Chapter 1 Prologue: The Moment Everything Fell Apart

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.