Secrets, Love, and Responsibility

Grace sat on the couch, holding a cup of tea, her hands trembling. Her mother, Juan, watched her carefully.

"Are you feeling okay?" Juan asked gently.

Grace nodded, but Juan wasn't convinced. Her mother had been observing her closely for weeks, noticing the small changes—how Grace felt nauseous in the mornings, how she avoided certain foods, how she seemed more tired than usual.

Juan hesitated before finally saying, "Grace, are you pregnant?"

Grace's eyes widened. "What? No! I mean... I don't think so."

But the truth was, she hadn't even considered it.

Juan sighed. "You need to take a test, Grace. If you are, you need to be prepared."

Grace swallowed hard. She wasn't ready for this.

Meanwhile, Felix was still avoiding everyone. He had been cold and distant, his usual rudeness now laced with something even deeper—something Lisa couldn't quite understand.

One evening, as Felix walked past Grace's door, he overheard Juan talking to her.

"You need to tell Xu Kai," Juan insisted.

"I… I can't," Grace whispered. "What if he leaves me?"

Felix's hands clenched into fists. He turned sharply and stormed into the room.

"You're pregnant?" he demanded.

Grace froze, her face pale. "Felix—"

"You got fired, you got yourself pregnant, and now you're sitting here acting helpless?" he snapped.

Juan tried to calm him down. "Felix, lower your voice."

But he wasn't listening. "Do you even think about this family? Do you think about how I have to do everything?" His voice rose. "I pay the house rent, the electricity bills, the water bills. I pay for the food you eat, the clothes you wear, and the school fees for Joseph and Huahua. I even pay for Mom's medication!"

Grace's eyes filled with tears. "Felix, I—"

"Shut up, Grace!" he shouted. "Do you even realize what you've done?"

Silence filled the room.

Lisa, who had been listening outside, felt a pang in her chest. Felix wasn't just angry—he was breaking.

That night, Felix packed a bag and left the house. He didn't say where he was going.

For three days, he didn't come home.

Joseph, who rarely spoke much about Felix, looked worried. "Do you think he's okay?" he asked Lisa.

Lisa sighed. "I don't know."

Lisa had barely processed Felix's disappearance when another problem arose—Joseph.

Joseph had always been kind to Lisa, but lately, his behavior had changed. He would look at her differently, his gaze lingering a little too long. He would find excuses to talk to her, always trying to be near her.

At first, Lisa ignored it. She told herself she was imagining things. But then, one afternoon, Joseph finally confessed.

"Lisa, I love you."

Lisa's breath caught. "What?"

Joseph's face turned red, but he didn't look away. "I've loved you for a long time."

Lisa didn't know what to say.

"Joseph… you're my friend."

His expression fell, but he nodded. "I know. But I had to tell you."

Lisa sighed. "I… I like someone else."

Joseph looked down. "Felix?"

Lisa froze.

She had never admitted it out loud before. She had convinced herself that she only cared for Felix as a friend, but deep down, she knew the truth.

She loved Felix.

But he would never love her back.

Joseph forced a smile. "I understand. I just… I needed to say it."

Lisa felt guilty, but she was also relieved that he had told her. It was better than pretending.

Just when she thought her day couldn't get any more complicated, she ran into Baskhar and Iris.

Baskhar looked at her with hesitation. "Lisa, can we talk?"

Iris stood beside him, her expression unreadable.

Lisa sighed. "Is this about what happened before?"

Iris nodded. "We decided to try dating."

Lisa blinked. "Oh."

Baskhar watched her carefully. "Is that okay with you?"

Lisa smiled softly. "It's more than okay."

For the first time in weeks, she felt a little lighter.

But she knew her biggest challenge was still ahead—Felix.

He was still hiding something, and she was going to find out what.