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05:38Do you stay so late most nights? Does your husband handle school pick-up?
05:41The word husband hit me so unexpectedly that my brain stalled for a full second.
05:46I shook my head and found an excuse.
05:48He's out of town. Doesn't come back out, Finn.
05:51She gave an oh-that-makes-sense nod, then glanced down at the ring I'd bought from the dollar store
05:55a few days ago.
05:56Is that your wedding ring?
05:59It looks like it's starting to fade, like one of those $10 free shipping ones online.
06:05Oh, I didn't mean it like that.
06:07Please, don't take it the wrong way.
06:09Chloe caught herself and turned to apologize.
06:11But I still caught the flash of disdain in her eyes, and that quiet little flicker of superiority.
06:16Fair enough.
06:17Her Hermes bag versus my powdered formula budget.
06:20Those weren't even on the same planet.
06:23I was about to say something when a soft laugh stopped me.
06:33Tristan reached over and ruffled Chloe's hair.
06:36His expression warm and indulgent.
06:39You didn't say anything wrong.
06:41You don't need to apologize.
06:43Poor people are proud people.
06:46Speaking that bluntly, aren't you worried someone's going to make your life difficult at work?
06:52The words were aimed at Chloe, but they were meant for me.
06:56A casually delivered sentence.
06:58Openly defending her.
07:00Quietly warning me.
07:01I turned to look out the window and pretended not to hear.
07:04In the three years I was with Tristan, I heard variations of that kind of remark countless times.
07:10That I wasn't good enough for him.
07:11I'll admit, the gap between us was enormous.
07:14My family wasn't poor, but we were solidly middle class.
07:18Nothing more.
07:19The Hargroves weren't just wealthy.
07:21They stood at the center of power.
07:23Tristan made it plain to me right at the beginning.
07:27Sienna, you can be my girlfriend, but you'll never be my wife.
07:31I knew.
07:33I always knew.
07:39I had a hard over my own heart.
07:42Never overstepped.
07:43But there were moments when the feelings ran too deep and my resolve wavered.
07:47What if I tried?
07:48What if I actually fought for it?
07:50What if I won?
07:51So as graduation approached, I was the one who reached out to Tristan.
07:55That day, he came to pick me up early.
07:58He pulled over somewhere quiet on campus.
08:01His driver stepped out without being asked and waited at a distance.
08:04Dappled light from the trees outside, cut through the window, and hit my eyes.
08:09An hour later, Tristan was leaning back, white shirt slightly damp, a faint sheen on his forehead.
08:14The window was cracked.
08:16Cold air rushed in and scattered the smoke from his breath.
08:19I watched him and slowly asked the question.
08:22Tristan, do you love me?
08:24I realized, more than asking if he'd ever marry me.
08:27What I really needed to know was whether he had ever truly loved me.
08:31He looked at me.
08:32And for once, those teasing eyes held something genuine.
08:36Graduation's almost here.
08:37In that instant, I understood exactly what he meant.
08:40Almost time to graduate.
08:41Almost time to end this.
08:49I stopped in front of the preschool.
08:51I pushed the door open and stepped out.
08:53My daughter was standing at the entrance, holding her teacher's hand.
08:57Sorry, Mommy's late today.
09:00Did you wait long?
09:02She tilted her little face up and pointed past me.
09:05Were you late because of that man?
09:08I turned, startled.
09:10Tristan was standing right behind me.
09:11I hadn't even heard him follow.
09:13The casual, unreadable look he usually wore had shifted into something heavier and something else.
09:19A flicker of something that looked almost like joy.
09:21I froze.
09:22My grip on my daughter's hand tightened without thinking.
09:26His usual cold tone softened just slightly.
09:29How old are you?
09:32What's your name?
09:33I said nothing.
09:35I didn't stop it either.
09:36We'd been together for three years.
09:38I knew this man.
09:39If he didn't see her with his own eyes, he'd never believe a word I said.
09:43She understood immediately.
09:45My name is Lily.
09:47I'm three years old.
09:50I exhaled quietly.
09:59Tristan stared at the little face in front of him.
10:01A face that mirrored his own by at least seven out of ten.
10:05And whatever joy of a first-time father had been rising in his chest was immediately doused.
10:10The words died in his throat.
10:12He couldn't make a sound.
10:14Lily had been premature.
10:16I'd been malnourished during the pregnancy.
10:18So she was smaller than most kids her age.
10:21After we broke up, I blocked Tristan on every platform.
10:24He, in turn, never tried to reach me.
10:27We were like two lines that had briefly intersected.
10:29We'd spent five years in the same city.
10:32I'd be lying if I said I never imagined it some random moment,
10:36some street corner, that familiar car passing by, but it never happened.
10:40We were always running on different tracks, at different speeds,
10:44toward different destinations.
