1 The night of my engagement party, there was a knock on my apartment door. A little boy stood in the hallway. “Mom, I’ve traveled back from eight years in the future. I’m your son…” My first instinct was to call the police. But then, the boy’s tears splashed onto the marble floor. He clutched the hem of the gown I hadn’t even had a chance to change out of. “Mom, you absolutely cannot marry Dad.” “If you go near him, your life is over. In two weeks, you’ll be in a stunt-wire accident on set and be paralyzed for life.” “He’ll marry you, sure, but he’ll ice you out, driving you into a severe depression until you finally jump from the roof of your company building.” “The person he truly loves is his agent, Sophia Collins.” My fingers, holding my phone, went rigid. “He left the engagement party early tonight because Sophia’s cat had a sudden heart attack.” “If you don’t believe me, he’s at her apartment right now. Come with me, and you’ll see that I’m telling the truth!” 2 Sean scooped up a small pebble from the walkway and hurled it against the steel door of Sophia’s apartment. I huddled in the shadows of the stairwell, my nails digging so deep into my palms that beads of blood welled up. I couldn’t feel a thing. The moment the door opened, all the blood in my body felt like it was rushing backward. Landon Price was there. Of course, he was. He was wearing loose gray sweats, his hair still damp. Tonight, after a single phone call, he’d just gestured at me and abandoned me at our own engagement party, leaving me to face a barrage of flashbulbs and the knowing stares of our guests all by myself. Three hours later, a text finally came through: an urgent matter with the film crew. And this “urgent matter” was him, in sweats, at his agent’s apartment, looking after her sick cat. My heart clenched violently. Landon saw no one at the door. He glanced down at the pebble on the ground, his brow furrowing. “Landon, honey? Who is it?” Sophia’s voice drifted from inside, sticky sweet like melting caramel. “No one. Probably just a neighborhood kid playing a prank.” Sophia emerged, cradling a fluffy white Ragdoll cat. The neckline of her silk slip dress hung low, revealing the delicate black lace edge of her bra. In that instant, my legs nearly gave out. A chill shot through me, cold and sharp. I had seen that lingerie before. On the couch in my own living room. The exact same set. Landon had told me it was a new gift from a designer brand. Now I knew the truth. Sophia must have left it behind during one of their trysts at my place. He actually expected me to wear something Sophia had worn. A wave of nausea washed over me. I doubled over, gagging, but nothing came up. Only tears, hot and uncontrollable, streamed down my face. A window in the hallway was open, and the night wind whipped through, making my whole body tremble, my teeth chatter. Sophia shivered theatrically. Landon immediately wrapped his arms around her, his voice so gentle it could have been liquid. “It’s cold out here. Let’s go back inside.” “Mmm,” Sophia purred, her voice soft and kittenish. “Mochi’s lost her appetite after the surgery. The only thing she wants is the special meal you make for her.” A small smile touched Landon’s lips. “Alright. I’ll make it for her.” I completely fell apart. My heart felt like it was being sawed through with a dull blade, over and over again. So, he did know how to cook. Last month, when my stomach ulcer flared up and I was curled in a ball of pain, I’d tugged on his sleeve, begging him to make me a simple bowl of soup. Just a plain broth with noodles. He had yanked his hand away, his face a cold mask. “An Oscar-winning actor slaving away in a kitchen? What would that look like?” Now I understood. His cooking was good enough for a cat. But not for me. The door clicked shut, plunging the world into a dead silence. I crumpled into a heap in the cold corner of the stairwell, tears blurring all the light into streaks and halos. Sean wrapped his small arms around me, holding me tight. “Don’t cry, Mommy. He’s not worth it.” 3 Landon didn’t come home that night. I lay awake, staring into the darkness. Sean was beside me, his small hand gripping my fingers tightly, not letting go even in his sleep. I looked at his little face, a perfect blend of my features and Landon’s, and my heart was a raging sea. I sent Landon a text: We’re over. He didn’t reply. He didn’t show up. He was gone for a whole week. I finally