/0/72157/coverbig.jpg?v=159b9af983a72a69c6bdc4cb46d0090a)
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
JULIA
I stood there, staring at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test. My hands shook so badly that I almost dropped it.
"Goodness," I muttered, massaging the bridge of my nose.
I knew I had been feeling off lately. The dizziness, the nausea-it all made sense now.
I glanced at the clock and sighed. Evan would be home soon. My heart raced at the thought.
Would he be happy?
I bit my lip, trying to swallow down the nerves bubbling up inside me.
"There's no need to feel this way, Julia," I muttered, smiling at my reflection in the mirror.
Evan loved me. He'd called me the greatest gift in his life more times than I could count! He'd always chosen me, even when girls with prettier faces and wealthier families tried to steal his attention. He never even glanced at them!
However, there was still a nagging doubt that made my fingers curl tighter around the pregnancy test.
Evander Cassiel Astor-the heir to Astor Empires and my boyfriend of four years.
We'd been together since our freshman year of high school. We were freshmen in college now, and even before we started dating, we'd been best friends. We knew each other better than anyone else.
But then I thought about the last few weeks.
He had definitely been more distant and colder than usual.
It started right after the freshman welcoming party. I remembered that night clearly. Evan hadn't come because he had some company event-another step in his training as the future CEO. His dad had always been strict about that, pushing him harder than anyone else.
I'd told myself that was why he'd been acting off lately. He was just stressed and overwhelmed with everything expected of him. It wasn't about us.
It couldn't be-even if something strange happened at the party.
I tried to take a deep breath, but it came out shaky.
The last time we'd been together, really together, was a month ago.
It was right before that party. We'd spent the night at his apartment, just the two of us. I could still remember the way he looked at me, the softness in his eyes as he ran his fingers through my hair. That was the last time we made love. The last time he'd kissed me like I was the only girl in the world.
He'd been different since then.
So now, I couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to it. I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away.
This was Evan. My Evan. He loved me, and he'd be happy. We'd figure it out together.
The front door opened, and I jumped, quickly shoving the pregnancy test in my back pocket.
I heard his footsteps before I saw him. He appeared a moment later, looking more worn out than I'd ever seen him. His usually neatly styled black hair was a mess, and the dark circles under his eyes made him look older than nineteen.
"Hey," I said, forcing a smile as I moved toward him. "You're home. I made dinner."
He glanced at me, barely acknowledging my words. "I already ate," he said flatly, rubbing his temples like he had a headache.
"Oh," I said, my voice small. "Then, I-I have something to tell you."
Evan's eyes flickered up to meet mine. "Is it important?" he asked, sounding almost annoyed.
"Well, I have something to tell you, too," he said, cutting through my thoughts.
I blinked, surprised. "That's great," I said, my smile widening a bit. It had been so long since we'd had a normal, casual conversation. Maybe this was a good sign. Maybe things were going back to the way they used to be.
I reached into my back pocket with a small smile.
"I want to go first-"
"We should break up."
His words hit me like a punch to the stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs. I froze, staring at him, convinced I must have heard him wrong.
"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Evan's expression didn't change. He looked tired and bored-like he was saying something as simple as the weather being cloudy.
"We should break up," he repeated.
I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. Everything I'd been holding onto, every bit of hope and certainty, crumbled away.
I felt the outline of the pregnancy test with my fingers, but I didn't have the strength to bring it out and show it to him.
"Julia?" Evan's voice cut through the fog in my mind. "Did you hear me?"
I looked up at him, my eyes wide and my heart hammering in my chest. "Why?" was all I managed to say.
He ran a hand through his hair, sighing and acting like our conversation was an inconvenience.
"I've been thinking about it for a while," he said. "We've been together for so long, and I just...I need space. I need to focus on my future and the company. There's too much pressure. I can't do this anymore. And you know what happened at the party," he continued.
"I can't look at you that way anymore. I'm sorry."
Julia frowned. "The party again? What even happened? Why is nobody telling me?"
Evan scoffed and shook his head. "See? You don't even know. Just-I don't want anything to do with you anymore, alright? I'll give you some time to pack your things. I'll head out for a while."
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.
How could he say this? How could he look at me and say these things so calmly?
"But I...I love you," I managed to choke out, tears welling up in my eyes.
Evan's face softened for a moment, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. He took a step back, putting more distance between us. "I'm sorry, Julia," he said, but his voice was hollow.
"I don't love you anymore."
I watched him turn away, heading toward the door. My legs felt like they were glued to the floor, my whole body numb.
The pregnancy test still lay there, forgotten in my pocket. He didn't see it. He didn't know.
And now he never would.
The door clicked shut behind him, and I sank to my knees, staring at the ground with tears streaming down my face.
This was supposed to be the start of something beautiful.
Instead, it was the moment everything fell apart.
What hurts more than falling in love with a person who could never love you back? Eloise Rivers, being in dire need of money for her brother's hospital fees, agrees to marry multi-millionaire Vaughn Ryder and become his surrogate. The catch? Vaughn gets to stay with his long-term girlfriend and divorce Eloise after she gives them the baby. However, in the worst circumstances, Eloise falls in love with Vaughn when Vaughn could never love her back. And now that she is pregnant, Vaughn suddenly wants to call off their deal? "I'm pregn-" "Let's get a divorce," Vaughn coldly said. "What?" Eloise looked at him with wide eyes. "Let's call off the deal while you're still not pregnant. Alina already said that she's willing to start a family with me." 'But I already am,' she wanted to say. But in the end, Vaughn had already made his decision. He didn't want the baby.
Being assigned to become the personal guard of a mafia boss is already a difficult task. Becoming his guard and carrying his child at the same time? Nearly impossible. “The baby isn’t yours.” Luciano smirked, a deadly glint flashing in his eyes. “Oh, really?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised. He walked closer to me, each of his steps resonating in the dark room. I couldn’t help but gulp at the sight of him. It has been three long years since I’ve last seen him, but why has he even gotten hotter than before? “I’m going to ask you once more,” he said, leaning closer to my face. I held my head up high, determined not to succumb to his charm. “Is she mine?” I shook my head. “Definitely not yours.” His jaw ticked, and he looked to the side before leaning his face even closer to mine, his hot breath hovering over my lips. I held in my breath and watched the alluring movement of his lips. “Then, which scoundrel does that child belong to?” I placed both of my hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. “Why? What are you going to do about it if you know?” He tilted his head to the side and smirked. “I’m going to kill that bastard.”
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"