Aliana's POV
"Lucas called me earlier. He said he found something that might change everything," I say, my voice trembling as I meet with Michael in my office. The soft hum of the city outside seems distant now, drowned out by the heavy tension between us.
Michael nods slowly, his eyes full of worry. "Aliana, what did he find?" he asks, his tone careful, as if afraid that any more truth might shatter what little trust remains between us.
I take a deep breath. "I dug deeper into Sarah's past. I learned that her so-called pregnancy was fake—an act she put on to trap you. Everything was planned." My voice is barely above a whisper as I recount the details that Lucas uncovered.
Michael's face pales. "Fake? But… all those months… the pictures, the lies…"
I lean forward, my eyes searching his. "Yes, Michael. It was all a lie. Sarah never really was pregnant the way she said she was. It was a ruse to make you believe in a future with her." My hands shake as I try to steady my thoughts.
Before Michael can speak, I decide it's time to confront the source of the deception. "I'm going to see her now. I need to hear it straight from her." I stand up, the decision firm in my mind despite the turmoil in my heart.
Later that day, I find Sarah waiting in the grand foyer of the upscale hotel where we agreed to meet. Her smile is as practiced as ever, a mask of innocence that makes my skin crawl. I walk up to her, and we stand face-to-face.
"Sarah," I say, my voice low and controlled. "We need to talk. Now."
She laughs softly, a sound that feels out of place in the midst of our heated conversation. "Oh, Aliana, always so dramatic. What could you possibly want to discuss?" Her tone is light, but I can see the tension behind her eyes.
I fix her with a steady gaze. "I know about your fake pregnancy. I know you did it to trap Michael. Why would you lie about something so important?" My words come out harsher than I intended, but the need for truth burns stronger than my need for diplomacy.
Sarah's smile falters for a moment. "Fake pregnancy? That sounds like a cruel exaggeration. I was sincere about everything—about us, about Michael." Her voice wavers, and for a split second, I catch a glimpse of fear beneath the mask.
I press on, not giving her a chance to recover. "No, Sarah. Lucas found evidence that proves you staged it all. All those photos, the fake doctor's appointments... They were all part of your plan." My heart hammers in my chest as I watch her eyes dart away.
She takes a step back, her smile trying to come back. "Aliana, you have no idea what you're talking about. Sometimes, you make things up to justify your own pain." Her tone is defensive, but I can tell her mask is beginning to crack.
"Stop, Sarah," I say, my voice rising. "I want the truth. You manipulated Michael, you manipulated everyone. Why would you do this? What did you hope to gain?" The words spill out, each one a challenge to the web of lies she's spun.
For a long moment, Sarah is silent. The air is thick with the weight of our conversation. Finally, she speaks, her voice soft, almost pleading. "I did what I had to do. Michael never really saw me. I was invisible until I made him see me." Her eyes are glossy, and I can sense the desperation hidden behind her carefully chosen words.
Michael steps into the conversation, his voice trembling with doubt. "Sarah, if you cared about us, you wouldn't have resorted to such deception. I deserve to know what's really going on." His words hang between us, a reminder of the trust that has been shattered.
Sarah's laugh is brittle. "Trust? Michael, you always were so naive. You believed in love and honesty, and look where it got you." She turns her gaze towards Michael, then back to me. "Aliana, sometimes the truth is too painful to face. Perhaps you should let sleeping dogs lie."
I feel anger boil inside me. "No, Sarah. The truth has to come out. Your lies have hurt too many people." I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady despite the storm raging in my heart.
Michael's face is conflicted, torn between his lingering feelings for me and the new suspicions rising inside him. "Sarah, I want to believe you, but I can't ignore what I've heard. I need to know—what are you hiding?" His voice is filled with a mix of hope and dread.
Before Sarah can answer, my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen and see an anonymous message. My heart skips a beat as I open it. The message reads: "Sarah swapped her baby with another child. Look deeper, and you will see the truth." My hands tremble, and I hold the phone out so both Michael and Sarah can see the text.
Sarah's eyes widen for a moment, the facade of innocence beginning to crumble visibly. Michael's face turns pale, and he looks from the message to Sarah, his confusion and hurt mixing in his expression. I feel a cold chill run through me as I realize that there might be even more deception at play than I had ever imagined.
"Who sent this?" Michael asks, his voice barely audible, as if the question itself might shatter the fragile hope he still clings to.
Sarah's face hardens immediately. "I—I don't know what you're talking about," she stammers, clearly rattled by the message. But I can see the fear in her eyes, a fear that tells me she knows more than she's willing to admit.
I look between them, feeling the weight of this new revelation pressing down on us all. "This message suggests that you swapped your baby with another child, Sarah. Is that true? Or is it just another lie?" My voice is steady now, driven by the desperate need to unearth the truth.
Before anyone can answer, the room falls into a heavy silence. My heart races as I wait for Sarah's response, the mystery deepening with every passing second. The future of our tangled lives now rests on the truth of this single message—a truth that might bring us closer together or tear everything apart.