Fleeing with His Twins: The CEO's Regret Comes Too Late

Tags: Broken Engagement, Rejected Child, Cheating & Betrayal, Secret Pregnancy, Second Chance Romance Three months into my pregnancy, I broke up with my fiancé, Austin Vance. He frowned at me. "What are you throwing a fit for? Just because my mom said you shouldn't keep the baby right now?" "Yeah." He let out an impatient sigh. "Fine. Go home and get some rest. I'll talk to my mom." I didn't answer. He turned away to take a call from his assistant, completely ignoring me. "Book two first-class tickets to Miami. I'm taking her away for the weekend to clear her head." That "her" wasn't me. He hung up and casually told me we'd talk another day. Little did he know, my latest ultrasound had just confirmed twins. From that moment on, we were done. No more entanglements. I dialed my phone: "Auntie, help me arrange everything to move abroad." Since his family didn't want these babies... They would take my last name. They would have nothing to do with the Vance family ever again. "Hey Piper, it's Chloe Vance. Austin gave me your SnapChat. He told me to keep you company whenever I'm free." The notification popped up on my phone just as I hung up with my aunt. A friend request. I stared at the screen for a few seconds and left it ignored. I went back to packing my things. When Maya came over, I was slipping my ultrasound report inside my passport. She stood by the doorway, glancing around the living room before looking at the papers in my hand. "You're packing?" "Yeah." "Where are you going?" "Out of the country." She walked in slowly, sat down on the edge of the sofa, and let her gaze drop to my stomach. "What about the baby?" "Coming with me." "Does Austin know?" "He knows I broke up with him. He doesn't know I'm leaving." "When are you going to tell him?" "I'm not." Maya's lips parted, but she stopped herself. After a few seconds, she changed the subject. "Why does his mother insist you get rid of it anyway?" I stopped what I was doing. What Austin's mother actually said was: *Piper, I consulted a psychic. The baby's astrological chart clashes horribly with Austin's. It's a bad omen. The psychic made it very clear—you have to terminate it.* When I told Maya, she crumpled the tissue in her hand into a tight ball. "She's pulling that psychic nonsense?" "Yeah." "And what did Austin say?" "He said he'd talk to her. Then, right in front of my face, he called his assistant and booked two tickets to Miami. To take Chloe." "Who the hell is Chloe?" "His childhood friend. She moved back two months ago. He said he wanted to take her away to unwind." Maya stared at me for a long time, her eyes rimmed with red. "You're doing the right thing." My phone buzzed again. Having failed on SnapChat, Chloe sent a direct text message instead: "Piper, Austin mentioned you haven't had much of an appetite lately. I made some chicken bone broth and left it with your building's concierge. Don't forget to pick it up!" I handed the phone to Maya. She read it and looked up. "He asked *her* to bring you soup?" "That's what the text says." "And where is he?" "Booking flights to Miami." Maya handed my phone back without another word. After half a minute of silence, she stood up and began neatly folding the clothes left in my closet, packing them into my suitcase. "What do you need me to do?" "Help me ship that box of books to my aunt." "Got it." I opened the prenatal report and glanced at it. Maya leaned over. "Twins?" "Confirmed this morning." "Does he know?" "No." "You really aren't going to tell him?" "He didn't even want one. What difference would telling him there are two make?" Maya didn't ask again. She helped me finish packing, and as she stood by the door before leaving, she turned back. "Take care of yourself. Call me whenever you need anything." "I will." Once the door clicked shut, I sat on the couch alone, resting my hand over my belly. At nine that evening, Austin came home. As he kicked off his shoes, his eyes caught the suitcase in the foyer. He froze for two seconds, then walked into the living room. "Where are you going?" "Staying out for a few days." He sat down beside me, reaching out to wrap an arm around my shoulder. "Still throwing a tantrum? I told you I'd talk to my mom." "Did you tell Chloe to drop off that soup?" He paused, caught off guard. "She said she wanted to get to know you, so I gave her the address. She's really sweet. You two could get along." "You gave our home address to a woman I don't even know." "What do you mean you don't know her? I've mentioned her tons of times. We grew up together." "You didn't ask me first." He sighed heavily. "Fine. Next time I'll ask first. Just don't leave." "Did you cancel the Miami trip?" Three seconds of dead silence. "Her tickets are already booked. It wouldn't be right to cancel now." "Then go." I stood up to grab my suitcase. He stood up too, blocking the doorway. "Piper Hayes, do you actually want to make this work or not?" I looked up into his eyes. "Austin, your mother told me to abort your child, and you called it a tantrum. You gave my SnapChat to another woman, and you called me dramatic. You booked two tickets to