Chapter 8

I set up a meeting with Mary at a coffee shop in town.

When I messaged her, I kept it polite. [Mary, I've had some things on my mind, and I'd like to talk to you in person. Would that be okay?]

She replied instantly: [Sure, Sophie. I am always free, and just let me know when.]

We met at three in the afternoon, by the window on the second floor of the coffee shop.

She got there before me.

She was sitting there, sipping her coffee, and when she saw me come in, she smiled and waved me over. "Sophie, come sit down. I ordered you some milk. You need something good for you these days."

I sat down. "Thanks."

"You're looking pretty good. Guess staying at home suits you," Mary said, looking me up and down. "Your belly is starting to show."

"Almost four months now."

"Four months already? Time flies."

She took a sip of her coffee, set the cup down, and idly traced the rim with her finger. "You said you've had some things on your mind. What did you figure out?"

I stayed quiet for a moment.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and set it on the table. "Mary, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead," Mary said.

"Have you ever heard of someone called 'GoldenDays'?"

Her finger froze for a heartbeat, only for a second.

Then she went right back to twirling her cup.

"GoldenDays? What's that?" Mary asked.

"It's a user ID on the local forum," I replied.

"I don't use forums. I don't know what you're talking about."

I pulled up the screenshots on my phone and placed them in front of her.

It showed the screenshot of the post, the username, registration date, and the signature: [May time be kind, and may your youth shine.]

She glanced down at the screen. Her smile stayed, but her lips tightened a bit. "What's this supposed to mean?"

"This post put all my business out there on the forum. My school, my department, my last name, the fact that I'm pregnant with twins, and that the guy won't own up. Everything's laid out clear as day."

"And what's that got to do with me?"

"The account was made three weeks ago, and it only posted this one thing. Three weeks ago. Right after you and John showed up at my school."

"Just a coincidence."

"You knew everything at that time."

"Lots of people know it."

I pulled up another screenshot. It was a chat log from Chloe. "The rumors at school started on the forum. Grace saw the post and shared it in the department group chat. Lily forwarded it, and then everyone in the department knew."

"So what?"

"The source is this post. And you're the one who posted it."

Mary's smile finally slipped.

She set her cup down, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms. "Sophie, don't go throwing accusations around."

"Whether you posted it or not, check the IP address, and you'll know," I shot back.

"Go ahead. Check it yourself."

"I already got someone to check."

That was a lie.

But she didn't know that.

Her eyes flickered for a moment. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

I put my phone away. "I want to know why you did this."

"I didn't do it."

"Mary, you're way too involved in Ryan's life."

"Me? I care about him."

"Care about him, huh? Or are you after the estate John owns?"

The coffee shop went silent for three seconds.

Mary's expression darkened completely. "What do you mean by that?"

"I heard you tried to push John to leave half the estate to your son in his will, but he shot you down. If Ryan has kids of his own, your plan is finished. That's why you're more desperate than anyone to make me abort the babies," I said.

She stood up.

She shoved the chair back, making it scrape loudly across the floor. "Sophie, you'd better have evidence to back up what you're saying."

"The evidence is on my phone," I replied.

"What do those screenshots prove? You think you can take them to court?"

"I never said anything about going to court."

"So what do you want?"

"I want you to stay out of my business. Stop spreading rumors at school, stop posting on the forum, and quit stirring things up behind my back.

"Ryan and I are over. I'm having these babies myself. They have nothing to do with the Reynolds family. Whatever you're plotting, it's not going to touch me."

Mary locked eyes with me for five seconds.

Then she grabbed her bag and walked out.

At the door, she turned back and said, "Sophie, don't get ahead of yourself. You think having those kids means it's over. Let's see how you survive raising two on your own."

"That's none of your business," I shot back.

She walked out.

After the door closed, I sat there, my hands clammy with sweat.

The milk was cold, but I took a sip anyway.

My hand trembled, but I'd gotten it all off my chest.

My phone rang.

It was John calling.

I picked up.

"Sophie, what did you say to Mary?" John asked.

"I said everything that needed to be said," I replied.

"Don't make trouble. You're a young girl. What do you think you'll get out of all this drama?"

"John, I'm not making trouble. I don't want people stabbing me in the back anymore."

"Stabbing you in the back? Mary can't keep her mouth shut, and that's all. She didn't mean any harm."

"No harm? She blasted my business all over the internet, spread it through the school, got everyone pointing fingers at me, and forced me to take a leave of absence. And you call that harmless?"

There was a long silence on the other end.

"Do you have proof?" John finally asked.

"Yeah, I do," I replied.

"What do you want?"

"I don't want anything. Stay out of my life. Ryan and I are done, and the kids are none of your business. Don't ever call me again."

I hung up.

I set my phone on the table, the screen still glowing.

I looked at the call log on my screen. [Call with John: 1 minute and 42 seconds.]

I blocked his number.

Then I blocked Mary's and Ryan's numbers.

All three of them, blocked.

I slipped my phone into my pocket, got up, headed downstairs, and walked out onto the street.

The sun was about to set, and the streetlights had come on.

I rested my hand on my belly.

It was four months now.

I wondered if the two little ones growing inside me heard me talking to them today.