Chapter 1"Oh my God, congrats! What's the baby's name?"
My bestie Evelyn's face went pale. "Leo... Sterling."
My stomach dropped. "Sterling? Wait, that's my husband's last name. What are the odds?"
She mumbled something and looked away.
I left the hospital but remembered her gift in my car. Walked back.
That's when I saw him.
My husband—gone two years on "classified missions"—walking into her room with roses.
He grabbed her hand. "Babe, you were incredible."
My world exploded.
Then my mom appeared, holding the baby, grinning ear to ear. "Look! He's already smiling at Daddy!"
Sterling. Grayson Sterling.
My best friend. My husband. My own mother.
They're the family.
I'm the joke.
---
I should've kicked that door down. Should've grabbed him and screamed until my throat bled.
When did you start sleeping with her? How long have you been lying to my face?
But the second Grayson looked up, I ran.
Like I was the one who didn't belong. Like I was the homewrecker.
I barely made it outside before everything inside me shattered.
My phone buzzed.
[OMG babe I totally forgot—that taco place shut down!!]
[You stayed up all night. Go home and sleep. Love you ♥]
I laughed. It sounded insane.
Go home?
Where the hell is home?
My mom's house? She changed the locks. I can't get in anymore.
My place with Grayson? He's never been there. Not once.
Evelyn's apartment? She gave me the key years ago. "This is our place. We're basically married anyway."
Two months after the wedding, they shipped Grayson off. Some classified thing. "At least two years."
So I moved into Evelyn's. We'd stay up until 3 a.m. watching trash TV. She'd joke we were closer than most married couples.
One day I came back from a work trip. Found a condom wrapper in the couch.
I grinned. "Okay, spill. Who's the guy?"
Her face went bright red. She looked like I'd caught her stealing.
"He's not—we can't be together. It's impossible."
Then she grabbed my hands. Her eyes were wet.
"If I did something terrible... would you hate me?"
I didn't even think. "Never. I'd never hate you."
Six months ago she told me she was pregnant. Keeping it.
I was scared out of my mind. But I said it anyway.
"We'll raise the baby together. Just us."
She cried so hard she could barely breathe. Kept saying, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
I thought she was scared.
Turns out she was confessing.
My husband was the father.
When I got to my mom's, the door wouldn't open. She showed up half an hour later.
Saw me on the floor and sighed.
"Your phone die? Evelyn's been calling. She was worried."
I stared at her. She felt like a stranger.
"You're here. So who's with Evelyn?"
She stopped for half a second.
"The doula came. And the nurses. She's fine."
Then she walked into the bathroom.
Right. I'm in the way.
Her phone buzzed.
I pulled it out. The lock screen was the baby's face.
It used to be her and Evelyn making goofy faces.
Password? Evelyn's birthday.
Also the day Evelyn's mom died.
We were twelve. Evelyn's birthday party. I ate too much cake. Got sick.
Her mom rushed me to the hospital. Car crash on the highway. She didn't make it.
Everyone said it wasn't my fault.
But I killed Evelyn's mother.
So my mom adopted her. Gave her everything I never had.
New clothes? Evelyn got them first. I wore what she didn't want.
Orange juice in the fridge? "Don't drink that. It's for Evelyn."
Last piece of chicken? "Save it for her."
Evelyn's 18th birthday? Pearl necklace.
Mine? Instant noodles.
I never said anything. She deserved it. Everyone loved her.
Of course my mom did too.
But I gave everything.
Until they all just expected it.
Chapter 2
Right before Grayson and I got engaged, I heard my mom talking to Evelyn in the kitchen.
"Stop giving her everything. Grayson's way more into you anyway. Even the bridal shop lady said you two look married."
Evelyn's voice went sharp. "Stop! Mia would be destroyed!"
It hurt. But I thought my mom was just stirring drama.
Never thought they'd actually betray me.
Never thought they'd make a baby.
A text popped up on my mom's phone. From Grayson.
[Keep Mia away. Evelyn can't deal with her right now.]
My mom stormed out, saw me with her phone, and grabbed it.
"What are you doing?"
I stared at her furious face—zero guilt.
I laughed bitterly.
"Am I even your daughter anymore?"
Her face went red. "How dare you! Where's your damn heart?"
"Your dad ditched you! Who raised you? Who sacrificed EVERYTHING?"
