I thought I had seen wickedness when Victoria Mogul walked into the diner and tore me down in front of strangers. I thought her words were the sharpest blade a woman like me could take.

But I was wrong.

The real wound came a week later. Mark lied to me.

It was a Sunday morning, Lily and I were sharing pancakes I made with our last cup of flour. She had poured syrup on her dress and was laughing at her mess when I saw the news on the the television. .

The bold letters screamed at me from the screen.

"Mogul Heir Engaged to Model Emily Vanclair."

My heart stopped.

Under the headline was a photograph of Mark, my Mark, who had kissed me that empty night at the diner. He was standing beside a woman who looked like she was made from perfection itself.

She was slim, curvy, elegant, and had lips and body type any man would kill for. She was sexy as hell! She wore a white silk gown that accentuated all her curves. Her arm was hooked through his like a leech.

Her smile was flawless, her teeth were the perfect white colour and everything about was stinkingly rich.

I couldn't breathe.

The newscaster kept talking about how Emily Vanclair, international model and heiress, was the perfect match for Mark Mogul. It spoke of their families' long-standing ties, their combined wealth and the "wedding of the century" that would merge their business empires.

And not once, not once, did it mention love. If I was the one he loved, why was he doing this? My knees felt weak and I wanted to faint.

I started shaking as I heard the words, next thing I knew, I began to shed tears. Lily was pulling my sleeve, her small voice breaking through my meltdown.

"Mummy? Why are you crying?"

I turned off the television, quickly wiped my tears and forced a smile that I didn't feel. "It's nothing, sweetheart. Just... nothing."

But inside, my heart was splitting open.

Mark had betrayed me. He lied to me and treated me like some cheap whore, like one of his flings.

When Mark came to the diner that night, I was waiting.

He walked in as if nothing happened, his smile was warm, and his eyes were searching for mine. But I couldn't smile back. I couldn't pretend.

"Clara," he said softly, coming closer to me.

The warmth of breath on my face threatened to melt the brewing anger inside of me. Every fibre of my being wanted him, his perfume made me feel like a gigglish little girl. I wanted him to touch me everywhere.

But I gathered myself together and showed him the blog post of he and Emilyon my phone. I managed to ask him weakly despite my sexual heat in the monent.

"What is this?"

His face lost its excitement as he looked at the headline. "Clara, I can explain..."

"Explain?" My voice was loud with anger and my hands trembed. "Explain how you stood there with her, smiling for cameras, while I was here believing the things you told me? And what was that stupid kiss the other night? Am I just one of your cheap whores?"

"Clara, please." His voice was pleading for my understanding, his hand kept reaching for mine, but I pulled back as soon as they touched me.

"It's not real. It's my parents. They arranged this. I didn't agree to it." he said.

"What does that even mean?'' Anger was boiling on my insides. " You're lying to me. Why didn't you stop it?," I yelled, my tears falling freely now.

"You let them use your life, your future, and you just stood there beside her. Worse still, you lied to me Mark. You lied to me!" I broke down in hot tears and sat on one of the customer chairs. .

"I had no choice. He said in a whisper. "They threatened to cut me off completely, to ruin you if I refused. You don't understand the lengths they'll go to."

"I do understand!" I snapped, raising my voice again."Your mother already came here, Mark. She humiliated me in front of everyone, called my daughter an imbecile. And now this? "So you're scared of loosing your fortune? I thought you said you wanted to fight for our love?''

He didn't say a word. Then I realized that my anger was nothing to him. He used to be a playboy,so he was used to whores screaming at him. So, I calmed down.

"I don't even know why I'm upset. It's not like you proposed to me. I was just too stupid to believe that I meant anything to you." My voice dropped to a whisper again.

"Do you know what this feels like? To be the secret in your shadow while the whole world celebrates your engagement to someone else?"

His face broke down with guilt. "Clara, you're not a secret to me. You're the only real thing I have had in years. Emily means nothing. It's you I..." He stopped talking, it was like his throat went dry.

"You belong in her world, not mine," I whispered in tears. "And one day, you'll realise that. You'll choose her. Because your family will never let you choose me."

His eyes burned with an fierce emotion that frightened the hell out of me. "No! Clara, they can control everything else, but they don't get to decide who I love. Please."

He was begging me like a child that was scared of being punished. The heir to the Mogul Incorporated at my feet like a common beggar. My heart sank.

My knees went weak, and my tears were choking in my throat. But before I could speak, the diner door opened and the devil walked in.

Emily Vanclair.

She was even more beautiful in person with flawless skin, and long legs that carried her like a queen into my small world. Her eyes looked through the diner with mild disgust before resting on Mark.

"Darling," she said sweetly, speaking like she owned him. "There you are. Your mother said I might find you here."

