The Dark Alley

On my way to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday, I was dragged into a dark alley and subjected to a horrific ordeal.

When I finally woke up, I scrolled through social media and found a photo of my boyfriend, who had been unreachable, kissing his little sweetheart on a secret account.

Even though there is a little one on the way, you will always be my only baby, the caption read.

The comments were full of people praising their beautiful love.

Only one comment stood out: "Your girlfriend is in the hospital after a tragedy, didn't you go see her?"

Suddenly, the post vanished, and my phone rang a second later with a furious voice on the other end.

"Can you stop being so jealous and making up lies to cause a scene? I told you, she's just my aunt!"

In the past, I would have cried and tried to explain myself.

But this time, I calmly hung up.

1.

When Quinton Sterling arrived at the hospital, the police had just finished their questioning.

"Baby, are you okay?"

That word made my heart sink.

In the seven years we had been together, he only used pet names like that at the very beginning.

He usually said those titles were too cheesy and that I wasn't a child, so I should stop acting like a "baby."

I let out a bitter laugh and pulled my hand away as he reached for me.

Quinton's face immediately darkened.

"Seraphina, what's wrong with you now?"

"It was your own choice to go out and buy a gift, which led to your accident. You can't blame anyone else for that!"

His words felt like a sharp blade, stripping away the last shreds of my dignity.

Hearing his interrogation, I finally broke down.

Yesterday was our anniversary, and I had gone to pick up a custom gift to surprise him.

I never expected to be followed by a predator on the way back.

I called him dozens of times, but the calls never went through.

I was dragged into that alley and endured the darkest three hours of my life.

Thankfully, my screams were heard by a passerby, and I was rescued.

I was unconscious for three days, and the first thing I wanted to do when I woke up was find Quinton.

Instead, I saw his secret account updated with a new romance.

The girl was the woman he called his "aunt," Lydia Vance.

My heart felt like it was filled with heavy, rotting mud.

"Seraphina, I've explained this a million times. Lydia is my aunt. What's wrong with being close to her? You honestly make me sick!"

As if fueled by shame, Quinton's temper exploded without warning.

"Women with your kind of relationship-obsessed brain are truly hopeless!"

How pathetic. While I was experiencing the darkest hours of my life, my boyfriend was frolicking with another woman.

And in the end, it was somehow my fault.

I opened my mouth to argue, but tears poured out uncontrollably instead.

Quinton seemed slightly moved by my state and moved to comfort me, but his phone interrupted.

"Quinny, is Seraphina okay?" a sweet, high-pitched voice asked from the other end.

Quinton's gloomy face instantly lit up with a smile. "She's fine. She went out wandering late at night and got herself into trouble. Don't worry about it."

"What? Your stomach hurts? I'll be right there."

He hung up and turned to leave, catching a glimpse of me sobbing on the bed.

He pulled a small box from his pocket and tossed it onto my lap.

"Seraphina, don't blame others. You shouldn't have been dressed so provocatively."

"This whole thing scared my aunt. You should remember to apologize to her."

The loud slam of the door made me flinch.

I curled up under the covers, crying until I couldn't breathe.

I deserved this for lying to myself and loving him for so many years.

I fought back my tears and opened Quinton's so-called "gift."

Multicolor candies spilled out onto the hospital bed.

They seemed to mock the ridiculous love I had held onto for all these years.

My ill-fated connection with Quinton began in high school.

I was the pathetic kid being bullied, and he was the only one who stood up for me.

From that day on, my secret crush began.

It wasn't until we met again in college that I gathered the courage to confess, and to my surprise, he agreed to be with me.

After we got together, his attitude was always hot and cold, leaving me feeling insecure.

I told myself he was just a "cool guy" and that this was normal.

I truly believed that my fiery passion could melt his icy heart.

I helped him build his company from the ground up.

Even though I'm allergic to alcohol, I would drink for him at business dinners just because he said, "Sera, I trust you."

He liked mature women, so I changed my style to the sexy outfits he preferred.

He said women should be independent, so even when I had a hundred-degree fever, I forced myself to go to the hospital alone.

I changed everything about myself to fit his ideal, hoping to finally earn his love.

It wasn't until Lydia Vance appeared that I realized Quinton actually knew how to be attentive.

I told myself she was his aunt and it was normal for him to look after her.

One day, I accidentally got a photo of him and Lydia wet.

He, who usually kept his emotions in check, screamed at me for the first time.

