Imogene Scott"No," I say, shaking my head, taking a step back. "That’s... that’s impossible."But Elinor’s face is painted with raw emotion, and I know she’s telling the truth.“It happened a month ago. The night of Keith’s proposal,” she says, her voice breaking. “I was drunk. Damien was drunk. We didn’t mean for it to happen. It was just one night, Imogene, but now…” She gestures toward her stomach. "Now I’m pregnant with his child."The world seems to narrow, tunneling in on this moment, and I’m hit with a tidal wave of emotions. My throat is tight, and my mind can’t even begin to process what she’s saying.No, not this. Not again.I feel my voice crack as I speak. “Why... why didn’t you tell me?”“I wanted to,” she chokes out. “But I didn’t know how. I didn’t want to ruin things between us. You and Damien—there’s so much history. I didn’t want to be the reason—”“Reason for what?” I snap, stepping away from her completely now, rage bubbling up in my chest. “For breaking my hea
Imogene Scott Damien looks away for a second, and in that moment, I know. I already knew the second Elinor told me, but seeing him now, confirming it... it’s like the final nail in the coffin.“It was a mistake,” he says, his voice low. “It was one night. I was drunk—”“Oh, so that makes it better?” I snap. “You think being drunk excuses sleeping with my best friend?”“No, of course not!” he says quickly. “It doesn’t. I messed up, okay? It was the night of Keith’s proposal... I was angry, and I drank too much, and she was there—”I throw up my hands, cutting him off. “I don’t need to hear the details, Damien! I just—God, I can’t believe this.”“Imogene, please,” he steps closer again, his voice softening. “It didn’t mean anything. I was a wreck after you took Keith’s proposal. I thought I’d lost you—”“You did lose me!” I yell, tears now streaming down my face. “And now you’ve ruined any chance of getting me back!”“You don’t understand,” he says desperately. “Elinor... she might b
Damien Shaw"Do you ever for once stop to think that maybe you were such a horrible person in your last life that you’re being deprived of joy in this life?" Breonna’s voice echoes through the quiet of my room, cutting through the dull hum of my laptop screen as she steps into my room. I don’t look up. I’ve been staring at lines of code and business reports for hours, though nothing has really stuck in my head. Work has been the only thing keeping me from spiraling, but even that feels meaningless at this point.I hear her drop something on the dresser—the tray of food she’s been bringing me for days now. She’s always playing the caretaker, even when I don’t deserve it.“You’re not going to eat again, are you?” she sighs, coming closer.I lean back in my chair and finally look at her. Her face is soft but tired, and I know part of that exhaustion is because of me. She’s been staying in my house for the past five days to, quote-unquote, take care of me.“I’m not hungry,” I mumble.“Th
Imogene Scott I rise from my work table, stretching my aching back. My muscles are stiff, protesting every movement after being hunched over for hours—finishing the last touches on my digital mural. The Tech Con is in two days, and it's all I’ve been focusing on. It’s my only distraction from the heavy, suffocating weight pressing down on my chest.The apartment is a mess. Clothes are strewn across the floor, empty takeout containers are stacked on the coffee table, and unopened mail is scattered across the kitchen counter. I haven’t left the house in days, haven’t spoken to anyone, haven’t even checked my phone.All I’ve done is work on the mural and now it’s finally done. What other work do I have to focus on that can serve as a good distraction?Chores.I start picking up the trash, throwing away remnants of meals I barely remember eating. I try to focus on the small task in front of me, but my mind keeps drifting back to him. To Damien. Why can’t I stop thinking about hi
Imogene Scott I let Elinor stay with me for the next two days. We don’t say much to each even though we’re in the same house. She’s super quiet and all and it only intensifies my guilt.Tech Con is finally here and after much convincing, Elinor decides to go with me. She’s been going through so much, and I didn’t want her to feel abandoned. After everything that happened at the hospital, I figured the least I could do was show her that she’s still a part of my life, that I’m here for her.That morning, I finally call Breonna over to come babysit Lily since we’ll be gone all day.“Good morning, Imogene.” Breonna says as she walks into my apartment. “How have you been?”I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel after everything her brother did. But then again, Damien and Breonna aren’t related by blood. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t possess Damien’s shitty ass characteristics. “Never been better.” I reiterate.I run a few things by Breonna before Elinor and I start to leave. But Breonna s
Imogene ScottThe room seems to spin around me as her words sink in. Not a real abortion? No pregnancy to begin with. I lean against the door, my breath caught in my throat. I don’t know if I heard her right—no, I must’ve misheard. My mind races, trying to make sense of it. But the words keep echoing in my head.She lied. Elinor wasn’t pregnant . The hospital, the abortion, it was all a show.I can feel my pulse pounding in my ears as I push the door open. Elinor is sitting on the small sofa, her phone in hand, mid-sentence. She looks up and her face looks startled as I stand there, staring at her.“Elinor...” My voice is barely more than a whisper.Her face hardens when she realizes what I must once overheard. Before I can say another word, I storm across the room, my hand flying through the air faster than I can control it. The sound of the slap echoes through the small room, loud and sharp, as my palm lands on her cheek. “You played me!” I yell, trying to stop my voice from
