Chapter 3

Kelsey Reyes POV:

Elias didn't come home that night. I knew he wouldn't. After seeing those pictures and my complete indifference, he probably ran to Dayami for comfort.

The next morning, I was downstairs with my parents, waiting to leave for the appointment. The front door swung open.

Elias walked in, looking disheveled, with Dayami by his side. He was holding a bag of takeout coffee and pastries.

"Good morning, Kelsey!" he chirped, trying to sound cheerful. "I brought breakfast! I thought we could have a nice morning together."

Dayami squeezed his arm. "Yes, Elias was so worried about you, Kelsey! He insisted we get you something nice."

My parents glared at them. My father' s jaw was tight. My mother' s eyes were narrowed.

I just watched Elias. He had a faint scent of Dayami' s perfume clinging to him, stronger than before.

"Worried, were you?" I asked, my voice flat. "That's why you spent the night comforting your 'little sister' instead of coming home?"

Elias flushed. "Kelsey, it's not what you think! Dayami had a crisis. She needed me!"

Dayami nodded vigorously. "I did, Kelsey! It was a really scary night. But Elias was there for me. He' s such a good guy."

"A good guy," I repeated, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. "Right."

Elias placed the bag on the counter. "See? I even brought your favorite pastry. And I was thinking... maybe we could take that trip, just the two of us. To Paris. Like we always talked about."

My stomach churned. Paris. That was always our dream. A romantic getaway we'd planned for years. He always said he was too busy.

Now, he was offering it.

I remembered finding a picture on Dayami's social media, just a few days ago. Her, in front of the Eiffel Tower, sipping champagne. With a caption that read: "Finally living out my Parisian dream. Thanks, Elias."

He had gone to Paris. With her. He was just offering me a recycled fantasy.

And the perfume. It was stronger now. A sickly sweet scent.

"No, thank you, Elias," I said, pushing the pastries away. "I' m not interested in Paris anymore. And I'm certainly not interested in your recycled dreams."

He flinched. "Recycled? Kelsey, what are you talking about?"

Dayami stepped forward, her eyes wide with feigned concern. "Kelsey, you seem so... distant lately. What have you been up to?"

My gaze sharpened. How did she know I was "distant"? Unless Elias had been telling her everything.

"Why, Dayami," I said, a dangerous edge to my voice. "Are you tracking my every move now? Or is Elias giving you daily updates?"

Dayami gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, no! Elias, she thinks I'm spying on her! I just... I heard you two talking about her being busy, and I was just concerned!"

She turned to Elias, her eyes brimming with fake tears. "She thinks I'm a bad person, Elias! She thinks I'm trying to hurt her!"

Elias exploded. "Kelsey! What the hell is wrong with you?! Dayami is worried about you! And you accuse her of spying?!"

He grabbed a vase from the table, a beautiful ceramic piece my mother had given us, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces.

"You're unbelievable! You're selfish! You don't care about anyone but yourself!" he roared, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You' re out sleeping around, probably, and ignoring your own child, and then you try to blame Dayami?!"

I stood there, unflinching. His words were just noise now.

Dayami, seeing her cue, rushed to Elias's side. "Elias, darling, calm down! She's not worth it. Don't let her upset you."

"She's not worth it?" I repeated, my voice dangerously soft. "Oh, I'm not worth it? What about my mother, Dayami? Is she 'not worth it' either?" I knew she' d been talking about my mother behind my back. Elias's mother, Dayami always called her.

Dayami' s eyes widened. She knew she'd been caught. "I... I don't know what you're talking about!"

My hand shot out. I grabbed the heavy ashtray from the coffee table. I didn't even think.

With a primal scream, I flung it at her.

It sailed through the air, thankfully missing her head, but it struck her arm with a sickening thud.

Dayami shrieked, clutching her arm. "Oh, my arm! Elias, she hit me! She hurt me!" She sank to the floor, sobbing dramatically.

Elias rushed to her, cradling her in his arms. He glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. "Kelsey! Are you crazy?! You hit her! You physically assaulted her!"

"She lied," I said, my voice steady. "And you know it."

Elias paused, his eyes flickering. Just for a second. He knew. He knew Dayami was a liar. But then the anger returned, stronger than before.

"I don't care if she lied! You don't hit people, Kelsey! You've gone too far!" he shouted. "Apologize to her! Now!"

I laughed. A cold, hard laugh. "Apologize? For what? For telling the truth? For defending my family?"

"If you don't apologize, Kelsey, I swear to God, I'll divorce you!" he screamed, pulling Dayami closer.

My heart, which had been frozen for weeks, felt a faint flicker. A tiny spark of doubt. Maybe he still cared. Maybe this was a chance.

"Elias," I said, my voice softer now. "I have something important to do today. I need you to come with me."

He looked at me, his eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"I'm going to... terminate the pregnancy," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I need you there. As the father."

He stared at me, then burst out laughing. A harsh, cruel laugh. "You're joking, right? You think I'm going to play along with your pathetic games?"