Maya’s POVI tidied up the living room quickly, ensuring everything looked untouched and perfect. The SD card and card reader I’d prepared was plugged in the back of the TV. I plucked it out, holding it with triumph, then slipped it into a drawer, placing it gently under a pile of old magazines. The proof of my night with Louis. He might have dismissed me, but I wasn’t going to let him erase me or our child that easily.I smoothed my hands over my stomach, feeling anger and determination swell within. “Emily, don’t blame me,” I murmured softly to myself. “I’m doing this for my child.” I whispered down to my stomach, “Daddy will love you very much.” He might not know it yet, but he would adore this baby—and me. He had to. Or all this would have been for nothing.***I had confronted him about it almost as soon as I knew. “I’m pregnant, Louis,” I told him. My pulse thrummed with the excitement that my plan was finally coming to fruition.But when he looked at me, his expression was cold
Emily’ POVLouis carried me through the door, his arms tight around me as if he were afraid I'd shatter. The sight of everything looking so normal while my entire life was falling apart was jarring. But there was something more. The house was too clean, especially around the TV. This wasn’t how I had left it.I wrenched out of his grasp, stumbling. "This isn’t right!" I shouted, pointing at the TV. “Where’s the video?”Louis moved closer, his hand reaching out to stroke my cheek in an attempt to calm me. "Emily," he said, his voice too soft, instantly grating on my nerves, "you’re tired. You’ve been through a lot. Just sit down, okay?”But I pushed him away, unable to shake the terrible feeling of violation and insecurity. "No, Louis! Somebody’s been here—someone messed with the TV!” I screeched, my voice rising as my thoughts spiraled. “Where is the video?” I was grasping at straws—it felt like everything was slipping through my fingers, and the more I tried to hold on, the faster it
Emily’s POVMy body was heavy, weighed down as if submerged in a thick, dark tide. The faint creak of the door barely registered and I wanted to see who it was. My mind screamed to react, to open my eyes, to ask who was there, but my body refused to obey. I was trapped in my own skin, helpless.Footsteps shuffled closer, deliberate and slow. A shadow fell across me, and I felt the invasive grip of fingers prying my mouth open. The bitter taste of something vile flooded my tongue, and I gagged, my throat spasming against the intrusion. My stomach churned violently, sending sharp, agonizing waves of pain rippling through my body.Panic surged, cutting through the fog of sedation. A damp, warm sensation spread beneath me, and I knew something was wrong—terribly wrong. I wanted to cry out, to fight back, to see the face of whoever was doing this, but darkness dragged me under once more.***"Emily!"Louis’s voice pierced through the haze, shaking me roughly by the shoulders. My head lolle
Louis’ POVI leaned back in my office chair, the weight of the day pressing down on me like iron. The room was silent, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, yet my mind was anything but. Papers lay scattered across my desk, reports begging for attention, but I couldn’t focus. Not with Emily’s image burned into my mind—frail, pale, and accusing.I’d thrown myself into work, burying the turmoil of home life. It wasn’t enough. The moments of peace, of distraction, weren’t coming, leaving me to face the bitter truth: Emily and I were beyond broken. The warmth we once shared, the laughter, the love—it had all curdled into something rotten, bloodstained.“Louis?” A soft voice broke the silence, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced up to find Maya standing in the doorway, her hands resting lightly on her rounded belly. She looked vulnerable, her usual confident demeanor replaced with something hesitant.“Yes?” My tone was clipped, though not intentionally. I was simply too t
Emily’s POVLouis sat stiffly behind his desk, his expression carefully composed, though the tightness in his jaw betrayed the tension simmering beneath the surface. His usual aura of control seemed slightly frayed as his eyes flicked from me to Maya and back again."Emily," he began, his voice low. "Let's not do this here.""Why is she still here, Louis?" I demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Maya. "You told me she was transferred. What is she doing here?"Before Louis could respond, Maya gracefully interjected, holding her belly like it was a delicate treasure. Her calm demeanor only fanned the flames of my rage."Louis," she said, her voice soft, "Maybe I should explain things to Emily." She turned to me, her expression almost pitying, but her words were knives concealed in velvet. "Emily, once my baby is born, I’ll leave. You don’t have to worry about anything. I’m not trying to interfere."She was pure malice rolled in sugar, easier to swallow for those around her - it was
Emily’s POVMaya's sobs echoed off the walls of Louis's office, a pitiful soundtrack to her manipulations. I watched her through narrowed eyes, my stomach churning with disgust."I just want to do what's right," she wailed, cradling her belly dramatically. "Emily, please, stop blaming me for everything. I'm not the enemy here!"I had heard enough. “Oh, spare me the theatrics,” I snapped, my voice cold. “You’ve been the enemy since the moment you wormed your way into my life pretending to be my friend.”Louis glanced between us, clearly uncomfortable, but when he moved to speak, Maya beat him to it.“I was just trying to help,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I never wanted this to happen.”Her lies grated against my already frayed nerves. I had to get out before I said—or did—something I couldn’t take back. Spinning on my heel, I marched toward the door.“Emily, wait!” Louis’s voice followed me, but I didn’t stop.Behind me, I heard the faint rustling of fabric and Maya’s voice,