10:45Even under the same sky, we were worlds apart.
10:48That evening at home...
10:50Mommy, I'm actually four.
10:53Why did you tell me to lie?
10:57Why did you tell me to lie?
11:03Why would you teach your child to lie?
11:05Maybe because I didn't want the trouble.
11:07Shortly after the last time I saw Tristan, I found out I was pregnant.
11:12I considered ending it, but when I was actually lying on the table, I hesitated.
11:16A stubborn, unresolved feeling coiled at the back of my mind.
11:20I'll admit it.
11:21I wasn't ready to let go.
11:23I thought, even if we can't be together, having a child who carries a part of him,
11:27maybe that's enough, so I raised her alone.
11:29In the moment, I held that tiny, pink, wrinkled little thing in my arms.
11:34I was suddenly and completely glad I had.
11:37She was mine.
11:38Half my blood ran through her.
11:40She didn't belong to anyone else.
11:42She deserved to see this world.
11:47After I got Lily to sleep, I got a call from the HR director.
11:51Don't come in tomorrow.
11:54Whose decision is this?
12:06There was a brief hesitation on the other end.
12:10No answer.
12:11I didn't push.
12:12Whether it was one day sooner or later made no difference to me.
12:16After leaving the job, I didn't look for another one.
12:19I opened a small children's clothing studio.
12:23And Lily cheerfully volunteered herself as my model.
12:26With her face and the editing skills, I'd taught myself from scratch.
12:31I'd built up a modest following.
12:34Between small orders and the occasional ad deal, it was enough to live on.
12:38Enough to save a little, even.
12:41I thought that by quitting, I'd put distance between myself and Tristan again.
12:45I was wrong.
12:47Tristan showed up at my door with a paternity test.
12:54Surprised.
12:55The night before, while I was giving Lily a bath, she'd gone quiet and fidgety.
13:00The look of a child who had something heavy on her mind but didn't know how to say it.
13:04I pretended not to notice and kept washing her hair.
13:07Mommy, I saw that man at school again today.
13:12She waved her arms quickly, like she was afraid I'd be angry.
13:16He didn't talk to me.
13:18He just touched my hair and left.
13:22You're not mad, right, Mommy?
13:26For a child, her parents are her entire world.
13:29The first word Lily ever said was Mommy.
13:32The second was Daddy.
13:33But no one was ever there to answer to that second word.
13:37When she was three, she asked me why all the other kids had both a mommy and a daddy.
13:42But she only had a mommy.
13:43I didn't hide the truth.
13:45Didn't lie to her.
13:46Didn't reach for the easy excuse that Daddy was just somewhere far away.
13:50You do have a daddy.
13:52It's just that he and I chose not to be together.
13:55He might not even know you exist.
13:58You can choose to find him.
14:00You can choose to be in his life.
14:02But I can't promise he'll accept you.
14:05Having you without telling him was my mistake.
14:08I showed her a photo of Tristan.
14:10Lily was sharp.
14:11Young children's memories were remarkable.
14:13That one glanced at the preschool, and she recognized him immediately.
14:17But she didn't go to him.
14:19The living room was already small and cluttered.
14:22With one more person in it, the walls seemed to close in.
14:25Tristan sat in the armchair and set the paternity test document on the coffee table.
14:32Explain.
14:56The last time, five years ago, was shortly after graduation.
15:00By then, we'd gone nearly a month without seeing each other.
15:04Without a single message.
15:05From the moment I asked that question in the car.
15:08And Tristan said graduation's almost here.
15:10We never met again after that.
15:12Well, almost never.
15:13We crossed paths a few times.
15:15Everyone was busy that last stretch.
15:17Job hunting.
15:18Going away parties.
15:19Groups of friends drinking and talking big and making plans.
15:22There was always somewhere to be.
15:24Always another gathering.
15:26Tristan was the busiest of all.
15:27But that never got in the way of his personal life.
15:30Three days before graduation, about two weeks after we'd stopped talking, the dorm had mostly
15:35emptied out.
15:36Only me and the girl in the bed across from mine were still there.
15:39That afternoon, I got back from shipping a box of my things and found Serafina standing
15:44at her mirror applying lipstick.
15:46Parked below the building was the black car I knew by heart.
15:49That was Tristan's way.
15:50He never bothered to be discreet.
15:52He never cared how it made anyone feel.
15:54Her phone buzzed on the desk.
15:55She picked it up fast.
15:56Whatever he said on the other end made her smile.
15:59She had her back to me.
16:00But I could still hear his voice clearly.
16:02I tried to tune it out.
16:04It still cut through me.
16:05The call ended.
16:06Serafina turned and met my eyes.
16:08The smile in hers grew bolder the moment she saw.
