When Love Break Ties

Chapter 24: Abby's Deepest Secret

Nathan felt a chill crawl up his spine as he sat next to Abby on their apartment's balcony, overlooking the Tokyo skyline. The air between them was heavy, laden with something unspoken yet palpable. Abby had been unusually quiet for the past few days—her usual spark dimmed, replaced by a pensive, almost haunted look. Nathan had grown used to her swings in mood, but this was different. This wasn't just another argument or fleeting frustration about her influencer career or the legal battles with her family. This felt deeper, darker.

"Nate," Abby's voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but it was enough to snap Nathan out of his thoughts. He turned to face her, sensing the gravity in her tone.

"I need to tell you something. Something I should've told you a long time ago."

Nathan's heart raced. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he braced himself. "What is it, Abs?"

Abby hesitated, her eyes locking onto his, filled with a mix of fear and vulnerability he hadn't seen before. "There's something about my past... something I never told you. I didn't know how. But I can't keep hiding it anymore."

Nathan's mind whirred with possibilities. Had she been married before? Did she have a child? Was there something criminal in her history? His chest tightened as he watched Abby's fingers fidget nervously. Whatever it was, he could tell it was about to shift the foundation of their relationship.

"I didn't leave Cebu just because of the legal issues with my family," Abby began, her voice trembling. "There was more to it. Something... worse."

Nathan furrowed his brows. "Worse?"

Abby nodded, taking a deep breath before continuing. "When I was younger, before I became the 'Abby' you know—the influencer, the girl with the perfect online life—I made some terrible decisions. I was involved with someone... someone dangerous. I was in a really toxic relationship with an older man."

Nathan's stomach lurched, but he remained silent, letting her speak.

"He was controlling, manipulative, and abusive," Abby continued, her voice cracking. "It took me years to break away from him. My family knew, but instead of supporting me, they blamed me. They said it was my fault, that I had let it happen. That's why things got so bad between me and my mom. She never understood, and instead of protecting me, she used it against me in our fights, in the courts. I was left alone to deal with it all."

Nathan's chest tightened further. He had always known that Abby had issues with her family, but this level of betrayal and hurt was something he hadn't anticipated.

"I... I'm so sorry you went through that, Abs," Nathan whispered, reaching for her hand, but Abby pulled away slightly, her eyes still distant.

"There's more," she said, her voice now barely audible. "I thought I could move past it. I thought coming to Tokyo and building this new life with you would help me forget. But I haven't. I... I haven't told you everything about my relationship with him."

Nathan's pulse quickened. He didn't say anything, just waited for her to continue.

"I got pregnant," Abby finally revealed, her voice breaking. "When I was with him. But I lost the baby."

The words hung in the air, suffocating Nathan. He felt like the ground beneath him was falling away. Abby had been pregnant? And she'd never told him? He didn't know how to respond, how to process the flood of emotions crashing over him. Anger, sorrow, confusion—they all collided in his mind.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nathan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I was ashamed," Abby confessed, tears streaming down her cheeks now. "I couldn't bear the thought of you looking at me differently. I didn't want you to see me as damaged or broken. I didn't want you to pity me."

"Abby, I—" Nathan's words faltered. He didn't know what to say, how to offer her comfort when he himself felt so lost in the revelation. His mind was spinning. Abby had a past so much more complicated than he'd ever imagined, and he couldn't help but feel the weight of it bearing down on him.

But there was something else eating at him too—a sense of betrayal. How could she have kept something so monumental from him for so long? They had shared so much, built a relationship based on what he thought was honesty and trust, and now, this revelation made him question everything. Had he ever really known Abby?

"You should have told me, Abs," Nathan finally said, his voice heavy with hurt. "I understand that it was painful for you, but this is... I don't even know how to feel right now."

Abby looked at him with tear-filled eyes, pleading. "I'm telling you now because I love you, Nathan. I didn't want to lie to you anymore. I wanted you to know the real me, all of me."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, trying to think through the whirlwind of emotions. His mind was flooded with questions. How long had she planned to keep this from him? And what did it mean for them now? Could he move past this? Did he want to?

"I don't know what to say," Nathan admitted, his voice cracking. "This is a lot. I just... I need time to process."

Abby nodded, her face crumpling in despair. "I understand if you're mad. If you need space. I just couldn't keep lying to you."

Nathan stood up, pacing the balcony, unable to sit still with the weight of this revelation. He loved Abby, he truly did, but this was more than he had ever prepared himself for. How could they move forward from here when their relationship was built on a secret so big?

"You were right to tell me," Nathan finally said, his back still turned to her. "But I don't know how this changes things between us. I don't know how to fix this."

Abby sobbed quietly behind him, and Nathan's heart ached, but there was also a growing distance between them that he couldn't ignore. The trust they had was now fractured, and he wasn't sure if they could piece it back together. Could love survive a wound this deep? Could he forgive her for hiding something so significant?

The skyline of Tokyo stretched out before him, vast and unrelenting, just like the questions now flooding his mind. He had always seen their relationship as a source of solace, a place where he could escape the complexities of family and identity. But now, with this revelation, everything felt fragile—everything felt uncertain.

Nathan closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Abby's secret had shifted everything, and now, they would both have to face the consequences.

"I just need time," Nathan whispered, barely audible over the city noise, unsure if Abby even heard him. But in truth, he wasn't sure if time would be enough.