I walked home in a daze, the city lights blurring through my unshed tears. Our penthouse apartment, once a haven, now felt like a cold, empty tomb. The silence screamed Jaxon' s absence, amplifying every echo of his betrayal.
I showered, letting the hot water wash over me, trying to cleanse away the dirt and degradation. I dried my hair methodically, then collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to even properly get dressed. My mind was a chaotic mess, replaying every cruel word, every dismissive glance.
Just as the exhaustion threatened to drag me into a restless sleep, the front door creaked open. My heart leaped.
Jaxon.
He walked in, his shoulders slumped, his tie loosened. He looked tired, his eyes heavy-lidded. "Alexis?" His voice was soft, laced with a feigned concern. "Are you alright? You haven't answered my calls."
I didn't answer. I just stared at the ceiling, feeling nothing but a profound emptiness.
He came to the bed, sitting gently beside me. He didn't touch me. He just picked up the towel from the floor, and began to softly dry my hair. The familiar rhythm of his fingers, once a source of comfort, now felt like a cruel violation.
"Are you still angry?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. "I told you, it's just a temporary arrangement. A year, Alexis. And then it's just us."
I closed my eyes. He knew exactly how to twist the knife, how to prey on my lingering hope, my desperate need for his love. He was gaslighting me, making me question my own sanity.
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "Just be patient, my love. For us."
"What if I refuse?" I asked, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "What if I can't just 'be patient'?"
His hand stilled. His face hardened, the kindness in his eyes replaced by a cold, steely resolve. "This isn't a request, Alexis," he said, his voice low and firm. "It's how things have to be." He paused, then softened his tone, a practiced shift. "Kassie has no one else to rely on. We have to be understanding."
He stood up and began packing a small duffel bag. A sick feeling churned in my stomach. "I'll be gone for a few days," he said without looking at me. "If you need anything, call me." He walked out, leaving me alone once more.
The tears came then, hot and stinging, blurring the edges of my vision. He knew. He knew I was pregnant, alone, and heartbroken, yet he chose to leave. He chose Kassie. I felt worthless, a forgotten shadow in his grand plan.
Days bled into weeks. Jaxon' s calls became rarer, his messages shorter, sent late at night, a superficial check-in. I stopped replying. Eventually, they stopped coming altogether. The silence was deafening, a constant reminder of my abandonment.
I was three months pregnant when it happened. I had decided to go for another check-up, just to hear the doctor's reassuring words again, to feel connected to the tiny life inside me. I was walking out of the clinic, a tiny ultrasound picture clutched in my hand, when I literally bumped into her. Ella Fuller. Jaxon's older sister.
Her eyes, cold and sharp like Jaxon's, widened in shock as she recognized me. Then they dropped to my hand, to the ultrasound. Her face twisted into a sneer.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, tearing the picture from my hand. Her eyes scanned the image, then narrowed dangerously. "And what is this? Another man's bastard, Alexis? How dare you try to trap my brother with this?"
I recoiled, my blood boiling. "It's Jaxon's baby!" I snapped, snatching the picture back. "How could you even think-"
"Don't lie to me!" Ella cut me off, her voice rising. "My brother is married! And his wife is also pregnant! With his child! You think we're fools? You think you can just show up with some random baby and claim it's a Fuller?" Her eyes blazed with contempt. "You're pathetic, Alexis. A lying, manipulative schemer." I could feel the stares of passersby, their whispers like daggers.
