I Got Strange Mute Calls for Months, until One Day I Heard Words That Shocked Me – Story of the Day

After receiving mute calls for months, Alex finally discovered it was Catherine, the love of his life, whom he thought dead. She asked him for a meeting, but Alex was about to get married...except, he had to know what happened with her and their baby.

Alex stood in the groom’s room of the very expensive hotel his mother had reserved for this wedding. Laughter and the clink of champagne glasses surrounded him.

His friends looked sharp in their suits and toasted merrily to his new chapter. "Here's to Alex, trading bachelor nights for romantic dinners," Jake teased, triggering a hearty chuckle from everyone.

"True, but candlelight beats neon bar lights," Alex retorted, winking at Jake, but his tone softened. "I've got the best gift here today. My friends, my family, and my bride, Tina."

The men cheered and downed their glasses, but a sudden vibration had Alex frowning. Not this again. The familiar, mysterious number appeared on his phone screen.

Someone had been calling every day for months, but they never talked when Alex answered the call. It was getting tiring.

"Hello?" Alex sighed, not expecting anything. However, this time was different.

A soft, urgent voice spoke too rapidly. "Don't say my name now. No one should know I am calling you."

His heart raced immediately—it was Catherine, the love he thought lost forever. "Cat? Are you alive?" he whispered, shocked.

"Yes, Alex," Catherine trembled. "Meet me at Serriota Pizza, two blocks away. Tell no one."

The line went dead.

Alex put the phone down and tried to keep a poker face, so his groomsmen wouldn't notice the upheaval in his eyes.

Why was she calling today, of all days?

Could Alex blow her off? No, he couldn't. She had been the love of his life, and her death was the worst thing that ever happened to him. But apparently, it had all been a lie, and he needed to know what went down.

***

Alex saw her silhouette as soon as he entered Serriota Pizza. As he sat beside her, a flood of questions awaited. Why had she vanished? Was she still pregnant?

Still, all he could muster was a small, "Hello."

Catherine wasn't one for small talk. She dove right in. "I know this is shocking. You thought I was dead," she began, her tone filled with remorse. "I had no choice but to let you believe that, but I had to come clean today, or I’d regret it forever."

"Explain everything. Now," he demanded, his voice firm.

"It all started at that dinner at your parents' house," Catherine recounted. "After you and your father stepped out, things changed."

***

Several months ago…

The grand dining room of Alex's family estate felt alien to Catherine. His mother, Amanda, poised and elegant, had quickly asked about Catherine’s background.

"So, Catherine, tell us about yourself. What do you do? And your family?" Her curiosity sounded polite yet piercing.

"I work at a flower shop, the same one my mother works at, since... since my father left us," Catherine answered. Her voice almost disappeared in the surrounding grandeur.

"And your aspirations?" Alex's father, Peter, had asked, his eyes squinting.

"I enjoy my work with flowers. It’s simple but fulfilling," Catherine said.

Soon after, Alex told his parent he and Catherine were expecting a baby, which caused more than a stir in that opulent dining room.

Amanda choked on her food, and Peter took a big swig of scotch before expressing his concern. "That’s big news. You're both young, but I trust you've considered the responsibilities."

Alex reassured his father and explained how he was handling business, and they exited the kitchen for a while to continue their conversation.

Once she was alone with Amanda, Catherine felt the stare of her soon-to-be mother-in-law bore a hole in her face.

"Catherine," Amanda demanded, her voice now sharp. "How long have you been pregnant?"

"About three weeks," Catherine answered, gulping.

Amanda’s tone turned cold. "You and Alex... it's not suitable. Your backgrounds, your lifestyles—they're just too different."

"I love Alex, and he loves me. We'll make it together."

"You might regret that," Amanda warned, her gaze chilling as she stood from the table, ending their polite dinner abruptly.

The next day, Catherine was enjoying a rare day off, busying herself with chores around her and Alex's house when her phone suddenly rang, breaking the tranquility.

“Hello?” she answered.

It was her boss, the manager of the flower shop. His voice came urgent and grave through the line with the worst news possible.

“Catherine, your mother collapsed at the shop. We’ve called an ambulance. She’s on her way to St. Mary’s Hospital.”

“I’m on my way,” Catherine responded quickly, although panic had a tight grip on her throat. She called Alex with shaking hands. “Darling, it’s my mom. She’s been taken to the hospital. I’m going there now.”

“I’ll meet you there,” he replied.

The sterile environment of the hospital did little to soothe her as Catherine rushed to the reception. A doctor approached her with a somber expression.

“Your mother is stable, but she has a brain tumor. It’s serious—she needs an operation soon, or she may only have a month,” he explained gently.

Catherine’s heart sank. “Can she be saved?”

“Yes, but it will be costly—around $100,000 for the operation, and $5,000 every following month,” the doctor detailed.

Catherine nodded, and the doctor walked away. Suddenly, she swayed and looked for a chair to sit down. She didn't have that kind of money.

Alex was suddenly in her face, his worried eyes trying to get her attention. “Catherine, are you okay? What happened?” he asked breathlessly.

“It’s my mom,” Catherine choked out. “She has a brain tumor. She needs surgery soon, or…”

“I’m calling my mom. She needs to be here,” he asserted. "We could use the support."

When Amanda arrived, her concern felt...fake, except she was a good actress, and Alex was buying his mother's act.

