Chapter 1
Alixir's POV
Two hours...
That's how long it's been since I sent Fran my test results.
He's seen my message... but he hasn't replied.
Maybe he's busy.
Or maybe... he doesn't want to.
No.
That couldn't be it.
Fran wasn't the type to ignore me. Even when he was busy, he'd always send a quick text saying he'd call me later. He knew how much I worried whenever he went silent.
So why wasn't he saying anything?
I stared at my phone for what felt like the hundredth time.
No new messages.
No missed calls.
Nothing.
I bit my lower lip and dialled his number again, my heart pounding against my chest.
The phone rang.
Once...
Twice...
Three times...
Then it stopped.
He didn't answer.
I let out a shaky breath and tried convincing myself not to panic.
Maybe he'd fallen asleep.
Maybe his phone was on silent.
Maybe—
My phone buzzed.
Hope instantly lit up inside me.
I grabbed it so quickly that it nearly slipped from my hands.
My smile faded.
It wasn't Fran.
Just a promotional text from my network provider.
I sighed and dropped the phone onto the bed.
"Come on, Fran," I whispered. "Say something."
Unable to sit still, I began pacing around my room.
Every few seconds, I'd glance at my phone, hoping the screen would light up with his name.
It never did.
I called him again.
This time...
He rejected the call.
I froze.
He...
Rejected it?
I stared at my phone in disbelief, as if the screen would suddenly tell me it had all been a mistake.
"No..."
That wasn't like him.
Something had to be wrong.
Without thinking twice, I sprang to my feet, grabbed my handbag, quickly got dressed, and rushed downstairs.
Within seconds, I was behind the wheel of my car.
The drive to Fran's place usually felt short.
Today, it felt endless.
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as countless thoughts raced through my mind.
Maybe he'd fainted.
Maybe someone else rejected the call.
Maybe...
Maybe he'd seen the test results and didn't know what to say.
That thought made my stomach twist.
"No," I muttered, shaking my head. "Fran loves me."
He wouldn't leave me to face this alone.
He promised.
I reached his house in less than two minutes.
The lights were on.
Relief washed over me.
Good.
He was home.
Maybe he really had fallen asleep.
Knowing his password, I unlocked the door and quietly stepped inside.
"Fran?" I called softly.
No answer.
I took another step.
Then another.
The sound of laughter drifted from the sitting room.
A smile almost formed on my lips.
There you are...
The moment I walked in...
I froze.
Time stopped.
There sat Fran in the middle of two girls, barely dressed and completely at ease.
One of the girls was perched on his lap as he kissed her passionately, while the other slowly ran her hands across his chest.
My heart shattered.
For a few seconds, I forgot how to breathe.
The room spun around me.
This can't be Fran...
It can't be Fran.
I screamed inside my head.
Please...
Let this be a nightmare.
I blinked several times, hoping the image before me would disappear.
It didn't.
It was him.
It was really him.
And from the smile on his face...
He was enjoying every second of it.
My chest tightened so painfully that I thought my heart would stop beating.
He said he loved me.
He promised he'd never hurt me.
He promised we'd face everything together.
Were those promises all lies?
I opened my mouth to say something...
To scream...
To cry...
To ask him why...
But no words came out.
He finally looked up.
Our eyes met.
For one brief moment, neither of us moved.
Then I turned around and ran.
I didn't wait to hear him call my name.
I didn't wait for an explanation.
I just ran.
The cool night air hit my face the moment I stepped outside, but it wasn't enough.
I couldn't breathe.
I stumbled into my car with trembling hands and sped away, not even caring where I was going.
Tears blurred my vision.
"Focus, Ali... just focus."
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
"You can't fall apart now...
Not now."
But no matter how hard I tried, the image of Fran with those girls kept replaying in my mind.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The blaring of car horns suddenly snapped me back to reality.
My eyes widened.
A truck.
Right in front of me.
I slammed my foot on the brake.
"God!"
BOOM!
Everything went black.
