CHAPTER 14: A YEAR APART
459 Words
It had been months since Anaya found out she was pregnant.
Namjin was busier than ever — concerts, interviews, world tours, and brand deals.
He tried to be there, but fame always pulled him away.
Anaya understood — or at least she tried to.
Every night she placed her hand on her belly and whispered,
“Daddy loves you too, even if he’s far away.”
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🌧️ The Night Everything Changed
One rainy night, she was alone in their apartment.
The pain came suddenly — sharp, unbearable.
She called Namjin, but his phone was off.
She called Nova, but she was out of town for a shoot.
Her body trembled, tears running down her face.
She whispered through the pain, “Please, not now… please…”
Hours later, she woke up in the hospital.
The nurse said softly, “We’re sorry… the baby didn’t make it.”
The world around her shattered.
Her hands reached for her stomach — empty.
The room echoed with silence, except for her quiet sobs.
When Namjin finally arrived, she couldn’t even look at him.
He tried to hold her, but she whispered coldly,
“You weren’t there when I needed you the most.”
He had no excuse — only guilt.
And sometimes, guilt speaks louder than love.
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⏳ Four Years Later
Anaya Malhotra — the name now appeared on magazine covers, business articles, and global fashion events.
She had rebuilt herself from ashes — strong, fearless, untouchable.
The world saw her as a powerful CEO, but no one saw the woman who still cried at night remembering a tiny heartbeat that never got to grow.
Namjin, on the other hand, had changed too.
His agency had pushed him into a public relationship with Lina, a rising idol.
He smiled in interviews, acted perfect — but his eyes looked empty.
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🎇 The Cannes Festival
Four years later, the world’s lights met again.
Cannes Film Festival — the red carpet, the cameras, the flash.
Anaya stepped out of her car in an elegant black gown — powerful, graceful, and calm.
Every camera turned toward her.
And then — across the carpet — she saw him.
Namjin, in a tuxedo, representing Korea’s biggest film soundtrack.
Their eyes met.
Four years of silence collapsed in a single glance.
The world around them faded — only pain, regret, and unfinished love remained.
He took one step toward her, his lips parting as if to say her name.
But she just smiled politely, bowed slightly, and walked past him like a stranger —
leaving behind the man who once promised forever.
Namjin turned to watch her disappear into the crowd, his heart whispering,
“She looks stronger… but she still looks like my home.”
- Writer
