I stood frozen in the hallway, the silk of my emerald gown clinging to my damp skin. Across the ballroom, beneath the crystal glow of the chandelier, Colin laughed—his arm around Sadie’s waist, his palm resting on the curve of her stomach. The same gesture I’d dreamed of sharing just yesterday.\n\nThe ultrasound was still in my clutch, a tiny heartbeat captured in grayscale. Joy had turned to ash in my mouth. My best friend noticed first, her eyes widening. ‘Verena?’ she whispered. ‘You didn’t know?’\n\nI didn’t need to answer. The room blurred. Every head seemed to turn. The Hughes were here. The Scotts were here. And I—pregnant, betrayed, exposed—had to decide: run now, scream later, or walk straight into the fire and demand they see me.