went to his agency to find him, only to be told he’d flown to Utah for a film festival. “He went with Sophia, his agent. They travel together for work all the time,” the young woman at the front desk added, her eyes holding a faint, unmistakable glint of pity. Landon was a workaholic. Vanishing for a week like this wasn’t unheard of. I turned to Sean. “Every time he disappears, he’s with Sophia, isn’t he?” Sean’s eyes darkened as he nodded. “I found a travel album in Dad’s safe, in his study.” “It was full of pictures of him and Sophia from all over the world… the Northern Lights in Iceland, the snow in Hokkaido, a gondola in Venice…” A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I fought back the stinging in my nose. Landon hated when I visited him at the office, hated being disturbed while he was working. Over time, we’d developed a ridiculous, unspoken agreement. When he was off the grid, I wouldn’t send a single text, wouldn’t make a single call. I wouldn’t try to find out where he was through anyone else. He knew this. He counted on it. And while I was at home, worrying if he was eating properly or getting enough rest, he was with Sophia, watching the aurora in Iceland, relaxing in hot springs in Japan, floating through the canals of Venice. I trusted him. And he took that trust and sharpened it into the deadliest of blades, using it to slice me apart, piece by piece. I turned to leave, my steps unsteady. From behind me, I heard the hushed chatter of a few employees. “Tsk, she really acts like she’s the First Lady, coming here to check up on him.” “Everyone knows Landon and Sophia are the real power couple. Some people will use a little family history to force a marriage. It’s disgusting.” “I heard her parents died saving Landon, right? Isn’t that just emotional blackmail?” I froze. Suddenly, the entire situation felt absurdly twisted. If Landon hadn’t allowed this version of the story to circulate, if he and Sophia hadn’t paraded around the office like a couple, how could his own employees possibly think that I was the other woman, the one breaking them up? 4 I packed every single thing Landon had ever left at my apartment into boxes and had them couriered directly to Sophia’s address. That night, he came back. With Sophia. And her cat. “I’ve already fired the employees who were talking nonsense,” he began, his voice raspy with exhaustion as he reached for my hand. “Sophia and I were just at the festival. The schedule was insane, I honestly didn’t have a second to call you.” “It’s my fault. I’ll change. From now on, no matter how busy I am, I’ll check in with you every day, okay?” His face was drawn, with dark circles under his eyes, his gaze shot through with red veins. He looked like he’d been completely wrung out by work, which only made me seem like the one being unreasonable. I pulled my hand away, my voice cold. “You don’t have to explain. We’re done.” Landon sighed, a long, weary sound. “Don’t say things you don’t mean. I know you’re just angry I left you alone at the party. That text about breaking up… I’m just going to pretend I never saw it.” “And don’t worry,” he added, his expression earnest. “I promise, on our wedding day, nothing will go wrong.” Looking at his confident face, a wave of icy sarcasm washed over me. Sophia chose that moment to speak, her tone meek. “Evelyn, Landon specifically brought me here to explain things to you.” “We really were just working. He was sleeping three or four hours a night, just so he could get back to you sooner. Look, he’s even lost weight.” As she spoke, a glint of silver from her collarbone caught my eye. I lunged forward and snatched the chain from her neck. Turning to a stunned Landon, I held it up. “Then how do you explain this?” It was his grandmother’s heirloom locket, which she’d left to him on her deathbed for his future wife. At our engagement party, I’d asked him to put it on me. He had kissed my forehead and said, “I want to be the one to put this on you on our wedding day.” And now, here it was, hanging around Sophia’s neck. Sophia’s eyes instantly filled with tears, her expression frantic. She dropped to her knees with a thud. “It was a moment of weakness… I saw it on the counter when Landon was showering and I… I just tried it on for a second…” It was a laughably bad lie. Landon never took that locket off, and he certainly wouldn’t leave it carelessly on a bathroom counter. He knew I wouldn’t buy it. His whole