The Revelation

“You’re such an idiot, Demitri,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he walked past Elena.

Demitri moved to the dimly lit parking lot, his thoughts racing and his fists clenched at his sides.

His chest felt heavy with regret, a weight that seemed to grow with every step he took.

Lying to Elena about Ashley being a barren at the time seemed like a convenient way to placate Elena’s growing desperation, but now the consequences of that lie loomed over him like a storm cloud.

He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. He had no excuse for his actions, but strangely, he didn’t regret them. Not entirely.

Elena’s behavior tonight had opened his eyes. The woman he once thought he loved—the woman he had pitied for so long—was nothing more than a desperate, conniving opportunist.

He didn’t see Elena approaching until her sharp voice pierced the air.

“So, you’re just going to walk away?” she demanded, her heels clicking furiously against the pavement as she stormed toward him.

Demitri turned, his expression cold and unreadable. “What do you want, Elena?”

“I want an explanation!” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. “You told me she couldn’t have children. That’s why you married her in the first place, isn’t it? To protect me?”

Demitri’s jaw tightened. “It was a lie, Elena. Ashley isn’t barren. I made that up to stop you from obsessing over her.”

Elena’s face went pale, her lips parting in disbelief. “A… lie?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, his voice low and unwavering. “A lie. Just like everything else about us.”

She staggered back slightly, her expression shifting from shock to fury. “How could you?”

“How could I?” Demitri repeated, stepping closer. “How could you? You dragged Ashley’s name through the mud in front of everyone tonight. You insulted her, ridiculed her, and for what? To satisfy your own insecurities?”

Elena’s eyes flashed. “Don’t you dare blame me for this! I did everything for us—”

“There is no ‘us,’ Elena,” Demitri cut in, his voice rising. “There hasn’t been for a long time. The only reason I ever stayed was because I pitied you. I felt sorry for you because of what happened, but that’s over now. Tonight, you proved exactly who you are.”

Elena slapped him hard across the face, her hand trembling with rage. “You think you can just walk away from me?”

Demitri barely flinched. He stared at her, his expression impassive. “Yes, Elena. I can. And I will.”

He turned on his heel and headed toward his car, his footsteps echoing in the silent lot.

“We’re not done, Demitri!” Elena shouted, running after him. She stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You don’t get to leave like this.”

“Move,” Demitri said sharply, his patience wearing thin.

“No,” she said defiantly, her chin raised. “Not until we talk.”

“I’m done talking,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Get out of my way, Elena. I mean it.”

“Or what?” she taunted, stepping even closer. “What are you going to do, Demitri? Hit me? Go ahead. Show me just how much of a coward you really are.”

Demitri’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, his jaw tightening. For a moment, neither of them spoke, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. Then, finally, he exhaled sharply and stepped around her.

“You’re pathetic,” he muttered under his breath.

Elena flinched as if he’d struck her, her expression crumbling for a brief moment before she masked it with anger. “You think you’re better than me?” she spat. “You think you can just walk away and pretend none of this ever happened?”

“Yes,” Demitri said without hesitation. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

He reached for the door handle of his car, ready to end the conversation once and for all, when Elena’s voice stopped him cold.

“I’m pregnant.”

Demitri froze, his hand hovering above the handle. Slowly, he turned to face her, his eyes narrowing.

“What did you just say?” he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

Elena straightened her shoulders, meeting his gaze with a mix of defiance and desperation. “I’m pregnant, Demitri. And it’s yours.”

The words hung in the air between them like a ticking bomb, each second stretching into eternity. Demitri stared at her, his mind racing.

For the first time that night, he was truly at a loss for words.