Chapter 29

One Month Later:

"So, you’re fixated on this James Clay?" I tease Summer, stopping at the bus stop.

"No, I like his caring nature and the fact that he is one of the best basketball players in school," she says, playfully glaring at me.

"It still sounds like you’re fascinated by him," I shrug nonchalantly.

She narrows her eyes at me. "I am choosing to ignore those words," she says before smiling lightly.

"It’s time I say see you later since the bus is coming." I pull her into an embrace.

"Okay. See you soon and please don't mope around staring at the blank TV. Stop thinking about today's events," she says, giving me a no-nonsense look.

These past few weeks have been great. I’ve been busy working a morning shift at the restaurant and an afternoon and evening shift at a pizzeria. Chole looks after Wilmer when I am working.

Today is my day off, but it just so happened to be on the same day as an event that I keep trying to avoid.

Summer came over this morning to find me still dressed in pajamas, sitting on the couch, and staring at the blank TV. My emotions are all over the place.

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop thinking too much. I lock eyes with Sam who silently waits for my answer. "Okay, I promise to stop thinking too much about it." I sigh audibly.

"That’s more like it. Just see today as a day your love is set free like the birds flying," she says taking deep breaths.

"Always dramatic." I sigh again as the bus comes to a stop in front of us. "See you soon." I wave goodbye as she gets onto the bus.

I walk the short distance home. The house is calm and quiet since Chole and Wilmer are in Chole’s room sleeping.

I sit on the couch and do exactly what Summer advised me not to do. My eyes flick between the TV remote and the TV, scared to turn it on knowing that every TV channel would surely be showing today’s big event.

I shake any thoughts of him from my mind before walking into the kitchen to get myself something to eat.

Just as I’m opening the fridge, the doorbell rings. I go to the door and pull it open. I gape at my unexpected visitor.

"What’s going on?" I ask, stepping out and closing the door behind me. "Why can't you just let me be? Do you really love showing off how much Chance idolizes you? Did you have to come here before driving to your wedding?" I say, agitated by her presence.

"Shiloh, I am not here to cause trouble or infuriate you. I am here to tell you the honest truth and the reason why the wedding will never happen," she explains with pleading eyes.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't care if you came here looking dismal and bearing good intentions. It's too late for an explanation because I left Chance already. I am happy living with my son, so please go back to your wedding. I am sure Chance is waiting for you at the altar. Don't keep him waiting for too long. I wish you both a happy married life," I say before taking a step back into the house.

"There is no wedding happening today. Chance called it off," she says hastily.

"I don't care. Just leave," I say, not looking her way.

"Just please listen to what I have to say," she pleads.

I consider what to do, then let her into the house. "So, what do you have to say?" I ask, sitting on the couch as she does the same.

I study her appearance. She is dressed in a knee-length black and nude gown with a slit up the side. Her blonde hair rests on her shoulders and her face looks flawless with a light touch of makeup.

I look away from her as she starts speaking. "Chance never loved me. Our engagement was just a business arrangement. When Mr. Colt found out you were pregnant, he wasn't happy about it. He threatened to kill you and the baby unless Chance accepted his proposal."

I meet her gaze, shocked that Mr. Colt could do something like that. Why didn’t Chance or Elaina tell me about this awful information?

"Chance had no choice but to agree. But I had a choice. After Mr. Colt brought the business proposal to merge our companies through marriage, my dad gave me the option to agree or not. But I agreed because I had a reason."

"What was your reason?" I found myself asking out of curiosity.

She stares at me quietly for a few seconds before speaking. "Because I love him."

I should be surprised but I’m not. I know she loves him because no woman would act the way she did that night if she didn't.

"I love him, but he never loved me back. Ever since we were little kids, he never liked playing or speaking to me," she says wistfully. "I accepted the proposal immediately because I hoped he would come to love me. If not now, then later. What little hope I had was crushed the moment he told me about you. He made it clear he would never see me as his wife or even get to that stage, but I was determined to get him to love me."

"I don't know how to feel about all this," I confess, watching her wipe tears away.

"I know it sounds selfish, but it hurts when you know the one you love could never love you," she says.

I never imagined Sam, who always looks confident and beautiful, could ever look heartbroken.

I pull her into a hug as her body quakes with sobs.

I rub her back gently waiting for her to calm down. She pulls away from me and takes some deep breaths.

"Thank you. That night you saw us arguing was the result of my desperation. I could not tell him about my love, so I made it seem like I was agreeing to the marriage because I was the only daughter. And I was next in line to be CEO of a big company, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted my own career, so I needed a husband to handle the company so I could pursue my career. Even though he was always with me, he was never really there. He was always thinking and talking about you. I could not handle that I wasn’t the one on his mind. That night I made a public announcement for the date of our wedding." She laughs bitterly avoiding my gaze.

"And you know the rest. He was so furious that night but as soon as I saw you standing in the living room looking confused and heavily pregnant with his child, I lost all hope of ever having him. It hurt so much that I couldn't take it anymore, so I threw all my anger at you," she says looking down. "Shiloh, I know I have wronged you in many ways because of my selfishness, but please, you have to speak with Chance. Give him the chance to explain himself," she pleads.

"I-I—"

"I know you are angry and hurt. I know he doesn't deserve your forgiveness after the way he treated you, but he needs this because right now he is miserable."

I raise my hand. "Sam, I get that you feel sorry for what you did…but after knowing everything, I just don’t know. The relationship between you and Chance was a lie and it started because he was trying to protect me. But at the same time, he hurt you and broke your heart," I say as guilt claws at my heart.

I know how it feels to have unrequited love. I also know how much it hurts.

"Don't," she says, shaking her head, "Don't feel guilty. I caused my own heartbreak because I knew from the very beginning that he would never love me. I chose to go all in," she says with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. "I am here because I know you deserve to hear the truth. I don't want you to forgive him only because I am telling you to, but because he deserves it. He deserves to know his son and your son needs a complete home." She gives me an encouraging smile and then stands up. "I will be leaving the state tomorrow to pursue my modeling career. I don't know if we will ever get to see each other again, but I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I couldn’t live myself knowing that I tore apart true love. And how can I ever hope to find my own true love, knowing I destroyed it for someone else?" She pulls me into a hug before whispering into my ear, "Shiloh, I am sorry. I am not a bad person, just desperate for my own love."

She smiles warmly before leaving me to my thoughts.

A lonely tear runs down my cheek. Am I a bad person for not giving him the chance to see his son? But he has not made any moves or even expressed interest in seeing Wilmer.

This is so confusing. I just want the best for my son, but it’s difficult to do the right thing when there have been so many lies surrounding us.

"Is everything alright?" Chole's voice comes from up the stairs, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Wiping my face with my palm, I look at her as she walks down the stairs with Wilmer resting in her arms.

"Yeah, just feeling bored and tired. Was he crying?" I ask taking Wilmer from her and placing a kiss on his forehead.

"No, he just woke up and missed you," she says.

"Does Wilmer miss Mommy so much?" I whisper softly while flicking his little baby nose with the tip of my finger.

He gurgles with a laugh and grips my finger in his little chubby fist.

'Please forgive me for not having the strength to give you a complete family,' I think as I send a silent prayer to God.