THE PRICE OF FOREVER

CHAPTER ONE Twisted Wishes I should have known my twenty-first birthday would ruin my life. Not because anything seemed wrong at first.Not because there were warning signs I somehow missed. No. It was worse than that. Everything looked perfectly normal. And maybe that's why I never saw it coming. "Smile, Sophia. It's your birthday."My mother adjusted the collar of my dress and stepped back to admire her work. I forced a smile. The small living room was filled with family friends, neighbors, and relatives. Nothing extravagant. We couldn't afford extravagance. Colorful balloons hung from the walls. A chocolate cake sat proudly in the center of the dining table. Music played softly in the background. It was simple and ordinary—exactly the kind of birthday my family had celebrated every year. Yet something felt different. I couldn't explain it. Maybe because my life finally felt like it was moving somewhere, or maybe because of him. My cheeks warmed at the thought. Damien Blackwood, my secret lover, my first love. Nobody here knew about him. Not my parents, not my friends, and definitely not my sister Vanessa. I glanced across the room. As if sensing my gaze, Vanessa looked up. Our eyes met. Something cold flashed across her face before she quickly smiled. Something about the smile felt forced. Then again, things between us had been awkward for years, so maybe I was imagining it. I looked away first. It wasn't worth ruining my birthday. "Make a wish!" Everyone gathered around the cake. The candles flickered. Twenty-one tiny flames are dancing in front of me. I closed my eyes and smiled. For a moment, the laughter around me faded. The candles flickered behind my eyelids as I made the same wish every girl in love would make. “I wish for a future with Damien and our family, where we will always be together and happy”.Then I blew out the candles. I had no idea that in a few weeks I would lose both. Cheers erupted all around me. The music kept pumping, and the party showed no signs of slowing down. Everywhere I looked, people were laughing, caught up in deep conversations, or grabbing seconds of cake. For a brief, fleeting moment, the world felt completely right, and I actually let myself relax. Then, my phone buzzed in my hand. My heart did a sudden, violent drop. I slowly pulled it out of my purse, staring at the screen, already dreading what I was about to see. It was just a single message, but the name on the screen made my chest tighten in the best way possible. *Damien.* Before I could even think about playing it cool, a massive smile broke across my face. **Damien:**I need to see you tonight.* A flutter of nervous energy exploded straight into my stomach. Tonight? My thumbs were already flying across the keyboard before my brain could catch up. **Me:** *Like, right now?* The three little dots appeared instantly, making my pulse quicken. **Damien:** *As soon as you can.* God, my heart was racing. It had been almost two weeks since I’d last seen him—between his brutal work schedule and late nights, we’d been completely passing like ships in the night. Finally, the wait was over. Every canceled date had left me missing him more. Now he wants to see me tonight on my birthday. I felt like the luckiest girl alive. If only I had known. If only I had understood that some wishes come with consequences. “ Whom are you smiling at?"Vanessa's voice suddenly appeared beside me. I nearly dropped my phone. "Um... no, no one," I stammered, the words tripping over each other as I tried to force them out. I swallowed hard, desperately hoping my shaky voice hadn't completely given me away. She laughed."Relax."I quickly locked the screen. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Then she held out a glass. "Birthday girl deserves a drink." I hesitated. Vanessa wasn't exactly the affectionate type. In fact, I don't even remember the last time she voluntarily brought me anything. Still, it was my birthday, maybe she was just trying to make an effort."You know I don't drink much." "It's juice."She rolled her eyes”.I accepted the glass. "Thanks." She smiled. Then she walked away. I took a sip. The taste was slightly different. Stronger and strangely bitter. Maybe it was a different brand, I reassured myself. Not wanting to be rude, I finished the drink. The biggest mistake I've ever made. A few minutes later, my head began to spin. I blinked twice just to make sure I wasn't seeing double, but I was. The room tilted. Laughter echoed strangely around me. "What the..."I grabbed the edge of a chair. My heart pounded so fast. Something wasn't right, I can feel it. Maybe I hadn't eaten enough, maybe I was just tired. I couldn't point out exactly what was wrong. My phone vibrated again. It