Love Lost, New Life Found

I had barely touched down for a business trip when I ran into Charli, my ex-boyfriend's sister, at the airport.

She got straight to the point: "It's been seven years. When are you going to apologize to Rowen?"

Rowen was my ex, and we were once on the verge of marriage. But at our engagement party, he abruptly called everything off, accusing me of carrying another man's child. He wished me and my alleged lover a happy life together before striding off with his assistant. I was never unfaithful, but his allegations shattered me, prompting my flight out of the country that very night. Now, Charli was seeking an apology as a gateway to rekindling the past.

I chuckled.

"My child is in preschool; what kind of reconciliation are you talking about?"

Charli gaped at me, floored.

"What did you say? Are you saying you're married?"

Her voice was shaky, as if she'd heard something unbelievable.

"And... and you have a child, who is already four years old?"

I nodded, uninterested in this awkward reunion with my former sister-in-law. I moved to leave, but she grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Lina, you must be joking!"

Charli's voice rose sharply, attracting the attention of curious passersby.

"Lina, there’s no way you moved on from my brother! How could you possibly let him go?"

"Everyone knew you were dedicated to him. You even quit your coveted job for him—how could you end up with someone else?"

"And your child! The child should be seven! It must be Rowen's!"

I frowned, surprised Charli was dredging up ancient history to justify her stubborn notions.

Yes, I loved Rowen deeply, so deeply people saw me as more of an idealistic admirer than a partner. But that was years ago.

I turned to Charli and posed the question, "Why would I lie to you?"

"As for Rowen's child, I terminated the pregnancy seven years ago."

Perhaps "terminated" struck a nerve. Charli's eyes widened with anger, and her grip on me tightened.

"That's impossible! Tell me, who's your husband?"

"Is he as good-looking as Rowen? As tall? He can't be under six feet, right?"

"And what does he do? Where does he work? Does he earn over ten grand a month?"

Her torrent of questions was relentless and tense, as if leaving Rowen was the equivalent of ruining my life.

I decided not to waste any more words on someone blindly devoted to her brother.

I calmly answered, "Charli, this is no longer your concern."

With that, I began to loosen her fingers from my arm, one by one.

But she insisted,

"Lina, you didn't settle for someone lesser just to spite Rowen, did you?"

"Don't you have a conscience? Do you know my brother nearly risked his life trying to find you over these years?"

"And now, Rowen is the head of the Ortiz Group! Young, handsome, and loaded! He's the dream catch for countless women! Only you would leave him over a minor feud!"

Her