Dear Reader- Taylor Swift

Part 7

I slipped back into my chair, staring at the wall blankly, feeling like a ton of bricks had just dropped on me. The air got so heavy that I could almost feel the tension hanging there. My brain started running through the facts, dates, and times on a loop like some crazy mental dance party. TJ, my son? The idea sent my mind spiralling into this crazy mix of emotions and what-ifs.

Just wrapping my head around the possibility that TJ might be my kid had me questioning everything. I mean, how did I not know about this? Was I really that clueless about a potential mini-me running around?

The room felt like it was shrinking, and the flickering light played tricks, casting shadows that mimicked the chaos in my head. I was stuck in this mental tug-of-war, wrestling with the idea of suddenly having a kid out there, a piece of my own story I didn't even know existed.

At that moment, I was face to face with a bunch of questions that had no easy answers. Was I ready for the responsibility of being a Mom, even if it was way late in the game? The room echoed with the weight of uncertainty, and I was caught up in a rollercoaster of feelings that seemed to have no off switch.

Sitting here in this room, I couldn't escape the fact that everything was different now. The discovery was like a giant neon sign pointing to a new chapter in my life, one that I hadn't seen coming.

As I replayed every interaction, every encounter with Belle, the puzzle pieces seemed to fall into place. The way she had looked at TJ, the undeniable resemblance I saw in his eyes – it was all too overwhelming. My heart raced with the possibility, yet fear and uncertainty clawed at the edges of my thoughts.

The door creaked open, jolting me from my calculations. Lizzie stormed into the room, her eyes ablaze with anger. She didn't bother with pleasantries or any semblance of civility.

"What the hell have you done to her?" Lizzie's voice sliced through the room, her tone accusatory and filled with rage. What am I supposed to say to that? I mean, I am assuming she is talking about Belle, but I have no idea what the context is.

I have no idea about anything at this point.

I looked up, meeting her intense gaze. "I—" "Don't," she snapped, cutting me off. "Do you have any idea what you've put Harley through? The years of pain you have caused her?" She hisses, making me sink in my chair as the realisation crashes over me.

Her words hit me like a tidal wave, and I swallowed hard, unable to find the correct response. The gravity of the situation sank in, the pain I had unknowingly inflicted on Belle. I stupidly thought that all the pain I inflicted was while we were together, but something is telling me this is about a lot more than our relationship and breakup. Something tells me the pain has lingered with Belle ever since we met. And I hate myself for it.

"I, I didn't mean to," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lizzie scoffed, her frustration palpable. "You know, after everything that happened in her life, I never thought I would see Harls let anyone in. I mean, I worked for years for her to let me be a part of her life, and even then, she has always kept me at arm's length. But she always swore that love was off-limits to her. She had seen what people were willing to do in the name of love, and she rightfully wanted no part in it because the love she thought she deserved was so bad. But then she met someone. We all knew she had because suddenly her smile wasn't fake anymore. For years, she walked through life with a fake smile that only those who knew her could tell was fake, but suddenly it was real. Suddenly, she had this sparkle in her eyes that I never thought she could have. For months, she was so happy that I thought, this is it. Harls has finally found the love she deserves because if there is one person on this planet that deserves love, it's Harls," Lizzie spits, her arms crossed as she stares me down.