demeanor shifted, the warmth in his eyes freezing over. “Evelyn, why do you have to drag everything out into the light?” he said, his voice flat. “Isn’t it better for everyone if you just pretend you don’t know?” “And you can drop the act. No matter what, I’m still going to marry you.” Landon helped Sophia to her feet, his thumb gently wiping a tear from the corner of her eye right in front of me. All the grief and betrayal that had been building inside me erupted like a flash flood, washing away my last shred of sanity. I surged forward and slapped Landon hard across the face. Then I spun around and slapped Sophia just as hard. The Ragdoll cat, startled, let out a sharp “Meow!” and leaped from Sophia’s arms, its sharp claws sinking into my leg. A searing pain shot through my skin, and I instinctively kicked the animal away. The cat let out a piercing shriek. “Mochi!” Sophia’s sob was heart-wrenching. The next thing I knew, a brutal kick landed in my stomach. Landon’s eyes were savage, like he wanted to tear me apart. “Evelyn, how could you be so vicious? It’s just a cat!” I stared at him, my lips bitten raw, a cold sweat breaking out across my body from the throbbing pain in my abdomen. Landon’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “Stop being so dramatic. It was just one kick.” “Mommy!” Sean suddenly burst out of the bedroom. Landon’s gaze turned to ice. He violently grabbed Sean. “Who is this? Why is he calling you Mommy?” Ignoring the searing pain, I threw myself at Landon, sinking my teeth into his wrist. He cried out and his grip loosened. I snatched Sean and pulled him into a protective embrace. The sight seemed to enrage him further. His eyes turned a frightening shade of red, his jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grinding. “Evelyn. You cheated on me?” Just as he was about to press further, Sophia screamed. “Landon! Mochi… she’s not breathing!” Landon spun around instantly. Before he left, he shot one last sentence at me over his shoulder. “If that cat doesn’t make it, I will never forgive you.” I watched him and Sophia rush out, and all the strength drained from my body. I collapsed onto the floor. Sean was frantic, tears streaming down his face. “Mommy, don’t fall asleep! Don’t leave me again!” I wanted to lift my hand to wipe his tears away, but my arm felt impossibly heavy. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw Sean expertly grab my phone, dial 911, and clearly state our address. 5 I woke up in a hospital bed. The doctor told me I was pregnant. Looking down at my flat stomach, a strange, wondrous feeling bloomed inside me. A new life, this boy’s life, was growing right here. But Sean’s face was a mask of terror. “Mommy, please don’t marry him for my sake. I would rather have never existed than see you suffer like that again.” “Mommy, please… give up on me!” he cried, burying his face in my chest. I held him tight, my heart aching so intensely it was hard to breathe. I had only known Sean for a few days, but he already felt like a part of me, a piece of my own heart that I could never bear to cut away. Suddenly, the door to my room burst open. Landon’s bodyguards stormed in, forcefully dragging both me and Sean to a high-end veterinary clinic. The Ragdoll cat lay stiffly on an operating table. One of the bodyguards kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to the ground. The moment Sophia saw me, she flew into a rage, her hands flying as she slapped me again and again. “You killed Mochi! You murdered her!” “Mochi had a heart condition! The vet said she had a month to live, at most… You sped it up! You killed her!” “I’m going to kill you!” She yanked my hair, slapped my face, and clawed at my skin with her nails. Landon stood by, a complicated expression on his face, but he didn’t intervene. “Just let Sophia get it out of her system,” he said coolly. “After all, you were the one who got physical first.” Sean struggled furiously in a guard’s grip. “You witch! Don’t you hurt my mom!” “Mom?” Sophia’s crazed eyes landed on Sean. She grabbed his face, tilting it from side to side. Suddenly, a chilling, unhinged laugh escaped her lips. “Landon, look at him. His eyes, his brow… he’s the spitting image of Evelyn.” “He must be the bastard child from that night eight years ago!” The color drained from both my face and Landon’s. That night, Landon’s birthday eight years ago, had been the darkest moment of my life. I was nearly assaulted in a hotel room. When I finally escaped, clothes torn and spirit shattered, and made it home, I was met with a tower of flames. My family’s old house was being devoured by fire. My parents, thinking I was trapped inside, had rushed into the inferno without a second thought. They managed to drag a drunk and unconscious Landon to safety, but they never made it out themselves. Afterward, Landon beat the man who attacked me half to death. I told him, I swore to him, that the man hadn’t succeeded. He said he believed me. But looking at his face now, I knew he never had. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I stared at him, forcing the words through my teeth. “He is not!” He looks like you, too, I wanted to scream. Can’t you see that, Landon? Landon’s fists clenched at his sides. He took a deep, steadying breath. “It doesn’t matter anymore…” Then, he lunged, grabbing Sean by the collar of his shirt. He threw open a nearby window and dangled the boy outside. My blood ran cold. “Landon, what are you doing?!” His face was a blank mask. “Mochi needs a proper resting place. Your parents’ plot at Hillside Memorial has a nice view. We’ll bury her there.” “I’ll find your parents a much better plot somewhere else. You owe Mochi this.” I couldn’t breathe. I was shaking with a rage so profound it felt like it would tear me apart. “Landon, are you even human? My parents died because of—” “I know!” he snapped, cutting me off, a vicious glint in his eyes. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. The fact that I agreed to marry you, that I haven’t celebrated my own birthday in eight years, should be more than enough.” “I’m telling you this now as a courtesy.” His gaze shifted to Sean, dangling precariously from his hand. His eyes darkened. “So you choose. Him, or your parents’ grave.” “Three… two…” “The child! I choose the child!” I screamed, my heart feeling like it was being ripped from my chest. Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry! Landon’s lips thinned into a hard line, as if displeased with my choice. He tossed Sean back into the room like a sack of trash. Then, he turned and gently lifted the lifeless cat into his arms. He spared one last glance at me and Sean before walking out without another word. Sophia stood over me, a triumphant smirk on her lips. “The man from eight years ago? I arranged for him to be there.” “You monster!” I shrieked, trying to lunge at her, but Landon’s bodyguards held me fast to the floor. Sophia crouched down, her sharp nails poking my cheek. “And here’s another little secret… I was in the house that night, too…” My eyes were bloodshot. “You set the fire?” “Not me,” she cooed, her smile widening into a grotesque grin. “Your mother just had some bad luck. A bookshelf fell on her. Your father could have gotten out, but he insisted on going back for her.” “Landon was trying to pull me away. He said, ‘Forget them, let’s go!’” “The sound of your parents screaming… tsk, tsk. So tragic…” Every word was a poisoned dagger, flaying me alive. I let out a raw, animalistic howl. An explosion of pain erupted from my chest and tore through my throat, and I coughed, spewing a mouthful of blood. 6 When I came to, I was back in the hospital. Sean’s eyes were swollen shut from crying. He threw himself into my arms. “Mommy, we don’t need Daddy anymore! We never want to see him again!” I held him close. “Okay,” I whispered. “We don’t need him.” A few days later, Landon called. His tone was not a request, but a command. “Mochi’s burial is tomorrow morning. Be there to collect your parents’ ashes.” My voice was ice. “Fine.” There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line. After a long moment, his voice softened. “After Mochi’s service is taken care of, we’ll go try on wedding dresses, okay?” I let out a cold laugh and hung up. The next day, standing at the gates of Hillside Memorial Park, my feet felt like they were encased in lead. Sean held my hand. “Mommy, the stunt-wire accident is supposed to be tomorrow. Can we please just leave this city? Please?” My voice was thick with tears. “Okay. We’ll take Grandpa and Grandma with us, and we’ll all go somewhere new.” But just then, a black SUV came screaming around the corner, barreling straight for us. “No! The car crash isn’t supposed to happen today!” Sean’s eyes went wide with terror. He shoved me with all his might. “Mommy!”
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