16:11I hadn't hidden my expression fast enough.
16:13On her way out, she said,
16:14Sienna, you held on to him for three years.
16:17I've been waiting just as long.
16:22Now that you're done, don't look at me like I stole something.
16:25She walked out in her heels.
16:27I stood there with my phone open to the call screen for a long time.
16:30Too afraid to press the button, so we're already broken up.
16:33And I, the person it was actually happening to, hadn't even been given the courtesy of
16:37hearing it said out loud.
16:38I found out from someone else, tears fell before I could stop them hitting the screen.
16:43My hand was shaking as I tried to go back.
16:45I accidentally called him instead.
16:47My instinct was to hang up immediately.
16:49But I didn't press the button.
16:50I held on to that last small desperate hope.
16:53One more try.
16:54What if he picks up and then immediately?
16:56What would I even say if he did ask him directly if we were broken up?
16:59Ask him whether he wanted to break up.
17:01My hands wouldn't stop trembling.
17:02Each second felt like an hour.
17:04My heart pounded and sank, afraid he'd answer.
17:07More afraid he wouldn't.
17:08Two seconds later, the call was disconnected from his end.
17:11A low hum filled my ears.
17:13I heard my own heartbeat.
17:14Each pulse landed directly on my nerves, heavy and hollow and loud.
17:18That same afternoon, I packed up and moved out of the dorm as fast as I could.
17:24Tristan again after that.
17:26Until about a week later, we ran into each other at a graduation party.
17:29He had Serafina with him.
17:31Whispers moved around the room.
17:32I pretended not to hear.
17:34I ate quietly, made small talk when someone spoke to me.
17:37Then, on the walk home after the party ended, Tristan called.
17:40It was the first time he'd reached out in over a month.
17:43Every rational part of me said to decline.
17:45My hand answered anyway.
17:46Where are you?
17:47That familiar tone.
17:49That familiar voice.
17:50One simple question.
17:51And every wall I'd spent weeks building inside myself came down in an instant.
17:55My nose stung.
17:56I forced my voice to sound steady.
17:58I told him where I was.
18:00Wait for me.
18:02That night, I waited four hours.
18:04Long enough for the streets to empty.
18:06Long enough for the vendors to pack up and go home.
18:09That's when I understood.
18:10Hope was a sandcastle.
18:11It looks solid until the tide comes in.
18:13By the time Tristan finally arrived.
18:15I'd been standing in that spot for nearly six hours.
18:18He gestured for me to get in.
18:20You couldn't have called me if I was running late?
18:22You just stood there the whole time?
18:24What were you going to do if I never showed up?
18:27Wait all night?
18:28I took out my phone.
18:29The screen was black.
18:30Dead battery.
18:35Tristan said nothing.
18:36After a long moment.
18:38Tristan.
18:39Next time something comes up, you can just tell me.
18:42Silence fell between us.
18:44Neither of us said another word.
18:45That night, I didn't bring up what I'd seen.
18:47Serafina had posted it.
18:49A massive private room.
18:50A five-tier birthday cake.
18:52Every person from that graduation party crowded around it.
18:55Glasses raised.
18:56All of them were there.
18:57Except me.
18:58At that point, what was left to figure out?
19:00No wonder everyone had been evasive when the party ended.
19:03Muttering about other plans.
19:05Telling me to head out first.
19:07No wonder Serafina had given me that small, triumphant smile.
19:10Before turning to say something to Tristan.
19:12No wonder he called me right after I left.
19:14And then left me standing outside for hours.
19:17Every coincidence lined up perfectly.
19:19A clean, bright act of exclusion.
19:21That was Tristan.
19:22Whoever he was with, he made them feel like the center of the world.
19:28Tristan showed up at my door with the paternity test.
19:31He started appearing everywhere.
19:33Sometimes in the lobby of my building.
19:34Sometimes waiting with me at the preschool gate.
19:37He never moved closer.
19:38Never walked away.
19:39Just stayed somewhere in the background.
19:41But I knew this wasn't how Tristan operated.
19:44Something was coming.
19:45One afternoon, I finished work and was heading out the door.
19:48My phone rang.
19:49I answered.
19:50It was Lily's homeroom teacher.
19:52Mrs. Reed, this afternoon, Lily was picked up by her grandmother.
19:55Were you aware of this?
19:56My head snapped up.
19:58In that instant, I felt the blood rush straight to my skull.
20:01What happened was, several people came to the school this afternoon.
20:05The principal herself came out to receive them.
20:07They specifically asked to take Lily.
20:09They also presented a paternity test.
20:12I pressed my palm shut.
20:13Horsesing down the rage rising in my chest.
20:16I ended the call and walked straight out the door.
20:21At the Hargro family home, Tristan was leaning back on the couch.
20:25Sitting quietly beside him was a small girl.
