The Ring, The Ruin, The Revelation

The city buzzed with anticipation.

Every media outlet, influencer, and socialite within a hundred miles had their eyes fixed on the rooftop of the luxurious Bellagio Hotel, where Millers Enterprises had announced an exclusive press event for "a special personal milestone."

Camilla hadn't paid it much mind. She'd forced herself to stay away from anything involving Drew. It had only been a week since he told her, coldly, decisively, that whatever they had was over.

A week since Tanis had walked into his office, wrapping herself around him like a python in silk.

But her heart refused to heal.

She tried to go on with life, working extra shifts, volunteering at the library, forcing herself to keep breathing, but nothing helped.

She even paid constant visits to the orphanage home herself and Drew used to visit when the going was good.

Often times, offering assistance here and there. Especially with the twin girls who were abandoned at the entrance of the orphanage home about a year ago.

The girls had taken a liken to her and often squeal in excitement whenever she shows up

But still, she found herself staring at her phone late at night, wondering if maybe… just maybe… he would remember.

And then came the ping.

A notification lit up her phone.

LIVE: Andrew Millers makes surprise public appearance.

She almost ignored it. Almost.

But curiosity got the better part of her.

She clicked the link, and everything inside her shattered.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the host's voice boomed across the rooftop, cameras flashing, champagne flowing, "please turn your attention to the center stage as we welcome the man of the hour, the CEO of Millers Enterprises, Andrew Millers!"

The crowd erupted in applause.

Drew emerged, dressed in a sleek custom-tailored suit, his smile poised, confident.

Camilla sat frozen on her couch, eyes wide, knuckles white around her coffee mug.

"Thank you for being here," Drew began, his voice echoing through the speakers and into every screen watching live. "Tonight isn't just about business. It's about love. About clarity."

Camilla's stomach twisted.

And then, Tanis appeared beside him, looking stunning in a crimson gown that hugged her curves, diamonds glinting at her throat.

"Tanis Harper," Drew said, reaching for her hand affectionately, "has stood by me through the hardest time of my life. She helped me piece myself back together. And tonight, I want to honor her."

The crowd gasped as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a velvet box.

"No…" Camilla whispered. A sharp pain striking her heart.

"Tanis, will you marry me?"

Time slowed.

Camilla stared at the screen in disbelief. Could she be dreaming? The ring. The media. The smile on Tanis's face as she gasped theatrically and nodded, "Yes!"

"This has got to be a dream. There's no way this is reality!"

But alas, reality was staring her right in the face as Drew slipped the ring onto Tanis's finger.

The crowd exploded in cheers. Cameras flashed. Champagne corks popped.

And Camilla's heart broke for the last time.

Within minutes, her phone started ringing in quick successions. Her mind went blank, ignoring all the incessant calls.

The days that followed were a blur. Headlines raved about the city's "fairy tale couple."

Engagement photos were everywhere, on billboards, in magazines, on every screen she couldn't seem to avoid.

But Camilla had made up her mind. There was no way she was going to stay and endure this pain and humiliation.

She packed her things, quit her job, and boarded the next bus out of the city.

She didn't tell anyone where she was going. Not Leo. Not Lila. Not her sister. Not even her mother.

She needed to breathe.

She needed to stop hoping.

She found herself in a small coastal town hours away, renting a room in a quiet bed and breakfast by the sea.

The waves soothed her, the salt in the air dulling the constant ache in her chest. She told herself she would start over. Build a new life. Forget him.

But forgetting him was like trying to unlearn how to breathe.

Two weeks passed.

One morning, Camilla woke up to an uneasy tightness in her stomach. She dismissed it. Stress, she thought. Or maybe food poisoning.

But the nausea didn't stop. The dizziness crept in. Her body felt… different.

She stared at herself in the mirror, noticing the slight swell of her breasts, the sudden sensitivity.

And then the realization slammed into her like a tidal wave.

No. No, no, no.

She rushed to the nearest pharmacy, bought two pregnancy tests, and locked herself in the bathroom of her rental.

Minutes later, two pink lines stared back at her.

Her hands trembled. "This is not happening!" She said, eyes wide with shock.

She took another test.

Positive.

The world spun around her.

She sank to the floor, her back against the cold tile, both hands over her mouth.

I'm pregnant.

And then, the realization hit her.

It's Drew's.

She began to cry. Not just from the shock, but from the weight of everything. The betrayal. The love. The loss. The life now growing inside her.

She pulled herself together long enough to make an appointment at the local clinic. She needed to acertain how far gone she was.

Three hours later, she sat in the exam room, gown wrapped around her, a nurse gently applying jelly to her belly.

"Let's take a look," the nurse said kindly.

Camilla's breath hitched as the screen lit up.

She could see a tiny flutter. A heartbeat on the electrocardiogram.

"There's the baby," the nurse smiled. "You're about… twelve weeks along."

Camilla's head snapped toward her. "Twelve?"

"Yes," the nurse said. "Three months."

"Jeez!...Three months!"

Camilla's vision blurred.

That meant… she had already been pregnant when Drew rejected her. When he proposed to Tanis.

Why is this happening now? Just when she was already learning to live without him.

All the while that he was rejecting her, he didn't know that his child was growing inside her.

Neither did she.

And now, the secret she carried would change everything.