was Damien. Damien: I'm outside. I was relieved. I needed air. I couldn't breathe properly. I needed to get away from the noise. I just wanted to see Damien. "I'll be back before anyone would notice”. I mumbled to myself. Then I slipped out the front door. The cool night air hit my face. For a moment, it helped. Then the dizziness returned even stronger. The world spun. My vision blurred into a dizzying whirl as the ground rushed up to meet me. My legs simply gave out, refusing to carry the weight of the moment any longer. A familiar hand caught me before I hit the ground."Sophia! Are you okay?”I looked it up, and it was Damien. Even through my blurred vision, I'd recognize him anywhere. His dark hair fell slightly out of place, contrasting the usually flawless, sharp angle of his jawline. But it was his eyes—those intense, dark depths that normally hid everything—that betrayed him. In that moment, his guarded mask completely shattered, leaving nothing but raw, unfiltered concern written across his face. "What's wrong?"I tried to answer. The words wouldn't come. My body felt strangely hot. My skin burned."I don't know," I whispered. His expression darkened. Without hesitation, he pulled me against him. The steady beat of his heart filled my ears. I felt safe."You're shaking."His voice sounded tense now. The kind of voice Damien only used when he was worried. "I'll take care of you."I nodded weakly. I trusted him more than anyone. He guided me toward his car. Every step felt harder than the last. By the time he opened the passenger door, I could barely stand. He looked genuinely frightened. My thoughts were slipping away. The last thing I felt before darkness began swallowing me was Damien's arm around my waist. As he carried me toward the hotel entrance, I buried my face against his chest. The moment we stepped into the hotel suite, Damien guided me toward the couch. "Sit." I dropped onto the cushions, pressing a hand against my forehead. The room wouldn't stop spinning. Damien disappeared into the bathroom and returned a minute later with a damp towel. Without a word, he knelt in front of me and pressed it gently against my face. The coolness brought instant relief.“ I felt a little better ”. His jaw tightened."Tell me exactly what you drank."I shook my head."I don't know."For the first time that night, genuine fear flashed across his face. Seeing him this worried made something inside me ache."I'm okay." "No, you're not."His voice softened. "You can barely stand." I watched him fuss over me for the next twenty minutes. Making me drink water, making sure I eat the food he ordered.Checking my temperature every few minutes. The concern in his eyes never faded. Nobody had ever looked at me the way Damien did. When he finally sat beside me, exhaustion lined his features."You scared me tonight."My chest tightened."I'm sorry." "Don't apologize."He said. His hand found mine."I just need to know you're okay."For a moment, neither of us spoke. Everything felt strangely quiet. Then Damien sighed and stood."You should get some sleep."I stared at him."You're leaving me here?"His expression flickered."I'm staying in the other room." Something inside me immediately hated that idea. I didn't want distance. Not tonight, not when all I wanted was him. "Damien, please don't leave ”. He turned. The look in his eyes nearly stole my breath. I rose slowly from the couch. My legs were still weak. Before I could lose my nerve, I moved closer to him. His gaze dropped to my lips. Then lifted back to my eyes. "Sophia". The warning in his voice was unmistakable. "I don't want you to leave."The words came out barely above a whisper. His entire body went still. For one endless moment, neither of us moved. Then Damien reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was gentle. As though he was giving me every chance to change my mind. I closed the distance between us. Certain that this was the beginning of our forever. I never imagined it was the beginning of everything falling apart. I had no idea how much my decision would cost me. CHAPTER TWO A Beautiful Mistake The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the silence. My hand drifted across the mattress searching for Damien. Instead, my fingers met nothing but cold, empty sheets. He wasn't there. For a few seconds, I lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling while fragments of the previous night drifted through my mind. For a few seconds, I lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling while fragments of the previous night drifted through my mind. Damien's voice whispers my name. The way his hands had cradled my face.The look in his eyes when I'd told him I didn't want him to leave. The way my heart was