The DNA test results came out. There was no doubt about it: Angela was indeed the child's biological mother.
When Darius announced it to everyone, it was as if Clark's world stopped. He couldn't say a word. Sadness, fear, and intense anxiety all swirled within him. He couldn't explain why, but it felt like something was slowly slipping away from him. He wanted to hug Angela; to tell her they could get through anything together, but it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. His hands were cold, his chest tight.
"What if... this is it?" he whispered to himself. "What if she changes her mind?"
His heart sank even more when he remembered that Darius and Elle's separation had been confirmed. Everyone—both Angela's and Darius's families—already knew the full story. How could they not, when the truth had exploded about Elle's deception: how she used surrogacy to get close to Angela, to give Darius his freedom, to free herself from a marriage that had long been loveless?
Elle pretended that she and Darius needed a surrogate mother, followed by what was claimed to be a case of medical malpractice—all of which Elle orchestrated. A huge lie that nearly ruined many lives.
In the chaos of it all, Clark was the most shaken. He thought maybe this was Darius's opportunity to win Angela back—the woman they both loved.
But what Clark didn't know was that after a serious and heartfelt conversation between Angela, Darius, his parents, and his sister Darlene, they had all realized one thing: Angela had made up her mind. There was not a hint of doubt in her voice when she said she no longer felt anything for Darius beyond friendship.
She love Clark so much. Completely. Unconditionally.
She knew everything was hard. She knew Clark had also been hurt. That's why before taking any steps forward, they needed to talk. She wanted to hear what he truly felt. She wanted to be the one to tell him the whole truth.
But she was worried. Clark hadn't come home. He wasn't answering any of her calls or messages.
She was getting anxious. She didn't know where he was. She had already spoken to Clark's parents, and even they had no idea where their son was.
Then she got a call from Andres—Clark's closest friend. He said Clark was drunk, at his apartment.
"Is it wrong to get tired? Is it wrong to be scared? After everything we've been through, why am I giving up now? Maybe it's because deep down I know that no matter how much I love Angela, there's a part of her life I can never match. A child. I can't take away something that was never mine to begin with. And faced with that truth... I feel like I'm the one disappearing."
"I keep telling myself I'm enough. That Angela loves me. But what's the point of love if there's a connection I can never match? That child—he's her flesh and blood. Me? I'm just an observer. A guardian. I'll never truly be the father of that child." The thoughts tormented him. Unbeknownst to him, Angela had arrived.
"I saw the way Darius looked at her earlier. There was sadness, yes. But also hope. And Angela… I don't know. I don't know if I can still read her. It feels like a wall suddenly stood between us. And maybe I'll be the one left behind again."
She didn't waste any more time. She went straight there. When she arrived, she saw Clark sitting on the floor, his hair a mess, his gaze unfocused. Nearby was a nearly empty bottle of liquor.
Angela quietly approached her boyfriend. She held his arm and helped him onto the sofa. She didn't say anything at first. She let him rest, allowed the alcohol to wear off a little. She wiped his sweat and the traces of tears from his cheeks, fixed his clothes. And through those simple gestures, Clark's heart slowly came back to life—because he could feel that Angela was there, not to leave, but to stay.
When Clark had sobered up, Angela finally spoke.
"Clark, baby... I know you're hurt. And you have every right to be. I didn't immediately tell you how I truly felt about everything... even I was caught off guard. But I'm here now to tell you the truth."
Clark said nothing. He chose to listen.
"Nothing's going to change between us," Angela continued. "Yes, Darius is the father of the child I gave birth to. But that's not enough reason for my feelings to change. Yes, I loved him once. But I can say that I've loved you more ever since I admitted to myself what I truly feel for you."
Her every word filled the silence. This wasn't drama, nor sweet talk. It was a firm truth—lived, thought through, and decided upon.
"That's something that will never change. Nothing can ever change that. Because of your patience, your love that asked for nothing in return, I fell. And I can't climb back out from that love anymore."
Clark looked at her. Tears glistened at the corners of his eyes.
"You are my present and my future," Angela whispered. "I love you so much. That's why the wedding is still on. It's just that... something's been added."
She took a deep breath.
"Darius and I will have to co-parent the child. But while he's still a baby, he'll stay with me. Until the right time comes when he can move between both of us. I just... I just hope nothing changes in you. I hope we can handle this new setup. Because I don't want to lose you, Clark."
A brief silence. Then Clark slowly, tightly embraced her. No words needed to be spoken. That hug was enough for Angela to feel forgiveness, acceptance, and most of all—love.
A love forged in truth. Not perfect, but real. Not easy, but strong.
That night, one of the deepest wounds between them began to heal.
And as the sun rose, they faced the new day together—alongside the child who would remind them that everything they had gone through had a purpose.
They didn't know how they would face all that lay ahead. But they knew who they were holding on to in the storm. And with every step forward, they carried the memory of that night—that even in the midst of brokenness, there is still hope to rebuild.