Catherine got close to her and whispered, “It’s all an act, isn’t it? Your concern?”

The older woman tilted her head and told Alex his father was looking for him. Once her son was gone, Amanda turned back to Catherine.

“Do you want your mother to live?” she asked, her eyes piercing.

“Of course, I do,” Catherine replied, confused.

“I can make that happen. I can pay for the surgery, the rehabilitation, everything. But there’s a condition,” Amanda said, almost smiling

“What condition?”

"You have to leave Alex. Completely. Disappear from his life."

Catherine's world seemed to freeze. "How can I just disappear?" she asked, her lip starting to tremble.

"We'll stage an accident. Say you drowned during a yacht trip—a tragic mishap. Everyone will believe it," Amanda explained coldly.

Faking her death, deceiving Alex, and just disappearing felt like a request only made in movies. And yet, Catherine had to think about her mother. She knew Amanda wouldn't help if she didn't agree to her terms.

After a heavy moment where she mutely begged Alex for forgiveness and bit him goodbye, she whispered, "Okay, I'll do it."

Days later, Catherine stood with Alex and Amanda as the doctor told them her mother would recover fully. The relief felt druglike, and she hugged Alex as tears fell from her face.

She even thanked Amanda profusely for everything. The old woman faked being nice in front of her son. But her next words were brutal.

"Let's celebrate this on our yacht, Alex," Amanda suggested, grinning widely. Catherine flinched internally. It was time to complete her part of the bargain.

Alex was oblivious to his mother's plan, so he nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds wonderful, Mom. Catherine, you'll love my yacht!"

That night, Catherine did everything Amanda wanted and disappeared from Alex's life with her heart broken...

Three months later, Catherine and her mother settled into a new city, a fresh start 30 miles from her past with Alex. She found solace working in another quaint flower shop.

The monthly checks from Amanda reminded her of her sacrifice, so she could never forget Alex. But one day, a man named Kevin walked into the shop.

"These flowers are beautiful, but not as much as the lady arranging them," he flirted. His warmth, easy-going nature, and gentle insistence helped Catherine heal.

She eventually accepted a date with him, and each day he melted her reservations, making her believe that life could actually move on.

But at some point, Catherine had to tell him about her baby. "I'm four months along," she confessed on one of their dates at what had become their favorite café.

Kevin was surprised, but he accepted her just the same. "I'm here for you, and your child," he reassured her. "If you'll have me, I'm ready to be a part of your lives."

Only a few days later, as they strolled through a starlit park, Kevin stopped and knelt on one knee. "I love you, Catherine," he declared, "Will you marry me?"

Catherine accepted, feeling true love for this new man in her life. But the moment was bittersweet. Alex would never get a chance to be a father.

However, the universe had another twist in store for her. Several days passed, and Catherine was working at the flower shop when one of her colleagues started gushing about a lavish wedding taking place soon in their neighboring town.

Curiously, Catherine asked her about it, and her coworker handed over her phone. Her heart started beating a mile a minute. It was Alex, and he was getting married to someone else.

The pain of her past surged back, filling her with longing and regret. So, each evening, as twilight painted the sky, she found herself dialing Alex's number.

But she would hang up or not say a thing, listening to Alex's voice. Would he want to know the truth? Finally, after several restless nights, Catherine decided to talk to Kevin.

She was staying with him at a nice condo he owned, and he was an early riser. Catherine got up from their bed and found him in the kitchen.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she asked, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Of course, Catherine. What's wrong?" Kevin replied, turning off the stove and guiding her toward the kitchen bar. He sat on the stool next to her and waited.

"It's about my past, about someone I loved before I met you. His name is Alex. We were deeply in love, but I had to leave him due to a complicated situation with his family. Today, he's getting married," she revealed, stuttering through the words.

"I see," he nodded.

"You've been so kind and supportive, Kevin. But part of my heart is still with Alex. I feel I must tell him the truth, or I'll regret it forever," Catherine admitted, her eyes welling with tears.

"I appreciate your honesty, Catherine. I want you to be happy, even if it means revisiting your past," he said sincerely, holding her hands.

"Thank you," she said, wiping her tears.

Kevin stood and handed her his car keys. "Go to him, Catherine. Find out what your heart needs to know. Your happiness is what matters most to me."

***

The present at Serriota Pizza…

"That's the story," Catherine finished in a whisper. She couldn't bear to look at Alex, feeling how his expression would accuse her terribly.

But he surprised her. "How is your mom now?" Alex's voice was soft, tinged with concern.

"She passed away a few weeks ago," Catherine responded, a tear tracing her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Cat," Alex replied, his hand reaching out to comfort her.

After that, it was like they traveled back several months. Their conversation meandered through memories and what-ifs, time blurring around them.

***

Surrounded by family and friends, Alex stood at the altar, looking at Tina, his bride, who was smiling and crying with joy.

The priest had asked if he would take her hand in marriage, and Alex turned to his fiancée with a pained expression.

"Tina, I'm sorry. You became a victim in a situation created by my parents, who I now reject. I tried to love you, but my heart has always belonged to someone else," Alex declared, swallowing thickly.

The church filled with murmurs as Alex walked away, feeling absolutely sure in his decision, as his mother and father rushed to yell after him.

He walked down the church steps two at a time outside and rushed to his car. His future was uncertain, but he had to do what his heart wanted—to be with Catherine… and their soon-to-be-born baby.

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