At five months pregnant, I began to experience heavy bleeding while Rylan Gonzales was driving me to the hospital. Midway through the drive, he got a call from his secretary, Joelle, and decided to drop me off by the roadside so I could find a cab to the hospital myself. By the time a kind stranger finally got me there, it was too late; I lost the baby due to the delay.

After the procedure, I checked my phone and came across Joelle's post on Instagram.

"Feeling under the weather with a cold, but my sweet Rylan brought me medicine and even flowers to cheer me up!" The photo showed Rylan feeding her medicine with a spoon.

In that moment, my love for Rylan vanished completely.

---

After picking up my medication, I was leaving the hospital when I ran into Emery White.

"Hey, Sierra! What's going on? Are you not feeling well?" Emery was decked out in the latest designer clothes, her wrist bearing visible bruises.

"My boyfriend was a little too intense last night; check out what he did to my wrist," she bragged.

"Good thing Rylan brought me here instead of going to work," she added with a satisfied grin.

I looked at her calmly and then let out a chuckle, "If he's that rough with you, maybe he doesn't really value you."

Emery’s face fell as tears filled her eyes, "Sierra, why would you say something like that?"

Before I could reply, I felt a firm shove and turned to face Rylan.

"Sierra, are you causing trouble for Emery again?" He stood protectively in front of her, irritation etched on his face.

"Shouldn't you know better than to pick on younger women? Apologize to her!"

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh at his words. To Rylan, I was always the villain in Emery's stories.

If Emery pouted, I was being harsh; if her eyes watered, I was being mean; if she cried, I was being unreasonable.

"Let it go, Rylan. Sierra’s here for meds too. She's probably not feeling well; don’t blame her," Emery interjected, pretending to come to my defense, which only drew a dismissive snort from Rylan.

"She was faking being sick last night, and now she's standing here just fine? She's in perfect health."

"But since Emery is willing to forgive, don’t bother apologizing," he said, taking Emery's hand gently.

"I’ll take you home."

Even though I had given up on him for good, those words still stung.

Rylan didn’t spare me another glance as he drove off with Emery.

I dragged myself wearily back home.

My apartment was a spacious 2,000-square-foot place in the heart of the city, which Rylan had bought for an extravagant sum. The deed was in my name alone.

Back then, Rylan was an up-and-comer in the industry with a promising future.

I remembered him holding me by the large window, his eyes full of promise as he said, "Sierra, I'll give you more in the future. I’ll make sure everyone sees why you’re with me."

"I, Rylan Gonzales, will cherish you for the rest of my life."

In just two years, Rylan’s affections had wandered. All he’d given me were monthly allowances and this apartment. Not even a heartfelt gesture like a simple flower.

"Sierra, you're back," I heard as I approached the front door.

There, sitting on a small stool with two large bags beside her, was Monica Aguilar, Rylan’s mother.

I was a bit surprised and quickly opened the door. "What brings you here?"

Monica, considerate of my living arrangement with Rylan, had opted to stay at a cottage out in the countryside. She had a penchant for raising chickens and ducks, leading a rather agreeable lifestyle.

"I brought you a chicken I prepared myself and some fresh eggs to keep you healthy," she said, handing me the bag with a smile. "Oh, and since you two are planning the wedding, I've got you a few gold necklaces..."

It was winter, and with all the layers of Victorian-style dresses, my belly looked perfectly flat.

"Thank you," I said, taking the bag from her. I looked down, my voice catching despite my efforts to remain composed.

Unlike Rylan, Monica's kindness toward me had been unwavering from the start.

She quickly noticed my distress and immediately asked, "Did Rylan give you trouble again?"

The elderly lady frowned, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. She accidentally put it on speaker, and I heard Emery's voice on the other end.

"Hello? Is that you, Aunt Monica? Rylan is—"

In that instant, Monica understood.

"Who's this 'Rylan' to you? Calling him 'big brother'? Didn't your parents teach you any manners? Watch your words next time, or I'll sew your mouth shut!" she snapped.

There was some rustling, and then Rylan's voice came through, slightly impatient. "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Rylan!" Monica was truly angry now, and she snapped back in her own colorful dialect. "How could you do this to Sierra? Don't forget, it was Sierra who saved me from the debt collectors!"

Back when Rylan was starting his business, he'd been duped and ended up in jail with a debt of hundreds of thousands. The collectors hounded both me and Monica relentlessly. It was a group of intimidating men. Later, I discreetly borrowed money from Mom to settle the debt.

"Let's not dredge up old issues," Rylan replied, clearly annoyed. He added dismissively, "Did Sierra complain to you? I'll be home soon; I'll talk to her then."

He hung up, leaving Monica looking at me.

Suddenly, I found the courage to say, "Monica, the baby... it's gone. I don't want to go through with this wedding."

I spilled everything out to her and begged, "Please don't tell Rylan about this. I don't want him to know."

Monica stood there for a long time, then abruptly stomped her foot hard, tears welling in her eyes. She held my hand and said, "I'm so sorry, Sierra. I'm so sorry."