Miami with her, and you called me unreasonable. So tell me—what actually counts as serious to you?" He had no answer. His phone rang. He glanced down. It was Chloe. He looked at the screen, then back at me. "Her insomnia has been pretty bad lately. Let me take this." He answered the call and stepped out onto the balcony. His voice drifted through the glass door. "What's wrong? Can't sleep again?" I pulled my suitcase behind me and walked out the door. I didn't wait for him to finish that phone call. Inside the elevator, I texted my aunt: "Expedite the visa." She replied with two words: "On it.""Piper, you are pushing Austin too far." The call from Austin's mother came earlier than I expected. Early the next morning, before I had even finished breakfast at the hotel. "Mrs. Vance." Silence hung over the line for two seconds. "What did you just call me?" "We broke up. I shouldn't be calling you 'Mom' anymore." "Broke up?" Her voice exploded with offended rage. "You think you can just call it quits like that? What about the baby in your belly?" "Didn't you tell me not to keep it?" "I told you to get rid of it for your and Austin's own good! That baby's chart clashes with Austin. The psychic confirmed it. Keeping it will ruin your marriage!" "We don't have a marriage anymore." "Piper Hayes, don't you dare think you can act lawless just because Austin spoils you. Let me tell you something: keep the baby or don't, but you do not get to use that child to manipulate my son." "I'm not manipulating him. I just left." "Left? Where could you possibly go?" I didn't answer. She rambled on, repeating the same points: stop making a scene, come back and talk like an adult, Austin had already promised to handle things, learn to control your temper. When she finished, I simply said, "Mrs. Vance, I respect your decision. Please respect mine." Then I hung up. Just as I set the phone down, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was room service, I opened it, only to find Chloe standing outside. She was holding an insulated bag. "Piper! It's so good to finally meet you." I didn't step aside. "Austin told me you moved into a hotel, so he asked me to check on you." "That won't be necessary." "I'm already here," she said, nudging the bag forward a little. "It's fish maw and chicken soup. Great for the stomach. I simmered it for three hours last night." I didn't take it. Her smile never wavered as she set the bag down on the floor by the door. "I'll just leave it here. Drink it whenever you're hungry." Just as I was about to close the door, she suddenly added something. "Piper, honestly, I also came because I wanted to tell you something. Austin has been under an immense amount of pressure lately—work stuff, plus everything between you two. He was over at my place last night until two in the morning before he went home." Last night at ten, he had texted me: *I'll come pick you up tomorrow.* So after sending that text, he went straight to her place. Chloe seemed to realize what she had let slip and quickly covered her mouth. "Oh, please don't misunderstand! He just wanted someone to talk to. We've been like that since we were kids. You're the only one in his heart. I've told him so many times that you're a wonderful girl and he needs to cherish you." Every word pretended to stand up for me. Every word was designed to remind me that she knew him far better than I ever would. "Thank you." "Please stop fighting with Austin. He's clumsy with his words, but he truly cares about you." "Right." "I'll get going now. Don't forget to drink the soup. You're carrying a baby, you can't go hungry." She turned and left. The door closed, and I sat back on the edge of the bed. A message popped up from Austin: "Did Chloe stop by? She's really sweet. You two should spend more time together." Immediately followed by another: "I'll come pick you up after work this afternoon. Don't run off." I pulled out the hotel notepad and copied down the travel checklist my aunt had sent over. Visa cleared tomorrow. Flight confirmed the day after. Bank paperwork this afternoon. Just as I finished writing, my phone lit up again. Austin's mother had sent a screenshot on SnapChat. It was a chat between her and Chloe. Chloe had texted: *Auntie, Piper wasn't looking too well today. I'm going to drop by and see her, maybe try to talk some sense into her.* Austin's mother replied: *Good girl. Thank you for doing this.* Chloe wrote: *It's nothing! We're all family, after all.* Austin's mother forwarded that screenshot to me with an added note: *Look at Chloe. Look how sensible and considerate she is. If you were half as easy to deal with, I wouldn't have to be hard on you.* I stared at the screen. Suddenly, everything became crystal clear. Chloe had supposedly only been back for two months. Yet Austin's mother called her a "good girl," and Chloe called her "Auntie" with a practiced, polished intimacy. Two months wasn't enough time for that. That dynamic had been cultivated for much longer. I put down my phone, grabbed my purse, and walked out. As I passed the front desk, the clerk called out to me. "Ms. Hayes, someone left this for you." A bouquet of pink carnations. The card read: *Don't be sad, Piper. Everything will be okay. —Chloe.