I should have known then that this "aunt" was just a sick role-play between them.

I couldn't accept that he would move on so easily, so I played deaf and blind.

I lied to myself over and over, believing he still loved me.

But when that official photo appeared, I finally understood how a joke my love had become.

I had stayed in a position that didn't belong to me for far too long.

It was time to give it back to its rightful owner.

On the day I was discharged, I received a rare phone call from Quinton.

"Seraphina, come to the office."

His voice was cold and professional, devoid of any emotion.

I swallowed hard and finally managed a quiet "Okay."

It was time to make things clear.

"Welcome back!"

Poppers went off, and colorful streamers rained down on me.

Quinton stood at the end of the hall holding a bouquet of flowers, walking toward me step by step.

"Sera, welcome back."

I licked my dry lips, but Quinton shoved the flowers into my arms and gripped my hand tightly.

"Sera, don't be afraid. I'll protect you from now on."

He whispered the words softly.

I looked at the man who had been by my side for years, unable to tell if he was being sincere.

"I was wrong about the situation with my aunt. I'll be more careful with my boundaries from now on. Can you forgive me?"

For the first time, Quinton held me close in front of all our colleagues.

He had always insisted on keeping his private life separate from work.

No matter how much I complained before, he never publicly acknowledged me.

But now, he was finally willing to admit I existed.

He even promised to keep his distance from Lydia.

My dying heart couldn't help but skip a beat again.

Maybe I could try to trust him one last time.

But reality always has a way of shattering dreams.

"Attention everyone! We have a new executive joining our department!"

I put down my work, feeling confused.

In the past, Quinton would always consult me about staff changes, but I hadn't heard a word.

I was about to call him when I heard a commotion.

"Holy crap, the big boss is greeting her personally! Who is she?"

I had a bad feeling. I pushed through the crowd and saw Quinton with his arm around Lydia's waist.

He was introducing her to the team one by one.

"Sera!" Lydia saw me and hurried over with an innocent smile on her face.

"Quinton, what is this?"

I ignored her and looked straight at him.

Quinton always said we couldn't run the company like a family business because it would hurt growth.

Even though I had been with him through everything, I was still just a low-level clerk.

And now, he was letting Lydia, a pregnant woman with zero experience, jump straight into leadership!

"Sera, Lydia needs a job. Stop making a scene."

Quinton's initial look of guilt vanished, replaced by an air of self-righteousness.

Lydia grabbed my hand, her face full of fake concern.

"Sera, I know it's my fault. My stomach hurt that day, so I asked Quin to stay with me."

"I didn't realize it would lead to you being attacked."

"I won't come between you two anymore! I'm so sorry! Don't fight because of me."

The entire office went dead silent.

Whispers began to erupt all around me.

To protect my dignity, Quinton and I had told everyone I was out sick with a bad flu.

But now, Lydia had ripped my wound wide open in front of everyone.

Helplessness and shame washed over me like a tidal wave.

I started to tremble uncontrollably.

"Shut up!"

Lydia acted panicked. "Oh no, did you not tell them? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to let it out!"

I lost control and screamed, "I told you to shut up! Didn't you hear me?"

"Seraphina Miller!"

Quinton's voice, cold as ice, boomed over me.

"Apologize to your aunt."

I stared at him. "For what?"

"She's the one talking about my trauma in public! She's the one keeping my boyfriend out all night!"

"She's the one posting couple photos with you on our anniversary!"

*Slap!*

I was knocked to the floor.

The stinging pain on my cheek told me this was all very real.

Quinton looked down at me, his voice chillingly calm.

"Seraphina, that was for your lack of respect for your elders."

"You deserved it."

Yeah, I did. I deserved it for being a pathetic dog following him around.

I brought this on myself.

"Stop fighting!"

Lydia stepped out from behind Quinton, tears streaming down her well-maintained face.

"Quin, it's my fault!"

"I thought you were my nephew and nobody would talk! I shouldn't have disturbed you two!"

Lydia turned and ran toward the exit. Quinton didn't even glance at me on the floor before chasing after her.

"Ah!"

Lydia cried out and collapsed to the ground.

Quinton panicked.

"Lydia! What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about me! I should just die! How can I live after being accused of such things with my own nephew?"

Hearing that, Quinton snapped. He stormed back over to me.

Ignoring my cries of pain, he dragged me across the floor to Lydia.