20:28He already had a headache.
20:29He'd been working up to talk to Sienna about...
20:31At the Hargro family home, Tristan was leaning back on the couch.
20:35Sitting quietly beside him was a small girl.
20:38He already had a headache.
20:40He'd been working up to talk to Sienna about custody arrangements.
20:43And then his mother pulled this and made a whole production of it.
20:46He probably already knows by now, he thought.
20:49Tristan pressed two fingers to his temple.
20:51Mrs. Hargrove was beaming at her granddaughter.
20:54The girl was impossibly cute.
20:55This child had to be brought back into the family no matter what.
20:58Hargrove blood did not get left behind.
21:01Lily sat perfectly still.
21:03When anyone spoke to her, she looked up briefly, then looked away.
21:07She wouldn't say a word.
21:08Mostly she stared at the toes of her shoes, until a shadow fell across her face.
21:13She looked up.
21:14A woman stood in front of her, stylish and beautiful.
21:17Go ahead.
21:18Eat.
21:18Mommy says I'm allergic to cream.
21:21I can't have cake.
21:25So you won't be either.
21:27He was making that up.
21:28Your daddy isn't allergic, so you won't be either.
21:31She's just too broke to buy you cake.
21:33That's why she told you that.
21:34Now that you're back with the Hargroves, you can have anything you want.
21:37You have a daddy.
21:38You have a grandmother.
21:40And soon, you'll have a new mommy.
21:42Her voice was barely above a whisper.
21:44Only the little girl in front of her could hear.
21:46From a distance, it looked just like a woman chatting sweetly with a child.
21:50That was the scene I walked into when I arrived at the Hargrove house.
21:54Mrs. Hargrove upright on the couch.
21:56Tristan with one leg crossed over the other.
21:58Dark eyes lowered.
22:00Expression unreadable.
22:01Serafina cradling my daughter, her face soft and smiling.
22:05Anyone who didn't know better would have called it a picture-perfect family.
22:08Lily saw me.
22:10Mommy!
22:11The single word dropped into the room.
22:13Every pair of eyes turned to me.
22:15The tension finally drained from her small face.
22:20Trembled.
22:21She almost cried, then swallowed it back.
22:23She was barely four years old, and strangers had come and taken her without warning.
22:28Anyone would have been frightened.
22:29My chest ached.
22:30If this ever happens again, I will call the police.
22:35Who do you think you are?
22:36I'm picking up my own granddaughter.
22:38I need permission from an outsider like you.
22:41It's okay.
22:42You said it yourself.
22:43I'm an outsider.
22:45So when an outsider had come, her lip trembled.
22:48She almost cried, then swallowed it back.
22:51She was barely four years old, and strangers had come and taken her without warning.
22:55Anyone would have been frightened.
22:57My chest ached.
22:58If this ever happens again, I will call the police.
23:03Who do you think you are?
23:04I'm picking up my own granddaughter.
23:06I need permission from an outsider like you.
23:09It's okay.
23:10You said it yourself.
23:11I'm an outsider.
23:13So when an outsider's child gets taken without consent, does that qualify as kidnapping?
23:18She sputtered.
23:19Face darkening.
23:20Mrs. Hargreth, please calm down.
23:22This child isn't just hers.
23:25She's Tristan's too.
23:27Sienna, I understand why you secretly had this child after Tristan ended things.
23:30You loved him.
23:32But going to work at his company?
23:34Engineering a reunion so he'd discover the child?
23:36That wasn't an accident accident, was it?
23:38Now that he's acknowledged her, you want to take her away?
23:40Make her live a life where she can't even eat frosted cake?
23:43She's not a bargaining chip!
23:44You inserted yourself between Tristan and me back in college, pulled him away, and I let it go.
23:48But why are you still using this child as a pawn?
23:54In her version of events, she was the devoted girlfriend who nobly stepped aside.
23:58I was the manipulative other woman, tossed out, bitter, leveraging a child to claw my way back in.
24:04Seeing that I wasn't taking the bait, Mrs. Hargrove slammed her palm on the table.
24:08That child is Hargreth blood.
24:10I dare you to try and take her.
24:12Unmarried, having a child out of Wedry, and you think you're fit to raise her?
24:16What exactly is she learning from you?
24:19Lily startled and began to cry.
24:22I pulled her in tight, one hand stroking her back.
24:25Serafina stepped forward, crouching down, croaking her finger.
24:29Lily, don't be scared. Come to mommy.
24:32Something inside my chest that I had been holding down all day broke loose.
24:36I drew back and slapped her clean across the face.
24:39My voice came out even and quiet.
24:41Whose mommy are you?
24:42When the shock wore off, she raised her arm to retaliate, but a large hand shot out and grabbed her
24:48wrist hard.
