The Broken Pawn Escapes Tonight Chapter 2

My peripheral vision caught the preview text:

“Harrison, I’m back in the city. We need to talk.”

Harrison’s body went rigid against mine. His hand, resting on my waist, clenched instinctively.

He pulled away, grabbed his phone, fired off a quick reply, and locked the screen before tossing it onto the sofa. He stood up, smoothing his suit jacket.

“Norah, something urgent came up at the firm. I have to go in.”

I watched him rush toward the door, my heart feeling like it was being squeezed by a giant, cold hand.

“It’s ten o’clock at night,” I said softly. “Can’t it wait?”

I held onto one last, pathetic shred of hope. Just stay. Choose me for one second.

He didn’t even stop walking. He threw a look over his shoulder, impatient and annoyed. “I’m working late to close this deal so I have leverage when I tell my family we’re getting married. Can you be a little more understanding? Stop being so needy.”

“Needy?” I whispered.

I looked at him, tears threatening to spill, but I willed them back. “Harrison, are you hiding something from me?”

He grabbed his coat, his voice hard. “No. Stop overthinking. I’ll be back when I’m done.”

The door slammed shut. Bang.

The sound severed the space between us. I sat on the sofa, staring at the empty, luxurious room, feeling the chill settle into my bones.

Harrison didn’t come home that night. No texts. No calls.

The appearance of Mallory—the “White Moonlight,” the one who got away—had turned my fragile peace into a hurricane.

I didn’t sleep.

Early the next morning, a text from an unknown number buzzed on my phone.

“Ms. Gates, it’s Mallory Kent. We need to clear the air. Southside Café, 3 PM.”

When I arrived, Mallory was already there. She was wearing a pristine white dress, hair cascading over her shoulders, makeup flawless and barely there. She looked innocent. Pure.

But her eyes were sharp, filled with an undisguised sneer.

“Norah. Thanks for coming.”

I tossed my bag onto the chair, clinging to whatever dignity I had left. “Let’s skip the pleasantries, Ms. Kent. What do you want?”

She took a delicate sip of her latte, then set the cup down. The mask dropped.

“I want you to leave Harrison.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Excuse me? I’m the fiancée. You’re the ex. Aren’t you overstepping?”

She laughed, a harsh sound that didn’t match her angelic face. “Oh, honey. You don’t actually think he loves you, do you? You’re a bargaining chip. He’s using you to terrorize his parents into accepting me.”

She leaned forward, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know why he picked you? Because you’re ruined.”

“Your reputation is trash. You’re the girl from the video. The girl everyone whispers about. He needs someone unacceptable to make the family desperate. He’s showing them: ‘Accept Mallory, or watch the heir marry the town pariah.’”

Her words were precise, surgical strikes.

“You don’t belong next to him. You’re not even fit to hold my purse.” She smiled, cruel and sweet. “Do yourself a favor. Leave now, save yourself the embarrassment. If you wait for him to dump you, it’s going to be ugly.”

I looked at her face—beautiful and rotton—and felt… nothing. Just a profound sense of absurdity.

I took a sip of my black coffee. “Ms. Kent, if you want me to leave, fine. Have Harrison come tell me himself.”

Mallory’s face darkened. She slammed her hand on the table. “Don’t be delusional! You think you’re actually Mrs. Cole? You’re a tool for his revenge against his father.”

“Whether I am or not,” I stood up, “isn’t up to you.”

I turned to leave.

“Norah Gates!” she screamed after me, losing her composure. “I will run you out of this city! Once he’s done with you, you’ll be nothing but a joke!”

I didn’t look back. I walked straight out into the afternoon sun.

But as soon as I got home, a wave of nausea hit me. I barely made it to the bathroom before I was retching.

A sinking feeling settled in my gut.

I bought a test. Two red lines.