Chapter 12 : Stupid Enchantment Zach didn't come home for two days . Liam kept asking about him , so I had to explain that he's still in the hospital taking care of Celine . And on the third day , I received a message from him . Zach : Let's talk . The screen stayed lit in my hand longer than it should have . I didn't type anything back , but the truth was - I needed answers too . Not for closure . Not even for an apology . I needed to see if he had truly seen her for who she was . I needed to know if he'd finally woken up from his messy nightmare , so I picked the place . The same café where he used to meet Liam after school before Celine wormed her way into their afternoons . Quiet , sunlit , familiar . Like a place I used to belong . He arrived five minutes late , wearing that same jacket he wore the day I gave birth . It still made my stomach turn - though now , I couldn't tell if it was grief or disgust . He sat across from me , running a hand through his hair . He looked like he hadn't slept- good . A fraction of what I've endured . " Hey , " he said . " Hey . " " I watched your interview ," he began . His voice was low , uneven . " I read everything . The reports . The prescriptions . Neil really ... got it all . " I nodded once . " And ? " His eyes softened . " I didn't know . " " Because you didn't want to ," I said . " Because believing her was easier . " Zach winced and then straightened his back . " What can I do ? She's helpless , fragile , and she needs me . " " I wasn't perfect , Zach . But I never lied to you . I never used your guilt like a leash . She did . And you let her . " " I know , " he said , almost a whisper . " I know I did . " The silence between us was heavier than the things we weren't saying . I sipped my coffee to keep my hands from trembling . This wasn't supposed to hurt anymore . I had already buried this version of us . But then he said it . " I still care about her . " I froze mid - sip , staring at him in disbelief . Zach leaned back in his seat , guilt thick in his features . " I don't even know why . I should hate her , right ? But when I look at her , I remember all those nights she stayed when I was falling apart . After you shut me out of your life . She picked up every broken piece of me , Arianne . Even if she was holding a hammer behind her back the whole time . " I fought the urge not to smack his face . He's un - fucking - believable ! " Fine . I had many bad decisions in the past , but Celine was- " " So now she's a tragic little con artist with a heart of gold ? " I snapped , cutting him off . " She lied about a pregnancy . Framed me in public . Humiliated me in front of Liam . And you still care ? " He didn't respond . That was the bitter answer I had to swallow . My throat ached but I managed to speak . " You really love her that much , huh ? " Zach didn't look away . " I don't know , " he said . " Maybe I do ." The bile in my throat rose like a flood . This wasn't a conversation but his betrayal part two . But before I could speak , the door burst open . And of course - it was Celine . The air shifted once she stepped in . She always had the impeccable timing of a villain in a cheap romance novel . Except this wasn't fiction . This was my life . She walked in like the floor was hers . Red silk dress , heels clicking like she rehearsed it . Hair too perfect , lips painted a dangerous cherry shade . Zach stood up instinctively and met her halfway . He scooped her into his arms and kissed the side of her head . " Baby , " Celine said softly , voice cracking like a well - practiced violin . " You didn't answer your phone ." He glanced at me before turning to her . " Celine , this isn't the time- " " No , no , please ," she said , stepping closer . " Let's not do this again . Not in front of her . " I stood up slowly . " Wow , " I muttered . " No shame at all . You came here uninvited and you're making yourself the victim ? " She turned to me with a tilt of her head . " Aren't I ? I lost everything , Arianne . My reputation . My baby- " " There was no baby , " I hissed , interjecting . " We both know that . " Her lips twitched . " Maybe not to you . But to me ? It was real . " " You're unbelievable , " I scoffed . " I'm heartbroken , " she corrected , blinking slowly . " But I understand . When a woman's threatened , she claws her way back . " Zach stepped between us . " Celine , don't do this here . " " Why not ? I mean , come on , let her speak , " she said sweetly . " It's her turn on the stage now , right ? " I rolled my eyes heavenwards . " This isn't a stage . This is real life . You don't get to spin this into a soap opera anymore . " " Then why are you still here ? " she snapped , mask slipping . " Why are you still in his life , in my home , acting like you belong ? " " I belong because I'm Liam's mother . " She sneered . " And that's it . You're just the ex . The past . The ghost haunting our kitchen cabinets ." " You think you're the present ? The future ? " I laughed . " You'll be yesterday's scandal no matter how hard you try to redeem yourself . " Celine smirked and rolled her eyes . She turned to Zach , clutching his sleeve like she owned it . " I'm tired . Let's go home , baby . " Zach looked torn . Like a boy pulled between two mothers . He was thirty - six , for god's sake . Celine's grip tightened on his arm . Zach hesitated . Then , quietly , he said , " I'm sorry , Arianne . " He turned and left with her . I stood there for a long time . People started whispering again . The barista averted her eyes . I sat back down , but I couldn't taste my coffee anymore . I couldn't feel my hands . He was really into her . Still . After everything. That night , I tucked Liam into bed . He was warm , soft , and peaceful . The only person who hadn't betrayed me . " I love you ," I whispered against his hair . " And that's never going to change ." After I turned off the light , I sat by the window , staring out into the darkness before me . I wanted to scream at the stars but I couldn't . Because the truth , he wasn't mine to lose anymore . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!