Contracted To You-Chapter 62: After The Fall

The news spread across the internet like wildfire regarding Dawn, and suddenly she wasn’t the revered queen everyone once adored.

The truth of her deception and lies had surfaced, causing a wave of backlash as people who had previously cheered for her now turned against her.

"So Ezra never really had a child?"

The DNA results revealed that Ezra wasn’t Noah’s biological father.

"Does this mean this woman deceived Ezra and all of us? I can’t believe I was rooting for her," one commenter blasted, accompanied by an angry emoji.

"Dawn is a liar and a manipulator. What on earth? How could she pin someone else’s child on another? I used to think Ezra was a deadbeat... Now, I can’t stand how she made me hate that innocent man!" another user vented, also adding an angry emoji.

The public was confused and enraged, unleashing a torrent of curses toward her. "Why did she do this? Does anyone know her motives?" someone inquired.

"She’s not even online," came an annoyed reply.

"How can she show her face online? She must be utterly ashamed now that everyone knows how deceitful she is. I’m just relieved that Ezra found out before they tied the knot and complicated things further," another user remarked.

"I bet she’s wishing she could just disappear—maybe she should!" declared another harshly.

"Is anyone even concerned about the poor child? I heard he’s in the hospital, and that’s where this whole truth was revealed," another comment came through, quickly followed by well wishes for Noah to recover.

"The kid doesn’t deserve this. Imagine having a mother like Dawn? She shouldn’t even be called a mother."

"I can’t believe I thought Evie was the one causing the rift between them when it’s evident she had nothing to do with this. I’d wager that Dawn was the one who came between Evie and Ezra. I miss them so much," lamented another user.

"Any updates on Evie? She hasn’t posted much."

"Are Evie and Ezra still together? I wonder," someone else chimed in, tagging Evie to draw her attention.

"I always knew that Dawn was coming between Evie and Ezra out of jealousy. She wanted to force herself into Ezra’s life, but look where that left her!" a comment stated, quickly gathering thousands of likes.

"Update, update, everyone! I just heard that Dawn’s family is in financial distress. Apparently, this is why she did it—trying to pin Noah on Ezra for money!" another user announced, rapidly collecting likes and shares as the internet buzzed with outrage.

Ezra’s parents, Maren and her husband, left the hospital, their faces tight with disapproval and embarrassment as they faced the Blake family, who had insulted them so openly.

They dared to exploit Ezra for their own financial gain.

Maren couldn’t fathom how she had blamed herself before, thinking the boy was her grandson. Now, it was all too clear—he belonged to someone else.

While she still cared for the innocent boy, her anger at the Blake family boiled within her. They walked out of the hospital in silence, the weight of the betrayal heavy on their shoulders. Inside the ward, Dawn and her parents stood speechless, wishing the ground would open up and swallow them whole.

The room was steeped in silence, save for Dawn’s quiet sobs as tears streamed down her face.

Her mother, who stood nearby, tightened her fists, storming toward Dawn. "Why on earth are you crying now?" she demanded, no longer embarrassed now that the Thorne family had left. Her fury was directed solely at Dawn.

Dawn couldn’t muster a response as she pressed her palm over her face. Her mother grabbed her arm. "What’s the point of these useless tears?" she continued, dropping her hand while Dawn gazed at her with teary eyes. "This is entirely your fault, you know!" She raised an accusatory finger at her daughter.

"If you had done your job properly, none of this would have come to light!" she barked.

"How can I have such an incompetent daughter?" she hissed, her hand raised as if to strike Dawn.

Finally, Dawn’s father spoke up, his heart heavy for his daughter. "It’s not entirely her fault; we never anticipated this outcome," he said calmly.

But Dawn’s mother shot him a sharp glare. "You need to stop right there," she spat, and the man closed his mouth, wary of provoking her further.

"If it weren’t for your stupidity, we wouldn’t be in this mess either. You both are nothing but fools!" she scoffed, her disdain palpable as she looked at them.

"I will not allow you to insult my father, mother," Dawn declared firmly.

Her mother raised an eyebrow, narrowing her eyes. "What did you just say to me?" she demanded, followed by a sharp slap across Dawn’s face.

Dawn’s head snapped to the side from the impact, but she quickly steadied herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She locked eyes with her mother. "What more do you expect from me?" Dawn pressed.

