Chapter 4
I flew out to seek refuge with my best friend Emma Brooks, who lived far away in another city.
She was thrilled to have me over.
We had known each other since middle school.
Back when I was cutting back on everything and barely had enough to eat, Emma would bring food from home every single day to make sure I didn't go hungry.
Two years ago, when she decided to start her own business, I knew it was my turn to pay her back for everything she had done for me.
Emma's business took off, and now she was the boss of a mid-sized company.
We stayed up all night, talking and catching up, both of us buzzing with excitement.
The next morning, Emma got up bright and early for work, like always.
Left all by myself, I ended up sleeping until five in the afternoon.
When evening came, the apartment was quiet and dim.
Suddenly, I felt this overwhelming emptiness in my chest.
That reminded me of the last time I left Alex; it was because his parents showed up at the door.
They picked me apart, criticizing everything about me.
To them, I was unattractive, came from a nobody family, and basically had nothing going for me.
They couldn't wrap their heads around why Alex would choose someone like me, or even jeopardize his future for my sake.
Alex refused to accept their arranged marriage plans and wouldn't even entertain the idea of seeing other girls.
Back then, the Carter family was under a lot of pressure. The business climate was shifting, and rivals were watching from the shadows.
They thought that if Alex married one of the girls who were interested in him, they could secure a strategic marriage alliance and steady the company. Why would they go through all the trouble of chasing partnerships when a marriage could solve everything?
All the color drained from my face.
Alex rarely talked to me about his work, but I could see the fatigue building up in him day after day.
That day, I went along with their wishes and left.
But it didn't take Alex long to track me down.
He told me he was sorry.
I said it was fine, that maybe going along with the marriage was the smartest move for him.
Alex was quiet for a long time before finally saying, "I haven't even gotten my money's worth out of you yet, so don't think about leaving."
Guess that was how things were.
After that, I started going through the motions; he paid for everything, so I acted like money was all I cared about.
Emma introduced me to someone she knew.
I almost didn't recognize Lucas Brooks. The chubby kid with all that baby fat had turned into a tall, lean, and seriously good-looking guy.
He was rocking a simple white T-shirt and a denim jacket, with black pants on the bottom.
It was a super casual look, but Lucas radiated that fresh, youthful vibe.
"Hey, Sophie, you haven't forgotten me already, have you?" Lucas asked.
I shook my head right away.
No way.
Back when I used to hang out with Emma, I'd always bump into Lucas, and he was always so sweet.
"You've gotten so good-looking, I'm honestly kind of speechless," I said.
Lucas's grin got even brighter.
After I dropped a bombshell on them, Emma and Lucas's eyes widened.
"I'm pregnant," I said. "I'm going to have the baby and give him a good life."
Emma recovered from the shock and quickly asked, "So, what about the baby's father? He's not some irresponsible jerk, is he?"
I shook my head.
I told them this was entirely my choice.
Honestly, one could say I used Alex as a donor.
Emma went with me to my prenatal checkup.
When it was time for my second checkup, she had an emergency come up, so she sent Lucas to go with me instead.
After the checkup, we decided to hang out outside for a bit and wait for the report to come out before heading back.
In the hospital's small garden, out of nowhere, Lucas asked me, "So, why did you break up with him?"
I smiled at him, feeling totally at ease.
"We weren't right for each other. It wasn't going to last," I said. "So breaking up early was probably for the best."
Lucas nodded, and things got quiet between us again.
However, as footsteps sounded nearby, Lucas, who was standing right in front of me, finally said, "What if I'm willing to be the child's father? What if I want to be with you for the long haul?"
The next second, a fist smashed right into his face.
"You trying to cut in on my turf? You little brat; she wouldn't even look at you twice!" Alex snarled.