I thought I had it all. I thought I’d finally cracked the code. I thought my mom was wrong when she said all men are the same-that all men are scum and will leave you without notice. Well, the saying “Mama knows best…” I learned it the hard way. Because indeed, Mama knows best. I should’ve listened when she warned me. I should’ve been more cautious. After two years of marriage, Nate decided he didn’t want me anymore, and I don’t even deserve to know why. That night, he took everything from me. He turned everyone against me. And just when I thought life was going back to normal, when I was finally picking up the broken pieces, he comes knocking. “I’m sorry, Elara. I want you back. Please, come back to me,” Nate pleads. “I will do whatever you want me to do.”
View MoreELARA’S POV
“So, when are you going to tell your husband?” Dr. Rivers asks, her tone laced with concern, but not without the familiarity of someone who knows me well enough to press for answers. “I’ll tell him soon,” I reply with a soft laugh, even though she can’t see the forced smile stretching across my face. Four days ago, I found out I was six weeks pregnant, and it still feels surreal. Nate and I have been trying for almost a year. After every negative test, I tried not to lose hope, but disappointment clung to me like a shadow. When my period was late this time, I didn’t let myself get excited. I went to the clinic for confirmation, too afraid to believe the two faint lines on the home test. And then Dr. Rivers confirmed it. I’m pregnant. A little flutter stirs in my chest just thinking about it. I’ve imagined this moment so many times, telling Nate, seeing his face light up, the overwhelming joy of knowing we finally made it. But my joy comes with an undercurrent of worry. “There’s something else,” Dr. Rivers had said at the clinic, her tone soft yet serious. “Your uterine lining is very thin. There’s a high chance of complications, Elara.” She explained that I’d need regular monitoring, possibly bed rest. If we want to protect this pregnancy, Nate and I will need to attend her clinic together. He’ll have to sign some documents before we move forward with any treatment plans. “You can’t put this off for long,” Dr. Rivers urges again now, her voice gently prodding. “I need to start you on medication at your next appointment. It’s really important.” “I know,” I say quickly, my voice tight with guilt. “I will tell him. I promise.” “Elara…” Her tone carries that familiar warning, like she knows I might not follow through. “I swear, I’ll tell him tonight.” I inhale deeply, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “It’s our anniversary. I’ll give him the big news over dinner. I want it to be special.” There’s a pause on the other end, and then she softens. “Well, happy anniversary! I hope it’s everything you want it to be.” “Thank you—” “Elara Lilith!” my mother’s voice bellows from the kitchen, pulling me back to reality. “I’ve got to go, Rivers,” I say quickly. “I’ll see you soon.” “Don’t forget, no excuses this time.” “I won’t,” I promise and hang up before she can say anything else. I hurry toward the kitchen, heart pounding in my chest. “If you dragged me here for anything other than that casserole, I’m going to be very annoyed,” my mother says the moment I step into the room. She sits on the kitchen island, legs crossed, holding a glass of wine as if she’s a queen surveying her domain. “Mom!” I gasp, rushing to the stove just in time to save the potatoes from burning. “You couldn’t turn off the burner? What if they burned?” She shrugs without a trace of guilt. “Well, you weren’t too worried about them while you were off whispering God knows what to who ever it was you were on the phone with.” Heat floods my cheeks. I haven’t told anyone about the pregnancy yet not even my mom. I wanted Nate to be the first to know. “I only agreed to help with the casserole because it’s for your anniversary,” she grumbles, swirling her wine. “I can’t believe you’re making me cook for a man.” “Mom!” I laugh, giving the potatoes a final stir. “You know my rule, men do not deserve my culinary genius,” she adds, sipping from her glass like she’s reciting gospel. I shake my head, amused. “Nate isn’t just any man though, he’s your son-in-law.” “Only because you married him,” she says with a huff, though there’s a twinkle of affection in her eye. Despite her complaints, she spent the entire afternoon perfecting the casserole. My mom isn’t just any cook she’s a five-star chef with four Michelin stars to her name, and she takes every opportunity to remind people of that. “Well, if Nate gets an exception, maybe other men will, too,” I tease. “Say something like that again, and I’ll leave you to finish the casserole alone,” she threatens, though her grin gives her away. She places her empty wine glass on the counter and i stare the nearly finished meal. “Are you sure you don’t want to go out tonight? I could always pull some strings at the restaurant for you.” “No, thanks,” I say, arranging the plates on the dinning table. “This year, I wanted something a little more intimate just the two of us. No distractions, no waiters.” My mom arches a brow. “Sometimes I think you were switched at birth. There’s no way someone with my DNA prefers home cooked meals over a five star dining experience.” I laugh, nudging her