Chapter 38: 37.

Tiana’s POV:

The door creaked open, and I glanced up, startled to see Ashantii standing there. Her usual air of confidence was muted, replaced by something that almost looked like regret.

She held my phone in her hand, and for a brief moment, my heart leapt. “Here,” she said softly, extending it toward me.

I hesitated, searching her face for any sign of deception. She looked sincere, her eyes shimmering as though she was on the verge of tears.

“I’m giving it back to you,” she said, her voice low. “I shouldn’t have taken it in the first place. I’m sorry, Tiana.”

I reached out and took the phone, my hands trembling slightly. The weight of it felt foreign after days without it.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed on the floor. “I know I’ve hurt you. I know I’ve broken your trust,” she said. “But I did everything because I love you. I was scared—terrified, actually. I didn’t know how to tell you about the IVF because I thought you’d say no. And I couldn’t handle that.”

I blinked, her words swirling in my head. Part of me wanted to lash out, to throw the phone and tell her how wrong she was, how much she’d betrayed me. But something in her tone—her vulnerability—stopped me.

“I only want the best for you. For us. For our baby,” she continued, her voice cracking. “I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right. I don’t want to lose you, Tiana.”

She wiped at her face, as if trying to stop herself from crying. “I know you probably don’t believe me, but I’ll prove it to you.”

I swallowed hard, clutching the phone tightly in my hands. The storm of emotions inside me was overwhelming. Anger, hurt, confusion—but also guilt. Could I be wrong? Could she really just be doing all of this out of love?

“I don’t know,” I whispered, finally breaking the silence. “I don’t know what to think, Ashantii. You say it’s love, but this doesn’t feel like love.”

Her expression crumpled, and she stood, pacing the room. “I know,” she said, her voice desperate. “But it *is* love, Tiana. Maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s all I’ve got. I  imagine a life without you.”

She stopped pacing and turned to me, her tone softening. “That’s why I want to show you I’m serious about giving you space. I’ll even prove it—I’ve arranged for you to go back to work tomorrow.”

My head snapped up, surprised.

“And,” she added, her voice almost hesitant, “Evelyn is in town. She reached out and said she wanted to see you. I told her it’s fine.”

“Evelyn?” I repeated, my stomach flipping.

She nodded. “I want you to know that I trust you, Tiana. I’m not trying to control you. I just want to fix this. To show you that I can be better.”

I didn’t know what to say. Evelyn being in town was a curveball I hadn’t expected. And Ashantii’s sudden shift from control to what seemed like genuine remorse left me spinning.

She leaned down, cupping my cheek gently. “You don’t have to forgive me right now. But just... let me show you I can make things right.”

Her touch was warm, her gaze intense. I nodded numbly, unsure of what else to do.

She pressed a kiss to my forehead before pulling away slowly before leaving the room.

---

**Tiana’s Internal Monologue**

I sat there, staring at the phone in my hands. She gave it back to me. She apologized. She even cried.

Why didn’t it feel right?

I powered on the phone and scrolled through my contacts. Everything looked normal. But the pit in my stomach didn’t go away.

She was letting me go back to work. Letting me see Evelyn.

But why did it feel like I was still in her cage, only now she’d left the door open to see if I’d walk out?

I took a deep breath, gripping the phone tightly. If she thought I was going to fall for this, she was wrong. I had to be careful. If she was watching me, I couldn’t let her see any cracks in my façade.

I would play along. I would act like the good, obedient wife she wanted. And when the time was right, I’d find a way to escape.

No matter what it took.