Chapter 0002

Racheal sank into her couch, her hands mindlessly reaching for the array of junk food scattered on the coffee table. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the saltiness of the chips she stuffed into her mouth.

It had been a month since everything fell apart, and though she put on a brave face for the world, the cracks were deep, and her pain felt endless.

Each day blurred into the next, filled with crying, overeating, and self-loathing. She had gained weight rapidly, her once healthy glow fading as she neglected herself, forgetting about the tiny heartbeat that depended on her.

The sound of the front door opening snapped her out of her daze. Chloe, her best friend, walked in, her face brightening with a warm smile that quickly faded when she saw Racheal.

There she was, slouched on the couch, her swollen eyes red from crying, her hair in disarray, and surrounded by empty wrappers. She looked like a broken shell of the vibrant woman Chloe once knew.

"Racheal," Chloe said, her voice tinged with concern. "You look like a sad potato left out in the sun too long." She tried to make light of it, but her heart broke seeing her friend like this. "Come on, babe. You can’t keep doing this to yourself."

Racheal sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “I don’t know how to stop, Chloe. Everything just... hurts.”

“It’s been a month, girl!” Chloe's voice rose, frustration edging her words as she tossed her bag onto the chair. “You’re still crying over that douchebag? He’s not worth it!”

Racheal’s sobs intensified, her shoulders shaking with every breath. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Chloe!” she wailed, her voice cracking.

“I have a child growing inside me, and there’s no father. It’s all too much.” She choked on her own words, tears mixing with snot as she messily wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I don’t know how to be strong for this baby when I feel so weak.”

Chloe’s heart clenched at the sight of her best friend falling apart. She moved closer, gripping Racheal’s shoulders firmly, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

“There, there, it’s okay, baby,” Chloe whispered, her voice soothing as she stroked Racheal’s hair, trying to comfort her through her own pain. She hated seeing Racheal like this—defeated, lost, and drowning in a sea of despair.

But Racheal’s mind was still trapped, unable to accept the harsh reality of her situation. She hadn’t come to terms with Victor leaving, her thoughts clinging to the faint hope that maybe, just maybe, it was all a bad dream she’d eventually wake up from.

She still half-expected to hear his keys jingling at the door, his voice filling the empty rooms. A delusional fantasy that she couldn’t shake, even though Victor had made his choice loud and clear—he was gone, and he wasn’t coming back.

“You’re not alone in this,” Chloe murmured, holding Racheal tighter. “I know it feels like the end, but it’s not. We’re going to figure this out. You’re stronger than you think, and you don’t need him to be a great mom. We’ll get through this together.”

After helping Racheal calm down, Chloe brushed her friend’s messy hair out of her face, trying to restore a sense of normalcy. “Come on,” Chloe said gently, standing up and offering her hand. “Let’s go to the kitchen. Help me whip up something good. It’ll take your mind off things.”

Racheal hesitated but eventually took Chloe’s hand, letting her friend guide her to the kitchen. It was a small gesture, but Chloe knew that keeping Racheal busy, even for a few minutes, was better than letting her spiral deeper into her grief.

Since the divorce, Chloe had been the only one taking care of her, practically moving in to ensure Racheal wasn’t completely alone with her thoughts. Chloe had become the sister Racheal always wished Evelyn could be, someone who actually cared.

As they shuffled around the kitchen, Chloe’s eyes flicked to Racheal’s vacant stare. It was more than just heartbreak—there was a lifetime of hurt simmering beneath the surface. Racheal was an orphan, adopted by Evelyn’s parents when she was just a child. She had always tried to be good to but instead they treated her like trash.

Chloe watched Racheal’s pained expression as she chopped the vegetables, her movements robotic and disconnected.

It broke Chloe’s heart to see her best friend so lost, and she wished she could take the pain away, even if just for a moment. Chloe continued stirring the pot, her mind racing with ways to help Racheal rebuild, to remind her of the strong, resilient woman she used to be.

“You know,” Chloe began, trying to keep her tone light, “we should do something fun, just us girls. A weekend getaway or even just a spa day. You need a break, Racheal. A real one.”

Racheal gave a half-hearted smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t know, Chloe. I feel so... heavy. I can’t pretend to be okay when I’m not. Everywhere I turn, it’s like there’s a ghost of what I lost.”

Chloe set the spoon down, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she walked over to Racheal. She took the knife from her friend’s trembling hands and pulled her into a tight hug. “You don’t have to be okay right now. But you have to keep moving, for yourself and for your baby. You are not defined by the people who hurt you.”

