Chapter 46 Forty Six
Antonia didn’t sleep that night.
She lay on Lucy’s couch long after the apartment had gone quiet, staring at the ceiling, one hand resting protectively on her belly while the other clenched the edge of a throw pillow like an anchor. Austin’s words replayed over and over in her head, each repetition tightening the knot in her chest.
Pretend to be my fiancée.
Just until everything is finalized.
This lie could one day become the truth.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
She had been here before.
Not this exact situation, not this exact man—but the promises, the hope, the dangerous belief that this time would be different.
By morning, the weight had become unbearable.
So she reached for her phone.
Helen answered on the third ring.
“Antonia?” Her sister’s voice sounded warm, surprised. “You’re calling early. Is everything okay?”
Antonia hesitated, then forced a small laugh. “Yeah. I just… wanted to hear your voice.”
Helen immediately sensed it. “That doesn’t sound like a ‘just because’ call.”
Antonia sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “How are you?”
Helen was quiet for a moment. Then, “I’m… managing.”
That word again.
Antonia leaned back against the armrest. “What’s going on?”
Helen exhaled slowly, as if bracing herself. “Ernest came back.”
Antonia’s brows knitted together. “Came back? I thought he traveled again.”
“So did I,” Helen said. “He walked out with his bag and everything. Then he showed up that same evening like nothing happened.”
“What changed?”
“He said he sent his assistant instead,” Helen replied. “Cancelled the trip.”
Antonia’s heart lifted slightly. “Helen… that’s good, isn’t it?”
There was a pause.
“He made sure I understood he didn’t do it for me,” Helen said quietly. “He said he did it for his son.”
Antonia closed her eyes. “Oh.”
“He’s staying around. Spending time with him. Trying,” Helen added. “But it feels… careful. Distant. Like we’re coexisting.”
Antonia could hear the ache beneath her sister’s calm tone.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“It’s fine,” Helen replied, but it clearly wasn’t. “I’ve learned not to expect more than what’s offered.”
They fell into a brief silence, the kind shared by sisters who knew each other’s pain without needing to name it.
Then Helen spoke again, gently. “Antonia… you didn’t call just to hear about Ernest.”
Antonia’s fingers tightened around her phone.
“What makes you say that?”
“You’ve barely reacted,” Helen said. “And I can hear it in your voice. Something’s weighing on you.”
Antonia swallowed hard. “I didn’t want to dump my problems on you when you’re already dealing with so much.”
“Stop,” Helen said immediately. “That’s what sisters are for. Talk to me.”
Antonia hesitated, her gaze drifting toward the window where the early morning light filtered through sheer curtains.
“Helen… I don’t know what to do.”
That was all it took.
Helen sat up straighter on her end. “Okay. Start from the beginning.”
So Antonia did.
She told her about Austin showing up unexpectedly, about the hug that was too tight, too emotional. About the joy she’d felt when he said he got the job.
“And then,” Antonia continued, voice quieter now, “he told me the condition.”
Helen frowned. “What condition?”
“That they were only hiring married people.”
“What?” Helen blurted. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I said the same thing,” Antonia replied. “But that’s their rule.”
“So how did he get the job?” Helen asked, already uneasy.
Antonia closed her eyes. “He lied.”
Helen inhaled sharply. “Antonia…”
“He told them he was engaged,” she continued quickly. “And now they want proof.”
Helen went silent.
“They want to meet his fiancée,” Antonia whispered. “And he wants that fiancée to be me.”
There it was.
The full truth, finally spoken.
Helen didn’t respond immediately.
“Say something,” Antonia pleaded softly.
When Helen finally spoke, her voice was stunned. “Antonia… no. Absolutely not.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
“And you know why,” Helen pressed. “This is a terrible idea.”
“He needs the job, Helen,” Antonia said. “He really does.”
“That’s not your responsibility,” Helen shot back. “Since when did you become the solution to every man’s crisis?”
Antonia flinched.
“Do you hear yourself?” Helen continued. “Fake engagement? Lies? Deception? Antonia, this is how heartbreak starts.”
“He’s not Kennedy,” Antonia said quickly.
Helen paused. “That doesn’t make him safe.”
Antonia’s chest tightened. “Austin has been there for me. He’s been supportive. Caring. He didn’t run when he found out I was pregnant. He stepped up.”
“And that’s commendable,” Helen acknowledged. “But that doesn’t mean you owe him your peace.”
“I feel like I do,” Antonia whispered. “He stayed when he could’ve walked away.”
Helen sighed deeply. “Antonia… do you know what I hear?”
“What?”
“I hear a woman convincing herself that sacrifice equals love,” Helen said gently. “And that scares me.”
Antonia’s eyes burned. “You weren’t there, Helen. You didn’t see how he looked at me. How he talks about the baby. He wants to be involved.”
“So did Ernest,” Helen said quietly. “At first.”
That landed hard.
Antonia swallowed. “That’s not fair.”
“I’m not trying to be cruel,” Helen replied softly. “I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
“From repeating the same cycle,” Helen said. “You made this same mistake with Kennedy. You caught feelings, and look how that ended.”
Antonia looked away, memories rushing back—hope, excitement, betrayal.
“I know how that ended,” she said, her voice shaking. “I live with the aftermath every day.”
“Then why would you willingly step into another lie?” Helen asked.
“Because this one isn’t just about love,” Antonia insisted. “It’s about helping someone who helped me.”
“And what happens when feelings get involved?” Helen challenged. “When pretending stops feeling like pretending?”
Antonia didn’t answer.
Helen softened her tone. “Antonia, you’re vulnerable right now. Pregnant. Emotional. You need stability, not complications.”
“I don’t want to hurt him,” Antonia said quietly. “If I say no, he could lose the job.”
“And if you say yes,” Helen countered, “you could lose yourself.”
Antonia closed her eyes, tears slipping free. “Why does doing the right thing always feel so wrong?”
Helen’s voice gentled. “Because sometimes what feels right in the moment isn’t what’s best in the long run.”
“But what if this time is different?” Antonia whispered. “What if he’s different?”
Helen was silent for a long moment.
Then she said, “I once believed that too.”
Antonia’s heart twisted.
“I’m lonely, Helen,” she admitted softly. “And scared. And tired of doing everything alone.”
“I know,” Helen said, her voice thick with emotion. “But you don’t fix loneliness by building a life on a lie.”
Antonia wiped her cheeks. “I just wish there was a clear answer.”
“There is,” Helen replied. “It’s just not the one you want to hear.”
Antonia leaned back, exhaustion settling into her bones.
“I won’t force you,” Helen added gently. “It’s your decision. But please… think about you for once. Not Austin. Not his job. Not anyone else.”
Antonia nodded slowly, even though Helen couldn’t see it.
“I will,” she said.