The day I left New York was cloaked in thick grey clouds and the oppressive weight of smog. Exiting the cab, I pulled my suitcase behind me as I headed into the bustling airport terminal. Suddenly, the distant roar of an engine snapped me out of my thoughts, making me turn instinctively. It was a vehicle I knew all too well, racing toward me.

I tightened my grip on the suitcase handle and pivoted, walking purposefully.

"Lilah!"

Jayden Lewis jumped out of the car, quickly covering the distance between us.

"Lilah," he repeated, his hand grabbing my arm, the tremor in his voice unmistakable, "Where are you going?"

I met his gaze with calm detachment. "Jayden, let go."

His eyes were bloodshot, and his whole demeanor was filled with urgency.

"Lilah, stay. Can't we turn back the clock?"

I let go of the suitcase handle, stepping back slightly as I slowly unbuttoned my coat. The biting New York winter wind sliced through me, chilling me to the bone.

Though my frame remained slender, there was now a slight curve to my belly. Jayden’s eyes moved downwards, inch by inch, finally stopping in stunned disbelief.

I simply smiled at him, my eyes narrowing with a hint of amusement. "Jayden, look—how can we ever go back to the way things were?"

The wind, which had been howling moments ago, suddenly seemed to pause, as if someone had turned down the volume. Jayden Lewis just stood there, motionless, and after what felt like an eternity, he finally lifted his bloodshot eyes to meet mine and asked, "Lilah, how did it all end up like this?"

I pulled my coat closer around me and ran a hand through my wind-tousled hair. "Are you really asking me?" I replied with a composed smile. "Isn't this exactly what you set in motion?"

"Lilah, that's not it," Jayden said. "I did leave you there, but Selah said her relative would pick you up. She insisted you were too naive and needed toughening up—otherwise, how would you be able to handle marriage?"

"I was so fed up with you at the time, you seemed to be everywhere I turned, and in a moment of frustration, I agreed with her."

"But I never meant for you to get hurt. I thought you might face a bit of difficulty, and then you'd come back home and stop pursuing me..."

"Lilah, did Selah's relative not come to get you?"

The smile faded slowly from my face as the cold wind blew. "Oh, he came alright."

Jayden exhaled, relieved. "I knew it. Selah is always so meticulous and generous in what she does..."

"But do you have any idea what her relative actually does for a living?"

Jayden looked taken aback. "Lilah?"

"Organized crime, smuggling, you name it."

I stared at Jayden with indifference, and in my empty eyes, he saw his own foolish, astonished expression reflected back at him.

"Escaping from him, I nearly lost my life. I lost my ID, my phone, my wallet—everything."

"I was so hungry that I had to fight with homeless people for scraps. I slept under a bridge at night and narrowly escaped being assaulted several times."

"In the end, someone had plans to sell me off to a brothel."

During those four months, I'd cried myself dry. But maybe it was the wind now—too sharp, too icy—that made my eyes sting with pain.

"The only one who reached out to help me during that time was him."

"The father of the child I'm carrying."

"Stop it."

"Lilah, just stop."

Pain was etched across Jayden's face. He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. "I'll take you to the hospital, Lilah. This child, whose beginnings are so dubious, can't stay."

"Why?" I asked.

He couldn't meet my eyes, his voice low and rough. "If we end this pregnancy, we can pretend none of this ever happened."

"Lilah, I'll take care of you."

"Your mom’s in the States. You don’t have any family here."

"If you stay with me, I'll look after you..."

"Jayden Lewis."

I pulled my hand away, forcefully.

"Lilah, don’t be naive. No one knows about your pregnancy."

"I can arrange for a private clinic. You can terminate the pregnancy, and no one will ever have to know. Your reputation won’t suffer..."

"And then?" I prompted him. "Will you marry me?"

Jayden Lewis was clearly taken aback. He lowered his gaze, his lips pressed in a thin line, as if he had wrestled with a decision for a long time.

“Lilah, considering your family’s current situation, my parents would never approve.”

“But rest assured, I won’t leave you. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.”

“Jayden.” I called his name softly, and when he finally looked up at me, I smiled gently.

“Do you know what I’m most thankful for right now?”

“What’s that?”

“I’m thankful that we never got involved deeply.”

“I’m thankful that the baby I’m expecting isn’t yours.”

“Lilah…”

Jayden's eyes showed undeniable panic. I took a couple of steps back. “Don’t come looking for me again.”

“Don’t make me regret ever having feelings for someone like you.”

I grabbed my suitcase and turned to leave, but Jayden persisted.

“Lilah, where can you go in your current condition?”

“You’ve never had to work hard your entire life. How will you manage outside of New York, away from me?”

I suddenly turned around, letting go of my suitcase, and showed him my calloused hands.

“With these hands, Lilah Rivera won't go hungry.”

In the distance, the town's Thanksgiving parade was about to start. Floats and marching bands were gathering, and the scent of spiced honey cake floated through the air, mingling with the aroma of fresh coffee from a nearby café. The brisk autumn air was invigorating, crisp and full of promise, much like the kind you'd find in the Alps.

Jayden was wearing a Victorian-style suit, a sarcastic nod to his family’s old-fashioned values. I held my head high, gripping the handle of my suitcase as I walked towards the life I was determined to build on my own.