* I glanced at it and said to the clerk, "Throw it in the trash, please." Stepping out into the street, I texted Maya: "Look into something for me. When did Chloe start getting in touch with the Vance family before she came back?" Maya replied: "What are you suspecting?" "I suspect she didn't just come back two months ago.""Are you here to pick up some things? Let me help you find them." Chloe was standing in the living room. I paused in the foyer for two seconds before walking inside. "No need. I can find my own things." A new box of herbal tea sat on the coffee table. Something was simmering on the stove in the kitchen, filling the air with the smell of broth. A sticky note was plastered onto the fridge. The handwriting wasn't mine: *Austin, remember to stay hydrated!* Chloe followed close behind, chattering as we walked. "Austin said this morning you might come back for your stuff. He asked me to help host you. He had an urgent meeting at the firm and couldn't make it back for lunch." "He let you stay here?" "Yeah. His stomach hasn't been great lately, so I put together a meal plan for him. The broth needs someone watching the heat." I walked into the master bedroom and opened the nightstand drawer. Deed, passport, birth certificate, bank books—I pulled them out one by one and slipped them into my bag. Chloe leaned against the doorframe, watching me. "Piper, can I ask you something?" "Go ahead." "Are you really breaking up with Austin?" "Yes." She lowered her head, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Then what about him?" "He has you to look after him." Chloe waved her hands frantically. "Piper, you've got the wrong idea! Austin and I are truly just friends. When I moved back, I had trouble adjusting. He helped me out so much, and I just wanted to return the favor." "By staying in his house, making him soup, and leaving sticky notes on his fridge?" She froze, her cheeks flushing red. "Piper, that sticky note was just a casual reminder. I didn't mean anything by it." I didn't bother continuing the conversation. I walked into the walk-in closet. I opened the doors. The left side was filled with Austin's suits; the right side used to be entirely mine. Now, more than half of it was empty. Hanging in the cleared-out space were three brand-new designer dresses, tags still attached. Definitely not my style. Chloe spoke softly from behind me. "Those... his mom bought those for me. She told me to wear them when I go out with Austin this weekend." This weekend. Miami. Austin's mother had bought her clothes and hung them in my closet. I took down my remaining coats, folded them, and packed them into my duffel bag. Walking out of the bedroom, I pushed past her and headed back to the living room. The pot on the stove was bubbling loudly. The sound of keys turning in the lock came from the front door. Austin walked in. He looked at the bags in my hands first, then at Chloe, his brow furrowing. "You came? Why didn't you call me?" "Just getting my things." He caught sight of my personal documents peeking out of my bag, and his expression darkened. "What do you need those for?" "Going abroad." "Abroad? Where?" "Haven't decided yet." "Piper Hayes," his voice dropped, heavy with frustration. "Can you stop stirring up drama every single day? You're pregnant. You aren't going anywhere." Chloe cut in right on cue. "Austin, don't yell at her. Maybe she just wants to take a vacation to clear her head." Austin shot her a look. "Chloe, go check on the soup in the kitchen." Chloe turned and walked toward the kitchen. Once she was out of earshot, he lowered his voice. "I just found out about the clothes. My mom did that on her own." "Your own home, and you had no idea. Your mother bought another woman clothes and hung them in my closet, and you had no idea." "I literally just found out!" "And now that you know, what are you going to do?" His mouth opened, then closed. I waited a few seconds. Those few seconds of hesitation, just like last time, were my answer. "Austin, you said you'd talk to your mother. What did you talk about? Your mother calls her a good girl, buys her clothes to hang in my closet, and texts me telling me to learn from Chloe. Is this the result of your talk?" The expression on his face was a tangled mess. "I'll handle it." "When?" "In the next couple of days." "Aren't you going to Miami for the next couple of days?" He took a sharp breath. Chloe's voice called from the kitchen: "Austin, the soup is ready!" He turned to acknowledge her, then looked back at me pleadingly. "Let's meet tonight and have a proper talk, okay? Please, don't leave just yet." I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked to the front door. "Enjoy your soup. I'm not hungry.""Piper Hayes, did you honestly think I wouldn't track you down just because you hid in a hospital?" Austin's mother's voice echoed through the OB-GYN waiting area while I was waiting for my number to be called. Seven or eight expectant mothers were sitting around me, some accompanied by their husbands, others by their mothers-in-law. At the sound of her screech, every head