**A Bittersweet Happiness**
From the moment I first laid eyes on Daniel, with his effortless charm and striking looks, I was smitten. I was just a shy, round-faced girl back then, my unruly curls never quite tamed by the braids my mother insisted on. But Daniel? He was the golden boy of our schooltall, athletic, with sharp features and a confidence that made every girl sigh. Even the teachers couldnt help but glance his way.
He breezed through classes with ease, never the bookish type, but clever enough to keep up. Rumour had it he was set for Oxford or Cambridge after graduation. And the whispers about his romantic conquests? Well, they only made him more intriguing. Yet for years, I was invisible to himjust another face in the crowd.
By sixth form, Id changed. Gone were the braids, replaced by loose waves, and the puppy fat had melted away. One day, as I walked down the corridor, I felt his gazereally felt itfor the first time. He even stopped, eyes trailing over me before rasping out a rough, “Hello, Simmons.”
I nodded, smiled, and walked past, head high like some regal queen. Where that confidence came from, Ill never know. But I refused to fawn over him, no matter how my heart raced. Let him chase me for once.
And chase he did. Suddenly, he was everywherewaiting after class, walking me home, inviting me to the cinema. I played it cool, though every glance he sent my way set my pulse fluttering. The air between us crackled, undeniable.
Everything changed at the winter ball. He asked me to dancetwicethen insisted on walking me home. That night, beneath the glow of streetlights, he confessed he couldnt sleep, couldnt think of anyone but me. Weak with happiness, I finally said yes to that cinema date.
Mum had raised me alone, a stern woman who balanced ledgers at an accounting firm. She warned me daily about the dangers of first love, the risks of trusting too much. But spring bloomed, and so did we. Hidden away, we kissed until we were dizzy, touching with reckless hunger. Then, one afternoon when Mum was at work, we crossed a line neither of us could uncross.
After graduation, I planned to stay in our town for teacher training, but Daniels parents were sending him to London. The thought of parting was unbearable. “Come with me,” he begged. “My parents will send moneywell get a flat, be together.”
I tried talking to Mum, but she refused outright. So I packed a suitcase, took half her savings, left a note, and slipped onto the train. Daniels parents saw him off, oblivious as I boarded a different carriage. Just like that, I was gone.
We enrolled in separate unis but shared a tiny rented flat. Id grown up fending for myself, so keeping house came naturally. When his parents called, he lied, saying he lived with a mate. I tried calling Mum once, but she screamed that if I came home pregnant, I shouldnt bother returning.
I trusted Daniel completely. Hed promised wed be careful. But two months in, I realised I was expecting. The doctor warned memy blood type meant terminating could leave me unable to carry another child.
Daniel took it stoically. “Well manage,” he swore. “Ill switch to part-time studies, find work.”
“But were not married,” I whispered.
“Since when does a piece of paper matter?” he scoffed. “Well sort it later.”
Morning sickness left me gaunt and hollow-cheeked, yet he swore Id never looked lovelier. That winter, neither of us went home. I couldnt face Mum, and Daniel refused to leave me alone. He spun his parents some tale about research projects.
Then they showed up unannounced. His mother shrieked at me to leave, while his father lectured Daniel about ruined futures. When Daniel admitted I was pregnant, chaos erupted. His mother clutched her chest, wailing about abortion, while his father coldly said theyd cut him off if he married me.
Daniel stood firm. “If she goes, so do I.”
They relentedbarely. Money would keep coming, provided he stayed in school and didnt wed me. They clearly hoped wed crumble under the strain.
Our son, Paul, arrived during summer exams. My studies stalledfirst maternity leave, then night shifts cleaning offices while Daniel watched Paul. By the time I returned to uni, hed graduated and landed a job.
I broached marriage again. He recoiled. “Why fixate on paperwork?”
The adoring looks had faded. I knew Id gained weight after Paul, but life left no time for diets. Then I found lipstick on his shirt after a work party.
I said nothing. Hed stood by me when his parents didnt. That had to mean something.
Until the day I saw him arm-in-arm with a leggy blonde. She sneered when I stepped in front of them. “Whos this?”
“His wife,” I said.
“Youre not married,” she scoffed.
Daniel muttered wed talk at home. That night, he packed his things and left. I didnt beg. Pride kept me silent until the door shut. Then I sobbed myself sick.
My next exam was a disaster. My professor, Mr. Edwards, pulled me aside. “Whats wrong?”
“My partner left,” I choked out. “I cant afford rent.”
“Youre not from London?”
He offered his spare roomno strings, just help. “We could even marry, if you like. For stability.”
A week later, I moved in. His flat was spacious, and Paul adored him. Mr. Edwardstwice my agenever overstepped, though I caught the warmth in his gaze.
Months later, we bumped into Daniel. “Youre even lovelier,” he murmured. “That cant be your husbandhes ancient. Nadine, I still love you.”
“You didnt even look at Paul,” I said flatly. “He abandoned us. Mr. Edwards hasnt.”
That night, I went to his room. It wasnt like with Danielbut it was safe.
Ill never regret my choice. Daniel will always have admirers. Mr. Edwards? Hell stay.
Let the world talk. I have a husband. Paul has a father. The rest? Well, the rest doesnt matter.