My stomach twisted. The way she said "darling" made me want to run and hide. I felt humiliated by Mark. It because of him that she was ridiculing the diner that fed me and my child.

Mark's face was completely white.. "Emily, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," she replied smoothly, ignoring me completely. She sat on the stool beside him, her manicured fingers brushing his sleeve like she already owned him. "We have a photoshoot tomorrow, remember? Vogue wants us on the cover of their magazine as the couple of the year."

My breath stopped. "Couple of the year". It was like someone was pounding nails into my chest.

Finally, Emily looked at me, and the disgust in her eyes nearly made me faint. She gave a degrading little smile. "You must be the waitress or sorry my husband to be's uhm.... cheap hobby."

The room started spinning. My vision blurred with tears, but I refused to let her see me break.

I stood tall, though my voice was shaking when I said, "Your table's that way if you're ordering. If not, you should leave."

Her laugh was sharp, like glass shattering. "You're fierce. I see why Mark chose you to satisfy his urges."

"Emily!" Mark yelled at her angrily. "Don't speak to her like that"

She ignored him and moved closer to me, her voice was low but was loud enough for me to hear. "Understand this, Clara, you'll never win. Men like Mark might play with women like you, but they always marry women like me."

I froze, her words hit every hidden fear I had.

Mark hit his hand on the table, his voice was more serious this time. "Enough, Emily! You don't get to talk to her like that."

She didn't even move. "Then perhaps you should stop giving her reasons to believe she matters."

The silence that followed was suffocating. My heart pounded, my hands kept trembling, and I knew I couldn't stay there another second.

"I have customers," I said faintly, turning away before they saw the tears spilling down my cheeks.

Mark called me, but I didn't stop.

I thought heartbreak came quietly, in the small hours of the night when I lay awake staring at the ceiling, wondering if Mark's love for me was real. 

But I was wrong.

Humiliation came like a hurricane the following week.

It started with my landlord banging on my door at dawn. His face was red with anger, he kept shouting and yelling my name.

I was embarrassed. 

"Clara, I can't take this anymore. The Moguls' lawyers have been sniffing around. They've threatened me with inspections, fines, lawsuits and things I can't afford. I am  sorry, but you need to move out by the end of the month."

I felt the floor shift under me. "But.....I have always paid rent. I have never missed a payment." I said with tears almost forming in my eyes.

"It's not about that." His voice was soft for a moment, but he didn't look at me. "They don't want you here, Clara and I can't fight them. You know how much power they have."

Behind me, Lily was holding her teddy bear, watching us with wide, scared eyes. I wanted to scream, to fight, but the words stuck in my throat. All I could do was nod, my hands kept shaking as I closed the door.

The Mogul's had won. 

By noon, the news had spread in the neighbourhood.

"That's the woman who's trying to sleep with the Mogul heir."

"She's a gold digger, she's using her child  to get him to marry her."

"I heard she has a bad past. I heard she is nothing but evil."

I walked down the street with Lily's hand in mine, my face covered with shame as they stared. When I got to the diner, it was worse.

A group of wealthy women sat in one of the tables, their designer bags sat beside them like trophies. I could feel their eyes on me as I poured their coffee.

"Such a shame," one of them said loudly, her voice filled with disdain for me. "These single mothers will do anything to climb up the wealthy ladder. But it never lasts."

The others laughed at me, and I nearly dropped the pot of coffee I was using to serve them..

My hands were shaking so badly I had to run to the kitchen, where my boss, Mr. Hardy, was waiting for me.

"Clara... I don't know how to say this." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Business has been slow, and now you know I like you. But, the Moguls......you know they are very connected people. They have made calls, Clara. They don't want you working here."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Are you firing me?"

He sighed heavily, but he didn't look at me. "You're one of the best waitresses I've had, but I can't fight them. If I lose their catering contracts, this diner won't survive. I'm sorry."

I stood there frozen, and hot tears burst from my eyes. Mr Hardy didn't know how to console me. He just stood there pitying me.

"You need to go on your knees and beg Victoria, maybe she'll leave you alone." Mr Hardy said quietly.

"I didn't do anything wrong.'' I replied with my tears choking my words. This was too much for me. How would I support Lily?

Why couldn't they leave me alone? They had won. Mark was already engaged to Emily. I was simply the waitress in the shadows that loved a billionaire. 

That night, when I got back to my tiny flat, Mark was waiting outside the door.

He looked tired, I could see dark circles under his eyes, he looked really angry when I saw him at first.  But when he saw my tear-stained face, his anger died down. 

"Clara, what happened?" He reached tried to pull me in but I pulled away. 

