Con artist

Broken trust

The sun had just begun to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the city as I sat nervously on the couch, waiting for Elijah to return home. My heart was pounding in my chest, my palms damp with sweat. Tonight was the night I had to tell him. There was no more hiding. Elijah deserved the truth about me, about my past, about why I wasn't religious like he was. The weight of that secret had been suffocating me for weeks, and with everything happening—Pierre's threats, his father's disapproval, the pregnancy—I knew it was now or never.I heard the door creak open, and a moment later, Elijah stepped inside. He smiled when he saw me, though I could tell something was bothering him. Maybe it was his father's words still lingering in his mind. "Hey," he said, walking over to sit beside me. He leaned in for a kiss, but I turned my head slightly, unable to meet his eyes.He frowned. "Natasha, what's wrong? You've been distant lately. Is it... is it my dad?"I shook my head, trying to gather the courage to say what I needed to. "No, it's not that. Well, it's part of it, but there's more. Something I haven't told you yet."Elijah's frown deepened, and he shifted in his seat to face me fully, his eyes filled with concern. "What is it?"I took a deep breath, feeling like I was standing on the edge of a cliff. One step, and everything would change. "Elijah, I'm not religious. I never have been."He blinked, clearly not expecting that. "What do you mean?""I grew up in a terrible orphanage," I began, my voice trembling. "My parents left me there when I was five because they couldn't afford to raise me. The orphanage... it wasn't a place of love or kindness. It was cold, and the people who ran it were cruel. There was no faith, no church, no God in that place. Just survival."Elijah stared at me, his face a mixture of shock and confusion. "You never told me any of this.""I know," I whispered, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I didn't know how. You grew up in such a different world, surrounded by love and faith. I didn't want to ruin what we have by telling you how broken I am.""You're not broken," he said softly, reaching out to take my hand, but I pulled away."Yes, I am," I said, my voice breaking. "I don't know how to believe in the things you believe in. I've never had that kind of hope, that kind of trust. And I know it's important to you. It's important to your family."Elijah sat back, his expression unreadable. For a long moment, he was silent, processing everything I had just said. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost distant. "I didn't realize... how different we are," he said, more to himself than to me."I'm sorry," I whispered, tears now slipping down my cheeks. "I didn't mean to keep this from you. I just... I didn't want to lose you."Elijah's eyes met mine, and I saw the conflict there. "Natasha, I love you. But my faith is everything to me. It's who I am. It's what I want to pass on to our child. And I don't know how we can build a future together if we're so different in that way."My heart shattered. I had feared this moment, the one where Elijah would realize that I wasn't the perfect woman he thought I was. The one where he would choose his faith over me."I don't want to break up," he continued, his voice strained. "I can't. Not when we have a baby on the way. But... I don't know if we can make this work. Not like this."I wiped at my eyes, trying to hold myself together, but it felt like everything was falling apart. "I'll try," I said desperately. "I'll try to understand your beliefs, to be the person you need me to be."Elijah shook his head. "That's not how faith works, Natasha. You can't force it. You have to believe it in your heart. And if you don't, then... then what are we doing?"---As our relationship crumbled under the weight of our differences, Pierre loomed in the background, waiting like a vulture ready to pick apart whatever was left of me. I hadn't spoken to him since the failed auction job, and I knew he wasn't happy about it. He had a way of making sure I paid for my mistakes.That night, as I lay awake in bed, trying to find a way to fix things with Elijah, my phone buzzed. I already knew who it was before I looked at the screen. Pierre."You need to come see me. Now." I sighed, knowing I couldn't avoid him forever. I didn't have a choice. I had never had a choice where Pierre was concerned.---The warehouse was even more oppressive at night, the shadows longer and darker, as if the walls themselves were closing in on me. Pierre stood in his usual spot, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he watched me approach."You've been avoiding me, Natasha," he said, his voice dangerously calm."I've been dealing with some personal stuff," I replied, crossing my arms defensively.Pierre raised an eyebrow. "Personal? You mean your little church boy, Elijah?"My blood ran cold at the mention of his name. "Don't bring him into this.""Oh, but he's already in this," Pierre said, his smile wicked. "You've been getting sloppy, letting your feelings cloud your judgment. That's a problem for me, Natasha."I clenched my fists. "I'm not doing this anymore, Pierre. I'm out."He chuckled darkly, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "You think you can just walk away? After everything I've done for you?""I don't owe you anything," I spat. "I'm done conning people. I'm done lying."Pierre's smile disappeared, his eyes hardening. "You're not done until I say you're done. And you're going to do this next job, or you'll regret it.""I won't," I said firmly, even as fear gripped my heart.Pierre stepped closer, his voice low and menacing. "You forget, Natasha. I own you. And if you don't do this, I'll make sure Elijah finds out everything. Every con, every lie. And that baby you're carrying..."I froze, my hand instinctively going to my stomach. "What about the baby?"Pierre's eyes gleamed with malice. "If you want to keep that baby, you'll do exactly what I tell you. Or else... accidents happen."I stared at him, horrified. "You wouldn't.""Try me," he said, his voice cold as ice.---The drive home was a blur of fear and desperation. Pierre's words echoed in my mind, a threat that hung over me like a dark cloud. I didn't know what to do. If I didn't do what he wanted, he would destroy everything—my relationship with Elijah, my future with the baby. But if I kept lying, I'd lose Elijah anyway.Tears streamed down my face as I pulled into the driveway. Elijah was sitting on the porch, waiting for me. His expression was filled with worry, but all I could think about was the secret I was keeping, the con Pierre was forcing me into.I was trapped, and no matter what I did, I would lose everything.