Betrayed By My Fiancée

Chapter 29: Unseen

I took my bag, my fingers strangely steady now, like they belonged to someone else. I did not look at Dante when I moved toward the door.

I could feel him behind me though, like pressure in the air, like something unfinished trying to pull me back.

My hand touched the handle, and I heard him say my name one more time.

“Jade…” I did not stop.

I opened the door and stepped out, letting it close behind me before I could change my mind. The hallway was louder than the room I had just left. Children running. Teachers calling names. Shoes squeaking on the floor.

Life moving on like nothing huge had happened behind that door. I walked through it anyway, my steps calm, my face blank in a way that surprised even me.

One of the teachers looked up. “Jade, you’re leaving already?” I nodded once and adjusted my bag. “I’m going home.” My voice did not shake.

That shocked me more than anything. Outside, the air hit different. Not warm. Not comforting. Just real. I stood on the pavement for a second, watching people pass as if the world had not split in two inside that building.

But mine had.

My mind replayed every word Dante said, and worse, every word he did not say. Love was never supposed to feel like guessing all the time. Like waiting to be chosen while slowly learning you already were not.

I swallowed hard and shook the thoughts away. “No,” I whispered to myself. “This isn’t the end.” And it did not sound like denial. It sounded like a decision. I raised my hand and stopped a taxi. It pulled over, and I got inside. “Where to?” the driver asked.

“Garrison Bay,” I said calmly.

Too calmly. The city moved past the window as we drove. People crossing roads. Cars stopping at lights. Street vendors calling out. Everything outside looked normal, but inside me something had shifted for good.

Dante.

Leondra.

Mike.

All of it tangled together in a mess I no longer wanted to sort through. My reflection stared back at me from the glass. Tired eyes. Quiet face. But underneath it all was something new. Not heartbreak. Clarity. By the time the taxi stopped outside the apartment building, I was already leaning forward, ready.

I paid, got out, and went inside.

Clara was sitting at the table with her laptop open, looking tired but focused. She looked up the second I walked in.

Something changed in her face immediately. Not shock. Understanding. She stood without a word and came straight to me, wrapping her arms around me tightly.

I froze for half a second before my body gave in. My shoulders dropped, and a shaky breath left me. For once, I did not have to explain anything. Clara pulled back and held my shoulders. “Hey,” she said softly.

“You’re going to be fine, okay?” I nodded. My eyes burned a little, but I still managed a small smile. “Yeah,” I whispered. “I think I will be.” She squeezed my shoulders once more and let go. I sat on the couch and pulled out my phone.

My thumb hovered over Dante’s name. Just seeing it felt heavy. I stared for one long moment. Then I blocked him. It was done. No more waiting. No more unread messages sitting there like open wounds. No more trying to understand silence.

I locked my phone and set it beside me. Then I leaned back and stared at nothing. For the first time in a long time, I did not feel like I was still holding onto him. Deep down, I knew this was what I needed if I wanted to move forward.

Morning came quietly, and for once I did not wake up feeling heavy. I opened my eyes before the alarm rang and stared at the ceiling. The room felt still. Peaceful. I got up slowly and moved through my routine without rushing.

I showered, got dressed, tied my hair back neatly, packed my bag, and checked everything twice. It felt good to do ordinary things again. Before leaving, I glanced toward Clara’s room. Her door was slightly open. She was at her desk with headphones on, speaking calmly in an online business meeting.

She looked smart and serious. I smiled to myself and stepped away without disturbing her. I closed the front door softly behind me and headed outside.

The morning air was cool against my skin. It woke me up fully. I called a cab and waited by the gate. When it arrived, I climbed in.

“Vane City,” I said.

The driver nodded and pulled away. The ride felt short this time. Maybe my thoughts were quieter. Maybe I was simply tired of carrying so much inside my head. Either way, we arrived before I knew it. I paid and stepped onto the pavement.

The preschool building stood in front of me like always. I straightened my shoulders. Here we go, Jade. You can do this. I walked inside.

The classroom was empty when I arrived. No children. No mothers. No noise. Just tiny chairs, toys, and little messes left behind from yesterday. I got to work immediately. I arranged the seats, wiped tables, cleaned dried paint from the floor, and threw away broken crayons.

There was something peaceful about putting small things back in place. Small messes were easier to fix than big ones. Soon the building filled with life. Children laughed and ran through the halls. Mothers chatted by the entrance.

Teachers moved from room to room. I was wiping down a table when loud laughter made me turn. The second I looked, I saw her. Leondra. Standing there like she belonged everywhere. Perfect hair. Expensive clothes.

Two women beside her laughing at everything she said. For one quick second, my mind went straight to Dante. I hated that it still happened. I turned away and focused on the children. One little girl needed help with paint. A boy kept snatching toys from everyone else. I crouched down beside him.

“Manners,” I said gently, handing the toy back. “Ask first.” I kept moving, smiling when needed, cleaning spills, helping tiny hands hold brushes.

My body knew what to do even when my mind wanted to drift. Then voices carried in from the next room. I was not trying to listen, but I heard enough. “So Ma’am, I wanted to know... is it safe for me to work here in this condition? I’m five months now.”

I froze.

It was not the pregnancy that shocked me. I already knew. It was the fact that she had applied for a job here. My stomach tightened. Then I heard her again.

“My fiancé will be picking me up.” The word fiancé hit harder than I wanted it to. I looked down at the paintbrush in my hand.

How was I supposed to move on if this mess kept following me everywhere? Break time finally came. I stepped outside and headed to the café without thinking.

My feet knew the way on their own. Mike’s car was parked outside. I noticed it instantly, and I hated that too. Inside, my eyes searched for him before I could stop myself.

Instead, they landed on Leondra, sitting in the VIP section with a friend, laughing over drinks. I looked away fast. I ordered my usual and sat near Mike’s office without even realizing it.

A few minutes later, the office door opened. Mike stepped out. He did not look at me. He walked straight to Leondra’s table like I did not exist. Something about that bothered me more than it should have. My order was called. I grabbed it and left immediately.

Outside, I let out a breath I had been holding the whole time. I went back to the building and ate in the kitchen alone. The rest of the day moved slowly. Later, some of the teachers left early, leaving me alone to finish cleaning the classroom. I did not mind. Being alone helped me think. Or maybe it helped me stop thinking.

I was wiping the last table when footsteps sounded in the corridor. Slow. Steady. I looked up. Mike walked in with his hands in his pockets and leaned against a nearby table. “Hey,” he said.

“You good?” His eyes searched my face like he was trying to read something there. I kept cleaning. “Hey. Yes, I’m good. How are you?” “Fine,” he said. Then he paused. “I just wondered why you left the café without greeting me.

Thought maybe you were mad at me.”

I stopped for a second.

He knew I was there? But how, when he had walked straight past me? “I’m not mad,” I said quietly. “I just had a lot on my mind.” He nodded like he understood more than I said. “Do you need a ride home?” Before I could answer, another voice came from the doorway.

“Mike.”

Leondra stood there, one hand resting on her stomach. “Can you take me to the doctor? I’m having really bad cramps.” Mike looked at me. I gave a small shrug and a faint smile. “Go on,” I said lightly. “You don’t want her giving birth here.”

His face changed for a second, almost like regret. Then he pushed off the table and walked out with her. And just like that, I was alone again.

I finished cleaning in silence, picked up my bag, turned off the lights, and locked the classroom behind me.