Chapter 1: The Overheard Truth

For three years, I was Ethan Grant’s secret. His girl on the side, hidden away like a guilty pleasure.

The day I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant, I stumbled right into the kind of nightmare you only see in reality shows. I was standing outside the club Ethan always haunted, rain-soaked and shivering, when I overheard his twin brother say:

"Bro, I pretended to be you and fooled around with your girl for so long. If she finds out, won’t she freak out and bail?"

Ethan’s voice was cool as ice. "What are you worried about? She wouldn’t dare."

"Besides, it’s not the first time we’ve switched."

"Just make sure she doesn’t get pregnant while you’re at it. That’s just gross."

My hands went numb, the pregnancy test slipping in my grip. I pressed my back to the cold brick, praying I’d misheard.

A stream of comments flashed through my mind:

[LMAO, she’s so clueless it hurts. Imagine thinking you’re the main girl when you’re just a side quest.]

[This is some Jerry Springer level mess. I’m hooked.]

I didn’t cry or throw a fit. I just kept being the canary for the fake Ethan.

In secret, I scheduled an abortion and bought a plane ticket to leave the country.

I typed in my card number with shaking fingers, the click of each key sounding like a countdown.

The day I was caught having the abortion, Ethan lost it and grabbed his brother by the throat: "Who told you you could touch her?"