During my most reckless year, I secretly had a baby behind Ethan Reed’s back. At the time, his startup had crashed and burned, leaving him buried under a mountain of debt. I was terrified we’d both starve if I stayed, so without a word, I packed my bags and ran while I was still pregnant. I didn’t hear a word about him for five years. Now, he is the ruthless CEO of the Reed Conglomerate, the most powerful man in the city. But the tabloids say a car accident left him unable to ever have children of his own. I looked at my son, who was fighting a life-threatening illness, and finally made my choice. "Come on, Leo. Mommy’s taking you to see your dad." 1 In the hospital bed, little Leo rolled his eyes at me the moment he heard those words. "Mom, are you finally losing it? You told me my dad died a long time ago." I let out a nervous laugh. "Well, he was really sick, and I thought he wasn't going to make it. Who knew he’d get a miracle cure?" Leo’s eyes suddenly sparked with hope. "Does that mean I can get a miracle cure too? Can I go home like Dad did?" I nodded firmly. "Absolutely!" Kids are so easy to convince. A few soft words and he was all in. Leaving the ward, I pulled up the news on my phone again. It was a headline from The Wall Street Journal: Tech Titan Ethan Reed Rendered Infertile Following Near-Fatal Crash. At first, I thought it was just someone with the same name. But then I clicked on the article. The man in the photo wasn't just another Ethan Reed; he had the exact same sharp jawline and piercing eyes as the man I had abandoned. Coincidences like that don't exist in the real world. There was only one explanation: Ethan had been lying to me back then, too. He was never just some broke kid with a dream. I didn't know whether to be relieved or devastated. But for Leo, this was a lifeline. I booked a flight to New York for the next morning. When my mom brought dinner over later that evening, I was already packing. "Are you going on another business trip? Are you really dumping the boy on me again?" she grumbled. "What did I tell you? I told you not to have that kid, but you wouldn't listen. Now you spend your days working and your nights dumping him on me. I’m supposed to be enjoying my retirement, not playing full-time nanny." I looked at Leo, who had just woken up, and whispered, "Mom, can you please not say that in front of him? He might be small, but he understands more than you think." "Oh, so you can do it, but I can't talk about it?" "Mom, if you’ve got a second, just go give Leo a hug. I’m taking him to New York tomorrow." My mother froze. She pulled me into the hallway. "Did you find the money for the surgery? Where did you get that kind of cash, Chloe? You’ve been struggling just to keep the lights on these past few years. Where would you get thousands of dollars?" I kept my head down, not ready to tell her the truth. "Don't worry about it. Just know that once we leave, I don't know when we’ll be back. You go ahead and enjoy your 'peace and quiet.' Leo and I won't be a burden anymore." My mom’s face fell instantly. "You brat. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You know I’m all talk. I love that kid more than life itself." She sighed, wiping a stray tear. "Fine. Forget I said anything. Let me go see my grandbaby." 2 Early the next morning, my mom was a sobbing mess as she held Leo. "My sweet boy, Grandma’s going to miss you so much. Once you’re all better, you come straight back to me, okay?" See? That’s how people are. The moment you’re actually leaving, they realize they can't stand to see you go. Before we checked in at the airport, she pressed a debit card into my hand. "I scraped some savings together. It’s not a fortune, but it should help with the initial bills. You know the PIN. Take care of my boy." I waved goodbye, my heart aching. If she knew I was handing Leo over to Ethan Reed, she’d probably kill me herself. On the flight, I started coaching Leo. "Listen, when we meet these people, you have to call me 'Auntie Chloe' if there are strangers around. Got it?" "Why?" Leo tilted his head, his little face full of confusion. I patiently explained, "Remember I told you your dad was sick? Well, when he was struggling, I didn't stay to help him. He probably hates me now. If he knows I’m back, he might try to get even with me." Leo blinked, trying to process the grown-up drama. "Mom, aren't you going to stay with me at Dad's house?" I felt a surge of guilt and couldn't look him in the eye. "Once you're all better, Mommy will come and take you home." "Promise?" "Promise." "Pinky swear?" "Yeah, baby. Pinky swear." 3 I didn't go to Ethan directly. Instead, I pulled every string I had to track down Ethan’s mother, Mrs. Reed—a woman who radiated old-money elegance even in a simple silk scarf. She sat in a quiet, upscale bistro, looking entirely out of place in our part of town, her designer sunglasses hiding her expression. "You claim you have a child? A son belonging to my Ethan?" she started, her gaze slowly shifting from me to Leo. The next second, her breath hitched. "Oh my god... he’s a miniature Ethan." She reached out, her hands trembling as she pulled Leo closer to inspect him. "This... this is unbelievable. He looks exactly like Ethan did at that age." She wasn't exaggerating. Even though Ethan hadn't been there for a single second of the pregnancy or birth, Leo was his carbon copy. I handed over Leo’s medical files