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The sterile air in the hospital room clung to me heavily with the weight of news I had just received. The quiet hum of the machines, the muted beeping of monitors, and the murmurs of voices in the hallway fell into the background, sitting on the edge of the bed, numb from the inside out. I couldn't wrap my brain around it: pregnant. with Noah's child. I felt my whole world had been turned upside down, spinning off its axis into some dark, unknowable void.I saw the gleam in Noah's eyes, smug satisfaction twisting his features into some grotesque parody of joy, as he came in. He strode across the room as though he now owned it; this was his victory, the prize he'd won. My stomach churned, the sickening feeling settling into my belly, with nothing else but dread and revulsion.Christie," he said, his voice thick and husky with an undercurrent of possession that did more to crawl down my skin than burrow itself deep within me. He leaned into the bed with all the slow deliberation of a con
It was clear now: I would not win this battle through brute force, resistance, or even appeals for mercy. Noah was immovable; his obsession with me stronger than any amount of fear or guilt he'd had. The only way I was going to escape now was by changing tactics, even if that meant betraying every instinct inside of me.It made my skin crawl even to think about it, but the desperation to be free-and the child I was now carrying-along with me drove me to extreme measures, suddenly very real-ones I never thought I'd consider. I had to make Noah believe I finally came around, that I had accepted him as my partner and that I was ready to let go of the past to build a future together. I had to lie to him, make him feel that he had won me while, in the reality of it, I was buying my time until the right moment to flee appeared.Countless hours in front of the mirror, practicing the smiles that once came out so effortlessly from me, trying to remember the warmth that once burned inside my eye
By the time we reached this rooftop café, the setting sun had already dipped below the mid-sky and was casting a golden glow over the city. The air was warm, tinged with the scent of fresh flowers and the faint hum of evening traffic below. It was a place that, under other circumstances, I could almost have found charming-an intimate little retreat where couples might lose themselves in each other's company, far above the noise and confusion of the world below. Tonight, however, the beauty of the setting only accentuated the tension knotted in my stomach. I was here on a date with Noah-a man I had come to despise, but whom I had to convince of my love.We strolled over the rooftop as my heart jolled in my chest. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, scrutinizing my every move, every expression. I knew this wasn't just a date; it was a test. Noah was giving me just enough freedom to test whether I would betray him-if I would try and run. He was watching me, waiting for any sign tha
That night air had been a little keener than I'd expected, and by the time we returned to the apartment, I could feel it starting to seep into my bones. The flurry of excitement and adrenaline that had seen me through the evening quickly evaporated, replaced by extreme weariness. I ignored it at first, chalking it up to the stress of keeping my mask so long. But then, waking to the pounding headache, an exhaustion that had somehow become bone-deep by the next morning, I knew something was wrong.Noah was beside me in an instant, concern etched across his face, a cool hand pressed to my forehead. The fire that had so recently begun to build inside me was untempered by his touch. I tried to brush him off, to insist it was nothing, just a bit of a cold, but my voice was weak; the protests little more than a whisper."You're burning up," Noah said, his tone tight with concern. He didn't wait for me to argue, but called straight away for the doctor. I lay there, too tired to fight him, too
Finally, when Noah announced his mother was coming to visit, a switch went off in my head, and I knew I had a chance, finally, a glimmer in the darkness which had swallowed my life whole. It had been weeks of pretending, of smiling over gritted teeth and soft words of affection towards a man I despised. I had just about convinced myself I was pulling it off, that Noah was swallowing the act, that my ticket out of there was practically within sight. But with each passing day, desperation had grown, chafing at the edges of my carefully constructed mask. News of his mother's visit sent an electric jolt of adrenaline through me. She would know, instinctively, how colossally wrong it was-a mother above all else. She had to acknowledge the insanity of my son's actions and help me get out of this nightmare.The day she came, I was cool as cucumber, though an unrest stirred inside. Well-dressed, carefully chosen words, and that false love that had become my shield, I opened the door for her wi
I had hoped that her coming would provide some relief, a way out from this nightmare, but it wasn't long before such hopes were merely another word. Far from being an ally I desperately needed, Evelyn became an added layer to this prison. Her eyes were always on me, cold and calculating, as if she wanted to unravel whether my affection for Noah was real or just a ruse. She wasn't an idiot; she knew her son's tendencies toward the darker side, and she was determined to make sure that I didn't do anything to hurt him-or what was more important-to embarrass the family.Each day, her presence weighed heavily upon me. I felt her eyes on me, piercing into my skin, weighing every word I said, every gesture I made. I was always on my guard; my head racing with the need to seem obedient, loving, loyal. Yet, inside, I was coming undone. The effort of keeping up the charade-of keeping at bay the terror and despair that threatened to engulf me-was taking its toll. Weaker, paler, frailer by the day
When I finally opened up to Dr. Johnson about the life I had lived before Noah, it was as though a dam had broken inside of me. The words came out in a flood-brimming over one another in my desperation to make him understand. I told him about Seth-my husband, the man I loved, the man I'd been torn away from. I described the life that we had built together, the home we had shared in my hometown, and how everything fell apart the moment Noah had come into my life like a hurricane, tearing me away from everything and everyone I loved.Dr. Johnson listened intently to me, his face a mask of deep concern, as I recounted my story. "You have to help me get back to him," I pleaded, my voice cracking under the weight of all that I had been through. "Seth doesn't even know what's happened to me. He must think. he must think I'm gone forever. I need to get back to him, Dr. Johnson. He's my only hope.".He nodded, his eyes unyielding. "I'll do all I can, Christie. You've been through quite enough.
