Chapter 12: Decision
The door closed behind Lucy with a soft click.
But to her— It sounded final. She didn't look back. Didn't hesitate. Didn't stop walking. Because if she did…
She wasn't sure she'd be able to leave at all.
The night air hit her the moment she stepped outside.
Cool.
Sharp.
Real.
Lucy inhaled deeply, as if she had been holding her breath the entire time she was inside. Maybe she had.
Her step slowed as she reached the gate. For the first time since leaving— she stopped.
Her thoughts came rushing in.
Fast.
Loud.
Unavoidable.
"What am I doing…?" she whispered. Her voice felt small in the quiet night. Everything had happened so quickly. The marriage. The tension.
The kiss. The pregnancy. Jack. Her chest tightened.
Just thinking his name made something shift inside her. Something she didn't understand. Something she didn't want to understand.
Lucy shook her head.
"No," she said firmly. "This isn't about him."
It couldn't be. It had to be about her.
Her life.
Her future.
Her dreams.
She started walking again. Slower this time. More certain.
"I need to think," she told herself.
"Clearly."
"Logically."
But logic wasn't helping. Because nothing about this situation was logical. Her hand slowly moved to her stomach again. Resting there. Lightly.
Unconsciously.
A baby.
Jack's child.
Lucy's eyes closed briefly. Her chest is rising and falling unevenly. "If I keep it…" She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to. Because she already knew. Everything would change.
Her career—
Put on hold. Her body— No longer hers alone.
Her future— Uncertain. And Jack…
Lucy's eyes opened. "That's the problem," she whispered. Because this wasn't just about the pregnancy. It was about him.
The way he looked at her. The way he spoke.
The way he said— That's my child.
Her heart skipped again. Frustrated, she shook her head. "Why does that matter?" she asked herself.
"It shouldn't."
But it did. And that was the problem. Lucy kept walking. Not knowing where she was going. Just needing distance. Time passed. Minutes.
Maybe longer. She didn't know. Didn't care
Eventually, she stopped again. This time under a dim streetlight. The city moved around her. Cars passing. People talking. Life continuing. But she felt… stuck.
Her thoughts circled back again. To the same question. "What do I want?"
It sounded simple. But it wasn't. Not anymore.
Because what she wanted before…
Didn't fit anymore.
Lucy let out a slow breath. Her hand still resting against her stomach. "I can't just pretend this isn't happening," she said quietly.
That much was clear now. Denial wasn't working.
Avoidance wasn't working. Running wasn't working.
So what was left?
Facing it. Lucy's fingers pressed slightly against her stomach. Her heart is racing again.
"If I keep it…" Her voice softened.
"…everything changes." But then another thought came.
Uninvited.
Unwanted.
If I don't…
Her chest tigtened sharply. She looked away quickly. As if the thought itself was too heavy to face. "I don't have a choice," she whispered.
But even as she said it— She knew it wasn't true.
She did have a choice.
And that was what made it so hard. Lucy stood there for a long moment. Silent. Still. Thinking.
Then slowly— something inside her settled.
Not completely. Not peacefully. But enough.
A decision.
Not perfect. Not easy. But hers.
Lucy straightened slightly. Her expression changed. From confusion… To something more certain. "I'm not ready to lose everything," she said. Her voice is steadier now.
Her dreams still mattered. Her future still mattered. Her life still mattered. And she wasn't ready to give that up. Not yet. Lucy turned.
Looking back in the direction of the mansion.
Her chest tightened again. But this time—
It wasn't just fear. It was something else. Something deeper. "Jack…"
His name slipped out softly. Because no matter what she decided— He was part of it.
And that complicated everything. Lucy started walking back. Slowly. Deliberately. Each step is heavier than the last. By the time she reached the gate again— her heart was racing.
Not from fear. But from what she was about to do. She stepped inside. Walked up to the door.
Paused.
Her hand hovered over the handle. Just for a second. Then— she opened it.
Inside, the house was too quiet. Still. Almost too still. Lucy stepped in. Closing the door behind her. "Jack?" she called. No response. Her brows furrowed slightly. That was strange.
She walked further inside. Her footsteps echo
softly. "Jack." Still nothing.
A strange feeling crept into her chest. Uneasy. Uncertain. The house felt different. Empty.
Lucy moved toward the living room. Her heart is beating faster now. "Jack, I—"
She stopped mid-sentence. The room was empty. Completely. Her eyes scanned the space.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Something wasn't right. Then— she noticed it.
On the table. A single envelope. With her name on it. Lucy's breath caught. She stepped closer.
Her fingers were trembling slightly as she picked it up.
For a moment— she hesitated. Then—
She opened it. Her eyes moved quickly across the words. And suddenly— Everything went still.
Her expression changed.
Shock.
Confusion.
Something deeper.
"…what?" she whispered.
Lucy's grip tightened on the letter—
Her heart racing—
Her mind spinning—
Because whatever was written inside…
Jack had made his own decision too.