Chapter 114 One Hundred & fourteen
The door shut with a quiet but final click.
Silence swallowed the apartment.
Izzy didn’t move.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the check lying on the table, as if it were something filthy. Like it might stain her just by looking at it. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, but no sound came out. The humiliation. The rage. The disbelief.
Maya was the first to break.
“That witch,” Maya muttered under her breath, storming toward the table. She grabbed the check, staring at the amount, and let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “Oh, my God.”
Izzy’s voice came out small. “How much?”
Maya hesitated.
Izzy’s head snapped up. “How much, Maya?”
Maya exhaled slowly. “It’s… a lot.”
Izzy let out a hollow laugh. “Of course it is.”
Money. That’s what Miranda thought this was about. That she could reduce her, reduce her baby, to a number written in ink.
Izzy walked slowly to the table. Her fingers trembled as she took the check from Maya’s hand. The number stared back at her….enough to pay rent for years. Enough to disappear quietly.
Enough to make it look like a payoff.
Her jaw tightened.
“She thinks I’m trying to trap him,” Izzy whispered.
“She thinks her son is the price.” Maya snapped. “That woman lives in her own twisted reality.”
Izzy swallowed hard. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach. One month. Just one month… and already her child was being called a mistake. A scandal. A lie.
Izzy’s grip on the check tightened. Her eyes softened as she touched her stomach again, feeling the small, undeniable life inside her. Her voice was quiet but firm.
Izzy’s hands shook as she held her stomach. “I’m going to tell Dominic,” she whispered, voice barely audible.
Maya froze. “Wait… what exactly are you going to say? About the baby? About his mom being bitch?”
Izzy nodded. “Everything. I can’t keep it inside. I'm going to tell you about the baby. About his mother. About how I feel… everything I’ve been holding in.”
Maya took a deep breath and sat beside her. Her voice softened, almost trembling. “Izzy… do you know what it means to bare your soul like that? He could react… badly. He could fight with you or against you, even walk away…”
Izzy shook her head, tears brimming. “I don’t care anymore. I’ve spent so long pretending I could stay quiet, pretending I could swallow it all for him, for us. I’m done.”
Izzy sank into the couch, her hands clutched around her stomach. Maya sat across from her, arms crossed, her face serious but gentle.
“It’s useless, Izzy,” Maya started, voice low, firm. “Don’t even try. It’s crazy thinking you can change him.”
Izzy flinched, looking down. “Maya… I just… I can’t help how I feel.”
Maya shook her head. “You knew this, didn’t you? I told you. He’s not someone you fall for. He’s abusive in ways you don’t even see yet. He’s elusive. The truth is… he lies. And I know you don’t want to let go.”
“I… I know, but….” Izzy whispered, voice trembling.
Maya leaned forward. “But what… just like before, I can tell you know deep down it's a useless fight. You think you can change him, but I know you can't. You’ll only end up hurt again.”
Izzy’s eyes filled with tears. “But I love him… I can’t just stop. With the baby on the way.. Maya”
Maya’s voice softened, but her words were sharp with care. “I know you think he’ll change this time, but honey the devil doesn’t bargain, Izzy. He’ll only break your heart again. It isn’t worth it. Darling, he’s never gonna change. His never going to be your Prince Charming. He’ll only hurt you again.”
Izzy sniffled, twisting her fingers nervously. “I… I thought maybe... this time it could be different…”
Maya shook her head gently. “I don’t mean to meddle. I’m not trying to lecture you, or push your feelings aside, or pressure you. I just… I want what’s best for you. The devil doesn’t settle, Izzy. He doesn’t bargain. And you need to protect your heart. Your life. Your baby.”
Izzy stared at her, heart aching, the truth settling like a weight in her chest.
“And I know you think he’ll change,” Maya continued softly, almost pleading, “delete that thought, honey.. Delete it.”
Izzy looked down at her hands, trembling. Maya’s words echoed inside her, a warning she couldn’t ignore.
Maya exhaled slowly, her voice softening… but her eyes stayed firm.
“I know you love him,” she said gently. “I know that. I’m not blind to it. But this?” She leaned forward and pointed to Izzy’s stomach. “This isn’t about him anymore. This is your priority now.”
Izzy’s hand instinctively covered her belly again.
“You don’t get to gamble with your heart like it’s just yours,” Maya continued. “You’re carrying a life. Someone who depends on you already.”
Izzy’s throat tightened. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying take the money,” Maya said bluntly. “Take it and leave. Move to a different city. A different country. Go to Australia. Your mom would take you in without even asking questions. Start over. Start fresh, Izzy.”
Izzy’s head snapped up. “Run?”
“I call it protecting yourself,” Maya corrected. “You don’t owe them anything. Not his mother. Not his family name. Not their stupid company. You owe yourself peace. And that baby stability.”
Izzy stood abruptly, pacing. “You think I can just disappear? Like none of this happened?”
“Yes,” Maya shot back. “Because sometimes survival looks like leaving. Not fighting a lost battle.”
Izzy stopped walking. “And what about Dominic? What if he finds out later? What if he comes looking?”
Maya’s expression softened, but she didn’t back down. “If he really loves you, he would be here. Without his mother speaking for him. Without lawyers. Without checks thrown at your face.”
Silence stretched between them.
Maya stepped closer. “Izzy… you just lost your job. You got your heart broken. You’re pregnant. His mother just tried to buy you off. Look at the pattern.”
Izzy’s eyes burned. “I don’t want my child to grow up thinking I ran away.”
“And I don’t want your child growing up thinking you're weak,” Maya replied quietly.
That hit harder than anything else.
Izzy sank back onto the couch, exhausted. “I just… I don’t know what the right thing is anymore.”
Maya crouched in front of her. “The right thing is the thing that protects you. Love is beautiful, Izzy. But love without safety? Without respect? That’s not love. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
Izzy’s voice came out barely above a whisper. “And if I stay?”
Maya looked at her for a long moment. “Then you'd better be ready for whatever emotional war your choice carries.”