The Hopes You Broke

I never wanted to be the kind of woman who clings to a man like he’s her only chance. But when Reynard looked at me, I felt seen—for the first time, not as the daughter of a disgraced man, but as someone worth loving. Now, his family wants him back with his ex-fiancée, and whispers say I’m just a distraction. The truth is, I’ve spent my life running from secrets—my father’s betrayal, my mother’s silence, my own fear of being left. But what if the secret that broke us… was never true?

The Hopes You Broke

I never wanted to be the kind of woman who clings to a man like he’s her only chance. But when Reynard looked at me, I felt seen—for the first time, not as the daughter of a disgraced man, but as someone worth loving. Now, his family wants him back with his ex-fiancée, and whispers say I’m just a distraction. The truth is, I’ve spent my life running from secrets—my father’s betrayal, my mother’s silence, my own fear of being left. But what if the secret that broke us… was never true?

The envelope trembled in my hands, unsealed but untouched. It arrived without a return address, just my name written in faded ink—the same handwriting I remembered from birthday cards my father never lived to send. Outside, rain slashed against the windowpane, matching the rhythm of my pulse. I already knew what it said. Or thought I did. For twenty years, I believed he left us for another woman. That lie shaped every relationship I’ve ever had. And now, Reynard was pulling away too, whispering late-night calls, canceled plans, excuses that smelled like guilt. Was history repeating itself? Or was I clinging to a story that wasn’t even real?

I opened the letter. One sentence knocked the breath from my lungs: 'I didn’t run with another woman—I ran to protect you.'

My phone buzzed. Reynard. 'We need to talk.'

Two paths split inside me: answer and face whatever comes next, or bury the truth again and pretend I hadn’t seen anything.