Racheal leaned into the embrace, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. Chloe’s warmth was the only thing holding her together. “I just... I don’t know how to be anything other than this mess, Chloe. I thought I had everything figured out. I thought Victor and I would be together forever. But Evelyn—” Her voice wavered, anger mingling with the hurt. “She took everything from me. And now I’m just... empty.”

Chloe pulled back slightly, cupping Racheal’s face in her hands. “Evelyn didn’t take everything. You still have yourself, and you still have me. You have your baby. And that’s a start.”

Racheal was about to say something, her lips parting to speak, when the television suddenly blared with breaking news. Both women’s heads turned to the screen, where a flashy headline in bold, all-capital letters demanded their attention:

“BILLIONAIRE VICTOR SEEN WITH EVELYN BLACKWOOD, SPORTING A BABY BUMP WHILE SHOPPING FOR BABY CLOTHES. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? IS VICTOR THE FATHER OF EVELYN’S BABY? AND WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS OTHER WIFE? STAY TUNED.”

The words hit Racheal like a punch to the gut. She froze, her breath hitching as images of Victor and Evelyn filled the screen. There they were, smiling and looking every bit the happy couple as they strolled through the baby store, Evelyn’s swollen belly unmistakable. Victor’s hand rested protectively on her back, his face lit up with the same joy Racheal had once seen when he looked at her.

Racheal’s vision blurred as tears welled up, the room spinning around her. It felt like she was watching her worst nightmare unfold in real time. The man who had vowed to love her, who she had once believed was her forever, was now flaunting his new life with the very person who had ripped her world apart.

Chloe quickly grabbed the remote, fumbling to mute the TV, but it was too late. The damage was done. Racheal staggered back, her legs weak beneath her, and she clutched the counter for support. “No...” she whispered, her voice breaking as the tears she’d been holding back spilled over. “No, no, no. This can’t be happening

Racheal’s knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the kitchen floor, her hands clutching her chest as though she could physically hold her heart together. “I can't believe this! What! What the fuck!,” she repeated louder.

She rocked back and forth, the disbelief twisting her insides. Each image of Victor and Evelyn together was like salt on an open wound, raw and unrelenting.

Chloe dropped to her knees beside her, her heart breaking for her friend. “Racheal, listen to me,” she pleaded, holding Racheal’s trembling hands. “You have to breathe. Don’t let them destroy you. They aren’t worth this.”

But Racheal couldn’t hear her. The weight of the betrayal was crushing her, pulling her under. Every dream she’d ever had—the white picket fence, the family, the life she’d built in her mind—was gone. All she could see was Evelyn, glowing and happy, living the life that should have been hers.

“How could he do this to me?” Racheal sobbed, her tears flowing freely. “I gave him everything, Chloe. I was his wife. I loved him. And now… now he’s having a baby with her.” Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with the force of her grief.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Racheal, her own eyes stinging with tears she refused to shed. “You are so much more than this moment,” she whispered fiercely. “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you will get through this. Victor is nothing but a liar, and Evelyn… she’s not worth your tears.”

Racheal pulled away, wiping her face with the back of her hand, but the tears wouldn’t stop. “Why wasn’t I enough? Why did he choose her?” The questions spilled out, the doubts and fears she had buried since the divorce now laid bare. It wasn’t just anger; it was the deep, soul-crushing pain of not feeling worthy, of being discarded like she was nothing.

Chloe shook her head, her grip tightening on Racheal’s arms. “This isn’t about you, Racheal. This is about them. They’re broken, selfish people, and they don’t deserve you. You are enough, more than enough, and one day, you’ll see that.”

Racheal nodded, trying to muster the strength Chloe saw in her, but every breath felt like dragging her lungs through broken glass. Her vision blurred as the weight of everything pressed down on her chest, tighter and tighter. The room felt smaller, the air thinner, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped, suffocated by her own pain.

Chloe’s voice seemed distant, her words a muffled echo that barely reached Racheal’s ears. “One step at a time,” Chloe repeated, her face full of concern. “We’ll get through this together.”

But Racheal couldn’t respond. Her head was spinning, the edges of her vision darkening. She tried to stand, to shake off the dizziness, but her legs wobbled beneath her. She reached out, gripping the edge of the counter for support, but her fingers slipped, weak and trembling.

“Racheal?” Chloe’s voice broke through, sharp with alarm. She stepped closer, watching as Racheal’s face drained of color. “Hey, are you okay? Racheal!”

Racheal’s world tilted, and before she could process what was happening, her knees buckled. She collapsed, her body crumpling to the floor in a lifeless heap. The last thing she heard was Chloe’s frantic scream, her name echoing through the house as everything went black.