Chapter 36 up
Clark woke with a heavy head, his body still weak from the past few days filled with stress and sleepless nights. His eyes were red, his frame thin, but his mind was slightly clearer. He took a deep breath and looked around the apartment. The atmosphere felt empty, silent—Nyla had left the night before, leaving him alone.
Selena sat on the sofa, her face full of feigned sorrow. She looked at Clark with watery eyes, her lips trembling, a soft yet manipulative voice escaping her lips.
“Clark… you can’t keep being like this,” Selena said, patting his arm. “I’m here… I want to take care of you. I want you to be well again.”
Clark stared at her with a vacant look, a mix of exhaustion, disappointment, and anger. “Selena… I know what you’re trying to do. You want me to depend on you again, like before. But… I can’t anymore. I… I can’t trust you again.”
Selena swallowed, holding back her anger. “Clark… don’t say that. I care about you. I… I need you to understand. I… I’m carrying your child, Clark. Our child.”
The words hit Clark like a bomb exploding in his head. He froze for a moment, his body trembling, his face flushed. But instead of warmth or happiness, he felt confusion and anger mixed with deep pain.
“Your child?” Clark said hoarsely, staring at Selena. “You think… this will make me stay? You think I’ll accept all this after everything you’ve done?”
Selena lowered her gaze, holding back tears. “I just want you not to leave me. I want you to accept me… accept our child…”
Clark shook his head, gasping for breath. “Selena… I can’t. You… you’ve hurt too much. I… I can’t let my heart or mind be trapped again by your deceit and fake affection. I… I want Nyla.”
Selena fell silent, her face paling, but beneath it burned a growing fire of anger. “Nyla… her? You’re still thinking of Nyla? You’d choose Nyla over your own child?”
Clark lowered his eyes to the floor, his breath heavy. “I… I can’t choose you. You’ve done too much damage. I want to fix myself… and I want Nyla by my side. I want something genuine, not manipulation and lies.”
Selena stared at him with eyes almost ablaze, a mix of anger and desperation. She stepped closer to Clark, trying to grasp his hand. “Clark… listen to me! I… I’m pregnant! It’s your child! You… you can’t just reject them—they’re… our child!”
Clark pulled his hand from Selena’s grip, standing firm despite his weakness. “Selena… I’m not denying the child. But I’m rejecting you, because you… you’ve hurt too much. I can’t let history repeat itself.”
Selena stared at him, her eyes watery, lips trembling. She wanted to cry, to hug Clark, to persuade him. But every word sounded hollow. She felt frustrated, angry, and afraid of losing control over Clark completely.
“You… you’re cruel!” Selena screamed, her voice breaking. “How can you reject your own child? You have no heart!”
Clark took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “This isn’t about cruelty or not. It’s about honesty, Selena. I can’t live with someone who keeps manipulating me, who keeps playing with my emotions. I want to be a good father if you decide to have the child, but I won’t choose you as the mother because I can’t trust you anymore.”
Selena stared at him for a long moment, her face red with anger and frustration. She hadn’t expected Clark to be so resolute. She felt her world crumble. All her manipulations, her schemes, all her tricks—failed—simply because Clark was beginning to realize who truly cared for him.
“Clark… you’ll regret this!” Selena muttered hoarsely, her breath ragged. “You’ll regret leaving me… rejecting your own child. You’ll regret it, believe me!”
Clark continued to look at her, his face tired but determined. “I won’t regret it, Selena. I’ve made my choice. I choose what is genuine, what is honest. I choose Nyla. You need to understand that.”
Selena lowered her gaze briefly, then looked at Clark with a cold stare. Her hatred peaked, but she knew she had to be patient and wait for the right moment to strike at Nyla and Clark. She drew a deep breath, looked at Clark one last time, then lightly—but sharply—slapped his cheek as a mark of anger, and stepped out of the apartment.
Clark watched the door close behind her, his heart pounding with a mix of relief and worry. He knew Selena wouldn’t stop so easily, but he also felt stronger, more aware, and more determined to protect himself and his relationship with Nyla.
Outside, Selena stared at the dark street, her face pale but her eyes burning with determination. She pressed a hand against her growing belly and exhaled heavily.
“I’ll make them regret it,” she murmured. “I won’t let Nyla stand in my way… I won’t let Clark take everything from me. This child… I’ll fight for it, no matter what.”
Yet beneath her anger, a hidden fear lingered—Clark was becoming more aware, and Nyla stronger. The plan that once easily separated them would no longer be as simple. Selena knew that one wrong move could cost her Clark—and even put her unborn child at risk.
She pressed her hand to her belly, gazing at the night sky. “I won’t lose… I must win. They will feel my defeat… and I’ll make sure Clark stays by my side… even if I have to fight alone.”