pounding. My breath caught as more memories surfaced. I remembered how he kissed me passionately. The feeling of being held close throughout the night.The way his hands move around my body. A deep ache spread through my body, and heat instantly rushed to my cheeks. Oh God…….Last night hadn't just happened. I'd given myself completely to Damien Blackwood. And he had accepted every piece of me. Slowly, I pushed myself upright. The room spun briefly before settling. A soft ache spread through my body, making my heart pound even harder. It wasn't a dream. Everything that happened last night was real. But where did he go?. My gaze landed on a folded piece of paper resting on the bedside table. My brow creased as I reached for it. My stomach fluttered when I recognized Damien's handwriting. “Sophia, I have an important meeting this morning. Please eat breakfast and get home safely. “Wait for my call, I Love you ”. - Damien A smile immediately tugged at my lips. The knot of panic in my chest instantly disappeared. Damien hadn't left because he regretted last night. He had work. That was all. I read the note twice before carefully folding it and slipping it into my purse. He always knew how to put my mind at ease. After taking a quick shower, I changed back into my clothes and noticed a breakfast tray on the table. He must have arranged it before leaving. My heart warmed. I ate slowly, replaying every moment we'd shared the previous night, unable to stop smiling. I took one last glance around the room and whispered to myself, "See you soon, Damien," and left the hotel. The moment I stepped through the front door, I knew I was in trouble. My father was waiting. His expression alone made my stomach sink. "Dad..." "Where were you?"His voice was calm. Dad was standing in the middle of the living room. Mom sat on the couch, her eyes red and swollen. The relief that flashed across Dad's face lasted only a second before it was swallowed by anger. "Where have you been, Sophia?" His voice was sharp enough to make me flinch.” I called you all night!" he snapped. "Your phone was off. Do you have any idea what your mother and I have been through?" Guilt settled like a stone in my chest. I'm sorry..." "Sorry?" His jaw tightened. "You disappeared without a word. We thought something terrible had happened to you.” "I was with a friend." "A friend?" I lowered my gaze. "I…..I lost track of time."I stammered Before I could say another word, Mom rushed toward me and wrapped her arms around me so tightly I could barely breathe. "Oh, thank God." Her voice cracked against my shoulder."I thought I'd lost you." I hugged her back, guilt washing over me. "I'm sorry, Mom." She pulled away just enough to cup my face with trembling hands, her eyes searching me from head to toe. "Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice unsteady. "Did someone do something to you?" I quickly shook my head. "No... I'm okay." Tears welled in her eyes as she let out a shaky breath."Don't ever scare us like that again, Sophia. We spent the whole night wondering if you were lying in a hospital... or worse." Her words pierced my heart. I lowered my head, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She gently brushed a strand of hair behind my ear before pulling me into another hug, holding me as though she was afraid I'd disappear all over again. "You spent the entire night away from home."The disappointment in his voice hurt more than anger ever could. My mother stood nearby, looking equally worried and furious. "You're twenty-one now, Sophia."The disappointment in his eyes nearly broke me. “I expected better." I wanted to explain. I wanted to tell him about Damien. But the words never came. I glanced toward Vanessa. She was standing near the staircase, watching everything unfold. For a brief moment, our eyes met. I expected her to say something. Instead, she looked away. There was no relief on her face, no concern. Just the same unreadable expression she'd worn for as long as I could remember. Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe she was still upset with me over something I didn't even know I'd done. Too exhausted to think about it, I lowered my head and quietly apologized to my parents and went upstairs. I kept telling myself everything would be okay. Damien would call, his name would finally flash across my screen, and the heavy silence in the room would shatter. We would just talk. We’d sit down, clear the air, and figure things out together like we always did. At least, that was the lie I desperately needed to believe. For the first few days, I checked my phone constantly. I kept Damien's note tucked safely inside my purse. “Wait for my call.”Those words became the only thing I held on to. The rest of