my novel had lived—two years of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights—was gone. I searched every corner of the hard drive, hoping I had mistakenly deleted it.

Nothing.

“That’s odd,” I said to myself.

My laptop was there, but the most important part of my life’s work had disappeared without a trace.

“Okay, don’t freak out,” I whispered, clutching the edge of the desk. “You probably just deleted it.”

But I knew I hadn’t. I bolted out of the room and headed straight to Lana.

As I passed the hallway, muffled voices caught my attention. I froze, my heart pounding. Slowly, I moved toward the sound.

The door to the next room was slightly ajar.

“We just need to pitch it to the right publisher?” he asked.

My blood ran cold. Eric’s voice was unmistakable. Peeking through the gap, I saw Lana leaning in, her voice a low hum of conspiracy.

“Her manuscript is brilliant,” Lana said, her tone syrupy.

“We’ll figure out how to position it as mine. She’ll never know what hit her.”

My stomach churned with anger and betrayal, but also something worse—disappointment. Eric, who’d made me laugh, listened to me, and who I’d started to trust, was part of that.

I turned away before they could see me and headed to my room.

I slammed my suitcase shut, stuffing clothes into it haphazardly.

“This was supposed to be my fresh start,” I whispered bitterly.

My vision blurred, but I refused to cry. Crying was for someone who still believed in second chances, and I was done with that.

By the time I left the island, the bright sunshine felt like a cruel joke. I kept my gaze ahead, refusing to look back.

I didn’t need to.

***

Months later, the bookstore was buzzing with excitement. Rows of seats were filled, and the air hummed with conversation. I stood at the podium, holding a copy of my novel, and tried to focus on the faces smiling back at me.

“Thank you all for being here tonight,” I said, my voice steady despite the swirl of emotions beneath the surface.

“This book is the result of years of work and… a journey I never expected to take.”

The applause was warm, yet I felt an ache deep in my chest as I looked out over the crowd. The novel was my pride, yes, but the road to its success had been anything but smooth. The betrayal still lingered in my mind.

After the signing line dwindled and the last guest left, I sank into a chair at the corner of the store, exhausted.

That’s when I saw it—a small folded note on the table.

“You owe me an autograph. Café around the corner when you’re free.”

The handwriting was unmistakable. My heart skipped a beat.

Eric.

I stared at the note, my emotions a confusing mix of curiosity, irritation, and something else I wasn’t ready to name.

For a moment, I considered crumpling it up and walking away. But instead, I sighed, grabbed my coat, and headed for the café. I spotted him immediately.

“You’re bold, leaving me a note like that,” I said, sliding into the seat across from him.

“Bold or desperate?” he replied with a wry smile.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“Neither was I,” I admitted.

“Thea, I need to explain. What happened on the island… At first, I didn’t realize Lana’s true motives. She convinced me it was all to help you.

But the moment I discovered what she was really planning, I stole the flash drive and sent it to you.”

I stayed silent.

“When Lana involved me, she said you were too modest to publish your novel yourself,” Eric continued. “She claimed you didn’t believe in your talent and needed someone to surprise you, to push it forward. I thought I was helping.”

“A surprise?” I shot back.

“You mean taking my work behind my back?”

“That’s what I thought at first. The moment she told me the truth, I grabbed the flash drive and went to find you, but you were already gone.”

“So, what I overheard wasn’t what it seemed?”

“It wasn’t. Thea, I chose you the second I understood the truth.”

I let the silence settle, waiting for the familiar anger to surface.

But it wasn’t there anymore. Lana’s manipulations were in the past, and the novel had been published on my terms.

“She always envied you, you know,” Eric said quietly, breaking the silence. “Even back in university, she felt overshadowed.

This time, she saw an opportunity and used both our trust to try and take what wasn’t hers.”

“And now?”

“She’s gone. Disappeared from every circle I know. She couldn’t face the fallout after I refused to back her lies.”

“You made the right choice.

That counts for something.”

“Does that mean you’ll give me another chance?”

“One date,” I said, holding up a finger. “Don’t mess it up.”

His grin widened. “Deal.”

As we left the café, I caught myself smiling.

That one date turned into another and then another. Before I knew it, I fell in love. And that time, it wasn’t one-sided.

What started with betrayal had blossomed into a relationship built on understanding, forgiveness, and, yes, love.

Source: amomama