The Decision
When he turned to walk back to the car, I noticed a folded envelope tucked under the passenger seat.
My fingers found it, the paper crinkling softly as I opened it.
Inside lay a plane ticket—Paris, a week from now—and a note in Callum’s familiar scrawl: “If you love him, let him go.”
My heart pounded, the truth unfolding like a cruel puzzle.
He stared at me, eyes pleading, “Maya, I need you to keep his secret. He’s my son. He needs a future, and I can’t lose him.”
I swallowed, the cold wind biting my cheeks.
“You chose a life built on lies,” I whispered, “and now you want me to protect that lie.”
He reached for my hand, but I stepped back, the envelope slipping from his grip onto the driveway.
“I can’t be the one to keep this hidden,” I said, voice firm. “Ethan deserves the truth, and I deserve honesty.”
His shoulders sagged, a silent surrender as he watched me lift the envelope, the ticket glinting under the streetlamp.
With a final glance, I turned and walked away, the fog swallowing my silhouette.
The car’s headlights flickered, then disappeared down the winding road, the envelope clutched in his hands.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, a text flashing on the screen: “You’re next.”
I stared at the message, the night pressing in, the weight of his secret and my own betrayal a heavy breath on my neck.
