“Ma’am Lily, is that you?”
“Yes, Nikki. How is Arlo? Where is he now?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“Ma’am Lily, why did you do this to Sir Arlo? He’s nearly lost his mind looking for you. Why did you lie to all of us, pretending when you’re actually another person? We don’t have a problem with it, but Sir Arlo… you hurt him so much, Ma’am Lily .”
“Nikki…”
“Sir Arlo isn’t here anymore. He left.”
“Please, Nikki, tell me where he went.”
“Sorry, ma’am, but we don’t know. It’s better this way, ma’am. Let Sir Arlo be, because even we can’t bear to see him in this state,” Nikki said.
I took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. Tears flowed down my cheeks.
“Nikki, please, tell me where he is,” I pleaded again.
“I’m really sorry, ma’am. I honestly don’t know. If only you could see how he reacted when he read the news about you—he was utterly devastated,” Nikki said, her words making my chest tighten as if it were about to explode.
I was about to respond when I realized Nikki was no longer on the line.
“This is my fault. I shouldn’t have obeyed my grandfather. I should have told Arlo the truth earlier. How foolish I’ve been. What if I lose Arlo forever and never see him again?” I hugged my knees and cried.
I didn’t even realize that it was already nighttime. I lost track of time as I cried, forgetting everything—even myself. I was sitting on my bed, staring blankly.
“He’ll come back. I’ll tell him I’m pregnant. I’ll tell him the truth. He’ll understand why I did this,” I told myself.
—
LILY
““5 Years Later”“
“Caroline,” I called my secretary.
“Yes, ma’am, Lily,” she replied.
“Caroline, please cancel all my appointments for today, okay? My twins have a special program at school, and they need me there,” I instructed her.
“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, and I turned away.
I am now the CEO of Davis Company in Alabama. Dad handles the Davis Plantation with Grandpa. It was too much for Dad to handle both the company and the Plantation, especially since he and Grandpa have other properties to manage.
I still can’t believe that almost everything Grandpa owns has been named under me. Thankfully, Mom and Dad are always guiding me, and we help each other manage everything.
As I left the company, Mom called to let me know she was already at the school with my twins, Grayson and Gabriella
Time flies so fast. It’s been five years since I last saw Arlo, and now my twins are already four years old.
Five years have passed, and I have no news about Arlo. To me, it doesn’t feel like just five years—it feels much longer.
The last news I heard about him was from paparazzi videos showing him dating or flirting with various women. After that, it was like he disappeared. There was no news about him anymore. Everything about him went silent.
I always ask myself, “Where is he now? Has he completely left the state and decided never to return?” His company continues to operate, and according to the private investigator I hired, Arlo has someone managing it. However, there’s no information about where Arlo himself might be. He’s so hard to find.
When I asked his friends three years ago, they claimed not to know where he was. I don’t even know if they were telling me the truth. Even Arlo’s parents are often out of the country.
Despite this, I haven’t lost hope that our paths will cross again—mine and the father of my twins. Wherever he is, I always pray that he still remembers me. I hope that one day I’ll see him again and that he’ll forgive me. If he can’t forgive me, I hope he’ll at least acknowledge his twins.
I took a long, deep breath while driving. I shook my head repeatedly, trying to dispel the thoughts of the past five years. Maybe he has a family of his own now, which is why he hasn’t returned to the state. Once again, tears welled up as memories of the past overwhelmed me.
I nearly hit the car in front of me because I didn’t notice the traffic light. Startled, I clutched my chest, trying to calm myself.