and his birth certificate. "Leo was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect a year ago. He needs a very expensive, very risky surgery. If you have any doubts, I’m more than willing to do a DNA test." Mrs. Reed’s expression turned somber. "And you are...?" "I’m just the messenger. I have no intention of staying. If the Reeds are willing to take him in and save his life, I’ll disappear immediately." Mrs. Reed stepped away to make a phone call. An hour later, she led us to the top-tier private hospital in the city. A nurse arrived with a sample of Ethan’s DNA—a strand of hair. The moment the results came back, Mrs. Reed’s eyes lit up with a predatory kind of joy. While the doctors took Leo for an initial evaluation, she pulled a thick envelope of cash from her purse and pushed it toward me. "Thank you. The Reed family will ensure the boy is well taken care of." I declined the money. I had intended to raise this child on my own. It was just that our luck had run out. As I turned to leave, Leo broke away from the nurses and ran toward me. "Auntie, you aren't going to lie to me, right?" His eyes were red, and he was clutching his chest. He still remembered our pinky swear. I knelt down and cupped his face. Over the past year, the illness had made him look much smaller and frailer than other five-year-olds. I wasn't a good mother. I had failed him. I choked back my tears. "Remember what we said? Pinky swear." 4 I didn't leave the hospital until I saw the Reeds settle Leo into a private VIP suite. Back at my motel, my heart felt like a hollow shell. It felt like I had just cut out the most important part of myself and left it on that hospital bed. I lay there for hours, staring at the peeling wallpaper. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I hesitated, then picked up. "Where are you?" A deep, gravelly voice vibrated through the speaker. "Who is this?" I asked instinctively. But even as the words left my mouth, my body recognized that voice. On so many breathless nights, he had whispered into my ear, telling me he loved me. "You know exactly who this is. Send me your location. Now." The tone was absolute. I gripped the phone, my knuckles white. "I think you have the wrong number." I hung up immediately, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Five years later, why was Ethan Reed calling me? How did he even get my number? Before I came here, I’d done my research. Ethan wasn't married, but he had been with the same high-society socialite for years. If the news about his infertility was true, Leo was his only heir. That was the only reason I was willing to give him up. Life with Ethan Reed was a golden ticket compared to the life I could offer. But I was different. I was the gold-digging ex-girlfriend who had dumped him when he was at his lowest. I didn't want anything to do with him ever again. The next morning, I went back to the hospital for one last look at Leo before heading to the airport. As I approached the suite, I saw Ethan. He was in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, sitting by the bed, focused entirely on peeling an apple. He hadn't changed much, but he carried an aura of power and sophistication that he never had back in our cramped studio apartment. Leo was clearly hungry; he didn't wait for Ethan to finish and leaned forward to take a bite out of the half-peeled apple. They both shared a small, genuine smile. My eyes stung. Maybe this really was the happy ending Leo deserved. I turned away, wiping my face. Suddenly, inside the room, Ethan snapped his head toward the door, looking exactly where I was standing. My heart nearly stopped. I ducked behind the wall, my breath hitching. He didn't see me. A moment later, I heard Leo’s giggling through the door. 5 It was clear Ethan loved the boy. That was all I needed to know. I pulled up my phone to book an Uber to the airport. I needed to keep moving, or I’d lose my nerve. But I wasn't paying attention and walked straight into someone. "Oh! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" the person asked. I looked up and froze. I was looking at a very familiar face from the tabloids—Madison Vance, Ethan’s long-term girlfriend. I stammered, "I'm fine, sorry about that." I tried to push past her, but Madison grabbed my arm. "Wait, you just came from that direction. Is that the pediatric wing?" I blinked. She was going to the pediatric wing? To see Leo? I looked at her more closely. Madison was stunning—soft, elegant, and perfectly put together. She didn't look like the "evil stepmother" type. She was carrying a fruit basket in one hand and a massive LEGO set in the other. Because of the gifts, she hadn't been able to dodge me when I walked into her. I was about to answer when a voice boomed from behind me. "Madison." My spine turned to ice. Madison smiled and walked past me toward Ethan. "This hospital is a maze. I almost got lost." Ethan gave a distracted nod, but his eyes were fixed on me. "Who were you talking to?" I could feel his gaze burning through my back. "Oh, just someone passing by. We bumped into each other," Madison said casually. I let out a breath, desperate to run. But Ethan spoke again. "You. Turn around." It wasn't a request. Madison seemed to sense the tension and tried to intervene. "Ethan, what are you doing? She's just a stranger. I'm fine, really. Let’s just go see the boy." Ethan didn't move. He thought I had hurt his