24:50I got pregnant before we married.
24:52Tristan didn't reply.
24:54His sharp eyes swept over the cheap ring on my finger, and he scoffed.
24:58I wasn't ashamed.
24:59I held it up for him to see clearly.
25:01Almost poked him in the eye with it.
25:03The second I sensed his temper rising, I slipped out.
25:06Back home that night, I let out a long breath.
25:09Sometimes a lie is the most useful tool for handling trouble before it starts.
25:13I'd picked the ring up at the dollar store yesterday.
25:15Cheap and effective.
25:16Enough, I figured, to snuff out whatever last ember Tristan still had for me.
25:21Sure enough, my resignation was approved the next day.
25:24HR came up that afternoon to tell me in person, warp up the handover in a week and I could
25:28leave.
25:28Standard resignations took a month.
25:30Mine took a week, no need to guess who was behind it.
25:33I nodded and started training the intern on my accounts.
25:35The new intern was sweet and eager.
25:37Near end of day, Chloe spoke up a little sheepish.
25:40Sienna, can I head out a bit early tonight?
25:42My boyfriend wants to grab dinner.
25:43I hesitated, not because I'd say no, but because I needed to leave early too, to pick up my daughter.
25:49She saw I wasn't answering and got anxious, pressing her hands together, sweet-talking non-stop.
25:54Fine, go.
25:55She thanked me and started packing up.
25:57He's coming down to get me.
25:59He works here too?
26:01No, he's...
26:02Ready?
26:02A low magnetic voice cut in.
26:04My body locked up for a second.
26:06If it had been a voice I'd never heard before, maybe I'd have looked up out of curiosity.
26:11Unfortunately, this voice had haunted my nightmares for the past five years.
26:15On the nights I needed pills to sleep, Tristan's words played on loop in my head.
26:20Sienna, you're such a good girl.
26:22I'll lead you astray.
26:24Try smoking.
26:25Girls who smoke are cool.
26:27I want to see a different side of you.
26:28Coaxed, word by word, I fell, and I learned.
26:32From sophomore year, I went from one of Tristan's admirers to his hookup.
26:36Then, beating out every other girl, I became his girlfriend for three years.
26:40The day he accepted my confession, the weather was bad.
26:43The wind howled.
26:44He'd just dropped off a senior he'd been dating, parked below the women's dorm.
26:48One slender hand dangled out the window with a cigarette like he was dozing.
26:52Ash scattered in the wind.
26:54I threw on a coat, went down, and knocked on his window.
26:57Counting on that sliver of specialness he reserved for me.
27:00I told him how I felt.
27:01In that moment, even the wind seemed to slow.
27:04I waited quietly for his answer.
27:06Tristan turned his head, pulled out a cigarette, and brought it to his lips.
27:09His dark eyes were bottomless and devastatingly magnetic.
27:13I took it between my lips without thinking.
27:15My damp lips brushed his fingers.
27:17He didn't pull back.
27:18The mockery on his face shifted into quiet permission.
27:21He only said,
27:22Good girl.
27:24Not so good anymore.
27:25Back then, I was drowning in his eyes.
27:27I didn't catch what was buried in those words.
27:29Not until graduation.
27:31The last time he asked me to a hotel.
27:40The last time we ever met, after it was over, he passed me a cigarette with practiced ease.
27:45My future wife definitely won't be the type who smokes after sex.
27:50I forced down the lump in my throat and asked him why.
27:53Why?
27:56Sienna, I like my girl pure.
27:58He said he liked them pure, but once, he'd told me I was too pure, too good, that he didn't
28:03know where to start with me.
28:04I don't even know where to start with you.
28:05It took me until that moment to understand what he'd really meant, once I stopped being good.
28:10I was automatically filed under plaything.
28:13I pulled myself out of the memory.
28:15My expression settled back into neutral.
28:17Chloe spun around excitedly, grabbed her bag, and jogged toward the door.
28:22Sienna, weren't you also trying to leave early to pick up your daughter?
28:25We can drop you off.
28:26I was about to decline, but Tristan had already walked over, picked up my bag from the desk, and turned
28:31toward the parking garage without a word.
28:34No room to argue.
28:35The car ride was uncomfortably quiet.
28:37Only Chloe filled the silence every now and then.
28:39Then, Tristan tapped the steering wheel lazily, but his eyes kept drifting to me in the rearview mirror.
28:44Chloe must have sensed the tension.
28:46She switched gears and tried to pull me into the conversation.
28:50Sienna, you stay so late most nights.
28:52Does your husband handle school pickup?
28:53The word husband hit me so unexpectedly that my brain stalled for a full second.
28:58I shook my head and found an excuse.
29:01He's out of town.
29:02Doesn't come back out, Finn.