the day, my phone never left my hand. Every vibration made my heart leap. Every unfamiliar number made me catch my breath. But it was never him. I told myself he was busy. Meetings ran late. Unexpected emergencies happened. He was Damien Blackwood. Running a billion-dollar company wasn't exactly a nine-to-five job. By evening, I was still waiting. The clock crept past eight. Then ten, then midnight. My screen remained dark. I kept picking it up anyway, tapping the glass just to see the lock screen, hoping a notification would magically appear before the display dimmed back to black. No missed calls. No messages. Nothing. A strange, heavy ache settled deep in my chest. It wasn’t the sharp, shattering pain of heartbreak—not yet. It felt slower than that, colder. Like the first quiet chill before a massive storm, or the beginning of a story I already knew I was going to hate. I tightened my grip around the phone, my thumb pressing hard against the edge of the case. In the middle of the empty, suffocating quiet of my room, I finally let the thought out loud. "You'll call," I whispered, desperately trying to convince myself. "You promised.” The room answered with nothing but silence. And somehow... That silence frightened me more than I was willing to admit. As I drifted off to sleep, I had no idea that somewhere between his promise and my waiting... Everything had already gone terribly wrong. CHAPTER THREE BROKEN PROMISE "No...No…No” The word caught in my throat as the pregnancy test slipped from my trembling fingers and clattered against the bathroom tiles. My heart lurched. I dropped to my knees so fast they slammed painfully against the cold floor, but I barely felt it. My eyes were fixed on the white plastic stick lying inches away. Two pink lines.Clear.My breathing became shallow. This had to be wrong. It had to be. I grabbed the test with shaking hands and stared at it again, willing one of the lines to disappear. It didn't. A wave of dizziness swept over me. I reached for the sink and pulled myself to my feet, gripping the edge until my knuckles turned white. "I'm not pregnant," I whispered to my reflection. The frightened girl staring back at me looked unconvinced. Tears blurred my vision. For the past week, I'd blamed everything on stress, sleepless nights, and constant nausea. The exhaustion clung to me no matter how much I rested. I told myself my body was reacting to everything that had happened. Waiting for Damien's call.Wondering why he'd disappeared. Trying to convince myself there had to be a reasonable explanation. But now... There was no explanation staring back at me. Only two pink lines. I closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them, everything would be different. Slowly, I looked again. Nothing changed, still the same. A sob escaped my lips. I pressed my palm against my flat stomach. Could there really be a baby growing inside me? Our baby. Mine and Damien's. The thought filled me with fear...But somehow, it also filled me with warmth. Created on the night I had believed would become the beginning of our forever. My tears fell freely now. "Damien..." His name broke from my lips like a prayer. He deserved to know. I rushed into my bedroom, grabbed my phone from the bedside table, and dialed his number. My pulse pounded in my ears as it rang. Then the automated voice interrupted. "The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please leave a message……..." *Unavailable.* Again. I cut the call before the voicemail prompt could even finish its sentence. I tried to make excuses for him—maybe he was trapped in another endless meeting, or maybe his battery had just died. Without letting myself think, I immediately hit redial. The same cold, automated message. A tight, suffocating knot of frustration clamped down on my chest. I sank onto the edge of my bed, the mattress giving way under me as I just stared at the blank screen in my hand. "Please answer..." I whispered to the empty room, the words sounding more like a plea than a demand. I wasn't asking for much. Just one conversation. One chance to tell him he was going to be a father. I opened our chat. I'd defended him in my mind whenever doubt crept in. Damien wouldn't abandon me. He loved me. Something had to be wrong. It was the only explanation that made sense. I couldn't just sit here anymore, letting the silence swallow me whole. I threw my phone into my bag, grabbed my keys, and headed for the door. I was done waiting by the phone, playing guessing games, and listening to automated voices. If Damien wasn't going to answer, I was going to make him look me in the eye. I was going to him myself. I found myself standing in the lobby of Blackwood International. I tilted my head back, staring at the towering glass skyscraper. It stretched endlessly into the sky, making me feel so small...So insignificant. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the reception desk. "I need to see Damien Blackwood."The receptionist offered me a polite, professional smile. "Do you have an appointment, ma'am?"I shook my head. "No, but it's really important. Please... just tell him Sophia Hart is here." Her fingers danced across the keyboard before she looked back at me with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Mr. Blackwood isn't available to see anyone without an appointment."My heart sank."There has to be another way. Please... I only need five minutes." "I'm afraid I can't help you."I wasn't ready to give up. So I waited. One hour, two, then three. Every time the elevator doors slid open, my heart leaped into my throat. Every suited figure that stepped out made me think it was Damien. Every single time...I was wrong. Little by little, hope slipped through my fingers. By late afternoon, two security guards approached me."Miss, we're going to have to ask you to leave." My throat tightened. "I'll leave the moment I see him." "I'm sorry, but Mr. Blackwood isn't seeing visitors today."I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream that I was carrying his baby. Instead, I let them escort me outside. The moment my feet touched the sidewalk, tears blurred my vision. I stood there staring at the building, hoping—praying—that Damien would somehow walk out those doors. He never did. Why wasn't he answering my calls? Why wasn't he calling me? What was happening? That night, after hours of staring at my phone, I finally made a decision. If Damien wouldn't answer my calls...I'd send him one last message. With trembling fingers, I opened our conversation and began to type. Taking a shaky breath, I typed a new message. My fingers hovered over the keyboard for several long seconds before I finally began to type. “I need to talk to you, please.”I hesitated. My hand instinctively drifted to my stomach. Taking a shaky breath, I typed the words that would change everything. “I'm pregnant, we are having a baby” My thumb hovered over the send button. Once I sent this message, there would be no taking it back. Closing my eyes, I pressed Send. Then I waited. I tightened my grip around my phone, trying to ignore the knot growing in my stomach. Maybe he was still in a meeting. Maybe he hadn't seen it yet. Maybe...My phone suddenly vibrated. The sharp buzz made me jump. My heart lurched violently against my ribs.Damien.He'd finally replied. Relief washed over me so suddenly that I almost cried. I knew it. I knew there had to be an explanation. With trembling fingers, I unlocked my phone and opened the message. The smile on my face disappeared. My breath caught. The words blurred before my eyes. No... That couldn't be right. Blinking back my tears, I read the message again. Then again, just to make sure .Hoping I had misunderstood.Hoping the words would somehow change. They didn't. My world stopped. The phone slipped from my numb fingers and crashed onto the floor, the screen splintering on impact. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The man who had held me so gently... The man who had promised to call... The man I had trusted with my whole heart... What I found instead……… shattered me. CHAPTER FOUR SHATTERED HOPE The sound of shattering glass echoed through my bedroom. My phone slipped from my numb fingers and crashed against the hardwood floor, the screen splintering into countless pieces. Just like my heart, shattered. I stared at it, unable to move. I couldn't breathe. I didn't want to believe what I had just read. “I don't want a child from someone of your background. Never contact me again.” The words replayed in my head over and over, each time cutting a little deeper.“He can't do this to me, I whispered to myself. This can't be Damien, I assured myself Not the man who had held me all night. Not the man who had tucked my hair behind my ear and looked at me as though I was the most precious thing in his world. Not the man who had told me to wait for his call. Then why? Why would he say something so cruel? My knees gave way beneath me. I slid onto the floor, my back against the bed as tears blurred my vision."This isn't real," I whispered. "It can't be." I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping I'd wake up from the nightmare. But when I opened them again...The phone was still broken. The message was still there. For the first time since leaving the hotel, I allowed myself to cry. Not the kind you could wipe away before anyone noticed. I cried until my chest ached, until my throat burned, until there were no tears left. I wasn't just crying cause