playfully. “I guess you’ll just have to accept that I’m a hopeless romantic.” Her phone buzzes on the counter, and she glances at the screen with a sigh. “I need to take this.” She steps into the living room, leaving me to finish setting the table. After a few minutes, she reappears, purse slung over her shoulder. “I have to run, sweetheart. Something came up at the restaurant Alejandro’s messing things up again.” I try to hide my disappointment. “Already? Can’t you stay a little longer?” “Sorry, honey. Duty calls.” She grabs my car keys from the hook by the door. “Happy anniversary, sweetheart,” she says, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. “Thanks—” The door shuts behind her before I can finish. I stand there for a moment, letting out a small sigh. I was hoping she’d stay longer, but I knew better than to expect it. At least she helped with the casserole. With everything ready, I head upstairs to get dressed. Nate will be home soon. I pull out a short red dress, his favorite and carefully apply some makeup. After brushing my hair, I glance at myself in the mirror and smile. Tonight is going to be perfect. On the dresser sits a small brown envelope: the one with the test results inside. I pick it up, my heart thumping with anticipation. In just a few minutes , Nate will know. The sound of the front door opening makes my heart leap. I rush out of the room, clutching the envelope tightly in my hands. At the top of the stairs, I spot him Nate, standing in the entryway, still in his black suit. His brown hair is slightly tousled, and the weariness in his eyes tells me it’s been a long day. “Nate!” I call out, practically flying down the stairs to greet him. I wrap my arms around him, inhaling the familiar scent of his woody cologne. “Happy anni—” “I want a divorce,” he says, cutting me off before I can finish.NATE'S POV Every part of me wanted to stay. Fight a little harder. Maybe if I had, she would’ve let me? Maybe. But she made her choice. And the last thing I ever want to do is make her uncomfortable in her own home. She’s mad at me — she has every right to be. Hell, I don’t deserve a damn thing from her. I messed up. When I had her, I took her for granted, thinking it was the only way to protect her. But I thought wrong. I should’ve known better. I should’ve been better. I’ve been screwing things up for a long time now. But this time, I swear I’m going to be different. Elara doesn’t need me bulldozing my way back into her life. My eyes flick to her house. The lights are still on. She’s no longer standing at the window. It’s been a little while since I sent the texts, She hasn’t replied but she read them. And for now... that’s enough. At least she knows she’s not alone. Even if she doesn’t want me close. Even if she can't trust me yet. When she s
ELARA’S POV He takes a breath, trying to reel in his temper. “If I leave, we leave. I’m not going unless you come with me. I can’t imagine you staying here all alone and no security” he states with finality in his tone. We? that just didn’t rub me the right way, he can’t come in here and demand that I leave with him. I arch a brow. “We? There is no we, Nathaniel. There never will be.” He messed up the ‘we’. Now there can never be one not again. He can’t be reliable, and I don’t think I can trust that he won’t try anything. It might all start with him staying over. Then he’d probably decide to make this an every night thing. Or come up with reason to stay close. I know Nate and this is how it starts with him. Then, I’d probably start making excuses for him. Then I might let my guard down. And I can’t let that happen. I still have the scars he left me with even though I’ve been shoving them far away, trying my best to forget they’re there. I can feel them. I remembe
ELARA’S POV “What do you mean they were trying to bug my house?” The words tumble out of me in disbelief as I stare at the truth, the two tiny cameras in his hands. I don’t think I have any enemies. Well… maybe I’ve made a few along the way, but I don’t think they’d stoop as low as spying on me. why would someone even decided to spy on me? my life isnt that eventful. Nate’s jaw tightens as he turns to me from where he was surveying the area. “This is very obvious, El. Someone is trying to keep tabs on you.” “Okay, it might be a silly mistake. Maybe they were looking for another house—” “I don’t think so. That van has been out there since I got here.” “How long have you been here?” I couldn’t help but ask, did he stay long before he knocked? “A long time. A very long time. And they were here even before I was.” I think I also saw that black van when I came back from work. But I don’t want those thoughts to be true. It can’t be. “Still—” “These aren’t cheap knock-off
ELARA’S POV I don’t know what I’m doing as I reach for the doorknob and step out of the house. The cold air bites at my exposed skin. I shouldn’t open the door. I should leave him standing out there in the cold until he gets the message. But I open it anyway. And I see him, standing outside the gate. The moment the entrance creaks open, his eyes find mine. And for a second, we just stare at each other. He looks rough. Tired eyes. Ruffled hair. Wrinkled shirt like he’s been pacing for hours or didn’t even bother changing after work. “What do you want?” I ask flatly, not stepping aside to let him in. “I needed to see you,” he says. My grip on the door tightens. “Congratulations. You’ve seen me. Now leave.” “El…” he lets out a sigh. “I’m afraid I don’t have anyone for you to beat up today, Nate.” The street is quiet. No one’s out here except him and me. A black van is parked a few steps away. I think I saw it there earlier when I came home probably belongs to one
