The Truth That Broke Us

rm in her hand. Behind her, Room 618's door hung open. She'd seen enough. Ethan had walked out buttoning his shirt, hair still damp, and the scent of Talia's perfume thick on his skin

Ethan sighed. "Five years." Ava froze. Five years. That was right after Noah's birth. Or maybe... even before. She gripped the wall to steady herself. "Why her?" Ethan's answer was like a knife. "Because she never made me feel like a failure." Ava blinked. Once. Twice. "So I was what? Your punishment?" He didn't reply. Instead, he shrugged. "Noah's happy. Isn't that what matters?" Her expression turned to ice. "Don't you dare bring my son into this," she whispered. "You made your choice. And now I'm making mine." She stepped past him, calm but furious. He reached for her arm, but she pulled away. "You can't take him from me," Ethan said. "The courts " "I'm not scared of the courts," Ava snapped. "I'm scared of what I'll become if I stay one more minute in this lie." Back in her car, she didn't cry. She opened her phone and scrolled to a folder she hadn't touched in years: Before. Photos of her and Ta