Imogene ScottI’m not sure how long it’s been but it feels like forever. My bag isn’t here, it’s by the booth so I don’t access my phone. And this room has nothing that can help.Which is why I’ve resorted to slamming my fists against the door. My hands are sour now. It’s probably been hours. How could Elinor do this? How could she lock me in here, like some prisoner? My skin feels clammy, and a cold sweat runs down my back. I lean my forehead against the door, breathing in shallow gasps. Regrets starts to bubble up in me all over again. I can’t believe it.Elinor played me. She used me, lied to me, made me doubt everything. And I believed her over Damien. Tears sting my eyes, but I force them back. This is my fault. I let her words poison my thoughts, and now... now Damien is probably gone. I pace the small room, feeling my skin prickly with goosebumps. I betrayed Damien’s trust, didn’t I? I didn’t believe him when he was honest. The look in his eyes when I confronted him about
Imogene Scott I stand frozen in the parking lot, the reality that Damien is gone hitting me. My eyes scan the crowd again, but there’s nothing. No sign of him anywhere. I’ve never felt this kind of desperation before—this gnawing, aching feeling that I’ve lost everything. And it’s my fault. My hands tremble as I wipe my face, clearing away the tears. I look around, the sight of people laughing and chatting as they walk to their cars.I spot an empty car near the edge of the lot, and before I know what I’m doing, I’m climbing onto the hood. The cold metal under my feet feels like the only solid thing in my life right now. I stand there, breathing hard, and people start to look up, curious about the crazy lady that’s standing on a car. They stop walking, turning to see what I’m doing. Some look confused, others amused, but I don’t care. I don’t care about any of it. “Damien!” I shout, my voice cracking as it cuts through the crowd. “Damien, if you’re here, please… please listen
Imogene Scott Lily giggles as she picks at the last piece of her banana pancake. Her tiny fingers are sticky with syrup. I watch her as I rest my head against the back of the chair. But my mind is somewhere else. The bracelet. I close my eyes and tilt my head back, staring up at the ceiling as if the answer is hidden somewhere in the cracks. Did I put it there? Had I forgotten? That’s the only logical explanation. Lately, I’ve been forgetful—missing appointments, losing track of time, misplacing things. Maybe this is just another slip, another thing lost in the chaos of my mind. But it doesn’t feel right. I inhale deeply, my fingers curling into my lap. I need to see it again. “Lily, baby, I’ll be right back,” I say, pushing my chair back. She nods, too focused on her food to question me. I walk upstairs slowly, each step. When I reach my bedroom, I hesitate for a moment before stepping inside. The room is dim. I make my way to the dresser. The drawer creaks
Imogene Scott Lily swings her legs under the table, her tiny feet barely brushing the ground as she happily digs into her mint chocolate ice cream. A small smear of green is at the corner of her mouth. She hums quietly as she eats, completely lost in her own little world. I should be able to enjoy this moment. Watching her be this happy should bring me peace, but it doesn’t. My stomach twists as I stare at her even though my own ice cream is melting in the cup. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have let things get this far. I shouldn’t have let my past mistakes bleed into Lily’s life. She’s just a child, my child, and she deserves to grow up without the weight of my sins pressing down on her. She looks up suddenly, “Mommy, are you okay?” I force a smile, even though my face feels stiff. “Of course, baby.” Lily nods, satisfied with my answer, and goes back to her ice cream. “Very good, Mommy,” she says in her soft, sweet voice before taking another spoonful. I w
Imogene Scott I pull back from Damien’s embrace. He exhales heavily, brushing his fingers over my cheek before saying, "I need to get back to work. I’ll see you at home tonight."I frown. "You don’t think you should go home first? Shower, change?"He smirks, rubbing his jaw. "It’s already midday, I’ll do everything later tonight."I shake my head, wrapping my arms around him again despite the sweat and stress clinging to his skin. "I want to hug you all day even though you smell so bad.""No, I don’t," he scoffs, tightening his hold on me. "You’re just being mean."I smile against his chest, inhaling deeply before stepping back. "Where are you headed now?" he asks, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear."Lily’s school."His expression shifts. "Something wrong?"I open my mouth to say no—because I don’t want to worry him, because I know how he gets—but then I remember: no more secrets. That’s what we promised each other.I press my lips together and nod. "One of Lily’s clas