"They're destroying me, Mark," I whispered, my voice breaking with tears. My head kept banging from crying all day but I managed to talk to him. "I'm going to lose my job, Mark. They're calling me names and spreading lies. And it's all because of you. I am not a cheap prostitute Mark and you know it"

His face twisted with guilt. "You're not Clara. You're the love of my life. It's my parents, they'll do anything to separate us. But I promise, I won't let them."

"You can't stop them," I managed to say even though my head was banging. "You're their son. You belong to their world and I don't. Your mother is making sure that  I never forget it."

He moved closer to me, and held my wet face with his warm hands. The smell of his cologne made me feel wet down there. I wanted him to move even closer and make me forget it all. 

"Clara, listen to me. They can take everything else from you, but they can't take me. I won't marry Emily. I don't care if they cut me off. I'd rather have nothing with you than everything without you."

I looked into his eyes and my insides melted. I was suffering because of this man and yet I wanted to suffer more because I couldn't control myself around him.  

I pulled him into my arms in a tight embrace. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I whispered to his ears. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you doing this to us?"

"Because I love you," he said quietly but fiercely, the words left his mouth like embers of burning passion. "And I won't let them win."

His forehead pressed into mine, his breath was warm amd smelled of mint, his eyes were burning with the truth of his undying love for me. 

He hands slipped down my hips gently and then slowly under my gown. I drew my neck back to allow him to kiss me even more passionately. 

Then I heard that sweet familiar voice. My insides groaned with the pain of interrupted passion.

It was Lily.

"Mummy, I'm hungry.''

He groaned knowing that Lily had broken a pasionate moment but his face changed to smiles when he saw her innocent face. 

He picked her up. " What would like to eat gummy bear." She chuckled happily as he carefully tickled her side. 

"Cococereal!'' Lily replied giggling happily. 

"Let's go and make you some.'' With that, he carried her into the kitchen. I stood there watching them with a smile on my face. Mark would have been the perfect father for Lily.

I followee them into the Kitchen and watched as he happily poured her a plate of cereal. She was telling him stories of how a bully in her school was punished the school. 

"Are you scared of bullies?'' He asked her in the kindest voice I had heard.

"No, Uncle Mark''. She replied with her mouthful of cereal. 

"Good.'' He said wearing a proud father look. "You don't have to be afraid ever."

Mark touched her face, his hand brushing Lily's hair gently. "I'll protect you and mummy, Lily. No matter what it takes."

"From what?'' Her soft voice asked in a whisper.

Mark smiled. "From everything and everyone that wants to come between me and your mummy". Lily nodded with a smile and gave him the warmest hug ever.

"Thank you, Uncle Mark" Lily replied with beautiful smile. 

"You're welcome gmmy bear. Now eat up.'' He tickled her again. She giggled.

My heart melted. I wanted to believe love was enough. I wanted to believe his promises. But I was scared.

His family wasn't just trying to separate us. They were stripping me bare, piece by piece and I knew they were only starting.  

I knew I loved Mark so much and he felt the smae way about me. I wasn't sure love would save me from his wicked family.

I don't know what this love holds for me and that alone scares me.

Sometimes survival means running.

Mark had promised me that he was on my side but I had doubts. And the man I was in love was about to prove to me that he was up to the task. 

I was home all through because I had nowhere to go. My boss was too afraid to let me continue working. I took Lily to school and stayed home, knitting some crochets wears that I could sell. 

Then I heard him knock at the door. I always knew in my heart that he would always find his way to my doorstep no matter what. My heart beamed with excitement as I rushed to open the door. 

But his face drained me of all the excitement. "What again?" My heart sank in fear.

His eyes were fiery, his breathing was heavy like he had been running. He looked at me like a man that was cornered but unwilling to surrender.

"Pack your bags," he said, his voice was very thick and sounded urgent.

I looked at him in confusion. "Mark, what's happening?"

"I'm taking you and Lily away, just for a little while." He replied, his eyes not leaving mine. 

"Why? I don't understand, Mark. Did something happen? 

"I need to take you and Lily away from my family and their threats. I have to get you two away from them for a while.''

I looked deeper into his face and I knew that he was dead serious but I couldn't undertsand the urgency. He didn't say anything the last time we saw. He semed happy to me. 

"Mark, that's madness. I can't just leave. I don't even know where we'd go." I replied in a low tone, trying not to upset him.

"You don't need to know," he said firmly. "Just trust me."

I hesitated. 

I didn't want to do that. Trust him? I hadn't forgotten that he betrayed my trust in him and did his family's bidding with his engagement to Emily. I didn't forget but I just couldn't resist him. 

Gosh! Why am I so in love with him? 

He moved closer to me and held my tiny hands when compared to his. Damn, his hands were warm, so warm they made me feel safe. 

