BOUND TO My EX'S UNCLE

Evelyn's hands shook as she stood outside Nathan's penthouse door. She clutched the spare keycard he'd given her months ago, back when he said he wanted her to feel at home here.

Now she wondered if she'd ever really belonged anywhere.

She'd been trying to reach him all week. He kept making excuses, work was busy, he had meetings, his phone died. But today was different. Today she had news that couldn't wait.

The elevator ride felt endless. When the doors opened to his floor, she could hear music playing softly from inside his apartment. At least he was home.

"Nathan?" she called out as she stepped inside. "I know you're here. We need to talk."

No answer. But she could hear voices coming from the bedroom. Low, intimate voices.

Her heart started racing. Maybe he had friends over? Maybe it was just the TV?

"I'm so tired of hiding this," a woman's voice said. Clear as day. "When are you going to tell her about us?"

Evelyn froze. The blood in her veins turned ice cold.

That voice. She knew that voice better than her own.

Maya. Her stepsister.

"Soon, baby. I promise." Nathan's voice was soft, and loving. "Once the Hayes business contract goes through, I'll break up with Evelyn. Then we can be together properly."

The world tilted. Evelyn grabbed the wall to keep from falling.

"I hate watching you pretend to love her," Maya continued. "Especially when I'm carrying your baby."

Baby?

Evelyn's legs gave out. She slid down the wall, her heart shattering into a million pieces.

Nathan was cheating on her. With Maya. And Maya was pregnant.

"You know I only love you," Nathan said. "Evelyn's just... convenient. Her father's company is exactly what we need. Once that's secured, she's useless to me."

Each word was a knife to her chest. Three years. Three years of loving him, planning their future, believing in forever. And she was just convenient?

Tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't make a sound. She couldn't even breathe.

"Remember our first time?" Maya giggled. "On her birthday? She wouldn't sleep with you, so you came to me instead. Best decision you ever made."

Her birthday. The night she'd told Nathan she wanted to wait until marriage. She thought he'd been understanding. Sweet, even.

But he'd gone straight to Maya.

The betrayal hit her like a tide. Not just Nathan, but Maya too. Maya, who'd lived in their house since they were kids. Maya, who she'd shared everything with. Maya, who'd smiled and congratulated her at their engagement party.

"She's so naive," Maya laughed. "Still thinks you're her perfect prince. If only she knew what you're really like."

"Don't be cruel," Nathan said, but he was laughing too. "She can't help being boring."

Boring. Naive. Convenient.

Something inside Evelyn snapped.

She stood up, wiped her tears, and walked to the bedroom. Her heart was breaking, but anger was starting to burn through the pain.

She pushed the door open.

Nathan was shirtless in bed. Maya was wrapped in a silk robe, her robe, the one Nathan had bought her for Valentine's Day. Maya's hand rested on her small, round belly.

They both turned toward the door, their faces going white with shock.

"Evelyn—" Nathan started.

"Three months," Evelyn said quietly. Her voice didn't shake. "She said three months pregnant."

Maya sat up straighter, her shock melting into something that looked almost like satisfaction. "Finally figured it out?"

"On my birthday," Evelyn continued, her eyes never leaving Nathan's face. "While I was at home, waiting for you to come back. While I was worried you were upset with me for saying no."

Nathan scrambled to get out of bed. "Eve, please, let me explain—"

"Explain what?" The words came out sharp. "That you've been using me? That everything between us was a lie?"

"It wasn't a lie—"

"YES, IT WAS!" The scream tore from her throat, raw and broken. "Everything! Every 'I love you,' every kiss, every promise about our future— all of it was fake!"

The pain hit her again, fresh and devastating. She doubled over, clutching her chest like she could hold her heart together.

"You made me feel crazy," she whispered. "These past few months, you've been so distant. I thought it was my fault. I thought I wasn't good enough, wasn't trying hard enough."

"Evelyn—"

"And you!" She turned to Maya, who was still sitting there like she owned the place. "You're my sister!"

Maya shrugged. "Stepsister. And Nathan chose me. Deal with it."

The casual cruelty of it broke something in Evelyn. She crossed the room in two steps and slapped Maya hard across the face.

"You bitch!" Maya shrieked, holding her cheek.

"I'M the bitch?" Evelyn laughed, but it sounded more like sobbing. "You stole my fiancé! You're pregnant with his baby! You're wearing my clothes!"

Nathan grabbed Evelyn's arm. "Stop it! She's pregnant!"

Evelyn stared at his hand on her arm, then up at his face. The face she'd loved for three years. The face she'd planned to wake up next to for the rest of her life.

"Don't touch me," she said quietly. "Don't ever touch me again."

She pulled away from him and backed toward the door. "The merger with my father? It's over. I hope your grandfather disowns you."

"Evelyn, wait—"

But she was already running. Down the hall, into the elevator, through the lobby, onto the street. People stared as she stumbled past them, tears blurring her vision.

She didn't stop until she reached her car. Only then did she collapse, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Nathan: "We need to talk. This doesn't have to change anything."

She wanted to laugh. Or scream. Or both.

Instead, she called the only person who would understand.

"Lena," she choked out when her best friend answered.

"Evelyn? What's wrong?"

"He's been cheating on me. With Maya. She's pregnant."

The phone was silent for a while. Then: "I'm coming to get you. Where are you?"

"In my car outside his building. Lena, I loved him so much. I gave him everything. How could he do this to me?"

"Because he's a piece of garbage," Lena said fiercely. "But you're going to be okay. We're going to make sure of it."

Evelyn closed her eyes, letting the tears fall. "I don't know how to be okay without him."

"Yes, you do," Lena said softly. "You're stronger than you think. And when you're ready, we're going to make them both pay for this."

Evelyn looked up at Nathan's building one last time. Somewhere up there, he was probably panicking. Good.

She'd loved him with everything she had. But love wasn't enough when the other person saw you as nothing more than a business transaction.

It was time to stop being convenient.

She’d loved him, but now…? She would ruin him with everything.