29:04She gave an oh-that-makes-sense nod, then glanced down at the ring I'd bought from the dollar store
29:08a few days ago.
29:09Is that your wedding ring?
29:12It looks like it's starting to fade, like one of those $10 free shipping ones online.
29:17Oh, I didn't mean it like that.
29:19Please, don't take it the wrong way.
29:21Chloe caught herself and turned to apologize, but I still caught the flash of disdain in her eyes, and that
29:26quiet little flicker of superiority.
29:29Fair enough.
29:30Her Herma's bag versus my powdered formula budget.
29:33Those weren't even on the same planet.
29:35I was about to say something when a soft laugh stopped me.
29:39Tristan reached over and ruffled Chloe's hair, his expression warm and indulgent.
29:45You didn't say anything wrong.
29:48You don't need to apologize.
29:50Poor people are proud people.
29:52Speaking that bluntly, aren't you worried someone's going to make your life difficult at work?
29:59The words were aimed at Chloe, but they were meant for me.
30:02A casually delivered sentence.
30:05Openly defending her.
30:06Quietly warning me.
30:08I turned to look out the window and pretended not to hear.
30:11In the three years I was with Tristan, I heard variations of that kind of remark countless times.
30:16That I wasn't good enough for him.
30:18I'll admit, the gap between us was enormous.
30:21My family wasn't poor, but we were solidly middle class.
30:25That's amazing.
30:25Nothing more.
30:26The Hargroves weren't just wealthy.
30:28They stood at the center of power.
30:31Tristan made it plain to me right at the beginning.
30:45I kept a careful guard over my own heart.
30:48Never overstepped.
30:49But there were moments when the feelings ran too deep and my resolve wavered.
30:53What if I tried?
30:55What if I actually fought for it?
30:56What if I won?
30:58So as graduation approached, I was the one who reached out to Tristan.
31:01That day, he came to pick me up early.
31:04He pulled over somewhere quiet on campus.
31:07His driver stepped out without being asked and waited at a distance.
31:11Dappled light from the trees outside, cut through the window and hit my eyes.
31:15An hour later, Tristan was leaning back.
31:18White shirt slightly damp, a faint sheen on his forehead.
31:22The window was cracked.
31:24Cold air rushed in and scattered the smoke from his breath.
31:27I watched him and slowly asked the question.
31:29Tristan.
31:31Do you love me?
31:32I realized, more than asking if he'd ever marry me.
31:35What I really needed to know was whether he had ever truly loved me.
31:39He looked at me.
31:40And for once, those teasing eyes held something genuine.
31:44Graduation's almost here.
31:45In that instant, I understood exactly what he meant.
31:48Almost time to graduate.
31:49Almost time to end this.
31:51The car stopped in front of the preschool.
31:53I pushed the door open and stepped out.
31:55My daughter was standing at the entrance, holding her teacher's hand.
31:59Sorry mommy's late today.
32:02Did you wait long?
32:04She tilted her little face up and pointed past me.
32:08Were you late because of that man?
32:10I turned, startled.
32:11Tristan was standing right behind me.
32:13I hadn't even heard him follow.
32:15The casual, unreadable look he usually wore had shifted into something heavier and something else.
32:21A flicker of something that looked almost like joy.
32:23I froze.
32:24My grip on my daughter's hand tightened without thinking.
32:28His usual cold tone softened just slightly.
32:31How old are you?
32:34What's your name?
32:35I said nothing.
32:37I didn't stop it either.
32:38We'd been together for three years.
32:40I knew this man.
32:41If he didn't see her with his own eyes, he'd never believe a word I said.
32:45She understood immediately.
32:47My name is Lily.
32:49I'm three years old.
32:52I exhaled quietly.
32:54What?
32:55I heard you haven't downloaded this short drama app yet?
32:57Then you've really lost out big time.
32:59Download this software.
33:01And you can watch the entire series in one go.
33:03No more piecing together and downloading various apps just for a TV series.
33:08All the popular short dramas you want to watch are here.
33:12This app is all about letting you enjoy watching shows to your heart's content.
33:16I'm already hooked.
33:18You should try it too.
33:20Mommy, I'm actually four.
33:22Why did you tell me to lie?
33:24Graduation day, Tristan and I had a breakup sex.
33:28Afterward, he casually passed me a cigarette and teased.
33:31One thing's for sure.
33:33I'm never marrying a girl who smokes after sex.
33:35My throat tightened.
33:37I asked him why.
33:38Why?
33:39Sienna, I like my girls pure.
33:41I went silent for a long time, then cut off all contact with him.
33:46We met again five years later.
33:48He was my new boss.
33:49To avoid the awkwardness, I handed in my resignation and he cornered me in his office.
33:57Five years.
33:59One more round.
34:02No.