"Clara, I know you still don't trust me. But I want you to know that you can trust me. I am all in for us.'' 

He knew what was on my mind. I didn't trust him one bit, and I had to be responsible for my daughter. 

"Why did you get engaged to Emily then?'' I asked him hoping for an honest answer. 

Silence. 

He didn't say anything and then he began to stutter. 

"Look, uhm Clara.....It's ...." 

"It's what?" I demanded to know. 

"It's complicated."

Did he just say it was complicated. I couldn't understand why he was doing all that his mother wanted. 

Why couldn't he just stand up to her and fight for our love?  Of course I loved him but I wasn't going to go anywhere with a man I didn't trust. 

"I can't go with you Mark.'' I replied very calmly.

Trust was very important to me, especially when my world had been torn down brick by brick because of him. 

"Clara please, let me fix my mess. You are in all of this because of me. I can't let you go and that's why my evil family is coming after you. Please, Clara, please." 

The desperation and sincerity  in his eyes reminded me of the truth, that he was as trapped as I was. He was caged in the priosn of love just as I was. 

The heart wants what it wants. Our hearts desperately needed each other to breathe and survive. But it was hard.

I felt like I was drowning. The look in his eyes showed me that he was helplessly drowning too. 

Maybe he was right. Going away for a while would definitely give me room to breathe. I had never been away from the city where I lived. Time away from the watchful eyes of his mother will help me regain my strength. 

"Where's Mummy going?" Lily's small body crept between us. She had overheard our conversation. I wasn't sure she understood fully though, because she was only four.

Mark bent down, his voice softening in a way that gave me mad heart palpitations."We're going on a trip, sweetheart. Somewhere safe. Somewhere made just for you, mummy and I."

Lily's brightened with an excited smile. "Like a holiday?"

"Yes gummy bear" Mark whispered. "Like a holiday."

And so, I let him take us.

We drove through the night, the city lights fading behind us, swallowed by dark roads and empty fields. 

Lily fell asleep in the back seat, her tiny head resting against the window, while I sat in bedside Mark in silence, staring out into the darkness.

After driving for hours, the car slowed down, turning down a narrow road lined with tall trees. At the end of it stood a small cottage by the sea, its windows shinning faintly against the night.

I was stunned by its beauty and serenity. I got excited within me. Mark was right, I need some self care with lots of peace. 

"This was my grandmother's," Mark said quietly as he parked. "It's the only place my parents don't come to."

"Why?'' I asked, curious

"It's a long story. I'll tell you one of these days.'' He replied. 

When I stepped out, the slow breeze hit me, it was warm and cool. I could hear the sound of the sea waves crashed in the distance, it was steady and soothing. 

For the first time in weeks, my chest loosened, as though the ocean itself was lending me its air to breathe.

When we entered the cottage, it  was simple. It had beautiful wooden floors, a stone fireplace, and the faint scent of lavender. It was  nothing like the polished, glamorous world of the Moguls.

As I tucked Lily into bed, she whispered, "I like it here, Mummy. Can we stay forever?"

I kissed her forehead, my throat tightening from uncertainty. "We'll see, darling."

But deep down, I knew forever was a fragile dream.

When I went back into the living room, Mark was by the fire, his hands were buried in his hair. He looked like a man carrying the weight of two worlds his family's and mine.

"Clara," he said softly when he saw me. "I wish I could give you more than this. More than stolen nights and temporary  peace."

I swallowed hard as sadness filled my heart. I crossed my arms against the swell of emotions that was threatening to make me cry. 

"Why do you keep fighting them, Mark? You could have everything, wealth, power, respect. Instead, you're here with me, hiding out in your grandmother's cottage"

His eyes locked onto mine.

"Because none of that means anything without you. You think I don't see the way they're tearing you apart? You think I don't hate myself for it? But Clara, I'd rather lose everything, even lose myself  than lose you."

His words sank into me, leaving me in awe. "And Emily?" I whispered. "She won't stop. She looked at me like I was dirt, like I was an enemy she would stop at nothing to kill."

Mark's jaw tightened, anger filling up his eyes. "Emily is nothing but a contract in my eyes. She's convenient. But she doesn't own me. She never will." He pulled me in at this point to sit on his laps close to the fireplace.

After he said those words, silence filled the space between us. I could only hear the heavy sound of the ocean outside and our heartbeats that were synced into a distant rhythm.

"Do you regret it?" I finally asked,  my voice was barely a whisper. "Choosing me, when you could have had an easy life?"

He moved closer, his hand brushing my cheek so gently it made my heart long for him. "Never, my love. You are the only thing in my life that feels real." 

I could feel his eyes sinking deep into my soul as he said those words.