Arya's POV
The word hit me like a slap.
"I'm not that kind of person," I said immediately, stepping out of the elevator.
He followed me. "It's legal. Confidential. Medical," he added.
"I said I'm not interested," I said without stopping.
Even if I were to consider it, Derek would never agree for me to carry another man's child.
Why was I even thinking about it?
I stopped walking and turned to him, meeting his gaze squarely.
"I'm not that desperate," I said.
But even as the words left my mouth, something inside me twisted. Because deep down… I knew it wasn't entirely true.
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
He handed me a card. "In case you change your mind."
I hesitated before taking it. Not because I needed it, but because of the small, dangerous voice whispering what if?
I crushed that thought immediately.
"I won't," I said, my voice firmer this time.
It didn't matter how desperate things were. I wasn't going to do something like that.
I walked away without looking back.
Seated in the cab, my mind raced with thoughts of Derek, our savings, and my salary. Derek and I had been saving for our wedding and apartment, and the money was in his care. I'd been avoiding the conversation, but now I had no choice. I needed to ask for my share and perhaps even persuade him to lend me more.
Aurora had also offered her savings.
I reached for my phone and started calculating.
If I combined everything, maybe it would be enough to convince the hospital to give me more time to get the rest.
By the time I got to the boutique, my chest was still tight, and my thoughts were tangled and restless.
Everything felt like it was closing in on me.
I pushed through the doors, my eyes scanning the shop floor instinctively.
Derek wasn't there.
My gaze flickered briefly to the sales counter.
Two of my colleagues stood there, talking in low voices. The moment I looked their way, they fell silent and quickly looked away.
My stomach twisted.
I could tell that something wasn't right. But I didn't have the time or energy to figure it out.
Not today.
Not when everything already felt like it was falling apart.
All I needed was to talk to Derek about the money. I needed to fix at least one thing and catch a break today.
Because I was so tired of my life.
It was my birthday, and somehow… it felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I headed straight for Derek's office and pushed the door open without knocking.
"Derek?" I called softly, then I froze when I saw him.
He wasn't alone.
Derek sat on the edge of his desk, his hands wrapped around the waist of the same colleague he'd been chatting with earlier that morning.
Their lips were locked together.
For a second, my brain refused to catch up with what my eyes were seeing.
It didn't make sense.
I was standing there, but it felt like I wasn't. My fingers were still curled around the door handle, but I couldn't feel them. I couldn't feel my feet either.
The ground had tilted beneath me, and I was falling. But I wasn't moving.
My chest tightened, but no sound came out.
I didn't scream. I had no questions in my head.
All I felt was silence in my mind.
Because somehow… I wasn't even surprised.
And that hurt the most.
A sharp, hollow ache spread through my chest as something inside me slowly gave way.
Of course, this would happen today.
Of all days.
Of course, this would be how my birthday turned out.
She made a small sound against his mouth that brought me back to the present.
My heart was broken, but I had something more important to handle.
A heartbreak I could survive. But losing my brother was something I would never survive.
So, I cleared my throat.
They broke apart instantly.
The girl stumbled back, fixing her clothes, while Derek straightened, completely unfazed.
"Where did you run off to?" he asked flatly.
I stared at him, my chest tightening painfully. "I need my money."
If he could cheat on me and speak to me in that tone like he'd not just disrespected our relationship, then he didn't deserve to know just how much his actions had hurt me.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at the girl. "You can go."
She didn't hesitate. She slipped past me without saying a word.
The door clicked shut behind her, and silence filled the room.
I took a step forward. "I need my money."
He sighed, like I was the inconvenience. Like I was the problem.
"You walk in here, see me with someone else, and instead of asking why I did that or what happened…"
"If I ask you why," I cut in, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me, "will it change anything?"
"It would show you care, instead of asking me for money," he said, his tone edged with irritation. "Is that what our relationship means to you?"
For a moment, I didn't react. I just stared at him, unable to believe that he was asking me that.
Then I nodded. "You're right," I said quietly. "That's how little our relationship means to me."
That seemed to catch him off guard. "Are you cheating on me?"
This time, I laughed humourlessly. "I don't have time for this nonsense, Derek," I said. "I just need my money. That's all."
His expression hardened slightly. "There's no money."
My ears rang.
"Derek, I'm not in the mood for a joke. The hospital needs me to make a payment—"
"I used it. Something came up, and I used it," he said flippantly.
My fingers curled into my palms.
"It's fine if you used your share. I need mine," I said, refusing to believe that the money I am banking on is gone.
He shrugged. "I used all of it. I didn't think you'd want to get married any time soon, considering your brother's condition, so I used it."
"You had no right to do that without talking to me first," I said slowly. "That's been three years of my sweat! Three years, Derek. Three years of saving for our future."
He scoffed. "Future?" he asked loudly.
His voice was so loud I knew without a doubt that anyone in the boutique would hear him.
My stomach dropped. "Lower your voice."
Derek didn't lower his voice. If anything, he raised it. "What future are you talking about, Arya?" he continued, stepping away from the desk. "You've been a mess for months. Always crying, always running to the hospital, always bringing your problems to me."
My chest tightened. "Because you were my man—"
"Not a therapist or an emotional dumping site!" he cut me off.
My heart started pounding.
He walked past me and pulled the door open. "Diane, come here," he called the girl he'd been kissing.
Everyone looked. Both coworkers and customers.
"Since you want to make a scene, let's make it properly," he said.