Emily’s POVLouis’s face paled as he rushed past me, his eyes fixed on Maya’s shuddering form at the bottom of the stairs. He knelt beside her, his hands trembling as he cradled her carefully. Maya let out a piercing wail, clutching her stomach.“My baby… my baby!” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face.I froze at the top of the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. The hallway was deathly quiet, save for Maya’s cries. The accusing stares of their coworkers burned into me like fire.One of them, a man with a stern face, turned to me. “What happened?”“She—she fell,” I stammered, gesturing wildly. “I didn’t touch her! She moved back on her own!”But their expressions didn’t soften. If anything, their gazes grew colder, filled with disbelief.“You expect us to believe that?” a woman muttered, her voice laced with disdain. “After that altercation… the whole office could hear…”“I’m telling the truth!” I snapped, panic creeping into my voice. “It wasn’t me!”Louis looked up sharply,
Emily’s POVI wandered aimlessly through the hospital’s stark, sterile hallways, the bright fluorescent lights above doing nothing to warm the chill that seemed to settle in my bones. My footsteps echoed softly against the linoleum floor, but my mind was louder—filled with painful memories and questions that wouldn’t stop haunting me.How had it come to this? Maya had turned my life into a nightmare. I felt like a marionette, my strings tangled by her manipulative fingers. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I stopped near a window, clutching my phone tightly. Desperation clawed at me, and I thumbed through my contacts, searching for comfort. But the screen mocked me with its emptiness.Maya. That woman had meticulously isolated me from everyone I once called a friend. Each subtle word, each whispered doubt, had slowly chipped away at my relationships until there was nothing left but her false friendship. How had I not realized it until now?My finger hovered over my mother’s number.
The dim glow of the flickering neon sign outside the bar cast long shadows across the near-empty room. The coldness of the place wasn’t just physical—it seeped into my bones, wrapping around me like an unwelcome shroud. I sat slumped in the corner, nursing a half-empty bottle of whiskey that I’d convinced myself would help me unwind. Instead, it only made the edges of my world blur into a dark and distorted haze.The bitter liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but it didn’t warm me. I stared at the amber ripples in my glass, my reflection distorted and unrecognizable. My mind swirled with every regret, every misstep. The room around me seemed to grow smaller, the silence louder. It was as if the world had shrunk to just me, my failures, and the suffocating weight of isolation.The alcohol churned in my stomach, threatening to revolt, but I kept drinking. The brave front I’d put on for so long was cracking, revealing the raw, trembling fear underneath. I pulled my coat tighter arou
I stepped into the sterile, fluorescent-lit hallway of the hospital, the smell of antiseptic stinging my nose. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of nerves and guilt gnawing at my insides. Damian walked beside me, his steady presence both comforting and overwhelming."Are you sure you're okay to do this alone?" he asked, his voice low and soothing.I nodded stiffly. “I’ll be fine. You’ve already done so much. Thank you for coming with me.”He hesitated, his hazel eyes scanning my face as if searching for cracks in the fragile mask I wore. “Call me if you need anything.”I watched him disappear down the hall before taking a deep breath and heading toward my father’s room. The sound of my boots clicking against the tile seemed deafening as I approached the door.Inside, the scene struck me like a blow. My sister, Lola, sat beside our mother, Sienna, who looked like the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders. Lola’s arm was draped around her, murmuring soft reassurances.“Ever
“A most wonderful friend of mine,” I beamed, eyeing Louis and Lucy cheerfully. “Nice to meet you all.” Damian replied coolly, hands in his pockets. “A friend?” Louis sneered, his voice thick with sarcasm. “Don’t insult me, Emily. What is he? Your lover? Trying to make me jealous?”“Why would I?” I winked, “It’s not like you’ve given me any reason to.”Maya jumped in, angry and mocking. “You have no right to judge anyone when you’ve clearly been screwing around behind Louis’ back!”“Hypocrite,” Louis bit out.“Careful,” Damian said, his voice soft but cutting as he turned to Maya. “People in glass houses should not throw stones. Or the sticks and bricks might just come back for a bite.”Maya went pale and derided. “What’s that supposed to mean?”Damian gave a slight grin “Just don’t reach for things that don’t belong to you.”“Maya?” Louis peered uneasily at her face, “What’s he talking about?”“Everything's fine." Maya said with a faint smile, her voice soft. "They're just trying to
