Weeks passed before Leo finally returned.
Samantha had missed him more than she wanted to admit. The moment she saw him, all the pain and confusion from before seemed to fade away.
"You're back…" she said softly, her eyes lighting up.
Leo smiled faintly. "Of course."
For a while, everything felt normal again.
Or at least… it seemed that way.
Not long after his return, Samantha started feeling strange.
She would wake up feeling dizzy. Sometimes, she couldn't even keep food down. The sudden wave of nausea confused her.
One morning, after rushing to the bathroom again, she stood in front of the mirror, breathing heavily.
Her heart began to race.
"Could it be…?" she whispered.
Later that day, she decided to find out.
When the result came back, her hands trembled.
Three months.
She was three months pregnant.
Her heart pounded as a mix of emotions rushed through her.
Shock.
Fear.
Happiness.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
When she told Leo, he seemed surprised at first… then he smiled.
"A child?" he repeated.
Samantha nodded nervously.
"Yes…"
He stepped closer and gently held her shoulders.
"That's good," he said.
For the first time in a long while, his voice sounded soft again.
But what Samantha didn't know was—
Leo had his own thoughts.
A child meant her attention would no longer be fully on him.
A child meant fewer questions.
More freedom.
During the early months of her pregnancy, Leo treated her well.
He checked on her.
Brought her things.
Stayed close.
And for a moment, Samantha believed everything was finally going to be okay.
But by the time she was seven months pregnant…
Things started changing again.
Small arguments began.
Over nothing.
Little misunderstandings that turned into silence.
But each time, they found a way to settle it.
At least on the surface.
When Samantha finally told her mother the news, there was silence on the other end of the phone.
Then—
"You're pregnant?" her mother asked.
"Yes…" Samantha replied, her voice soft.
Despite everything, her mother's tone softened.
"When are you due?" she asked.
"In a few months…"
Not long after, her mother came to stay with them.
She helped around the house, taking care of Samantha and making sure she didn't stress herself.
To make things easier, they also hired a maid.
At first, everything felt peaceful.
Almost perfect.
But slowly…
Leo's attention began to shift.
The maid was young.
Quiet.
And always around.
At first, it was just small glances.
Nothing noticeable.
Nothing obvious.
But over time…
Those glances became something more.
Samantha, focused on her pregnancy and her growing child, didn't notice.
Her mother, however…
Watched everything carefully.
Months later, Samantha finally gave birth.
The pain was intense.
But when she heard the cry of her baby, everything else faded away.
"It's a boy," the nurse said with a smile.
Tears filled Samantha's eyes as she held her child for the first time.
"My baby…" she whispered.
They named him Nathan.
The naming ceremony was small but joyful.
For a moment, it felt like a new beginning.
But that feeling didn't last long.
Not long after the celebration, Leo began to change again.
He became distant.
Cold.
Uninterested.
The warmth he once showed during her pregnancy slowly disappeared.
Samantha noticed.
Of course she did.
But this time…
She didn't fight it.
She simply adjusted.
Maybe this was how things were now.
Maybe this was something she had to endure.
As she sat quietly, holding her child close, she forced a small smile.
"Everything will be fine…" she whispered.
But deep down—
She was already getting used to the pain.Days passed, and nothing really changed.
Leo still came home late. Sometimes, he didn't come home at all.
At first, Samantha tried to ask questions.
"Where were you?" she would say gently.
But his answers were always short.
"Work."
"I was busy."
"Don't start again."
After a while, she stopped asking.
Not because she didn't care…
But because she was tired.
Her world slowly became smaller.
It was no longer about love.
No longer about the promises he once made.
It was now about her child.
Little Nathan had become her only source of happiness.
Whenever she held him close, the pain in her heart would ease, even if it was just for a moment.
She would smile more for him.
Laugh more for him.
Live for him.
But even then…
The silence in the house was loud.
Too loud.
Sometimes, she would catch Leo staring at his phone, a faint smile on his lips.
A smile she hadn't seen directed at her in a long time.
Samantha noticed.
Of course she did.
But she said nothing.
Because deep down…
She was afraid of the truth