chapter 10

A few months later, Adina found herself immersed in what could only be described as the most serene period of her life. She had embraced the job opportunity that Ruan had been subtly nudging her to consider for several months, and now, she found herself working side by side with him at the front desk of the LGBTQ community center. What made this moment all the more special was the delicate swell of her baby bump, a visible testament to the new life growing within her.

For five months, she had relished the relief of not having that overbearing presence of a certain someone breathing down her neck. Ever since Asher had taken it upon himself to sabotage her employment prospects, Adina had faced a seemingly insurmountable wall of rejection every time she applied for a job. It was as though her name alone was a taboo in the eyes of prospective employers.

However, the turning point arrived when she mustered the courage to approach the owner of the LGBTQ resources center