(The Broken Souls)

After her earlier emotional breakdown, Mariana performed a quick touch-up—a light dusting of powder and a delicate pink lipstick—effectively concealing any trace of her tears. She hadn't contacted Alton, preferring the element of surprise; he expected her at six. It was only five, but the late afternoon sky was already cloaked in the deep hues of twilight. She proceeded cautiously towards Alton's office. Before entering, she subtly checked for occupants, pressing her ear against the door to listen. She heard two voices—Alton's and Serena's—a mixture of hushed whispers and sharp exclamations. Serena was crying; Alton's voice was raised in a worried, agitated tone.

"What are we going to do?" Alton's voice, laced with anxiety, cut through the silence.

"You can't keep that. I don't want you to tell Mariana. You need to get rid of it," Serena insisted, her voice tight with fear.

Alton's sharp, angry retort echoed even through the closed door, sending a shiver of apprehension down Mariana's spine. She didn't fully grasp their conversation, but the frantic undercurrent of their words sent a wave of icy dread through her. Her heart hammered against her ribs; a suffocating nervousness coiled in her stomach. She desperately yearned to understand the source of their distress.

She opened the door, and both Alton and Serena recoiled in shock. Serena hastily wiped away her tears, attempting to compose herself. Alton, with a practiced ease born of desperation, rushed towards Mariana, embracing her in a hug that felt both too tight and too empty.

"Oh, you're… you're early," he stammered, forcing a smile that did little to conceal the turmoil etched on his face. The forced cheerfulness was a thin veneer barely masking the gravity of the conversation he'd just had.

"Are you okay, Serena? What aren't you telling me, Alton?" Mariana asked, her confusion evident in her voice. Her intuition screamed that something was deeply wrong.

"It's nothing, just business details. Nothing to worry about," Alton replied, his forced smile faltering. He then abruptly dismissed Serena. "You can leave now, Serena."

Serena attempted to leave, but Mariana gently detained her. "Tell me, Serena, are you alright? Is there something I should know?" Mariana's persistent questioning stemmed from a growing unease that refused to be ignored. Serena, her eyes brimming with tears, tried to evade the question, but Mariana's grip tightened slightly.

"Nothing, Mariana," Serena whispered, her voice barely audible. Alton, losing his patience, barked at Serena, "I said, leave!"

"Stop, Alton! Why are you shouting at her?" Mariana intervened, her voice sharp with concern. She turned to Alton, her gaze searching his face. The worry and nervousness etched on his features spoke volumes. "Why can't you just tell me, Al?" she pleaded, her voice softening.

"I'm pregnant!" Serena blurted out, her voice cracking with emotion. "And Alton is the father."

The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Serena dissolved into uncontrollable sobs. Alton stood frozen, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and despair. "I'm so sorry, Mariana," Serena managed to gasp out between sobs.

Mariana felt a wave of icy numbness wash over her, a paralysis that left her unable to process the torrent of emotions assaulting her senses. She was speechless, her mind struggling to comprehend the seismic shift that had just occurred. Without uttering a word, she turned and walked out, feeling as if she were moving through a dream, detached and unreal.

Alton pursued her, catching her arm and pulling her into a desperate embrace. He wept openly, his sorrow palpable. "I'm so sorry, Mariana. I didn't mean for this to happen. I love you; I can't lose you."

Mariana felt utterly drained, her body unresponsive, her mind reeling. She wanted to break free from his embrace, but her limbs felt heavy, leaden. She couldn't even cry; confusion and a profound sense of betrayal reigned supreme.

Alton gently raised her face, his thumbs brushing away stray tears. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, his forehead resting against hers. The touch jolted her back to reality, shattering the numbness. She carefully removed his hands and began to walk away.

He tried to stop her, but she deftly evaded his grasp. "Please, Alton," she said, her voice calm yet firm, "I'm okay. You don't need to apologize. It's happened, and there's nothing we can change."

Alton's tears flowed freely, his shoulders shaking with grief. "It was an accident…" he choked out, the words barely audible.

"It doesn't matter," Mariana replied, her voice unwavering. "Maybe God had a reason for preventing our wedding. Maybe He knew we weren't meant to be. Maybe He saw the truth hidden beneath the surface of our relationship. I'm sorry, Al. I should be the one apologizing. Despite everything you've done for me, I still can't love you back." The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of unspoken truths and unspoken regrets.

She turned and walked away, tears silently tracing paths down her cheeks. She had no idea where she was going, only that she needed to escape the crushing weight of her emotions. The future she'd envisioned, once so bright, now lay in ruins.

Alton remained where he was, frozen in place, the weight of Mariana's words crushing him. He clenched his fists, his jaw tight with suppressed rage and despair. In a fit of self-destructive fury, he punched the wall, the impact jarring his hand. Blood welled up, a stark contrast to the crimson tide of emotion flooding his heart. The physical pain was nothing compared to the agonizing wound Mariana's words had inflicted. Serena rushed to his side, her own eyes filled with tears.

"Stop, Al. Please…" she whispered, her voice trembling with concern.

Alton turned to her, his face mirroring her own sorrow. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. He wept uncontrollably, the silent sobs shaking his body. Serena held him close, her own tears mingling with his. They clung to each other, two broken souls seeking solace in the shared weight of their grief. The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken grief, the weight of their secret, and the shattering of a future that would never be. The knowledge that Alton, from the very beginning, had sensed Mariana's lack of love for him, only deepened his despair. He had believed he could win her love, that his devotion would eventually bridge the chasm between their hearts. But it hadn't worked. He was left with the agonizing realization that Mariana had stayed with him out of a lack of courage to tell him she wasn't in love with him.This thought, more than any other, pierced his heart with a pain that was both profound and unbearable.

***