“Yes.”
A pause.
“You’re not what I expected.”
For the first time—
William didn’t have a response.
Months passed.
The lines blurred.
Not physically.
Not officially.
But emotionally.
Then one night, everything shifted.
Maya stood in the study, holding medical results in shaking hands.
William entered, immediately noticing her expression.
“What happened?”
She looked up at him.
“I’m pregnant.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
“That wasn’t part of the contract,” he said finally.
“No,” she replied. “It wasn’t.”
His jaw tightened.
“We’ll handle it.”
Handle it.
Like a business problem.
But for Maya—
It was not a problem.
It was life.
PART 3 — The Breaking Point
William became distant after that.
More than before.
If that was even possible.
Meetings increased.
Absences grew longer.
Conversations became shorter.
Colder.
“You’re avoiding me,” Maya said one evening.
“I’m managing a situation,” he replied.
“I’m not a situation.”
He didn’t answer.
Weeks later, Maya overheard something she was never meant to hear.
