I Ctrl+Alt+Deleted My Ex and Ctrl+C'd His Uncle novel Chapter 1

**Through Silent Meadows We Trace Stories Left Behind Yesterday by Asa Rowan Flint**

**Chapter 1**

“Place your bets, folks! I’m telling you, Sophie’s having a boy, no question about it!”

Sophie’s hand froze, suspended in midair, her fingers gripping the cold metal of the door handle.

That unmistakable voice belonged to Liam, her boyfriend. The very man she had come to surprise with the most joyous news of her life. But how in the world did he already know about her pregnancy?

A sudden burst of laughter erupted from inside the private room, echoing off the walls and invading her thoughts.

“Liam, man, you really hit the jackpot this time! The Chandler princess is head over heels for you, and now she’s even carrying your baby! That means all the Chandler family’s resources are basically yours, right?”

With a mix of dread and curiosity, Sophie cautiously leaned closer to the door, peering through the narrow crack.

There he was—Liam, seated comfortably with one leg crossed over the other, swirling a glass of deep red wine in his hand. That smug expression she had adored for three long years was plastered across his face, radiating a sense of triumph that made her stomach churn.

“Please. The kid’s not even mine,” he replied, his tone casual, as if they were discussing the weather rather than a life-altering revelation.

A slow, mocking smile crept across his lips, and he added, “I never touched her.”

Sophie felt her heart drop. Her mind went blank, and a chilling wave of disbelief washed over her.

Outside the door, Sophie felt the ground beneath her shift, the entire world tilting at an impossible angle.

Just a week ago, she had received the positive pregnancy test from her gynecologist on the Upper East Side. Her heart had raced with excitement at the thought of surprising Liam on his birthday with the thrilling news.

She had envisioned that moment a hundred times, picturing the joy on his face, how he would pull her into his arms, tears of happiness glistening in his eyes, promising her a lifetime of love and devotion.

But instead, she was met with an even greater shock.

The baby she was carrying wasn’t his.

Then whose child was it? The question echoed in her mind, a haunting refrain that threatened to unravel her very being.