Damien Shaw I take a deep breath, my fingers tightening around the pen in my hand as I stare at Imogene. The way she’s looking at me—hurt, disappointed—makes something sharp twist in my chest, but I refuse to let it show. I remind myself why I stayed at the office last night, why I drowned myself in work instead of coming home. Because she needs to understand. Because she’s reckless. Because she keeps putting herself in situations that put our family in danger, and she doesn’t seem to grasp that her actions have consequences.But then there’s the guilt too, gnawing at the back of my mind. I didn’t just stay here to punish her—I stayed because I didn’t trust myself not to say something I’d regret. And now, looking at her standing in front of me, holding that ultrasound picture, my resolve wavers.God, I want to take it from her. I want to reach for it, to see them, to feel something other than this exhaustion and frustration. But if I give in too quickly, she’ll think she can get
Imogene Scott The morning air is crisp as I step out of the house, wrapping my coat a little tighter around myself. A light breeze brushes against my skin as I feel the chill settle in my lungs.I climb into my car, my hands gripping the cold steering wheel as I exhale. My mind is full of thoughts, but the one at the forefront is Damien. He didn’t come home last night. I’d stayed up, waiting, hoping the sound of his footsteps would echo through the hallway. But all I got was silence.When I finally called his office, an employee answered and confirmed what I’d already suspected. He had spent the night there, drowning himself in work just to avoid me. That’s how furious he was. My chest tightens as I pull out of the driveway, gripping the steering wheel a little harder.I plan on stopping by his office later, but first, my doctor’s appointment. Then Lily’s school.The hospital is a fifteen-minute drive, but it feels longer. My mind keeps circling back to Damien’s face last night,
Imogene’s pov I watch as Damien storms out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him with a force that rattles the walls. My hands tremble at my sides, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew he would be upset—I expected anger, frustration—but not this kind of fury. Not the kind that makes his voice shake with disappointment, that makes his eyes burn with something dangerously close to resentment.I sit down heavily on the edge of the bed, exhaling a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My mind races. How did he find out? Who told him? And why, after everything, does it still hurt that he’s so mad at me? He’s the only person left standing beside me in this storm, and now I feel like I’m losing him too.Subconsciously, I place my hands over my belly. The twins stir inside me, and I close my eyes. I’m due in two months. Two months until my life changes again. Two months until I’m holding them in my arms. But will I even be here for them? Or will I be behind bars, labeled “
Damien Shaw I step into my office, and the shift in the atmosphere is immediate. The air feels charged, thick with something. Eyes flicker toward me, then dart away, as if my presence is suddenly a weight they can’t bear to acknowledge. It’s been like this for days—whispers in the corridors, hushed conversations that stop the moment I step too close.They see me as a man protecting a murderer.I clench my jaw, ignoring the way my employees’ gazes follow me as I make my way to my office. The door clicks shut behind me, and I exhale slowly, my fingers pressing against my temples. The scandal is bleeding into IMU, seeping into the cracks, poisoning the foundation I spent years building. It isn’t just the company’s reputation at stake—investors are losing faith, deals are slipping through the cracks.And worst of all, there’s no solid proof that Imogene is innocent.I sit down, leaning back in my chair, the leather creaking beneath my weight. I need a plan. Something to turn this arou
Imogene Scott I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles whitening as I pull into the parking lot of the police station. My heart is hammering against my ribcage, so loud it nearly drowns out the hum of the engine. A part of me screams to turn back, to go home, to pretend I never got that text. But another part—the logical, rational part—knows that avoiding this will only make me look guilty.I take a deep breath, steadying myself before stepping out of the car. I pull my coat tighter around my body, trying to suppress the shiver crawling up my spine. The station’s glass doors slide open, and I walk in, my heels clicking against the tiled floor. The fluorescent lights overhead are too bright, making my skin prickle.A female officer greets me. “Mrs. Shaw, this way.”My stomach clenches. My voice feels lodged in my throat as I follow her down the hall. She leads me into an interrogation room, and I hesitate before stepping inside. The walls are bare, painted a dull gray, and the sing
Imogene scott The next morning I wake up early to make breakfast for Damien as a thank you for the ice cream yesterday. It’s not like I was able to sleep anyway. I slip into my flip flops and walk out of the room. Damien is still sleeping because it’s still 6:30pm. The scent of scrambled eggs hits me the moment I step off the last stair. I pause. That’s strange. It’s Saturday. Sheila shouldn’t be here this early. I pull my robe tighter around my body, shivering even though the house is warm. I walk into the kitchen to see Sheila standing at the stove, humming softly as she stirs a pan of eggs. There’s already a plate of bacon resting on the counter, and the coffee machine is also gurgling.“Sheila?” I say.She looks over her shoulder, startled. “Oh! Morning, Imogene.” I frown. “What are you doing here so early?” Sheila blinks at me, then lets out a small chuckle like I just told a joke she doesn’t quite get. “You asked me to come early today.” My stomach dips. “I did?”