Across the Miles of Love

Chapter 8: Fractured Bonds

Ethan paced the floor of Lena's apartment, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface. The tension between them had been growing all day, and it was only a matter of time before it erupted. Outside, the sounds of the city buzzed on, oblivious to the storm brewing inside.

"I don't understand why you can't just move on from this!" Ethan finally snapped, his voice tight with frustration. "We're trying to rebuild, Lena. But you keep pushing me away."

Lena, who had been standing by the window, whirled around, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger and sadness. "Move on? You're telling me to move on when I've just found out that I have a daughter I never knew about? Ethan, you robbed me of eight years with her! How am I supposed to just forget that?"

Ethan's shoulders slumped as the weight of her words sank in. He opened his mouth to respond but couldn't find the right words. Everything he had done—every decision he had made—was unraveling before him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Lena," he began softly, taking a tentative step toward her, "I never wanted to hurt you. I was scared. I didn't know how to protect you from your father, from everything that was happening. And then, it all spiraled out of control."

Lena's eyes filled with tears, but she shook her head, backing away. "You say you were trying to protect me, but what about Sophia? You kept her from me, Ethan. My own daughter."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, guilt tearing at him. "I thought I was doing what was best for her. I thought—"

"You thought wrong!" Lena shouted, her voice cracking. She turned back to the window, staring out at the skyline. "You've always made the decisions for both of us, and look where that's gotten us."

Silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Ethan knew she was right. He had made choices he couldn't take back, and now the consequences were crashing down around him.

Finally, Lena spoke again, her voice quieter now. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you, Ethan. I don't know if I can trust you again."

Ethan's heart sank. He had feared this moment, but hearing her say it out loud was like a punch to the gut. "Lena, please," he whispered, desperation creeping into his voice. "We can figure this out. For Sophia."

At the mention of their daughter's name, Lena's expression softened, but only for a moment. "I don't know if we can," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Later that evening, after the argument, Ethan sat on the couch, his head in his hands. Sophia was asleep in the bedroom, blissfully unaware of the turmoil between her parents. He had tried so hard to protect both of them, but in the process, he had hurt them more than he ever imagined.

Lena stood at the doorway, arms crossed as she watched him, her face unreadable. "I think it's best if you and Sophia leave," she said quietly. "At least for now."

Ethan looked up, his heart pounding. "You're asking me to leave?"

"I need time, Ethan. Time to process everything." Her voice was steady, but he could hear the pain beneath the calm exterior.

Ethan nodded slowly, feeling the weight of defeat settle over him. He didn't want to leave, but he knew pushing her now would only make things worse. He stood up, walking over to where Lena stood. "I'll take Sophia with me to France for a while. Maybe some distance will help."

Lena's eyes filled with tears again, but she didn't stop him. She simply nodded. "Maybe it will."

The Next Day: Departure

Ethan and Sophia left New York the next morning, flying back to the quiet countryside of France. As the plane ascended, Ethan looked over at his daughter, who was sitting by the window, watching the clouds with wide-eyed wonder.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

Sophia nodded, but her voice was small when she replied, "Will we see Mom again soon?"

Ethan's chest tightened. "I hope so, Sophia. I really hope so."

Back in New York, Lena sat in her empty apartment, the silence pressing down on her. She had thought that telling Ethan to leave would give her the space she needed, but now that they were gone, the emptiness felt unbearable. She picked up her phone and saw a message from James.

"I'm here if you need me. Always."

Lena hesitated for a moment before typing back, "Can you come over?"

A Conversation with Sara

Later that evening, James sat beside Lena on the couch, offering quiet comfort. He didn't push her to talk, didn't ask too many questions. He simply let her feel the emotions she had been holding in for so long.

"Thank you for being here," Lena whispered, her voice hoarse.

James smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I told you, I'll always be here for you."

But as comforting as his presence was, Lena couldn't shake the sense of loss. The weight of everything—Sophia, Ethan, her father's lies—was too much to bear alone.

Sara arrived a little later, her face serious. "I heard what happened," she said softly, sitting across from Lena. "Ethan and Sophia are gone?"

Lena nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I told them to leave. I thought it would help, but now I just feel... lost."

Sara sighed, leaning forward. "There's something you need to know about the past, Lena. Something I've been keeping from you."

Lena's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

Sara hesitated before continuing. "After you left Thailand, your father... he knew about Sophia. He found out before you did, and he was the one who made sure you never found out. He threatened Ethan, Lena. He told him that if he ever told you about the baby, he'd ruin his life."

Lena's blood ran cold. "My father knew? All this time?"

Sara nodded, her expression filled with regret. "I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to make things worse, but... Ethan didn't keep Sophia from you out of malice. He was scared of what your father would do."

The room seemed to spin as the full weight of Sara's words hit Lena. Her father, the man she had trusted all her life, had known about her daughter and kept it from her. Anger surged through her, mixed with a deep, aching sadness.

A Major Incident: Lena's Father Finds Out

Days later, as Lena grappled with the betrayal, her father found out that she knew the truth about Sophia. In a fit of anger, he confronted her at her apartment, his face red with fury.

"You have no idea what you're doing, Lena!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "I did what I did to protect you!"

"Protect me?" Lena spat, her voice shaking with rage. "You took my child from me, Dad. You lied to me. You stole years that I will never get back!"

Her father's face hardened. "You weren't ready to be a mother. You had a career ahead of you. I did what was necessary."

Lena's chest heaved as she stared at the man she had once looked up to. "You had no right. No right to make that decision for me."

Suddenly, her father's anger turned cold. "If you choose Ethan and that child over your own family, then you're no daughter of mine."

Lena felt the sting of his words, but there was no going back now. "I choose my daughter," she said firmly, her voice steady. "And if that means losing you, then so be it."

Her father stormed out, slamming the door behind him, leaving Lena standing there, shaking with both anger and sadness. She had lost him, but she had gained something far more important—her freedom. She would no longer be manipulated by his control.

As Lena sat down that evening, her thoughts turned back to Ethan and Sophia. She had pushed them away, but now she knew what she had to do. She wasn't going to let fear or anger keep her from her daughter any longer.