. She was using Coleton's name, his concern, to twist the knife.
I remembered Annis from years ago. She and Coleton had dated in high school. Even then, she had a way of subtly undermining me, always positioning herself as the innocent victim. I had always dismissed it as petty jealousy. Now, I saw it for what it truly was-a calculated manipulation. My anger was a cold, quiet fire. I wouldn't dignify her with a response.
Instead, I opened a different app. My lawyer's contact. Beatrix Chase. My fierce, no-nonsense cousin. I' d had her draft a pre-nuptial agreement years ago, at Coleton's insistence. It had a clause for early termination of engagement, in any circumstance, guaranteeing me a significant share of his company stock. I had always thought it was a formality, a silly piece of paper. Now, it was my lifeline.
I attached the legal documents and hit send. This was it. The end of a seven-year illusion.
My mind drifted back, to the beginning. To Coleton.
I first met Coleton at a charity gala, a whirlwind of glitz and glamour. He was the golden boy, the tech prodigy, charming everyone in the room. I was just a graphic designer, passionate about my work, but a wallflower in comparison. When our eyes met across the crowded room, it was like a lightning strike. He had that captivating smile, those intense eyes. I was instantly, hopelessly smitten.
But he was with someone, Annis Duncan. His high school sweetheart. They were the 'it' couple, destined for greatness, or so everyone said. I watched from afar, my heart aching. I pursued him for months, a silent, desperate admirer. He was polite, friendly even, but always distant. Always mentioning Annis.
I finally decided to give up. My dignity couldn't take any more. I booked a flight, planning to move across the country, to start fresh, far away from the ache of unrequited love.
Then, just as I was about to leave, he called. A panicked, breathless call. Annis had left him. She'd found someone else, someone richer, more established. He was heartbroken, devastated. He begged me to stay. He told me he' d been foolish, that he' d been blind. That I was the one.
It felt like a dream. Unbelievable. He drove to the airport, found me at the gate, tears streaming down his face, begging me to give him a chance. He said he loved me, truly loved me. My heart, so easily swayed, melted. I canceled my flight. I abandoned my plans, my fresh start. I believed him.
I thought my love, my patience, my unwavering devotion, had finally paid off. I thought I had found my happily ever after. I thought I had him. All of him.
