Posted Their Texts, Blocked His Number, Bye - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

The wind screamed through the phone, so loud it nearly swallowed Harvey's ragged breathing.
"You walked out on me for that guy?" His voice was sharp with disbelief. "Seriously? Just because he's loaded? Jesus, I didn't know you were that kind of girl."
I could practically hear his jaw clench when I replied, my tone deliberately flat, "Yeah. Because he's rich. And a hundred times the man you'll ever be."
The silence that followed was thick enough to cut. Then came that familiar, sharp intake of breath—Harvey's tell when he was fighting to keep his temper in check.
A bitter laugh crackled through the line. "Oh, this is rich. Does Mr. Moneybags even know about us? About the seven years we shared? About the three times you carried my children?" His voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "You really think he'll want you after that? Face it, Berenice—you'll always be mine."
The words hit like a punch to the gut. My chest ached, my throat tightened, and hot tears blurred my vision. For a long moment, I couldn't speak.
Harvey must have mistaken my silence for hesitation, because his voice suddenly softened. "Baby... all those years together... none of it meant anything to you?"
Before I could respond, a girl's voice cut through—high-pitched and annoyingly sweet. "Harvey? The shower's leaking. Can you come fix it?"
I barked out a laugh—hollow, humorless. Then I ended the call and deleted that damn backup account for good. The tears came then, cold against my cheeks.
The truth was, I'd only stayed with Harvey because of a promise. Nothing more. If I could turn back time, I'd never have made it.
His mother had been my neighbor back when I was still picking up the pieces of my life. She'd shown me kindness when I needed it most, teaching me things about the world I'd never known.
That's how I met Harvey—an eighteen-year-old rebel without a cause. We weren't close at first. Then his mom got sick. On her deathbed, she begged me to watch over him.
So I did. For nine long years, I waded through the chaos of his life. I'd more than kept my promise.
"Sweetheart? You ready? They're waiting." My mother's voice pulled me back to the present. Her hand was warm on my shoulder.
My engagement to Torin had prompted my father to throw this lavish party. The ballroom glittered under blinding chandeliers, alive with laughter, clinking glasses, and the constant flash of cameras.
I tried to slip away from the crowd, but Torin intercepted me with an easy smile. He was a good man—the kind I might have chosen first, in another life.
Overwhelmed, I faked tipsiness and escaped to the garden. The night air was crisp, the moon hanging cold and bright above me, stars dusting the edges of the sky.
Then I saw him.
Harvey.
He looked gaunt, shadows under his eyes. Leigh clung to his arm, her sequined dress catching the moonlight.
"Come home," he demanded, as if I were still his to command.
I turned to leave, but his hand shot out, fingers digging into my wrist. "Let go!" I snapped.
His voice cracked. "What do I have to do? Tell me what it'll take."
Leigh piped up then, her voice trembling. "Berenice, please... I never meant to come between you. Harvey loves you so much." She sounded on the verge of tears.
From inside, muffled laughter spilled into the garden.
I met Harvey's red-rimmed eyes. "I'm not coming back."
"Nine years!" he exploded. "Nine fucking years, Berenice! Did they mean nothing to you?"