CHAPTER FIVE

SCARLETT

The world blurred around me as I stumbled out of Jason's office building. My legs carried me forward even though I had nowhere to go, the pavement cold and unyielding beneath my unsteady feet. The weight of humiliation pressed heavily against my chest, constricting my lungs and making it difficult to breathe. Each breath felt sharp, jagged, as though it might tear me apart from the inside.

His cruel words echoed endlessly in my mind: You were just a plaything. Now I'm tired and bored of you.

I had braced myself for rejection—but not this. Not the kind that stripped me bare and left nothing but broken pieces where my pride used to be. No amount of preparation could have shielded me from the vicious finality in his voice, the smug satisfaction etched across his face.

I didn't bother covering my tear-streaked face as I walked. What was the point? Let them stare. Let them whisper. Nothing they said would hurt more than Jason's venomous accusation: Find the real father.

He knew the truth. He knew I hadn't been with anyone else. But admitting that would mean taking responsibility—something Jason had never been good at. Easier for him to rewrite the story than face the consequences of his betrayal.

The bitter wind bit at my exposed skin as I crossed the street without looking, car horns blaring angrily around me. I barely flinched. My feet just kept moving, disconnected from any real sense of direction, until I found myself standing at the edge of a small park.

Children ran across the grass, their laughter light and carefree, cutting through the cold weight pressing down on my chest. Parents called after them with warm, patient smiles that felt so distant from my own reality.

I sank onto an empty bench, my body trembling as if my bones had turned brittle. Instinctively, my hands cradled my belly, a bitter ache twisting inside me.

"I'll protect you," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I don't know how yet, but I will."

The promise felt flimsy, like paper caught in a storm, but it was all I had to cling to. I had nothing left—no home, no job, no friends—but I would find a way. I had to.

Tears burned in my eyes, and before I could stop them, they spilled over, hot and relentless. Angry streams ran down my face, blurring the world around me. I bit my lip hard to keep from sobbing, but it was no use. The weight of everything—the rejection, the humiliation, the sheer terror of what came next—crashed over me like a merciless wave.

I cried until my chest heaved painfully, until I couldn't tell where the ache in my heart ended and the pain in my body began. The emptiness gnawed at me, a constant reminder that nothing would ever be the same again.

The sun climbed higher in the sky, but I stayed frozen on that bench. Time lost all meaning—minutes, hours—they blurred together in a haze of grief and exhaustion. I barely registered the world moving around me, people passing by without a glance.

A little boy in a bright red hoodie darted across the park, chasing a girl around a tree. Their giggles filled the crisp air, pure and innocent. They tumbled onto the grass in a heap, laughing breathlessly, and for a fleeting second, I envied their simplicity. Life was still kind to them.

My stomach growled loudly, a painful reminder that I hadn't eaten since yesterday. The ache gnawed at me, sharp and insistent. I pressed a hand to my belly, as though I could will the hunger away, but it did little to ease the discomfort.

No food. No shelter. Just a baby I had to protect.

The thought tightened my throat with overwhelming fear.

A shadow fell over me, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I blinked, looking up to see a little girl with bouncy dark curls standing in front of me. She couldn't have been older than six. In her small hand, she held out a crinkled packet of crackers.

"You can have this," she said sweetly. "Mama says sharing is nice."

For a moment, I was too stunned to speak. My throat closed with emotion.

Her mother stood a few feet away, watching with a hesitant but kind smile. I wanted to refuse out of pride, to say I didn't need it—but the lie caught in my throat. I didn't have the strength to pretend anymore.

My hand trembled as I reached for the crackers. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice rough from crying.

The girl beamed before skipping back to her mother, who gently guided her away. I stared at the small packet in my hands for a long moment, the generosity of the gesture piercing through my despair.

Tearing open the package, I forced myself to chew even though the dry, salty crumbs stuck to my tongue. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the dizziness at bay.

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the park. The air grew heavier, thick with the promise of rain. A strange sense of calm settled over me as I sat there, watching life go on around me while mine felt frozen in place.

Jason had taken everything from me—my dignity, my trust, my sense of belonging. But he wouldn't take my future.

I wiped my face with the tissue a kind older woman had given me earlier, brushing away the remnants of tears. My legs wobbled as I stood, weak from hunger and exhaustion, but I stayed upright.

I squared my shoulders, drawing strength from the promise I'd whispered to my baby.

"You'll see, Jason," I murmured under my breath. "I'll survive without you."

And I meant it.

Even if I had to crawl through hell to do it.