ELARA’S POV The rest of Rob’s conversation fades into the background as a strange unease creeps up my spine. “Elara?” His voice tugs me back to the present. “Are you okay?” he asks again, eyes narrowing as he studies me. “You’ve been staring out there a lot.” I blink and take a quick sip of my drink, masking the sudden chill running down my arms. “Well…” I hesitate. Should I say it out loud? Would I sound crazy? "well..." he repreats leaning closer. Maybe I should ask... “Okay, this might sound weird, but… I think someone’s watching us.” His gaze follows my discreet point toward the glass wall of the café. The street is a little quiet, as the warm orange glow of the evening lights is in the distance. Rob frowns. “Where?” “I don’t know exactly. But it’s from that angle,” I say, motioning to it. “It’s like… I can feel it. And it’s making me really uncomfortable.” He’s quiet for a beat. Then, “I think I feel it too.” Relief washes over me. See? I’m not imagin
ELARA’S POV “You finally decide to show up,” Rob said, turning to Kyle as he strolled into the elevator, his usual scowl etched on his face. Kyle hit the button and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Do I have a choice?” “Someone’s grumpy,” Rob muttered, nudging me with a smirk. I didn’t laugh. My gaze stayed a second too long on Kyle, his jaw clenched, shoulders seem tense. His eyes caught mine, and my chest tightened. I looked away quickly.As a deafening silence bang creeping in rob spoke. “Where’ve you been all weekend?” “Busy.” Kyle didn’t even open his eyes. My thoughts flashed to Saturday. To Nate. The tension. Kyle’s disappointed look in his eye before he left, it still weighed heavy. Rob’s voice faded into the back ground. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stepped out like the hallway was on fire. “I don’t think we’ll manage that tour today,” Rob said, eyes glued to his phone. “Something’s up with my a project.” “What’s the issue?” Kyle ask. “the Italian
ELARA’S POV “Is that all we have to discuss?” I ask, to no one in particular. I’m currently in the conference room for the staff meeting. Normally, I’m good with it excited for it, even, sometimes. But today? Not so much. Even though it’s just, me the operations team, a few from sales, and finance. Plus the meetings never take long because well we have a small company. It’s a few minutes in and I’m already tired. For one, I’ve been staring at screens way too much lately, because all I’ve been doing after my very eventful Saturday is burying myself in work. I decided to forget everything that happened and just focus, but that came with consequences. Every time I glance at the screen in front of me, it feels like torture. And honestly, the last place I want to be is the office. But then again, I don’t have a choice. “Well, ma’am,” Olivia, who’s standing in front of the projector begins, “the reports are in order, and this is the rundown we have for last month’s operation
NATE’S POV As much as I wanted to believe he was bluffing, and this was just some twisted way of him trying to make me invest in his business, but then again, there was a high chance he wasn’t. That look in his eyes, the smug smile and the confidence he had as he spoke, its making me rethink it. I need to be sure for safety reasons I stood frozen in the middle of the room, Jake’s words replaying like a broken record in my head. “The records.” That was the hint he’d left me with. That smug bastard never played fair, and the fact that he wasn’t bluffing this time sent a chill down my spine. I looked around my penthouse, feeling more trapped than safe. It was silent, save for the ticking clock on the wall, and suddenly, even that sound felt too loud. My hand throbbed from the earlier injury, a dull ache pulsing through the bandage, but I couldn’t focus on the pain right now. I needed to get to a phone. Fast. My eyes scan the living area, then it lands on my office. I moved to
NATE’S POV “Took you long enough to finally get home, huh?” Jake turned to me, a smug smile on his face. “Jacob Hales,” I muttered. “What the heck are you doing in my house?” It had been a while since I laid eyes on my cousin. A while since he’d tried anything to ruin my image or take the company from me. And even though it meant fewer things to deal with, I always knew he hadn’t given up. I knew he’d try to pull something again. Whatever it was, though, I didn’t think I was interested at least, not right now. “How have you been, big brother?” he asked, completely ignoring my question as he dropped onto one of the couches. “Well, from that wrapped hand, I’d say… not very good, right?” he taunted. “Why are you here, Jake? I’ve had a long day, and you’re the last person I want to entertain right now.” “Oh, well, I came to congratulate you on the success of the branch.” “Oh, cut the crap. We both know that’s the last thing you want to do. Besides, Marcus is going to be
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