Affair with the Heart’s Desire

“All done.” In one of the major cities in Country K, Maia Banks, a stunning woman with long, wavy black hair and hazel eyes, had just finished doing a client’s makeup. That’s when her phone started ringing. “Excuse me for a moment,” she said politely, stepping a little away from the workstation to answer the call. “Hello, Brie.” “Hey, Maia. What’s going on?” Brie’s voice rang cheerfully through the speaker. “I’m good,” Maia replied with a small shrug, casually glancing around. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” “Well… you might not be feeling so good once you hear what I’m about to tell you. Because, Maia, this is something really shocking.” With a raised brow and a curious glint in her eyes, Maia asked, “Okay, what is it? And please, go straight to the point. I’m at work and I don’t have time for suspense.” “Alright. I just found out that the woman your ex, Eric, married… she’s actually your stepmother’s daughter.” There was a pause. Maia let out a small, disbelieving chuckle, her brow lifting again as she found Brie funny. “Wh-what are you even saying, Brie? That might sound like a joke, but it’s not funny. I told you I don’t want anything to do with the past I walked away from. Honestly, if you weren’t my friend, I would’ve cut all ties with you too. I’m really not in the mood for this…” “No, Maia, just hear me out,” Brie insisted. But Maia cut in, “Even if I wanted to listen, what you’re saying makes no sense. That woman, who, by the way, is no longer my stepmother, never had a daughter. I lived with her for three full years, I would’ve known if she did.” “She does, Maia,” Brie said firmly. “It’s all over the media right now. A woman who lost her child has finally found her… and guess what? That child is now married into the richest family in Country V. Look it up if you think I’m lying.” Maia blinked slowly, her brows furrowed in disbelief. “No… that can’t be true,” she murmured, shaking her head. Without wasting another second, she ended the call and quickly started scrolling through her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she searched for the trending news Brie had mentioned. And then, she saw it. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. “What?! Eric is married to my stepmother’s daughter?” she muttered in shock, unable to believe her eyes. The revelation hit her like a punch to the gut. Her knees went weak, and she sank onto a chair, her mind spinning. Her breathing was heavy as she tried to make sense of what she had just read. She sat there, frozen, lost in a storm of thoughts she thought she had long buried. It had been five years since she ended things with the love of her life, the man she once thought she’d spend forever with, and the story of their separation was one she could never bring herself to explain. It was too complicated. Too painful. Eric Knight came from a world so far from hers it almost felt like a different universe. His family was one of the richest in all of Country V with trillions in assets, influence, and a name that opened every door. And Maia? She was a small-town girl from a struggling background, barely getting by. Falling in love and dating someone like Eric was a dream she never expected to live, let alone for two full years. But he chose her, out of all the beautiful, sophisticated women who wanted him, he chose her. He even promised to marry her. His parents, though, never approved. To them, Maia was nothing more than a poor girl chasing a rich man. No background, no name, no worth in their eyes. They believed love wasn’t enough to bridge the gap between their two worlds. Still, Eric swore he’d stand by her. He was fiercely loyal and promised not to let his family dictate who he loved. However, things went south when her father had a terrible accident and needed emergency surgery that came with a price tag she couldn’t afford. She started working relentlessly, pushing herself past her limits just to raise the money. The Knights saw an opportunity. They tried to pay her off, to make her walk away. And even though she was desperate, Maia refused to take their money. Not like that. She couldn’t lose Eric and still live with the shame of being seen as a gold-digger. Eric offered to help, of course he did, but she wanted to stand on her own. She didn’t want to give his parents another reason to despise her. But while she was fighting with everything she had, her stepmother went behind her back. She accepted the Knights’ money. She returned to her with a warning, saying the Knights made it clear that she was no longer welcome near them. If she ever tried to contact Eric, she'd be arrested. Maia was utterly lost, and scared. She had just discovered she was pregnant with Eric’s child, but after her stepmother accepted the bribe from the Knights, she didn’t have the courage to face him. Before the money could even be used for her father’s surgery, it was too late because he passed away from his injuries. And just like that, her stepmother vanished with the money… never to be seen again. If not for Brie’s help, Maia didn’t know how she would’ve survived. Brie gave her a place to stay, and a shoulder to cry on. Even then, Maia couldn’t bring herself to return Eric’s calls. She ignored every message, every attempt he made to reach her. Not because she didn’t love him, but because she felt like she no longer deserved him. She had to leave the country after giving birth to her son. She needed a fresh start. Somewhere far away where the past couldn’t reach her. Now, after everything, her stepmother suddenly had a daughter? And that daughter was the one married to Eric? It didn’t make sense. None of it did. Throughout the entire day, Maia couldn’t focus. The news kept replaying in her mind like a loop she couldn’t escape. She was in regret. Back then, life seemed to happen to her. She never got a chance to speak, to fight back, to choose. She had fallen, suffered, and accepted it all without resistance. But now, looking back, she realized how unfair her life had truly been. In her bedroom, ready to sleep, she reached for her mirror drawer and pulled out an old book, a journal of sorts, filled with scattered thoughts, memories… and numbers she never deleted. As she flipped through the pages, her eyes landed on one entry: Eric’s number. It was still there. She stared at it for a long while, her heart pounding, cause she was too scared to call him. Not after what she had done to him. What would she even say? Just then, her bedroom door flung open with a loud bang, jerking her back to reality. Her eyes widened in alarm as her son came rushing in, panic etched all over his small face. “Mommy! Mommy! There’s fire in the kitchen! Fire!” Niall cried out. “What?! Fire?!” Maia gasped, dropping the book and leaping to her feet in a flash, then she quickly raced out of the room without a second thought. The moment she was gone, Niall’s expression changed. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he tiptoed to the door, shut it, and turned the lock with a soft click.