Vincent hurried after Alicia. âWeâll celebrate some other timeâhere, take this card. Buy yourself whatever you like.â
He handed Nola a card and rushed out the door.
Alicia, afraid Vincent would catch up to her, ducked into the hedges as soon as she stepped outside. Only after she saw him disappear down the block did she slip out and head for a quiet side street.
Dusk had fallen; the streetlamps cast soft pools of light along the sidewalk. Alicia wandered aimlessly, glancing down at her phone every so often.
What was she waiting for? Was she hoping Tyrone would text her back?
Her phone kept buzzing, but every time she checked, it was just another message from Vincent.
With a sigh, Alicia opened her contacts and blocked him again. Suddenly, the world felt quieter.
Maybe this is what adulthood isâlearning to let go, to cut off the people and relationships that no longer belong in your life.
Just then, her phone chimed with a message from Winnie: âHey Alicia, I just got to Harboridge! Iâll be flying to Seaview City at the end of the month and have a three-day break. Wanna meet up?â There was a cute sticker attached.
Alicia smiled. Sheâd always preferred straightforward people. Winnie wasnât exactly free of ulterior motives, but at least she never pretended otherwise.
Alicia had never really been mad at Nola, either. Liking Vincent was her right. But ingratitudeâforgetting where you came from, taking kindness for grantedâthat was something Alicia couldnât forgive.
âSure, letâs meet at the end of the month,â Alicia replied.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her. Maybe it was stress, maybe it was the emotional whiplash, but she had to sit down on a nearby bench, clutching her chest as her heart raced. She pulled up her period tracker appâit told her her period was due today.
It was always on time. But this month, nothing.
She knew a few daysâ delay was normal, but something in her gut made her uneasy. On a whim, she stepped into the nearest pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test.
What if... she really was pregnant?
Alicia stood on the sidewalk, the little box heavy in her bag, her emotions tangled. Did she hope for a positive result or dread it?
If she really was pregnant, what then? After the divorce, what if the Lynch family refused to let her see her child? Was she really ready to use a baby as a way to secure her future?
Lost in thought, Alicia wandered back through the city, the neon lights reflected in puddles on the street. Seaview Cityâs nightlife was beautiful, vibrant, aliveâeveryone rushing somewhere, chasing after their lives.
She sat down again, watching people hurry home, their faces tired but determined.
Everyone has a place to go. Everyone has a home to return to.
Homeâa place to rest, to recharge after the world has worn you down.
But she had no home. No place to land.
She used to think owning a house was enoughâthat four walls and a roof made a home. But now, staring at her cold, empty apartment, she knew better. A house wasnât a home.
Her phone buzzed againâthis time, a call from Tyrone.
She answered quickly, her voice shaky. âT-Tyrone?â
âWhere are you?â His tone was tense, like he was holding back worry.
âIâm... just sitting on the curb on North Sutherby Street,â she admitted.
âSorry, I didnât have my phone with me earlier. I didnât see your messages.â He paused, taking a deep breath. âIâll come pick you up right now.â
He didnât ask if sheâd been out with Vincent. Didnât question her, didnât pry.
Alicia ended the call feeling strangely disappointed. Maybe it was because he didnât care enough to ask.
For a fleeting moment, when she answered the phone, sheâd hoped he would ask where sheâd been, who sheâd seen. After all, a married woman shouldnât be meeting up with her ex so casually...
But Tyrone said nothing.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 158 Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions She slipped the pregnancy test deeper into her bag. She wasnât ready to tell him about her suspicionsânot yet. Sheâd take the test in private, and only after she knew for sure would she tell Tyrone the truth.