turned in our direction. I stood up. "Mrs. Vance, this is a hospital." "I know it's a hospital," she sneered, marching toward me. "And I know you're here for a prenatal checkup. What, you break up with my son and still come running to the Vance family's clinic?" It wasn't their clinic. But the Vance family held VIP status here; Austin's mother knew the department head, so she acted like she owned the place. Chloe trailed behind her, clutching a thermos, wearing an expression of deep concern. "Auntie, keep your voice down, please. There are pregnant women everywhere." Austin's mother lowered her volume marginally. "Piper, let me make this very clear: you cannot keep this child. The psychic read the charts. The baby's aura clashes with Austin's destiny. Keeping it will ruin his fortune." "Mrs. Vance, Austin and I are over. The baby will take my last name. It has nothing to do with the Vance family." Austin's mother froze for a second, then let out a sharp, mocking laugh. It wasn't deafening, but in the quiet waiting room, it grated on everyone's ears. "Take your name? A child of the Vance bloodline, taking *your* name?" "We aren't married. The child can take whatever name I choose." "Are you threatening me?" "I'm stating a fact." Austin's mother looked me up and down with utter contempt. "Piper, I won't sugarcoat it anymore. Austin and Chloe have been close since childhood. That's the match I've always wanted. You? You're an outsider who came later. It's not that I look down on you, but you two were never meant to be. While we can still keep things civil, take care of the pregnancy, walk away cleanly, and everyone wins." I turned my eyes toward Chloe. She kept her gaze cast down, gripping her thermos in silence. If any of it were untrue, she would have denied it. She didn't utter a single word. A man sitting beside his pregnant wife couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and cut in. "Ma'am, this is a public space. Could you please keep your voice down?" Austin's mother shot him a venomous glare, and the man shrank back half a step. I took a deep breath, my hands instinctively shielding my lower abdomen. "Mrs. Vance, I will raise the baby myself." "Raise it yourself?" Her voice shot right back up. "With what? What's your monthly salary? Don't you know your own place? A girl from a no-name town with zero backing—the only reason you even have a roof over your head in this city is because Austin pulled you up! And now you're telling me you don't need the Vance family?" The waiting area fell dead silent. Everyone was staring. Chloe finally stepped in. "Auntie, please stop. Piper is having a hard time too." She turned to me. "Piper, Auntie doesn't mean it like that. Please don't take it to heart, she's just worried." Then she tugged at Austin's mother's arm. "Auntie, let's go. Let's let Piper get her checkup in peace." Austin's mother took two steps back, then abruptly whipped around. She pulled a checkbook from her designer bag, scribbled on it, and slammed a check down onto the armrest of the waiting chair. "Fifty thousand dollars. Terminate the pregnancy. Consider it compensation for your recovery." I stared at the check. I had to convince myself that this was actually happening. A grown woman, standing in an OB-GYN clinic in front of dozens of pregnant patients, slapping down fifty thousand dollars to demand that another woman abort her child. A sudden, sharp cramp seized my abdomen. I grabbed onto the arm of the chair next to me. Another spasm hit, sharper than the last. A triage nurse rushed over. "What's wrong? How far along are you?" "Twelve weeks. Twins." The nurse's face instantly hardened. "Sit down. Don't move. I'm calling the doctor right now." Austin's mother stood two steps away, the check still lying on the armrest. "Don't try to play the victim to gain sympathy." Chloe crouched down, trying to support my arm. "Piper, don't be scared, you'll be fine—" I yanked my arm back from her grip. A doctor pushed a wheelchair over and helped me into it. Austin's mother stood frozen in place, unsure whether she should leave or stay. Just as the wheelchair was being pushed into the corridor, the heavy double doors of the waiting room were shoved open. A woman walked in. Her gaze swept over the crowd and locked onto me with absolute precision. She dropped to one knee beside the wheelchair, placing a warm hand over the back of mine. "Piper, I'm here." My aunt, Eleanor Hayes. The moment Austin's mother saw her, all color drained from her face. Her lips twitched. "M-Ms. Hayes?" Eleanor didn't even look at her. Chloe stood paralyzed behind her, her grip tightening on the thermos, struck completely speechless for the first time. Eleanor stood up and addressed the nurse. "Is the Chief of Obstetrics here? Bring him to me." The nurse hesitated for a fraction of a second. Eleanor pulled a business card from her coat pocket and handed it over. The nurse glanced at the name, her eyes went wide, and she took off running. Eleanor turned around, finally deigning to look at Austin's mother. "Mrs. Vance, if you ever appear in front of my niece again, you will learn the true meaning of the word 'consequences.'"