CHAPTER THREE — THE SECRET
2028 Words
AMARA'S POV
The next morning, I woke up with a strange feeling in my chest.
Not sadness.
Not exactly.
It was more like a warning.
I reached for my phone.
No message from Ethan.
I frowned.
That was unusual.
He normally texted me before I even got out of bed.
I waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Still nothing.
I told myself not to overthink it.
But my heart had already started doing exactly that.
I finally typed:
Amara: Good morning. ❤️
I stared at the message.
No reply.
I tossed my phone onto the bed.
“I'm not going to chase a man,” I muttered.
My phone buzzed.
I grabbed it immediately.
Ethan: Morning. Sorry, been busy.
I frowned.
That was it?
No heart.
No teasing.
No beautiful.
Something was wrong.
---
ETHAN'S POV
I stared at Amara's message.
Good morning. ❤️
I wanted to reply the way I normally did.
I wanted to tell her I loved her.
I wanted to call her.
But I couldn't.
The woman from yesterday had sent another message.
Unknown: I'm coming to your university today.
My heart dropped.
I typed:
Ethan: Don't.
Her reply came almost instantly.
Unknown: Then tell Amara the truth.
I locked my phone.
I couldn't let her come near Amara.
Not yet.
I had to fix this myself.
The problem was that I didn't know how.
---
AMARA'S POV
I found Ethan outside the lecture hall.
He was talking to someone.
A woman.
She was beautiful.
Long dark hair.
Perfect makeup.
Elegant clothes.
And the way she was looking at Ethan made my stomach twist.
Ethan saw me.
His face changed immediately.
“Amara.”
The woman turned.
Her eyes moved from Ethan to me.
Then she smiled.
Not a friendly smile.
A knowing smile.
“So this is her.”
I froze.
“Her?”
Ethan stepped forward.
“Don't.”
The woman's smile widened.
“Relax, Ethan.”
She looked at me.
“I'm Serena.”
I forced a smile.
“Hi.”
Serena looked at Ethan.
“You didn't tell her about me?”
My heart dropped.
“Tell me what?”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“Serena, leave.”
She laughed softly.
“You're still telling me what to do?”
“Please.”
“Please?”
She shook her head.
“You never said please when you promised you would marry me.”
Everything went silent.
I stared at Ethan.
“Marry?”
He looked at me.
“Amara, it's not what you think.”
I laughed nervously.
“Then what is it?”
Serena folded her arms.
“Go ahead, Ethan.”
“Tell her.”
He looked at me.
His face had lost all its color.
“We were together.”
I swallowed.
“For how long?”
“Amara…”
“How long?”
“Two years.”
My heart stopped.
Two years.
Two years?
And yet, he had told me he was falling in love with me.
I stepped backward.
“You were engaged?”
He didn't answer.
Serena did.
“Yes.”
I looked at Ethan.
“Were you engaged to her?”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
My chest tightened.
I couldn't breathe.
“You told me you loved me.”
“I do.”
“You told me I was the first person who made you feel this way.”
“I was confused.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Confused?”
“Amara, please let me explain.”
I shook my head.
“You should have explained before you told me you loved me.”
Serena watched us silently.
Then she whispered:
“Now you understand why I came back.”
I looked at her.
“What do you want?”
She smiled.
“I want my fiancé back.”
---
SERENA'S POV
I watched Amara walk away.
She looked broken.
Good.
She needed to understand that Ethan was mine long before she arrived.
I had loved Ethan for two years.
Two years of sacrifice.
Two years of believing his promises.
Two years of waiting for him to make me his wife.
Then he met her.
And suddenly, I was forgotten.
I wasn't going to let that happen.
If I couldn't have Ethan's love…
I would make sure Amara couldn't have it either.
---
ETHAN'S POV
“Serena.”
She turned.
“You ruined everything.”
She shrugged.
“You ruined it when you fell in love with someone else.”
“You had no right to tell her like that.”
“And you had no right to lie to her.”
“I wasn't trying to hurt her.”
Serena laughed.
“You were trying to have both of us.”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“That isn't true.”
“Isn't it?”
She stepped closer.
“You promised me forever, Ethan. You put a ring on my finger. You told my family you were going to marry me.”
Ethan looked away.
“And then you met Amara.”
His silence was answer enough.
Serena's expression hardened.
“You didn't just fall in love with her. You replaced me.”
“I never meant for this to happen.”
“Neither did I.”
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a small box.
Ethan's eyes widened.
“You still have it?”
Serena opened the box.
Inside was an engagement ring.
The same ring Ethan had given her two years ago.
“I kept it,” she whispered. “Because I thought one day you'd come back.”
Ethan stared at it.
“Serena, I can't.”
“You already did.”
He frowned.
“What?”
She smiled sadly.
“You came back to me the moment you realized you couldn't choose her without losing me.”
“I have chosen.”
“Then go after her.”
Ethan hesitated.
Serena stepped aside.
“Go.”
He immediately turned and ran.