"Tell Grayson to come here. Now. I'll sign the papers. He can have his perfect family."
"I already know everything."
She froze. Spun around.
Her face lit up—thrilled.
"You do?"
That look destroyed me.
Grayson showed up. He and my mom exchanged a look—some silent agreement. Then she left.
He stood there.
"Mia—"
"Congrats on being a dad."
I looked up. After two years apart, all that buried love came roaring back—mixed with hate so thick I couldn't breathe.
My throat burned.
"When did it start? Before the wedding? After?"
"Was the mission even real?"
"Yes! God, yes!" He grabbed onto that. "It ended after six months."
"I didn't know how to face you."
Six months. Right when I left.
My hands shook. "How convenient. Wait till I'm gone."
I got promoted—two years out of state. Evelyn pushed me to go. "I'll watch your mom."
Grayson backed her up. Five-minute calls each week. "Just two years. Then we're home. Together forever."
I thought they cared.
They just wanted me out of the way.
"Don't make it sound ugly."
His face flushed. Then drained white.
I laughed—wild, broken.
Ugly? They made a baby.
"Evelyn tells me everything. Her birthday? Three times. That's when she got knocked up, right?"
"ENOUGH!" He exploded. Face twisted. "You know why you skip her birthday!"
"You KILLED her mom! You OWE her! You don't get to play victim!"
My brain stopped.
Then I started laughing—hysterical.
"So I owe her my whole life? My husband? My family? EVERYTHING?"
Silence.
"Evelyn's fragile. Depression. She can't take stress."
His voice went cold.
"Stay away. Don't tell her you know."
"You hear me?"
He smelled like hospital and baby milk. I shoved him, ran to the bathroom, and puked till my ribs screamed.
"Mia, here—"
He reached for me.
"Don't touch me!"
His hand dropped.
His phone rang. My mom.
"Grayson! Evelyn's GONE! She won't answer! What do we do?"
His face went white. He grabbed my arms so hard it hurt.
"What the hell did you say to her? WHAT DID YOU DO?"
Chapter 3
He grabbed my phone right out of my hands.
Then footsteps at the door.
Evelyn stood there looking half-dead. Lips white. Eyes so swollen she could barely see.
"Mia... you know now. You know everything."
Her voice shook.
Grayson ran to her, shoved himself between us.
His voice went all soft. "Babe, what are you doing here? You walked out alone? Where's your coat? You just had a baby—you can't be out in the cold. Come on, let's go back—"
"NO!" Evelyn shoved him hard.
She grabbed both my arms.
"I'm so sorry, Mia. This is all me. I fell for him first—but he loved YOU. I couldn't ruin that."
Her nails dug into my skin.
"The night before your wedding—I got him drunk. Wore your perfume. Your robe. He thought I was you—"
"We swore we'd forget it. But I kept going back. Then I got pregnant and I—" Her voice cracked. "I couldn't get rid of it."
"I've been lying to you for months."
"You should hate me. I don't deserve you."
She dropped to the floor. Wrapped her arms around my legs.
"The baby's yours too. You're the godmother. Hate me forever—just don't punish the baby. Please."
Grayson looked destroyed. He reached for her.
I stepped back.
My knee cracked into her face.
Or she threw herself at it.
Blood everywhere.
"Evelyn!" Grayson roared.
She shoved him away again. Blood pouring down. Still crying.
"Mia, please. Forgive me."
I couldn't move. Brain just static.
"MIA!" Grayson grabbed my shirt, yanked me close. Eyes wild.
"Say something! Tell her it's okay! Tell her you'll be there for the baby!"
I laughed once. Sounded insane.
Then nothing.
"Why would I?"
Evelyn started gagging. Sobbing so hard she choked. Blood everywhere. Still gasping "sorry sorry sorry—"
Grayson looked at me like he wanted me dead. Then scooped her up and left.
Her arms around his neck. That diamond ring flashing.
Right. The ring from her "secret guy."
She'd cried showing it to me. "He proposed. But it's fake. We can never be together."
Guess the baby made it real.
The room spun. Head splitting. Stomach twisted.
Phone buzzed. The hospital about my test results.
I didn't answer.
Found the painkillers. Shook some out. Grabbed the sleeping pills too.
Maybe I'd wake up and this would all be a nightmare.
Or maybe I wouldn't wake up.
Honestly?
That sounded better.
