The conversation

"What the hell are you talking about?" Selena gasps, eyes wide with shock.

I glance at her gently, my expression unreadable.

"You mean… Sabrina slapped you?" she continues, almost not believing the words as they leave her mouth.

"I never knew she had that in her."

I scoff, my tone bitter. "She plays the victim so well. We all fall into her little traps, her fake tears, her carefully crafted drama."

I pause, taking in Selena's surprised face.

"And she had the nerve to call you naïve?"

Selena asks, incredulous.

I simply nod, settling down beside her on the weather-worn bench in the park. The sun filters softly through the trees, but our mood is far from light.

"This is so juicy," she whispers, leaning closer with a mischievous grin. "You could've texted me earlier, girl."

I smile, the weight on my chest slightly lighter now. "Trust me, I could've dropped everything just to talk about this." She chips in.

"I mean, the pieces are starting to come together," I murmur.

"Even if it's not the whole picture yet… this could definitely lead us somewhere."

Selena leans in, her eyes sharp now, catching on to every nuance.

"Exactly. It's not nothing. And we've been stuck for so long.

This—this could change everything."

I nod again, slower this time.

"But where do we go from here?" I ask, genuinely unsure.

"Helen, are you hearing yourself?" Selena says, her voice animated. "This theory just cracked open the whole damn case. It makes everything make sense now."

I take a moment, then glance at her.

"So… do I confront Sabrina? Try to get under her skin a bit, maybe push her until she lets something slip?"

Selena's eyes gleam. "You're one smart girl," she says, pointing at me like she's proud.

"And I think it's finally time we pull Dom in. If there's anyone who knows what's going on behind closed doors in that family, it's him."

A slow smile spreads across my face. "You're right," I say. "Now we're one step ahead. This could mean a lot for my parents' case against theirs."

Selena looks genuinely excited now, her face glowing with anticipation. "This might be the break we've been waiting for."

I check the time on my phone and glance toward the road. Saint is already waiting, casually waving from behind the windshield of the car. My driver. My silent witness to most of my chaos.

"I have to go," I say, standing up. "Therapist appointment."

Selena raises her brow with mock admiration. "Look at you," she teases. "Finally accepting therapy. Growth!"

I roll my eyes. "Girl, don't be fooled. The only reason I'm going is because I have a driver. You know I'm not doing this willingly."

She bursts into laughter. "What matters is that you're making the effort." She gives me a playful wink.

"Whatever," I mutter, smiling despite myself. "Do you want a ride?"

Selena's cheeks begin to flush a soft pink. I raise an eyebrow. "Why are you blushing?"

"I, uh… Neo's coming into town this week," she admits, unable to hide her grin. "I want to get him a gift. And, well… get this body ready for him too."

I laugh, a loud, free kind of laugh. "Period! As you should! Get your man!"

She giggles, clearly pleased with herself. "Next time, we should hit the spa together. I could use the company."

"I'm down," I say, stretching a bit. "I've been under so much stress, I need a massage. A whole reset."

Selena raises her brow suggestively. "Oh? That the only reason, or you tryna get your body right for Dommmm?" She draws out his name with a dramatic flair.

I try to hold back a smile, but it spreads all over my face. I can't stop it.

"Girl, stop," I say, laughing. "You know that's not even possible. He's my boyfriend's cousin."

Selena squints at me, unconvinced.

"Uh-huh. And yet I see how you two look at each other. You don't even hide it."

"You're imagining things," I say, still grinning.

"Nope. I know chemistry when I see it," she says confidently.

I chip in, "And speaking of him… did you know he also sees your therapist?"

Her eyes widen a little. "Seriously?"

I nods slowly allowing her to take it in,

Selena looks at me like she's plotting something in her mind.

"Girl, I don't know what you're waiting for. The universe is practically screaming at you to go get your man."

I burst out laughing again, this time unable to stop myself.

"You know I'm right," she says, nodding like it's a fact etched in stone.

I roll my eyes dramatically, then glance back at the car.

"You know what? I'll see you in school," I say, already starting to walk toward the car.

Selena calls after me, "Just don't forget what I said!"

I wave without looking back, smiling to myself. As I slide into the car, I feel a spark of something—curiosity, maybe hope—bubbling just beneath the surface.

I slid into the couch slowly, the leather groaning beneath me as I settled in, facing Dr. Dave across the room. His office was quiet, filled with soft golden light that filtered through the half-open blinds. The silence between us stretched for a second too long before he leaned forward slightly, eyes locking onto mine.