girlfriend. The irony was almost funny. Five years, and nothing had changed. I was still the one in the wrong. I slowly turned around and looked Madison in the eye. "I'm very sorry for bumping into you, Ms. Vance." The entire time I spoke, Ethan’s eyes never left my face. He didn't say a single word. 6 After leaving the hospital, I drove straight to the bus station. The whole way there, I couldn't stop thinking about the way Ethan had looked at me. I remembered five years ago. His startup had just tanked, and the debt collectors were literally banging on our door. I had offered him my last ten thousand dollars—all my savings—to help him out. He had looked at me with that same intense gaze and pulled me into his arms. "Baby, I can't take your money. Trust me, I'm going to make it. And when I do, I’m going to give you the wedding of your dreams." Back then, I didn't think he was lying. When we first met, we both had less than a thousand dollars to our names. We shared a one-bedroom apartment. I slept in the bedroom, paying five hundred a month. He slept on the couch for three hundred. We split the utilities. Neither of us thought we’d end up falling in love. Ethan had a drive like I’d never seen. He worked until 3 AM every night. One night, I came home from a girl's night and saw him still hunched over his laptop. "I brought some leftover pizza. You want some?" I asked. He practically leaped off his chair. "Starving!" We talked all night. That was when he told me he had walked away from his wealthy family, swearing he wouldn't go back until he was a success on his own terms. I encouraged him. I told him he had the talent to make it if he just found the right niche. Ethan looked at me like I was his entire world. Because I was there for him when things were dark, he asked me to be his girlfriend the moment his business started to show a spark of life. We stayed in that same apartment. But instead of the couch and the bed, we both shared the bedroom. He took over the full rent. Life was finally looking up. But then, reality hit us. Hard. The debts from his first failure caught up to him, and he was drowning. He was home less and less. And that was when I found out I was pregnant. At first, I was too scared to tell him. I just wanted to help him get through the crisis. But then, I accidentally overheard him on a phone call. "Look, Chloe and I... it’s not what you think. Stop interfering, okay? Relax. Dating is one thing, but marriage? I’ll pick someone appropriate when the time comes." I was Chloe. I was furious. I felt like a fool. Here I was, ready to sacrifice everything for him, and he was already planning my replacement. I decided right then that I wasn't going to be the girl who starved while waiting for a man who didn't even see a future with her. I left. To get even, I left a note on the kitchen table. I don't see a future with you anymore. I’m moving on to someone who actually has a chance at success. I’m sure you understand—everyone has the right to chase a better life. I blocked his number and deleted my socials. It wasn't until I was on the bus back to my hometown that I realized I was still carrying his child. 7 I thought about going back to confront him, to tell him about the baby. But every time I thought about that phone call, I realized it would just be another humiliation. He never planned on a future with me. As for the baby... well, he was already here. I’d just let nature take its course. Later, I heard snippets of news. His company had been revived. He’d cleared his debts and was expanding. I blocked the person who told me. I didn't want to hear about his success. When Leo was born, my mom complained, of course. But the moment Leo flashed his first toothless grin at her, she turned into a puddle. Since my dad passed away, Leo had become her reason for living. She watched him while I worked. Life was simple, but it was enough. Until Leo got sick. Sometimes I wonder if I’m being punished for something I did in a past life. Every time I think things are finally going right, the universe finds a way to knock me down. ... I snapped back to reality and realized I was crying in the middle of the bus terminal. Great. I still had to figure out what to tell my mom. My bus wasn't for another hour. Just as I was settling into a plastic chair, my phone buzzed with a FaceTime request. It was my mom. I didn't want to answer, but she was persistent. I finally swiped to accept. "Where’s my boy?" she demanded the second the video connected. I rubbed my nose. "He’s... he’s right here next to me." "Let me see him." I tilted the camera slightly. "He’s sleeping, Mom. He doesn't want to be disturbed." My mom wasn't born yesterday. "Chloe, are you at a station? You said you were getting the surgery done. Why are you at a station? Put the camera on Leo. I want to say hi." I stared at her, unable to move. "Chloe, what are you doing? Are you ignoring me now?" I barely heard her. My heart had stopped because, on the screen behind me, I saw Ethan Reed’s face. He was standing right behind me. My mom was still lecturing me. "If anything happens to that boy, I’m never forgiving you!" "Mom, I have to go." I cut the call, my hands shaking. I turned around slowly, trying to look composed. "Can I help you?" I couldn't pretend I didn't know him anymore, especially since my kid was in his hospital. Ethan stared at me, his jaw tight. "You're still as heartless as ever, Chloe. You dumped me five years ago, and now you're dumping our son too?" I stood up, my temper flaring. "Watch your mouth. I didn't dump you. You're the one who told your family I wasn't 'appropriate' for marriage!" Ethan frowned, looking confused. I pushed past that. "If you actually care about Leo, will you let me take him back once he’s healthy?" "In your dreams." I knew it. Now that the Reeds had an heir, they’d never let him go. "Fine. Take good care of him. I won't show my face again." After all, Ethan had a girlfriend to marry. Leo was going to have a stepmother. My presence would only make things awkward. 