34:02I have to pick up my kid from school.
34:05The air went still.
34:06Tristan stopped moving.
34:08I tried to stand up on his lap, but his hand pressed down hard, pinning me in place.
34:13The burning heat in his eyes dimmed.
34:15A crack split through his usual composure.
34:17How old is the kid?
34:19He gritted his teeth.
34:20I stayed quiet.
34:21Then, after a moment, I answered softly.
34:24Three.
34:24Three, not four.
34:25And we had been broken up for five years.
34:27This child had nothing to do with him.
34:29Clearly, Tristan understood that too.
34:31I tried to stand again.
34:33This time, the hand at my waist didn't stop me.
34:35As I pushed through the door, he spoke again.
34:37Suspicion had crept into his voice.
34:39Your file says you're unmarried.
34:41I paused, then steadied myself and turned back, calm.
34:44I just registered the marriage recently.
34:46Just registered, but the kid's already three?
34:48Right.
34:49I got pregnant before we married.
34:51Tristan didn't reply.
34:53His sharp eyes swept over the cheap ring on my finger, and he scoffed.
34:56I wasn't ashamed.
34:57I held it up for him to see clearly.
34:59Almost poked him in the eye with it.
35:01The second I sensed his temper rising, I slipped out.
35:05Back home that night, I let out a long breath.
35:08Sometimes a lie is the most useful tool for handling trouble before it starts.
35:11I'd picked the ring up at the dollar store yesterday.
35:14Cheap and effective.
35:15Enough, I figured, to snuff out whatever last ember Tristan still had for me.
35:19Sure enough, my resignation was approved the next day.
35:22HR came up that afternoon to tell me in person, warp up the handover in a week and I could
35:26leave.
35:27Standard resignations took a month.
35:29Mine took a week.
35:30No need to guess who was behind it.
35:31I nodded and started training the intern on my accounts.
35:34The new intern was sweet and eager.
35:36Near end of day, Chloe spoke up a little sheepish.
35:38Sienna, can I head out a bit early tonight?
35:41My boyfriend wants to grab dinner.
35:42I hesitated.
35:43Not because I'd say no, but because I needed to leave early too, to pick up my daughter.
35:47She saw I wasn't answering and got anxious, pressing her hands together, sweet talking non-stop.
35:52Fine.
35:53Go.
35:54She thanked me and started packing up.
35:56He's coming down to get me.
35:57He works here too?
35:58No.
36:00He's...
36:00Ready?
36:01A low magnetic voice cut in.
36:03My body locked up for a second.
36:04If it had been a voice I'd never heard before, maybe I'd have looked up out of curiosity.
36:10Unfortunately, this voice had haunted my nightmares for the past five years.
36:14On the nights I needed pills to sleep, Tristan's words played on loop in my head.
36:18Sienna, you're such a good girl.
36:21I'll lead you astray.
36:22Try smoking.
36:24Girls who smoke are cool.
36:25I want to see a different side of you.
36:27Coaxed, word by word, I fell, and I learned.
36:30From sophomore year, I went from one of Tristan's admirers to his hookup.
36:34Then, beating out every other girl, I became his girlfriend for three years.
36:38The day he accepted my confession, the weather was bad.
36:41The wind howled.
36:42He'd just dropped off a senior he'd been dating, parked below the women's dorm.
36:47One slender hand dangled out the window with a cigarette like he was dozing.
36:51Ash scattered in the wind.
36:52I threw on a coat, went down, and knocked on his window.
36:55Counting on that sliver of specialness he reserved for me.
36:58I told him how I felt, in that moment, even the wind seemed to slow.
37:02I waited quietly for his answer.
37:04Tristan turned his head, pulled out a cigarette, and brought it to his lips.
37:08His dark eyes were bottomless and devastatingly magnetic.
37:11I took it between my lips without thinking.
37:13My damp lips brushed his fingers.
37:15He didn't pull back.
37:16The mockery on his face shifted into quiet permission.
37:19He only said,
37:20Good girl.
37:22Not so good anymore.
37:23Back then, I was drowning in his eyes.
37:25I didn't catch what was buried in those words.
37:28Not until graduation.
37:30The last time he asked me to a hotel.
37:38The last time we ever met, after it was over, he passed me a cigarette with practiced ease.
37:44My future wife?
37:45Definitely won't be the type who smokes after sex.
37:48I forced down the lump in my throat and asked him why.
37:51Why?
37:55Sienna, I like my girl pure.
37:57He said he liked them pure, but once, he'd told me I was too pure, too good, that he didn't
38:02know where to start with me.
38:04It took me until that moment to understand what he'd really meant, once I stopped being good.
38:09I was automatically filed under plaything.
38:11I pulled myself out of the memory.
38:13My expression settled back into neutral.
