["Listen to you twist it? Because you loved Emily so much my baby had to make way for hers? Or what?"]
I couldn't think of another reason.
["Sign the papers."]

I stood to leave. Turning back at the door, I offered a "helpful" reminder: ["Oh, and is Emily’s baby even yours?"]
He grabbed my wrist, voice tight with menace. ["What are you implying?"]
I pried his fingers off, a slow smile spreading. ["You figure it out."]
I didn't knowif the baby was Jason's. But her reaction that day screamed suspicion.
As for the truth? Let him dig.
Jason, if you find out that baby isn’t yours… will you finally feel remorse for the one you killed?

I started gathering dirt on Jason's company dealings. I thought it was just networking, greasing wheels.
Turns out, he’d manipulated stocks, infringed patents…
When did he rot? Or was he always rotten, just hiding it well?
The memory of that wild, brilliant, defiant young man faded completely. No trace left.

I mailed the evidence anonymously to his biggest competitor. What they'd do with it wasn't my concern, but the fallout wouldn't be pretty.
Sure enough, three days later, news channels blasted Summit Tech's dirty laundry. Stock prices plummeted. Panic set in.
Autumn arrived silently. Only the yellowing leaves hinted at the change.
Walking into my apartment complex, I saw the familiar figure waiting downstairs. No idea how he found me.
Jason saw me, stubbed out his cigarette, and hurried over. ["Sophia, I've been looking everywhere."]
I stopped several paces away. He looked rough, dark circles stark. Things weren't going well.
My voice held no warmth. ["What do you want?"]
["Can we… start over?"]
Start over? Like hitting rewind on a movie? Mistake, action!
I didn't hold back the sarcasm. ["What? Not madly in love with your white moonlight anymore?"]
["I was wrong. I have nothing now. I can't lose you too…"] His eyes were red, voice thick with desperation.
In all our years, I’d rarely seen him humble himself. He was always upright, unbreakable.
Even when he asked me out years ago, it was with that lazy smile: ["Hey. Wanna go out?"]
A summer afternoon. Light filtering through leaves, dappling him. Dazzling. Enough to make you dizzy.
["I don't love you anymore…"]
My voice was soft. Hard to tell if it was for the Jason in front of me, or the boy who'd smiled and asked me out ten years ago.
He pulled me into a hug, words tumbling out. ["I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… shouldn't have hurt our baby for someone else… We… we can have another baby…"]
His words hit a raw nerve. I shoved him away, pure revulsion in my voice. ["Enough. You don't get to talk about that baby."]
He hung his head, looking utterly lost.
["What… what will it take… for you to forgive me…"]
Suddenly, I felt exhausted. He didn't seem to grasp that the baby was a chasm between us we could never cross.
It was impossible.
I took a slow breath, fingers tightening on my bag strap. ["I won't forgive you."]
I walked past him towards the building. This time, he didn't stop me.