It felt as if, for the first time in eternity, I was starting to feel like myself. Being back with Seth, in the apartment we shared, brought into my life a peace that I never imagined was possible after everything that happened to me. I could feel myself smiling more, even laughing at little things Seth would say or do to get me to be comfortable with him again. It was as if I had been pulled from the grave, taking in fresh air for the first time after existing in a suffocating nightmare.Day by day, each one marks the stride to healing, like gradually and relentlessly rising from darkness. We would go on long walks in the neighborhood, take meals together at the dining table as we used to, and spend evenings curled up on the couch, watching movies or just talking softly about our future. Seth was never pushy for me to talk of the horrors I faced in the hands of Noah unless I am ready, understanding and patient. He was everything I needed him to be-my anchor, my refuge.But even as lif
The morning sunbeams were streaming through the bedroom windows, warm and golden, that covered everything with a soft glow. I slept in a bit later than usual, enjoying the serenity that had become a constant in my life. Life had changed in so many ways, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I was finally happy.I turned to my side and smiled at Seth, still sleeping beside me. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, his face relaxed, and his hand rested near mine as if he unconsciously sought me even in his dreams. This was my life now—this love, this stability, this sense of belonging.A soft flutter in my stomach made me smile even wider. The secret I had been carrying for weeks was growing stronger, more real, and soon I would share it with Seth. This thought filled my heart with equal parts of excitement and nervousness, but mostly joy.I slipped out of bed without waking him, padding into the kitchen. The house was quiet, the silent kind that makes you feel at home
~Noah’s pov~The walk back to my apartment seemed to stretch endlessly. My feet moved in a mechanical sequence, one in front of the other, but my mind went round and round, reenacting the scene at Christie and Seth's house. Her words echoed louder than the traffic, louder than the distant hum of the city."I don't belong to you. I never did."I had been so sure—so certain—that if I just showed up, if I just made her see what we had, she would remember. That she would feel the same pull, the same ache that I had carried with me since the day we parted. But she hadn't. Her gaze had been steady, her voice firm, as she told me that she had moved on. That the new Christie didn't need me. Didn't want me.When I finally reached my apartment, I sank onto the couch without bothering to turn on the lights. The dim glow of the streetlamp outside cast long shadows across the room, fitting for how I felt inside.It was the first time in years that I allowed myself to think—really think—about every
I heard a knock. It was sharp and insistent against the quiet rhythm of our morning. I was at the sink, washing dishes, while Seth worked on something at the table. The sound jarred me, and for an instant, I hesitated. Something about it—urgent, almost aggressive—put me on guard."I will get that," Seth said, already standing up from his seat.I quickly dried my hands and trailed after him, wondering and afraid. He opened the door, and I was to confront the last person I could have expected to meet- Noa.He looked exactly as I recalled him: tall, broad-shouldered, blonde hair tousled. There was something in his eyes, though, that I had never seen before: desperation.Christie, he whispered aloud, his voice low but fervent, his eyes fixed hard on mine.I froze as if my breath was physically caught in my throat. It was to see a ghost, a fragment of a life that no longer exists for me. Seth tensed up beside me, his grip on the door's edge tightening."Finally, Noah," I said, my voice cra
The restaurant was warm and dimly lit. A faint aroma of garlic and freshly baked bread clung to the air. Seth sat across from me, as calm and steady as always, his fingers lightly tapping against the base of his wine glass. I studied him discreetly: a sharp line of his jaw, a slight crease between his brows when he was lost in deep thought. He looked utterly, amazingly tired, as if he wanted tonight different, better.I also wanted it.The past weeks were turbulent, and therefore a jumbled mass of feelings that I couldn't make sense of.Memories I thought I'd long since buried—the evanescent meetings with Noah, leftovers from a life that had belonged to someone else—emerged now to haunt me at odd moments. So long I had harbored these memories, allowing them a slice of myself. Now sitting here with Seth, I see just how much they took.Christie?" Seth broke into my thoughts, his voice soft but tinged with angst.I blinked, realizing that I had silently stared at him. "Sorry," I said qui
