Intro. When I saw her for the first time, I didn't imagine what she would become in my life. He was too young, with that curious look that seemed to see beyond the walls I had built over the years. Me, a married man, caught between duty and the desire to feel something true again. She appeared like a breath of life amid the silent boredom that my routine had become.
It all started innocently — long conversations, heartfelt laughter, a touch that lasted longer than it should have. I knew it was wrong, but I also knew that I was no longer the same man within my marriage. What I felt for her was a dangerous mix of peace and torment. She reminded me of who I was before I lost myself in obligations, before I became just a name, a role, an exemplary husband in the eyes of others.
When she told me she was pregnant, the ground opened up. Fear was the first thing I felt — fear of destroying what was left of my reputation, of hurting someone who didn't deserve it, but also