Chapter 23
The sound of wedding bells still echoed in his ears, even hours after it was done.“]
Brent drove aimlessly through winding roads, the city lights nothing more than blurred memories in his rearview mirror. The silence in his car was suffocating, broken only by his uneven breathing and the occasional sniffle he tried to stifle. But no one was around to see him fall apart anymore.
She had really married him.
Layla–his Layla–had walked down the aisle and chosen someone else. He’d watched her lips shape the words I do, her smile so full of peace it hurt more than any whip or slap he had endured weeks ago.
This was his punishment. Not the pain. Not the broken bones. But this.”
Knowing he had destroyed the one good thing in his life.
Tears slid down his cheeks, hot and uncontrollable. He gripped the wheel tighter, the road ahead a smear of dark lines and glowing headlights. He didn’t care where he was going. He just wanted to escape the crushing weight inside his chest.
“I deserve this,” he whispered. “I deserve all of it.“N
The next moment came like lightning.N
A horn. Screeching tires. Metal twisting like a scream.
The impact sent his car spinning, glass shattering, his body jolting with such force he barely registered the pain before everything went black.
Layla was curled up on the couch with Zack when her phone rang.
Lucas.
“Brent was in an accident,” her brother said.
She froze, heart skipping a beat. “What?”
“He’s alive. Critical condition. I thought you should know.“}]
Layla pressed a hand to her chest, trying to make sense of the sudden tightness. But as fast as the shock came, the cold reality settled in. She wasn’t his wife anymore. Not his friend. Not his home.
“Thanks for telling me,” she murmured.}
After a moment’s hesitation, she made a few quiet calls. One to Brent’s parents–letting them know, politely but distantly. Then, another to Celeste.
She didn’t owe her anything, but maybe this was needed too.
“Celeste,” Layla said calmly. “I hope you find peace. But I’m happy now. Truly. I hope we never have to see each other again.“>
A pause. “Goodbye.”
And that was that.
The days that followed were filled with a kind of joy Layla had never known before.
Zack was gentle and attentive, helping her plan their honeymoon, teasing her with mock arguments over baby names they might use someday. He cooked her favorite dishes, snuck kisses onto her neck every chance he got, and would whisper, “You’re my forever,” when she was half–asleep in his arms.
There were no mind games. No silence that felt like knives. Just peace. And love.
One afternoon, they danced barefoot in their backyard. The sun bathed them in gold as Zack twirled her around, laughing as she stumbled into his chest. They kissed under a sky painted in pastels, and it felt like a movie Layla never believed she’d get to star in.” Then, came the morning that changed everything.”
Layla stood in the bathroom, clutching the test with trembling fingers. Two lines. Bold and clear.
She stared at it for a long time, her heart pounding so fast she thought it might break her ribs. But when she walked out and showed Zack, the way his eyes lit up–pure wonder, pure love–it felt like the world had been reborn.
He picked her up, spun her around, laughing as she squealed.
“We’re having a baby?” he whispered, setting her down gently, both hands resting over her stomach.
Layla nodded, tears in her eyes. “We’re going to be a family.“N
And for the first time in forever… she didn’t feel like she was just surviving.
She was living.
