Ashley’s POV
I made the decision alone.
No calls. No texts. No goodbyes.
Alan didn’t know — and I couldn’t let him know.
The clinic was colder than I imagined. The air felt sharp, the walls blindingly white. The nurse’s voice was too soft, too kind. Every gentle smile felt like mockery — as if she knew I didn’t belong here, as if she could see the guilt already weighing down my heart.
I almost turned back. Twice.
Almost.
But the moment I thought of Richard — of the wedding invitation cards sitting beautifully on my dresser, of our parents shaking hands like business partners sealing a deal — I knew I had to go through with it. I had no other choice.
And then, there was Alan.
His face flashed in my mind the whole time. The way he’d smile faintly when I walked into the room, the way