the man I love left me. I was crying, wondering what was going to happen to me. --- The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache. My eyes were swollen. My pillow was damp from tears. I barely managed to sit up before a wave of nausea rolled through me. Covering my mouth, I ran toward the bathroom. I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet just in time. When it was over, I leaned against the wall, exhausted. A knock came from outside. "Sophia?" I quickly rinsed my face before unlocking the door. It was Vanessa. She stood there with her arms crossed. Her eyes swept over my pale face. "You look terrible." "I'm fine." "You've been saying that a lot lately." I forced a smile."I'm probably coming down with something." She didn't look convinced. I lay curled up on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The broken phone was gone. I'd swept the shattered pieces into the trash. "Breakfast's ready," she said casually. "Mom's waiting. You should come downstairs before it gets cold." I turned my face toward the window. "I'm not hungry." She frowned."You've barely eaten these past days. "I'm just tired," I replied. For a moment, she stood there studying me. Something about her gaze made me uneasy, but before I could ask what she was looking at, she simply shrugged."Suit yourself."The door clicked shut behind her. A few minutes later, another knock came. This time it was Mom. She walked in carrying a tray with toast, scrambled eggs, and a cup of tea. "I figured you wouldn't come downstairs," she said gently, placing the tray on my bedside table. Even after everything, she still knew me better than anyone. She sat beside me and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "Sophia..." I forced a smile."I'm okay, Mom."She reached for my hand."No, you're not." Her voice was soft, but filled with concern."You've been quiet ever since you came home. You hardly eat, you barely leave your room, and you look like you haven't slept." I lowered my eyes. "I've just been stressed." "Is something bothering you?"So many words rose to my lips. “I'm pregnant. The man I love doesn't want me. I'm terrified.” Instead, I swallowed them all. I couldn't say it, I wondered what would happen if I did."I'm fine," I whispered. Mom searched my face for a long moment, as though she knew I wasn't telling her the whole truth. Finally, she sighed."If you ever need to talk... I'm here."After she left, I stared at the untouched breakfast. The smell of the eggs suddenly made my stomach churn. I barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting again. When I looked at my reflection afterward, I hardly recognized the girl staring back at me. I was looking horrible, pale, and exhausted. My trembling hand slowly rested against my stomach. "No..."I whispered."I need to know."I couldn't keep guessing. I couldn't keep living between hope and fear. If I were truly carrying a baby... I needed to hear it from a doctor. Within thirty minutes, I had changed into a simple sweater and jeans, grabbed my handbag, and quietly slipped out of the house. Whatever awaited me at the clinic... I knew my life would never be the same again. --- An hour later, I sat inside a small clinic, nervously twisting the strap of my handbag around my fingers. The waiting room felt impossibly quiet. Every second stretched into eternity. "Sophia Hart." I looked up. The nurse smiled warmly."The doctor will see you now." A few examinations later, the doctor returned carrying a thin file. She smiled gently before taking a seat. "Congratulations, Sophia." The single word stole the air from my lungs."The pregnancy test was accurate."She slid the report toward me."You're approximately six weeks pregnant." Six weeks??.I stared at the paper. It suddenly felt heavier than it should. There it was. Black ink on white paper. A baby was growing inside me. I rested my hand over my stomach. Fear still lingered. But beneath it...I was completely unprepared. Yet somehow...I already loved this baby. I carefully folded the medical report and slipped it into my handbag as I left the clinic. I didn't notice the familiar figure watching me from across the street. --- When I arrived home, the house was unusually quiet. Mom was preparing dinner. Dad hadn't returned from work yet. Vanessa wasn't anywhere in sight. Relieved, I hurried upstairs and tucked the clinic report inside the bottom drawer of my bedside table before taking a shower. For the first time all day, I allowed myself to breathe. Everything would be okay. I assured myself. It had to be. I went to shower. Steam filled the bathroom, hiding me from the world outside. But it couldn't hide the truth. The clinic report was hidden. No one would ever find it. Or so I believed.