8 The intercom announced that my bus was boarding. I grabbed my suitcase and looked at Ethan. "Thanks for coming to see me off. Tell Leo that as long as he keeps fighting, there’s hope." Suddenly, a hand clamped around my wrist. Ethan dragged me toward the exit of the station. "What are you doing? Let me go!" I struggled, trying to pry his fingers off. "Ethan, let go! My bus is leaving! I'm going to miss my trip!" "Then stay." He stopped and looked me dead in the eye. "Stay?" And then what? I didn't dare ask. I wasn't interested in being the "other woman." If I were Madison Vance, I’d be losing my mind right now. Ethan didn't let go. If anything, he stepped closer. "What are you so afraid of? You said you were going to chase a better life, yet you secretly had my son and raised him in a dump. You owe me an explanation, Chloe." Before I could respond, he swept me off my feet and threw me over his shoulder. "Wait!! Ethan! Put me down! I'm calling the cops!" "Go ahead. The police don't get involved in domestic disputes." !!! He carried me out of the terminal and tossed me into the back of a waiting SUV. The driver looked terrified. "Sir, should I drive?" "Drive!" Ethan raised the privacy partition, trapping me in the corner of the seat. "You got pregnant and didn't tell me. You had the baby and didn't tell me. He got sick, and you still wouldn't tell me. You went to my mother instead of me. Am I really that unreliable to you, Chloe?" "Aren't you?" I snapped back without thinking. "Ha." Ethan let out a dry, humorless laugh. "So that’s what I am to you." I didn't want to talk to him anymore. "It doesn't matter now. We have nothing left to say to each other." Ethan looked up. "Nothing left to say? Fine. Then let’s just do it." I stared at him, sure I had misheard. Until he grabbed the back of my head. His face grew larger and larger in my vision. At the last second, I twisted my head, and his kiss landed on my cheek. I swung my hand and slapped him across the face. "Have you lost your mind?!" Ethan touched his stinging cheek and started laughing. "I lost my mind the second I found out we had a son." 9 Ethan took me back to his estate. He tossed a set of silk pajamas at me. "Take a shower." I’m an adult. I knew exactly what a shower in the middle of the day implied. I threw them back at him. "I'm not showering. And I'm definitely not wearing another woman's clothes." Ethan's face darkened. "They're brand new." "I don't care." Ethan stepped closer, his voice dropping an octave. "Fine. If you won't shower yourself, I’m happy to do it for you." I had already felt how strong he was. I knew I wouldn't win a physical fight. I cursed him under my breath and took the pajamas into the bathroom. Thirty minutes later, I walked out. Ethan was already lying in the massive bed. It was obvious he had showered too. I knew what was coming next, and my heart felt like it was being shredded. "Ethan, what do you think I am?" Tears started streaming down my face. "I have nothing left. Are you really going to take the last bit of dignity I have?" Ethan sat up and reached for a tissue to wipe my face. "Don't cry. I just want you to sleep. Your dark circles are so bad not even makeup can hide them." I froze. I hadn't slept a full night since Leo got sick. I worked double shifts and spent the rest of my time at the hospital. For the first few months, I had lost fifteen pounds. Even my mom was worried, making me soup every day. But it was the path I had chosen. I brushed his hand away. "I don't need your pity." Ethan gritted his teeth, his jaw working. "You’re still the same, Chloe. It kills you to ever back down." "So, can I go now?" Ethan sighed, seemingly defeated. "Fine. But only after you take a nap with me." Seeing the look I gave him, he added, "Just sleeping. I won't touch you." "Why?" "Because I haven't slept in three days either." I lay down on the edge of the bed, as far from him as possible. Ethan rolled onto his side to face me. "Come closer." "Don't push your luck." "Six months ago, someone tried to take me out. I was in a massive car crash. I almost died. The rumors about me being infertile? They're true. The crash did permanent damage. So even if you sleep right next to me, I can't do anything." I gripped the duvet, my heart skipping a beat. "What about your girlfriend? She’s still with you, isn't she? Aren't you worried about betraying her?" "Girlfriend? Who told you I have a girlfriend?" Ethan propped himself up on one elbow. "You mean Madison Vance?" Suddenly, Ethan started laughing. A deep, genuine laugh. "Never mind," he said after a moment. "Just sleep." He ignored my protests and pulled me into his arms. At first, I couldn't relax. But listening to his steady, rhythmic heartbeat, my eyes started to feel heavy.
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