2025-09-24 05:29:19
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Chapter 68: Hope And Fire
The camera light flashed red.Jessica took a breath, pushed her hair back smooth. Then she leaned right into the lens. Her hands trembled a little. Not because she was nervous, it was the overwhelming emotion building up in her chest.She had done these vlogs for months already. Still, tonight was not like the others, it just felt different.Tonight she was more than a woman sharing her life story. She held something special inside. A real gift.She lifted the little white outfit into the frame—embroidered with that single word: Hope.Her throat tightened. She pressed the soft cotton against her cheek for a moment before forcing herself to look straight into the camera.“I don’t know who you are,” she began softly. Her voice cracked, but she didn’t edit it out. Raw was better. Honest was better. “I don’t know why you chose me. But to whoever sent this—thank you.”She paused, swallowing hard. The baby kicked again, like a gentle nudge from within.“You gave me hope before I had any,” J
Chapter 67: What She Deserves
The kettle clicked off with that quick snap. Jessica grabbed it and poured hot water right into her old chipped mug. The tea bag just bobbed up. Its colour spreading out in slow lazy swirls.She held the mug close in both hands. The warmth soaked right into her finger. Another late night had dragged on. She answered all those comments on her vlog, hundreds of them. Then she edited footage till her eyes stung bad. Her body felt so worn out. The pregnancy weighed more every day.But tonight… the exhaustion felt different.Because when she opened her phone, the numbers didn’t stop climbing.Her vlog—the one where she had burned Michael’s contract—had gone viral.Her thumb trembled as she scrolled through the flood of notifications.“She turned down millions just to protect her baby. Respect.”“Finally, someone not selling out.”“Single moms everywhere needed this reminder—thank you, Jessica.”Some were harsher, calling her foolish for rejecting money. But even those couldn’t cut through
Chapter 66: The Crossroad
Jessica sat at her mini table. The wood had light scratches from knives and round stains left by coffee mugs. The cheap lightbulb hanging overhead kept blinking now and then. It made this annoying buzz, like a worn-out bug. It was late, still her thoughts just wouldn't settle rest.A plain white envelope sat right there on the table. She picked it up from her doorstep. Heavy. Expensive. It didn’t belong in her life of instant noodles and thrift-store furniture.She hadn’t opened it yet. She didn’t need to. She already knew who it was from.Michael.Her fingers traced the edges of the envelope, her stomach tightening. A letter that smelled of temptation. The kind of deal she had once been desperate enough to take. But that was before.Before the sleepless nights with her hand on her belly, whispering promises to a child who hadn’t even opened her eyes yet.Before strangers online started calling her “brave” when she felt anything but.Before she realized that sometimes strength wasn’t
Chapter 65: Michael’s Last Card
Jessica nearly dropped her phone when the email popped up. It wasn’t from a brand. Not from a follower. Not even from one of the dozens of single mothers who now looked to her for advice. It was from Michael Kane. Her stomach turned cold the second she saw his name. She hadn’t heard from him in weeks—not since her video exposing his shameless attempt to use her pregnancy for publicity had gone viral. The subject line was short. “Let’s Talk Business.” Her hand hovered over the delete button, trembling. She should ignore it. Pretend he didn’t exist. But something made her open it. The words inside were slick, arrogant, written with the same confidence he used to wield when standing beside Adrian at glittering galas: Jessica, you’ve always underestimated me. But this time, I hold the cards. Attached is proof that Adrian Cole’s empire isn’t as clean as he makes it seem. Do you want to keep protecting your silent benefactor? Or will you expose him? Meet me tonight, or I’ll take
Chapter 64: Jessica’s First Contract
The rain had just stopped when Jessica stepped out of the cramped office, her umbrella dripping at her side.Her hands trembled around the thin folder pressed against her chest. Inside was nothing extravagant. No million-dollar investment. No promises of overnight success. Just a modest contract from a local maternity brand—small, practical, but honest.Her first contract.The company’s name was one she’d seen on billboards while riding the bus—Nurtura Maternity Wear. Not global. Not flashy. But real.The director had smiled at her across the table, a kind woman in her forties with kind lines around her eyes.“We don’t usually work with small influencers,” she had admitted, “but the way you talk to women… it feels genuine. We don’t want perfect. We want honest. And you’re honest.”Jessica had nodded, throat tight, barely able to speak.Now, as she walked home, her feet splashing through shallow puddles, she kept pressing the folder tighter to her chest like it might vanish if she loos
Chapter 63: In The Shadows
The city was alive beneath the night sky, but Adrian Cole sat in darkness. His penthouse office felt different tonight. It used to be all lit up with those glowing numbers and charts everywhere. Now, just the faint flicker from his phone screen lit the place. He sank back into the leather chair. It creaked under his weight. His eyes stayed glued to the video right there in his hand.Jessica.Her hair hung loose around her face. Nothing like the sharp, polished style from their old dinners back then. She had on a plain blouse, sleeves rolled up. And her cheeks, they had this warm glow that came from real hard work, not some fancy wealth. From purpose.“Sometimes,” her voice carried, soft but steady, “we forget that strength isn’t about never falling. It’s about standing back up—even when your knees are still bleeding.”Adrian’s thumb hovered near the pause button, but he didn’t press it. He couldn’t.On the screen, Jessica sat in a modest studio—bare white wall, a vase of fake flowe
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