Emily' POVThe pounding on the bedroom door was relentless—each thud louder, angrier than the last. “Emily!” Louis’s voice boomed, full of irritation. “Open the door!”“Emily, open up! This is ridiculous—you’re just being petty!” Maya screeched, her shrill voice grating against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.I didn’t move, arms crossed. From inside, their overlapping voices grew louder—his furious commands clashing with her whiny pleas. “Louis, calm down,” Maya purred. “She’s doing this to make us look bad!”I turned as the clatter of hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway. Lucy swept into view, sporting her polished curls and her garishly flamboyant suit.“What in God’s name is going on here?” She demanded.Without a word, I flung the key at the door with a sharp clink. “There,” I nodded at it with my chin, “Your golden boy and his mistress are locked inside together. Go on, let’s see what Mommy Dearest makes of that.”Lucy glared at me as she stalked forward, snatched u
Emily's POVThe drive to my parents’ house felt longer than usual. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I sped away from Louis and our marriage. When I arrived, the usual warmth of home greeted me—the gardenias my mother planted still blooming by the porch, the faint aroma of fresh bread wafting from the kitchen. But none of it settled the unease in my chest.“You’re here so soon!” my mother exclaimed, pulling me into a hug.I forced a smile. “I thought I’d surprise you.”She frowned. “What’s wrong?”“I’ve been worried about dad’s health,” I said quickly, brushing past her and into the house. “I wanted to spend time with you both today and get my mind off of everything.”Her brow furrowed with concern, but she let it drop. My father appeared from the living room, frail and pale but smiling as he walked over to hug me. The sight of him weakened something in me, but I pushed the emotions down.“How’s my girl?” he asked as I helped him to his recliner. His MS had limited him to
Maya’s POVI leaned back on the plush couch in my apartment, staring at the ceiling. My fingers twirled idly through my hair as memories of the past unfurled, mingling with my current schemes. Emily. She was the anchor of every thought, every plan, every bit of envy that burned quietly within me.It had always been Emily. Back in high school, she was the golden girl—beautiful, driven, and effortlessly adored. Beside her, I was just the shadow, the girl people noticed only when Emily wasn’t around. Even the teachers who praised me for my hard work always added, “You and Emily make such a great team.”A laugh escaped me, bitter and hollow. Emily’s glow made my achievements look like scraps. I’d smiled at her wedding, clapping politely, but the jealousy had gnawed at my stomach as I watched her glide down the aisle. She didn’t just get a husband—she secured Louis Whitman, a man who seemed to have everything: charm, intelligence, and a future paved in gold.When Emily reappeared in my lif
Damian’s POVI had always wondered if the memories were real. The children’s home where we’d promised to meet once a year, the bond that had kept us steady when everything else seemed to fall apart—were they as vivid for her as they were for me?When I first saw Emily weeks ago, standing amidst chaos at the scene of an accident, I knew it was her. Her features had matured, but her gaze held the same quiet intensity. Yet I said nothing. Fear of her not remembering, or worse, not wanting to, kept me silent. Seeing her again in the hospital stairway, vulnerable and unraveling, had only strengthened my resolve to help her.But now, sitting across from me in my office, she didn’t seem to recognize me at all. Emily had walked in hesitantly, her eyes darting around the room like she was trying to find a reason to leave. She sat in the chair I gestured to, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. To me this felt like a relief but the conflict of knowing my patient personally, of withholding tha
Emily’s POVI wandered aimlessly through the hospital’s stark, sterile hallways, the bright fluorescent lights above doing nothing to warm the chill that seemed to settle in my bones. My footsteps echoed softly against the linoleum floor, but my mind was louder—filled with painful memories and questions that wouldn’t stop haunting me.How had it come to this? Maya had turned my life into a nightmare. I felt like a marionette, my strings tangled by her manipulative fingers. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I stopped near a window, clutching my phone tightly. Desperation clawed at me, and I thumbed through my contacts, searching for comfort. But the screen mocked me with its emptiness.Maya. That woman had meticulously isolated me from everyone I once called a friend. Each subtle word, each whispered doubt, had slowly chipped away at my relationships until there was nothing left but her false friendship. How had I not realized it until now?My finger hovered over my mother’s number.
Emily’s POVLouis’s face paled as he rushed past me, his eyes fixed on Maya’s shuddering form at the bottom of the stairs. He knelt beside her, his hands trembling as he cradled her carefully. Maya let out a piercing wail, clutching her stomach.“My baby… my baby!” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face.I froze at the top of the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. The hallway was deathly quiet, save for Maya’s cries. The accusing stares of their coworkers burned into me like fire.One of them, a man with a stern face, turned to me. “What happened?”“She—she fell,” I stammered, gesturing wildly. “I didn’t touch her! She moved back on her own!”But their expressions didn’t soften. If anything, their gazes grew colder, filled with disbelief.“You expect us to believe that?” a woman muttered, her voice laced with disdain. “After that altercation… the whole office could hear…”“I’m telling the truth!” I snapped, panic creeping into my voice. “It wasn’t me!”Louis looked up sharply,