Closed Doors and Cold Voices

Lucy sat curled on the edge of her bed, fingers gripped tightly around her phone, heart hammering. It had taken her days to build up the courage to try again. She stared at the contact name: Marla. It was the only bridge she had to Tim now.

She finally hit call.

"Lucy," Marla's voice answered coolly, like she'd been expecting the call. "I figured you'd be back."

"I—" Lucy's throat tightened. "I need to talk to Tim."

A beat. Then a breathy sigh from Marla. "Why?"

Lucy hesitated. "It's personal. I just... I need to talk to him. Please."

Marla's voice was sharp, falsely sympathetic. "He doesn't want to talk, Lucy. He told me that clearly. He's moved on. You need to respect that."

Lucy's heart sank. "But he doesn't even know—"

Marla cut her off. "He knows enough. I told him you reached out, and he said he doesn't want to be dragged into anything. Especially not something tied to that fake relationship you two played at for months. You should focus on yourself now."

Silence pressed into the space between them.

"I just thought he deserved to know," Lucy whispered, voice barely audible.

"And I told you. He does know. He chose not to care."

Marla hung up without another word.

⸻

Meanwhile ...

Tim Bradford leaned over the script in his hands, trying to focus, but something wasn't right. For days, he'd felt off—like something important was sitting just out of reach.

His phone buzzed.

It was a message from Marla.

Lucy reached out again. I took care of it. Nothing to worry about. She knows where things stand.

Tim frowned. Took care of it? That wording felt wrong.

He stared at the message a little longer, unease brewing in his chest. He hadn't spoken to Lucy in weeks—not since the contract ended, not since Marla had handled things. And for some reason, that now made his stomach twist.

⸻

Back with Lucy

She sat alone on the floor of her small apartment, one hand resting gently over her belly. Her eyes stung, but no tears came this time.

"If he doesn't want to be part of this..." she whispered aloud, "...I'll do it alone."

She didn't know that Tim had never been given the choice.