Chapter 1

I used to think I was the luckiest girl in the world. I, Chloe Miller, a high school dropout working double shifts at a diner, had somehow landed Liam Hayes. He was the kind of guy you only see in movies, with a family name that opened every door in the city and a bank account that never ran dry.

Our relationship felt like a dream. He said I was different from the other girls he knew. He loved my honesty, my lack of pretense. For six months, I believed him. I fell so hard and so fast that I couldn't see anything but him.

Tonight, I was going to tell him my secret. The pregnancy test stick was wrapped in tissue paper in my purse, a tiny positive sign that was about to change our lives forever. I thought it would make us real, a proper family.

I wanted to surprise him. His friend told me he was at The Onyx Room, a club so exclusive I had to beg the bouncer just to get in. The air was thick with expensive perfume and the low thrum of music. I clutched my purse, my heart hammering against my ribs with a mix of nerves and excitement.

I spotted him in a VIP booth, surrounded by his usual crowd. I smiled, about to call his name, but then I stopped. His friends were laughing at something he'd just said. I moved closer, hiding behind a large potted plant, straining to hear over the music.

"You're really serious about this one, Liam?" one of his friends, a guy I recognized as Mark, asked with a smirk.

Liam took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes scanning the crowd with a bored expression. The sound of his voice, so familiar and loved, cut through the noise.

"Serious? Don't be ridiculous."

My breath caught in my throat.

He let out a short, cold laugh. "She's so infatuated she doesn't know up from down. She was just a fun distraction. Something to pass the time."

The words hit me. Each one was a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. A fun distraction. That's all I was. The dream shattered into a million tiny pieces. The noise of the club faded into a dull roar in my ears.

I saw him then, a stranger. The charming smile he gave me, the tender way he held my hand, it was all a performance. And I was his fool of an audience.

I stumbled backward, bumping into a waiter. Trays clattered. People turned to look. I saw Liam's head snap in my direction, his eyes widening slightly as they locked onto mine.

There was no recognition in his gaze, just annoyance at the disturbance. He didn't see me, Chloe, his girlfriend. He saw a clumsy girl who had made a mess.

His childhood friend, Sophia Davis, was sitting next to him. She was perfect, with her silk dress and effortless grace. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear, her lips curving into a subtle, knowing smile. She looked directly at me, her eyes filled with a cool disdain.

I turned and fled. I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the angry shouts behind me. I just had to get out. The cold night air hit my face, but it did nothing to cool the burning shame that coursed through me.

I ran until my legs gave out, collapsing onto a bench in a deserted park. The city lights blurred through my tears. I pulled the pregnancy test from my purse and stared at the little plus sign. This was supposed to be a symbol of our love, our future. Now, it just felt like a chain, tying me to a man who thought I was a joke.