"Seraphina, kneel and apologize to her right now, and I might consider forgiving you."

His chest heaved, showing he was barely holding back a massive rage.

I let out a cold smirk and struggled to stand, shoving my phone in his face.

"Is what I said not true?"

The audio from the live photo played: Quinton affectionately saying, "You are my forever little baby."

Lydia's giggles followed.

He had been so lost in his little romance that he forgot live photos capture sound.

Quinton's face went from white to green. He tried to deny it, but Lydia started sobbing again.

"Quin, my stomach hurts so much!"

Quinton lost all logic. He shoved me hard.

I wasn't prepared. I flew backward and my lower abdomen slammed into the edge of a desk.

An agonizing pain shot through my entire body. I curled up on the floor in shock.

I felt a warm, wet sensation between my legs.

Someone screamed, "Sera! You're bleeding!"

Through the haze of pain, I saw Quinton rushing toward me, looking completely lost.

When I finally drifted awake in the hospital bed, Quinton was sitting nearby, feeding Lydia soup.

"Sera, you're awake! Oh, Quin insisted I drink this prenatal soup. I told him he should give it to you, but he's so stubborn!"

"You should have some! Quin made it himself."

I stared blankly at the ceiling, fighting the bitterness in my heart.

How ironic. After all these years, I finally found out he could cook from another woman's mouth.

When I didn't respond, Quinton spoke, his words like knives.

"Ignore her. This is what happens when someone grows up without parentsDno manners at all."

"Quin!" Lydia scolded playfully.

Seeming to realize he had been too harsh, he rubbed his temples and sat by my bed, softening his tone.

"Don't overthink things. Just rest and recover."

He held a piece of orange to my lips. It was freezing cold.

I turned my head away. "I can't have cold things after a miscarriage."

Quinton lost his patience and snapped.

"Fine, stop being so dramatic. It was just a miscarriage. Stop acting so fragile."

"It's better that the little bastard is gone anyway. Seeing it would only remind me of how dirty you are now."

I looked at Quinton in disbelief.

The doctor said I was four months along!

How could he say something so horrific?

"That was your child!"

I wasn't asking for his love anymore, and I didn't want to use the baby to win him back.

I was just mourning a life lost for nothing!

I couldn't believe the man I loved with all my heart was such a monster.

"Sera, you can't blame Quin. You were attacked and didn't lose the baby then and then suddenly yesterday"

Lydia's words were like fuel to Quinton's flickering guilt.

He roared, "I bet you were just out getting used by those thugs! And now you wanted me to take care of their trash!"

"You son of a bitch!"

I threw a ceramic cup at him. It hit flesh with a dull thud.

Blood began to trickle down Lydia's forehead.

"Quin" she whispered weakly before going limp.

"Seraphina, if anything happens to her, I'll make you pay with your life!"

He didn't look back as he scooped Lydia up and disappeared.

I collapsed back onto the bed and let the tears flow.

I didn't hesitate any longer. I dialed a number.

"Sera? Have you really decided to come back? It's about time you woke up! You're always welcome at my place!"

The warm, caring words made all my suppressed misery surface. I sobbed into the phone.

"Uncle Silas, I miss you so much! I want to come home!"

After my parents died, Silas was the one who raised me.

I had run away to San Francisco with Quinton against his wishes.

I thought Silas would never forgive me.

Looking back, I brought all this misery on myself.

"What home?" Quinton asked, walking in just as I hung up.

His eyes were filled with an unreadable anger as he tossed a bag of breakfast on the table.

"You don't have parents. What home could you possibly go back to?"

I didn't get angry. I just said calmly, "Let's break up, Quinton."

Quinton sighed.

"Take the olive branch while I'm offering it, Seraphina."

"I shouldn't have said those things the other day, but didn't you start it by being rude to Lydia? You're just too petty."

Even now, he was still blaming me.

Quinton saw my lifeless expression and seemed to get nervous. For once, he leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth.

He usually hated physical affection. I was always the one initiating it. Now, he was "sacrificing" himself just to get me to forgive another woman.

In the past, I would have been overjoyed. Now, it just felt disgusting.

The constant pinging of his phone interrupted his attempt to go further.

He glanced at it, grabbed his coat, and left without a second thought.

"Sera, wait for me to get back. I have an emergency."

What made him think I would still be standing there waiting for him?

I didn't waste a second. I packed my things and left that house for good.

Quinton, this time it's real. I'm setting you free.

%%%