Back in college. We were… together.”
I stared at him, stunned. “You gave this to her?”
He nodded slowly.
“Yeah. But there’s more to the story than that.”
My heart pounded as I sat back in the seat. “What do you mean?”
“We met during our sophomore year.
She was charming—funny, unpredictable—but she was going through a rough time. Struggling for money, doing what she could to survive. One night, the watch went missing.
I had no idea she’d taken it until I saw it on her wrist a few days later.”
“She stole it from you?” I whispered. He nodded, a sad smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah.
But I let her keep it. There was something about her—I guess I thought I could help. We ended up dating.”
I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around it.
“She never mentioned anything like this.”
“I’m not surprised,” Ethan said. “Eventually, she cleaned out my savings and disappeared. Later, I found out she ran off with another guy—your dad.”
I stared at him in disbelief, a hollow feeling blooming in my chest.
“She left you… for my father?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “At the time, it devastated me. But over the years, I let it go.
I moved on. Still, when I saw that watch tonight, it all came flooding back. I figured you deserved to know.”
I looked down at the delicate silver timepiece, once a symbol of my mother’s love.
Now, it felt heavier—like it carried the weight of every lie she’d never told me. “I don’t even know what to say,” I murmured. Ethan’s voice softened.
“Your mom probably had her reasons. She wasn’t perfect, but maybe she gave you that watch as a way to make peace with her past.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Thanks… for telling me.”
He gave me a faint smile.
“Take care of yourself, Harper.”
I stepped out of the car, but the idea of joining a party now felt impossible. The music, the laughter—I wasn’t in the right headspace. Instead, I turned around and walked home.
Back in my apartment, I paced for a while before calling my mom. She picked up quickly, sounding upbeat. “Hi, sweetheart!
How’s the party?”
I didn’t waste time. “We need to talk. Something happened tonight.”
“What is it?
Is everything okay?”
“I met someone. His name’s Ethan Ross. He said he dated you in college.”
Silence.
Then a quiet, “Ethan… I haven’t thought about him in years.”
“He told me everything,” I continued. “The watch. The money.
Running away with Dad.”
Her voice faltered. “Harper, I… I didn’t want you to know about that part of my life.”
“Why not?” I snapped, tears starting to sting. “Why would you keep that from me?”
“I was ashamed,” she admitted.
“I was young, desperate, making choices I regret every day. But I’ve tried so hard to be better since then—to be the kind of mother you needed.”
“He said there’s no point in holding onto the past. But I feel like I don’t even know you,” I said, voice cracking.
“I’m so sorry, Harper,” she whispered. “I thought I was protecting you.”
I looked down at the watch, the one I’d worn for years thinking it was a gift of love—not stolen from a man she left behind. “I’m dropping the watch off at your place.
I don’t want it anymore.”
“Harper, please…”
But I had nothing else to say. “I need time. I’ll talk to you later.”
I hung up, then slowly took the watch off and placed it on the table.
The night had peeled back a layer of my life I hadn’t even known was hiding something. I curled up on the couch, unsure of what came next—just knowing things would never return to the way they were. Not after tonight.