Seth had come down with a fever recently. Illness had washed the colour from his cheeks and put shadows under his eyes. More than his look, though, the silence that crept in during those days seemed to live in my head: distance, but not out of malice. More out of fear.I hovered by the door of our bedroom, hesitant to step inside. Seth had asked me to come in, his voice steady but with an edge of something I couldn’t quite place. Resignation, perhaps? Pain? I couldn’t tell. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. This was the man who had been my anchor, my unwavering support, and now he seemed so… tired.I entered at last, and he sat on the edge of the bed. His shoulders were slumped, heavy with a weight I didn't understand yet. He looked at me then, his dark eyes softer than usual but unmistakably determined. My stomach tightened at the look."Christie," he said, his voice calm but strained. "We need to talk."My heart sank. Those words—they were never good. They heralded endings, s
Walking home with Noah, I felt a lightness in my chest that I hadn't felt in so long. It was as if a weight had been placed upon one shoulder and then, in effect, had flipped to the other, if only for a fleeting moment. I laughed at something he said; in this case, not really listening to what he said, but to the comfort enfolding us. It was a cool evening air, adorned with a soft breeze that brushed my cheeks, and streetlights softly lit the path before us. I knew I should not have agreed to walk with him. I knew this was wrong. But Noah had this strange pull on me, something that was beyond explanation and resistant to stopping.His presence felt familiar and cozy, and at this moment I cleared all the mess and madness from my mind. I let myself enjoy it, let myself pretend everything was easy and matter-of-fact, despite knowing deep inside of me that it wasn't.I should have stepped back when approaching that house. Reality was slowly sinking in: where and what I was doing stood rig
The air was crisp in the afternoon, and I had to leave the workplace, my mind buzzing with routine as it has just completed. It was an ordinary day in all aspects, yet it felt off about it somehow. I don't know if it was the heavy clouds that hung low in the sky, threatening to break and pour rain anytime, or maybe it was the strange heaviness that I had been carrying with me these past few days—the weight that I couldn't explain. Seth has been so patient and loving, but I still felt. unsettled about something.I wasn't expecting to see him again-Noah. It had been unsettling enough the last time we met, but there he was, literally standing by the aisle of the same departmental store I wandered into, tossing items into a basket as if this were something absolutely normal in his world. My heart skipped a beat the moment I recognized him. It had resulted in betraying my body with a flush of heat that I couldn't ignore. I tried to calm my breathing, try and remind myself of everything Set
As we walked into that house that night, my brain would still glisten with the words spewed by Seth. All that weight, all that heaviness - Noah and those lies, manipulation, twisted web which life has become. My chest felt like it was stuck in some heavy fog, where nothing could be distinguished clearly, nothing trusted as what was thought to be known. Even Seth, the man who had been there for me, seemed at a distance somehow. The puzzle he'd given me, it seemed, was not pieced back together either; no matter how very hard I tried, those pieces wouldn't mesh.Seth treated me gently when he brought me home, like fragile glass that might break if one breathed too hard on it. And in his eyes, I saw the worry, the sadness, the hope that maybe, just maybe, this was the night that might change things between us. I had seen him trying everything to make me feel special, make me smile, and a part of me wanted to give him what he so desperately needed: a sign that I was coming back to him. Tha
I thought Seth was taking a leave from work for spending the day with me, which rather seemed to be a sweet gesture, but deep inside, upset me. We had been so tensed against each other lately without either of us being able fully to articulate what was nagging; it would always hang there in mid-air like an invisible barrier. While I would have liked to dissuade him from leaving, at the same time, I could not reject him. Seth had tried hard to make things be normal by bending over backward and doing all in his power; the least I could do was try to meet him halfway.We went out to a great little restaurant. It had a warm, cozy atmosphere. The low illuminations were rich in earth tones. After all, there isn't a setting more perfect for anyone who ever wanted to feel at ease. Couples were scattered all over the room, some laughing, some whispering low over glasses of wine, and it was one of those scenes-the kind of atmosphere which usually lulled me into a state of peace, but tonight mad