I Walked Away Seven Years Too Late But Right on Time novel Chapter 8

But all he wanted was freedom. The freedom to engage in romance—or just sex—without the suffocating weight of marriage and responsibility.

How had she been so painfully naive? She actually believed she could change his mind, that a man would magically transform just because she loved him enough.

Looking back, Sophie genuinely questioned if Luke had ever felt an ounce of real love for her. Had he ever truly loved anyone?

*"Yes, we are done. I never want to see you again."*

She typed the response, deleted it, and rewrote it a dozen times. Finally, she settled on that single line and hit send.

It was over anyway. What was the point of detailing her resentment, her bitter regrets, or the soul-crushing despair she felt lying on that clinic bed?

What difference would it make?

Luke would never apologize for who he was, and she refused to regress into that pathetic, desperate version of herself.

*"Take your stuff off the desk."*

Sophie's workspace had been in the annex right outside his private office. All incoming documents filtered through her for sorting before requiring his signature.

Her only personal items left were a small potted plant, a coffee mug, and some miscellaneous trinkets in the drawer.

*"Throw it away."*

She replied instantly. None of it mattered anymore.

*"Fine."*

That was his final response. One single word.

Sophie sat motionless before the glowing screen for ten minutes before finally shutting the laptop.

She walked into the kitchen, suddenly determined to cook a proper meal for her mother.

The following day, Sophie compulsively refreshed her email. She knew HR departments didn't move this fast, but the agonizing wait was driving her crazy.

To her absolute shock, a new message from Luke sat at the top of her inbox.

Attached was a clear photo of the positive lab results she had gotten during her first clinic visit.

The subject line was two words: *"Mine?"*

She had taken the morning off for that checkup, and shoved the paperwork into her desk drawer the second she got back to the office.

Luke had always been religious about preventative measures. He didn't want a wife, which meant he definitely didn't want her carrying his child.

She didn't even know when the slip-up had happened.

Had she really landed in that unlucky five-percent failure bracket?

Instead, she felt a grim wave of relief. Thank god she hadn't taken that paper to him, crying and asking what they should do.

That would have been the ultimate humiliation. He didn't even believe it was his.

It was almost laughable. She had actually fantasized about running away pregnant, and years later, he would bump into her, see a child with his exact features, and they would fall into each other's arms in tears.

Turns out, that only happens in fiction.

In reality, he was ready to deny paternity immediately.

To him, she was probably just a scheming woman trying to use a kid to anchor him down.

A freezing numbness spread from Sophie's core, nearly paralyzing her fingers as they hovered over the keyboard.

*"Yes, it was yours. And don't worry, it's been taken care of."*

*Don't worry, I won't ruin your life.*

She whispered the bitter words to herself. Closing the laptop, she stared out the window for a long time, completely numb.

The leaves outside were thicker and greener than they had been days ago.

The seasons didn't care if your world was crumbling, and time wasn't going to stop ticking just because your heart was broken.