38:16Chloe spun around excitedly, grabbed her bag, and jogged toward the door.
38:20Sienna, weren't you also trying to leave early to pick up your daughter?
38:23We can drop you off.
38:24I was about to decline, but Tristan had already walked over, picked up my bag from the desk, and turned
38:30toward the parking garage without a word.
38:32No room to argue, the car ride was uncomfortably quiet.
38:35Only Chloe filled the silence every now and then.
38:38Tristan tapped the steering wheel lazily, but his eyes kept drifting to me in the rearview mirror.
38:43Chloe must have sensed the tension.
38:45She switched gears and tried to pull me into the conversation.
38:48Sienna, you stay so late most nights?
38:50Does your husband handle school pickup?
38:52The word husband hit me so unexpectedly that my brain stalled for a full second.
38:56I shook my head and found an excuse.
38:59He's out of town.
39:00Doesn't come back out, Finn.
39:02She gave an oh-that-makes-sense nod, then glanced down at the ring I'd bought from the dollar store
39:06a few days ago.
39:07Is that your wedding ring?
39:10It looks like it's starting to fade.
39:12Like one of those $10 free shipping ones online.
39:16Oh, I didn't mean it like that.
39:18Please don't take it the wrong way.
39:20Chloe caught herself and turned to apologize.
39:22But I still caught the flash of disdain in her eyes, and that quiet little flicker of superiority.
39:27Fair enough.
39:28Her Herma's bag versus my powdered formula budget.
39:31Those weren't even on the same planet.
39:34I was about to say something when a soft laugh stopped me.
39:38Tristan reached over and ruffled Chloe's hair, his expression warm and indulgent.
39:44You didn't say anything wrong.
39:46You don't need to apologize.
39:48Poor people are proud people.
39:51Speaking that bluntly, aren't you worried someone's going to make your life difficult at work?
39:57The words were aimed at Chloe, but they were meant for me.
40:01A casually delivered sentence, openly defending her, quietly warning me.
40:06I turned to look out the window and pretended not to hear.
40:09In the three years I was with Tristan, I heard variations of that kind of remark countless times.
40:15That I wasn't good enough for him.
40:17I'll admit, the gap between us was enormous.
40:20My family wasn't poor, but we were solidly middle class.
40:23Nothing more.
40:24The Hargroves weren't just wealthy.
40:27They stood at the center of power.
40:29Tristan made it plain to me right at the beginning.
40:31Sienna, you can be my girlfriend.
40:38But you'll never be my wife.
40:41I knew.
40:42I always knew.
40:44I kept a careful guard over my own heart.
40:47Never overstepped.
40:48But there were moments when the feelings ran too deep and my resolve wavered.
40:52What if I tried?
40:53What if I actually fought for it?
40:55What if I won?
40:56So as graduation approached, I was the one who reached out to Tristan.
41:00That day, he came to pick me up early.
41:02He pulled over somewhere quiet on campus.
41:05His driver stepped out without being asked and waited at a distance.
41:09Dappled light from the trees outside, cut through the window and hit my eyes.
41:14An hour later, Tristan was leaning back.
41:16White shirt slightly damp.
41:18A faint sheen on his forehead.
41:20The window was cracked.
41:22Cold air rushed in and scattered the smoke from his breath.
41:25I watched him and slowly asked the question.
41:28Tristan, do you love me?
41:31I realized, more than asking if he'd ever marry me.
41:34What I really needed to know was whether he had ever truly loved me.
41:38He looked at me.
41:38And for once, those teasing eyes held something genuine.
41:42Graduation's almost here.
41:43In that instant, I understood exactly what he meant.
41:46Almost time to graduate.
41:48Almost time to end this.
41:49The car stopped in front of the preschool.
41:51I pushed the door open and stepped out.
41:54My daughter was standing at the entrance, holding her teacher's hand.
41:57Sorry mommy's late today.
42:00Did you wait long?
42:03She tilted her little face up and pointed past me.
42:06Were you late because of that man?
42:08I turned, startled.
42:10Tristan was standing right behind me.
42:12I hadn't even heard him follow.
42:14The casual, unreadable look he usually wore had shifted into something heavier.
42:18And something else.
42:19A flicker of something that looked almost like joy.
42:21I froze.
42:23My grip on my daughter's hand tightened without thinking.
42:26His usual cold tone softened just slightly.
42:29How old are you?
42:32What's your name?
42:34I said nothing.
42:35I didn't stop it either.
42:37We'd been together for three years.
42:38I knew this man.
42:40If he didn't see her with his own eyes, he'd never believe a word I said.
42:44She understood immediately.
42:45My name is Lily.
42:47I'm three years old.
42:50I exhaled quietly.
42:52Airdoo
42:52You
42:52You
42:52You
42:53You
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