"What did you think about what we last discussed?" he asked, his voice calm, but I could feel the weight of his stare pressing against me like he was peeling back layers I wasn't ready to shed.

I swallowed, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. My fingers fidgeted with the edge of my sleeve.

"Can we… not talk about that today?" I said slowly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He sighed, one of those long, patient sighs that therapists master—then nodded, though the disappointment was hard to miss.

"Helen," he said gently, "all we've been doing is pushing things down, ignoring the weight of it all. And you know what happens when we keep doing that?"

I didn't answer. I looked away. I didn't want to talk about Dan. Not today. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"Okay," he said, adjusting in his chair.

"Let's shift focus. How's your relationship with your parents been lately?"

I exhaled, thankful for the change, even though that wasn't exactly easy ground either. "Honestly… things have been smooth with them. At least recently," I admitted.

"Really?" he raised a brow. "Why do you think that is?"

I hesitated. "You know… after I lost the preg—" I paused, the words catching in my throat. "After that happened… they've been more present. It's like they suddenly woke up to the idea of being my parents again."

Dr. Dave nodded slowly, watching me. Letting me continue.

"But I also think they're only present because of Dan's case," I said, my voice low and conflicted.

He didn't rush me. He just leaned back slightly and asked,

"How did you feel about being pregnant? And then… suddenly not being anymore?"

That question hung in the air like fog. My chest tightened.

"I didn't even know I was pregnant," I whispered. My voice cracked.

I blinked, trying to keep the tears in, but one slipped out anyway. "I didn't even get the chance to decide. To choose if I wanted to keep it or not. It was already gone."

Dr. Dave handed me a tissue. I took it, wiping my nose as I tried to steady my breathing.

"No one should have to go through that," he said quietly. "It's not fair. It's painful, and I'm so sorry you experienced it like that."

I nodded, the silence between us growing heavier. Then he asked again, gently,

"If you had known… what do you think you would've done?"

I glanced at him, my hands resting over my stomach without realizing it.

"I would have kept it," I said softly. "I know that for sure."

Dr. Dave sighed deeply, as if he was trying to absorb the weight of what I'd just said. Then he leaned forward, his tone cautious but clear.

"And you know… there's a possibility the father could've been your brother."

I stiffened.

"But we're not related by blood," I replied quickly, defensively.

"I understand that," Dr. Dave said.

"But if he's your parents' biological son, it still means something. Emotionally. Legally. Socially."

I clenched my jaw, looking down at my lap. I didn't respond to that. I didn't want to admit what I'd been avoiding all along.

"That was still my child," I said suddenly, my voice sharper this time. "I had every right to want to keep it."

"You're absolutely right," Dr. Dave said gently. "Your body. Your choice."

I nodded, but I could feel the anger swelling under my skin. Not at him, but at everything. At the timing. At the silence. At the loss.

"I think about it all the time," I confessed. "It could've been weird, sure. But sometimes, I wonder… if I had kept it… maybe Dan and I—" I stopped myself. My throat tightened.

"Maybe you and Dan…?" Dr. Dave prompted gently.

I exhaled hard. I'd kept this buried too long.

"Dan and I… we're rocky right now. He thinks I didn't tell him about the pregnancy on purpose," I said, the frustration pouring out.

"But you didn't know," Dr. Dave said, his brows furrowed.

"I told him that. I didn't. But he doesn't believe me," I said, voice rising with the pain of being misunderstood.

"He thinks I was hiding it. But I wasn't. I didn't even know I was pregnant until after the miscarriage."

Dr. Dave was silent for a moment before asking, "Why do you think he doesn't believe you?"

I hesitated.

"Because… I've been spending time with his cousin, Dom," I admitted, searching his face for judgment. There was none.

Dr. Dave simply exhaled. "Ah."

That one sound carried so much.

"I know what it looks like," I continued. "But I didn't plan any of it. Dom's just… been there. He listens. He's different. And lately, I— I don't know."

Dr. Dave leaned forward again, voice firm but kind.

"None of this—none of it—justifies Dan treating you poorly. Miscarriage, grief, confusion, closeness with someone else… you didn't deserve the blame or the silence."

I felt something shift in my chest. His words wrapped around me like a blanket. I folded into myself, arms wrapped tightly.

He looked at me with sincerity, repeating the words slowly, "Nobody should do that to you, Helen. Nobody."

A shiver runs down my spine