Chapter 2: Messages That Shatter

I stared at the chat log on his phone, my breath tight, like someone was squeezing my throat. I couldn’t stop thinking…

My mind raced, heart pounding. The words on the screen blurred as I tried to piece it all together. How long had this been going on? Had it started before the pregnancy, or was I the catalyst?

When did he and Lila first get together?

I scrolled back, desperate for answers. My fingers moved on autopilot, searching for the moment everything changed.

I found the answer in their chat history.

There it was—a timestamp, a string of messages. My stomach dropped as I read.

It was two months ago, right after I found out I was pregnant.

The timing made me sick. While I was celebrating new life, he was rekindling old flames.

That night, his high school classmates had a reunion.

He’d mentioned it in passing, said he’d be late. I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time.

Lila added Nathaniel on Facebook.

He accepted without hesitation. A door opened, and he walked right through it.

Lila sent him a short video.

I hesitated, thumb hovering over the play button, then pressed it. My reflection stared back at me from the black screen for a split second before the video began.

In the video, a few chubby old classmates circled around Lila and Nathaniel, egging them on to do a linked-arm toast.

The laughter was loud, the music tinny in the background. Everyone looked older, softer around the edges. But the energy was the same—high school never really ends, does it?

“Come on, Lila, give us a show—help Nate live out his high school dream.”

Their voices echoed, teasing and insistent. The kind of peer pressure that feels harmless until it isn’t.

“You have no idea—Nate used to dream about marrying you, about toasting like this.”

Someone off-camera whooped. Lila blushed, glancing sideways at Nathaniel.

Nathaniel stood next to Lila, a head taller, in a black shirt and slacks, wine glass in hand, silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, a small smile on his lips.

He looked younger, happier. The way he gazed at her made my heart clench.

“Guys, enough. It’s been years, don’t tease Lila. What if her husband finds out?”

Nathaniel tried to play it cool, but there was a nervous energy about him. He looked at Lila, searching her face for something—approval, maybe, or forgiveness.

Lila lowered her head and said softly, “It’s okay, I’m divorced.”

The room went silent. You could almost hear the air shift.

A hush that said more than words ever could. I felt a chill run down my spine.

Lila gave a weak smile. “Really, it’s fine. It’s all in the past.”

She tried to brush it off, but her eyes glistened. I could see the pain behind her mask.

As she spoke, her gaze drifted back to Nathaniel, her eyes a little red.

She looked at him like he was the only person in the room. I knew that look—I’d worn it myself, once.

“Honestly, I really envy Mrs. Harper. Great family, gorgeous, and she married a good man like you, Nate. Not like me—always unlucky in love.”

Her voice cracked just a little. Maybe I was the only one who heard it.

In the end, with everyone egging them on, they did the linked-arm toast, saying it would finally close the chapter on their high school romance.

Their arms tangled, laughter rising. The camera caught the moment their eyes met, and for a heartbeat, it was just the two of them.

The video ended with Nathaniel and Lila locking eyes.

I paused the video, staring at their faces. The way he looked at her—it was all there. The longing, the what-ifs, the unfinished business.

Lila messaged Nathaniel.

[Nate, thank you for not embarrassing me at the reunion. I added you because I wanted to apologize.]

Her words were careful, measured. I could almost hear her voice, soft and regretful.

[Honestly, when I turned you down after graduation, I had to. That rich guy threatened me—said if I said yes to you, he’d ruin your life. I didn’t want that for you, so I said things I didn’t mean.]

A secret confession, years too late. I wondered if Nathaniel felt vindicated, or just sad.

[I thought I’d keep it secret forever, but when I saw you, I just couldn’t…]

The ellipsis hung heavy. Some things never really end.

[But it’s fine. As long as you’re happy, that’s enough for me.]

It sounded noble, but it made me ache. Was she really letting go, or just waiting for him to reach out?

Nathaniel didn’t reply for a long time.

I imagined him staring at his phone, wrestling with old memories. Maybe he poured himself a drink, maybe he just sat in the dark.

Maybe it was the booze, or maybe old feelings, but in the early hours, he finally messaged Lila.

The timestamp was 2:14 a.m. I could picture him, alone in the living room, the city lights flickering outside.

[If it weren’t for him, would you have said yes back then?]

He needed to know. Maybe he always had.

Lila replied instantly.

Her answer came so fast it was like she’d been waiting years to say it.

[I would have.]

Just three words, but they shattered something inside me.

The phone screen stayed lit.

The glow painted my face in ghostly blue. I stared until my eyes ached.

The message floated before my eyes. I read it over and over, the words burning into my brain. The words suddenly grew huge, filling my whole vision. I felt dizzy, like the room was tilting. My heart thudded in my chest, too loud. Then they shrank, so small they felt like needles stabbing into my eyes. I blinked hard, but the pain didn’t go away. I pressed my palm to my forehead, trying to steady myself.