Second to no one

--- Has your heart ever been shattered—broken into tiny pieces by someone who once promised to protect it like their own? Funny enough, I’ve always known I wasn’t enough... that I’d always come second to something or someone. First, it was my mother, who chose drugs over me. Then my father, who decided he wanted nothing to do with me—just because I was what some would call a *bastard*. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. And yet... there I stood, with the one person I thought was my forever. Dominic Petrov—our very own high school quarterback—was on his way to the NFL. He had just signed a deal with the New York Tigers. “Isabelle, are you listening to me?” he said, snapping me out of my thoughts. That’s what really caught my attention—he never called me by my full name. “Sorry... what did you say?” I asked, trying to read his face. His normally soft, baby-blue eyes were cold—void of emotion. I already knew what was coming. “I think we should break up,” he said. “Mm... sorry?” I replied, confused. “You heard me. With me moving from LA to New York... I just don’t think we can do this long-distance thing. I need to focus on football—on my career. I hope you understand.” I sat still for a moment, the weight of his words settling in. “If that’s what you want… okay. I don’t want to stop you from chasing your dreams,” I managed to say as I stood up from the booth. I didn’t give him a second glance. I bolted out of the café, my vision blurred with tears. I couldn’t breathe. It felt like my chest was being crushed from the inside—again. Always the second choice. But not anymore. “I won’t make you feel second,” I whispered to myself, gently rubbing my belly. This baby—my baby—would be loved with every part of me. This child would be my reason to live. Even without a father, they would never feel like they were second to anyone.