"I worked tirelessly to keep this from Ezra until now—tailing him, manipulating him, lying to him just to reach this point—"

She was cut off. "And how did that turn out? What was the result of your schemes, you fool?" Her mother shot back with venom.

"Why must I be the one to handle this? Our family is in trouble; why is it all on my shoulders? I already have Noah to care for. You’re the smartest one here, mother. Why can’t you take charge?" Dawn continued to question her, standing her ground.

"This ungrateful—" Her mother wanted to unleash a torrent of curses but restrained her words.

Then, with a knowing nod, she gazed at Dawn, who looked back in confusion. "Since this plan failed, we have only one more chance..." Her voice trailed off.

"That chance is to get you married to Henley."

Dawn’s eyes widened in disbelief. "No, I refuse to do that."

"You will. My decision is final," her mother stated with unwavering authority.

Dawn shook her head defiantly, but her mother was unmoved.

Mr. Henley, a politician who had previously asked for Dawn’s hand in marriage, was rich but entirely unappealing to her. He was the epitome of everything she despised—short, balding, and encumbered by a significant gut. Marrying him was not an option in her mind. He has many wives, as she had learned and he treated them badly.

"Please, don’t force this on me. I’d rather die than marry him," Dawn said, her voice trembling.

"Don’t you dare test me, young lady," her mother yelled.

"Prepare yourself for the marriage," she added, leaving Dawn to weep loudly in the hospital ward while her mother stormed off.

Her father cast a final, helpless glance at his daughter before obediently following his wife, a mere puppet in her game.

As Mr. and Mrs. Blake exited the hospital, Dawn’s cries echoed in the corridor, only to be drowned out by the barrage of reporters waiting for them outside.

"Is it true that Noah isn’t Ezra’s child and that everything Dawn said was a lie?" they pressed Mrs. Blake.

"Get out of my way!" she snapped, brushing past the stunned reporters with her husband leading the way, ensuring they were shielded from further questions as they hurried to their car.

***

Meanwhile, at Evie’s apartment, the morning arrived before she checked her phone. She had drifted off after a long night of watching Ezra, and the time slipped away unnoticed.

Evie reflected on how quickly someone’s fortunes could shift. Dawn had been on top, but now she was being vilified online. Though Evie had no fondness for Dawn, she felt a twinge of empathy, having faced similar difficulties before.

She swallowed hard, considering the repercussions if people ever discovered she was no different from Dawn—engaged in a façade of a relationship with Ezra, deceiving everyone into believing it was genuine. If that ever got out, the backlash would be inevitable.

The internet was merciless; one moment, people claimed they adored you, but once adversity struck, they quickly turned.

The social media was now filled with reminders of how people missed her and Ezra together.

She sighed deeply, reminding herself not to take these people seriously, including their opinions. "I’m going to focus on my own happiness," she resolved.

Her argument with Ezra had remained offline, and their agreement to keep personal disputes off the internet shielded her from speculation about their relationship status.

Shaking off her thoughts, Evie headed toward the parlor, wondering if Ezra was already awake.

Memories of the previous night flushed warmth across her cheeks, her heart racing with anticipation. When she entered the room, she found him still asleep.

Evie chuckled to herself, surprised by how tired he seemed and how much sleep he needed. ’Wow, that’s new’ she thought. Ezra usually woke up early.

She sighed, understanding the situation, and pivoted on her heels, heading straight to the kitchen with purpose.

In the kitchen, she focused on making breakfast for the two of them while keeping the noise to a minimum.

Avocado toasts and eggs—simple yet satisfying.

Evie worked diligently, beads of sweat forming from the heat as she stood in her t-shirt and shorts. Her hair was up in a bun; she was completely absorbed in the task at hand and didn’t catch the footsteps coming from behind.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close from behind. Evie’s lips parted, surprise flashing in her eyes as she froze, momentarily halting her egg-flipping.

"Ezra?" she asked, a mix of curiosity and warmth in her tone.

He responded with a soft hum against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

"Just waking up?" she prodded, trying to redirect her focus back to the cooking, even though his presence was distracting.

"Yeah," Ezra replied, his deep morning voice resonating in the air. "Been tired."

Evie’s lips curved slightly. "I noticed," she replied, a teasing smile breaking through.

"But I have energy now," he stated confidently. Evie raised her eyebrows in interest. "You charged me up." He pressed a kiss against the side of her hair. And she couldn’t help but blush.

"Good morning, red," he said, and her heart fluttered at the sound of the nickname. She realized just how much she had missed hearing it.