Lena was wiping down the bookstore counter when the front window shattered.
Glass rained onto the hardwood floor like glittering rain. She screamed, ducking instinctively, her heart launching into her throat.
A rock rolled to a stop near her feet. Attached to it was a note, tied with twine, smudged in red ink.
She stood frozen. Her hand trembled as she bent to pick it up.
"You can't lie forever. I know."
The words bled across the page like a threat carved in blood.
Her legs buckled. She sank to her knees, clutching the note to her chest, eyes darting toward the door. No one was outside. No sound. Just the fluttering of the wind and the distant bark of a dog.
Her first instinct was Daniel. It had to be.
But no—Daniel wasn't reckless like this. This wasn't lust. This was warning.
"Lena!"
Theo burst through the back door, his eyes wide, then narrowed at the broken glass. "What the hell happened?!"
She stood quickly, hiding the note behind her back.
"I—I don't know. Someone must've thrown it. Maybe a kid playing a prank."
Theo's gaze roamed the floor, his expression darkening. "This looks targeted."
She forced a shaky laugh. "You think someone's jealous of my book deals?"
But Theo wasn't laughing.
He took out his phone. "I'm calling the police."
"No!" she blurted. Too quickly. Too forcefully.
He looked at her, puzzled.
She tried to recover. "I mean… let's not make it a big thing. It's probably nothing."
But even as she said it, her pulse thumped like a war drum. Her throat closed around a hundred confessions, none of which she could say aloud.
Because whoever left that note... knew.
Before Theo could question her further, Lena gasped.
The note slipped from her hand as she doubled over, gripping the counter for support. A sharp, searing pain tore through her lower abdomen like fire ripping through paper.
"Lena?" Theo dropped his phone and rushed to her side. "What's wrong?"
Her knees gave way, and she would've hit the floor if he hadn't caught her in time. "I don't know… it hurts… Theo…"
"Damn it." He scooped her into his arms, his voice strained with fear. "You're burning up. We're going to the hospital. Now."
Everything blurred.
The ride to the hospital felt like it was underwater—lights flashing, tires screeching, voices muffled. Theo clutched her hand the whole way, yelling for help the moment they burst through the emergency room doors.
A nurse rolled her away on a gurney while Theo was held back by the desk staff.
"Is she pregnant?" the nurse asked quickly.
"Yes," Theo answered. "Yes, my wife is—she's pregnant."
They vanished behind double doors.
Theo was left standing, fists clenched, heart pounding with helplessness. He had just started to believe they were finally in a good place. And now this.
In the sterile quiet of the waiting room, he noticed something.
His hands were shaking.
---
Inside the exam room…
Lena stared at the ceiling, sweat dotting her brow. The pain had subsided, but fear had settled like ice in her bones.
A doctor entered briskly, scanning her chart.
"You experienced acute abdominal cramping and elevated blood pressure," he said. "We're running full tests, but early signs suggest a threatened miscarriage."
Lena's stomach twisted. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Not this. Not again. Not after all she'd done. Not when she'd already lied to her husband. Not when Daniel might be—
The doctor continued, "You'll need to rest for the next few days. No stress. No heavy lifting. And you must avoid any intimacy for a while."
A nurse helped her sit up gently. "Your husband is outside. Shall I bring him in?"
She nodded faintly.
Theo entered moments later, his face pale but determined.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face.
She blinked back tears. "Better now."
He pulled a chair close and took her hand.
"You scared the hell out of me, Lena. I don't care about anything else right now—just you. Just… please be okay."
She squeezed his hand, but her heart sank.
Because the baby he was so afraid to lose…
Wasn't even his .
Lena was discharged late in the evening with strict instructions: rest, no physical strain, no stress. The word "stress" clanged like irony in her ears. How could she avoid it when her body ached with guilt and her secrets sat heavy inside her like a ticking bomb?
Theo wrapped his arm around her as they walked out of the hospital.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "Everything will be okay now."
But she knew that wasn't true. Not anymore.
He helped her into the car, then paused.
"What's this?" he asked, frowning. He reached into the side door pocket and pulled out the crumpled note she had hidden earlier—the one attached to the rock that shattered the bookstore window.
Lena's heart nearly stopped. She had shoved it in the car in her rush to the hospital, thinking she'd throw it away. She hadn't.
Theo unfolded the paper slowly. His brow furrowed as he read.
"You can't lie forever. I know."
He turned to her.
"Lena… what the hell is this?"
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was trapped between lies and consequences, the walls closing in.
"I—I don't know," she finally said. "Maybe it's a prank. A jealous ex from years ago or—"
"Someone threw a rock through the window and left this. That's not a prank."
His voice was calm, but it carried a sharp edge. Theo was no fool.
Lena turned away, clutching her stomach. "Can we please not do this now?"
Theo exhaled and folded the note. He put it in his wallet. "Fine. But this isn't over."
---
That night, Lena couldn't sleep.
Every sound made her flinch. The creak of the floorboards. The hum of the refrigerator. The vibration of her phone.
1 new message from: Daniel
"I'm sorry about earlier. I panicked. But I need to see you. We need to talk. Tomorrow night?"
Her thumb hovered over the screen, but she didn't reply.
She deleted the message and stared at the ceiling in the dark.
Theo lay beside her, sound asleep.
And she was holding his hand.
It should've comforted her. Instead, she felt like a thief lying beside the man she'd stolen peace from.
---
The next morning, Theo rose early and made her breakfast in bed—scrambled eggs, buttered toast, and sliced mangoes.
He placed the tray on her lap, kissed her forehead, and smiled. "Doctor said no stress, remember?"
Lena smiled back weakly.
But all she could think about was the note. The sex. The lie. And Daniel.
At the bookstore later that day, Lena was startled by the bell above the door.
It wasn't a customer.
It was a man in a hoodie, sunglasses obscuring his eyes. He walked past the display table and left an envelope on the counter without saying a word.
Before she could speak, he turned and left.
Lena waited until he was gone.
Her hands shook as she opened the envelope.
Inside were photos.
Photos of her and Daniel. At the bar. At his house. Kissing. Laughing. Undressed.
She dropped the envelope and backed away like it had burned her.
There was a note, too.
"Still think you can lie forever?"
Her knees buckled again, but this time there was no one to catch her.