---
AMARA'S POV
I didn't know where I was going.
I just knew I needed to get away from him.
My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes.
Two years.
He had been with Serena for two years.
Engaged.
Planning a future.
And somehow, I had become the secret.
I reached the quiet staircase behind the lecture hall and sat down.
My hands were shaking.
I wiped my tears quickly when I heard footsteps.
“Amara.”
I froze.
Ethan.
“Please leave.”
“Listen to me.”
“No.”
“Amara—”
“I said leave!”
He stopped.
I looked up at him.
“Was everything a lie?”
“No.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Losing you.”
I laughed through my tears.
“You were already losing me when you decided to hide her.”
“I ended things with Serena.”
“When?”
“Before I met you.”
I stared at him.
“Then why did she say she was your fiancée?”
Ethan swallowed.
“Because she doesn't accept that it's over.”
“Did you love her?”
He didn't answer immediately.
That hurt more than anything.
Finally, he whispered:
“Yes.”
My heart cracked.
“But I don't anymore.”
I looked away.
“You loved her.”
“Yes.”
“And now you love me.”
“Yes.”
“How am I supposed to believe that?”
He stepped closer.
“You don't have to believe me today.”
I looked at him.
“But I will spend every day proving it.”
Before I could answer, a voice came from behind us.
“That's a beautiful promise.”
We turned.
Serena stood at the top of the stairs.
She was holding something in her hand.
A photograph.
She walked down slowly.
“You should see this, Amara.”
Ethan's face changed.
“Serena, don't.”
She smiled.
“Why?”
She handed me the photograph.
I stared at it.
It was Ethan and Serena.
Together.
Happy.
But that wasn't what made my heart stop.
There was a date written on the back.
The photograph had been taken only three weeks ago.
I looked at Ethan.
“You said it was over.”
“It was.”
“Three weeks ago?”
“Amara, I can explain.”
I stood.
“Then explain.”
Ethan opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Serena smiled.
“I told you there were secrets.”
I dropped the photograph.
“I'm done.”
“Amara!”
I walked away.
This time, Ethan didn't follow me.
---
SERENA'S POV
I watched Amara disappear around the corner.
For the first time that day, I smiled.
But my victory didn't feel complete.
Because Ethan was staring at me with hatred.
“You're lying,” he said.
I crossed my arms.
“Am I?”
“That picture was taken before we ended things.”
“Exactly.”
“You're deliberately twisting everything.”
“I don't care.”
“You're hurting her.”
Serena's expression hardened.
“She took my place.”
“She didn't take anything.”
“She took you.”
“No.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“I chose her.”
Serena's eyes filled with tears.
“You really love her.”
“Yes.”
Those two words destroyed something inside her.
She turned away.
“Then I guess I'll have to make her stop loving you.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“What are you talking about?”
Serena looked back at him.
“You'll find out.”
---
AMARA'S POV
That night, I sat on my bed staring at my phone.
Ethan had called seventeen times.
I didn't answer.
Then a message appeared.
Unknown: You deserve to know the truth about Ethan.
I stared at it.
Another message came.
Unknown: Ask him about the night he came to my house.
My heart began racing.
I typed:
Amara: Who are you?
The reply came immediately.
Unknown: Someone who knows him better than you do.
A picture appeared.
I opened it.
My breath caught.
It was Ethan.
Standing outside a house.
With Serena.
But there was something else.
A second man stood beside them.
I zoomed in.
I didn't recognize him.
Then another message appeared.
Unknown: The secret isn't Serena.
I swallowed.
Unknown: Serena is only the beginning.
I stared at the screen.
My hands went cold.
Then my phone rang.
Ethan.
I hesitated.
Finally, I answered.
“Amara?”
I said nothing.
“Please talk to me.”
“Who is the man in the picture?”
Silence.
“Ethan?”
His breathing changed.
“Where did you get that?”
My heart sank.
“You know him.”
“I can explain.”
“Who is he?”
“Amara, please—”
“WHO IS HE?”
Ethan was silent for several seconds.
Then he whispered:
“My brother.”
I froze.
“You have a brother?”
“Yes.”
“Then why have I never heard about him?”
Ethan didn't answer.
“Ethan?”
His voice became quiet.
“Because he's dead.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“He died three years ago.”
I stared at the photograph again.
The man in it looked exactly like Ethan.
Too exactly.
I whispered:
“Then who is the man in the picture?”
Silence.
Then Ethan said something that made my entire body go numb.
“I don't know.”
The call suddenly disconnected.
I stared at my phone.
A new message appeared.
Unknown: Now you understand.
Another message followed.
Unknown: Don't trust Ethan.
I looked toward my bedroom door.
Someone was standing outside.
I held my breath.
The door slowly opened.
And Serena walked in.
She looked at me.
Then at my phone.
And whispered:
“Amara…”
Her eyes filled with fear.
“You need to leave this house.”
I stood frozen.
“Why?”
Serena looked toward the window.
“Because if he knows you found out…”
She paused.
“…he'll come for you.”
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