Love by Accident

Sean looked at Lily and couldn't believe his eyes—she was just as beautiful as ever, hasn't aged a day in the last seven years.

For the first time in years, he had decided to attend his high school reunion, and he didn't regret it for a second because he had run into his first love.

"Sean, darling! It's been forever," she cooed, leaning in to press her cheek against his in a welcoming embrace. Sean was instantly enveloped in a cloud of her expensive perfume.

"Hello, Lily. You look wonderful," he said, feeling old emotions he thought had died out long ago beginning to stir in his soul. "How have you been? Are you married?"

"Please! Like I'd waste my time on that. No, my dear, the man hasn't been born yet who could domesticate me. And you? I bet you're married with a house full of kids by now?"

"Unfortunately, no. Work takes up all my time."

"Oh? And what do you do for a living?"

"You're going to laugh. I'm a baker."

"How... quaint!" Lily gave a stiff, forced smile and, giving him one last brief hug goodbye, drifted off toward their other classmates.

Sean watched her walk away when Nick Miller came up and clapped him on the shoulder. "What? Can't forget the old days, huh?"

"Ah," Sean waved a hand dismissively, "same as always. Nothing's changed."

"By the way, did you know she lived in London for a couple of years? She had some pen-pal boyfriend over there and ran off to be with him. Apparently, he got tired of her and sent her packing pretty quick. That's what Sarah Jenkins told me, and she knows everything about everyone. It's amazing."

Throughout the rest of the evening, Lily didn't approach Sean again. He left long before the party ended, staying only long enough for the group photo.

***

Sean didn't know that at that very moment, Lily was talking to Sarah, the class gossip. "So, what do you think of our old crowd?" Sarah asked.

"Ugh, they're all so pathetic. There's no one even worth talking to. Engineers, teachers, drivers, bakers... it's soul-crushing."

"Bakers? Are you talking about Sean Miller?"

"Yeah. When he told me, I almost fell over. Imagine me as a baker's wife," Lily laughed.

"Oh, so you really don't know? The 'Miller's Crust' bakery chain is famous all over the state. They have their own production facilities at every location. Everything is gourmet, fresh—people line up to buy it while it's still hot."

"Why are you telling me this? Everyone knows that... even me, and I don't even eat carbs. Wait..." Lily suddenly straightened up. "Miller's Crust? Sean Miller? The guy who was just standing here?"

"Well, yeah! You're acting weird. He owns the whole franchise. Corporate clients chase him down—hospitals, private schools, tech campuses... He keeps his prices fair and still makes a fortune. He's set for life! And you're over here saying, 'Ew, a baker!'"

"Right. Thanks, girl. I think I'm going to go find him!"

Lily searched the entire venue, but Sean was gone. Frustrated, she left without saying goodbye to anyone, cursing herself for being so short-sighted.

***

The next day, Sean saw an incoming call from an unknown number. He answered and was shocked to hear Lily's silk-smooth voice. "Sean, honey, where did you disappear to last night? I was looking for you..."

"Lily? This is a surprise. Why were you looking for me?"

"Well! It's been so long since we really caught up. Maybe we could meet for dinner tonight?"

"Sure. You pick the time and place." Lily didn't hesitate and named the most expensive restaurant in the city.

"Perfect," Sean approved. "Where should I pick you up?"

Their relationship moved so fast that Sean didn't quite realize how Lily managed to move into his place so quickly, expertly showering him with affection. He was on cloud nine and happily spoiled the temperamental beauty with expensive gifts. She, in turn, melted in his arms, rewarding him for his attention.

Six months later, Sean proposed, and Lily joyfully accepted. However, a couple of days later, she got a call from Julian, a former lover, who said he was coming to the city and desperately wanted to see her.

"Are you crazy?" Lily exclaimed. "I'm actually getting married!"

"Married? No! No! I love you! You have to be with me!"

Lily smiled hungrily. Now she had two men, both successful and wealthy. She decided she would try to squeeze as much as possible out of Sean before Julian arrived, and then dump him using some excuse.

***

A week later, after having already met her old flame at a hotel twice, Lily started a conversation with Sean. "Honey, I want kids, and as soon as possible."

"Well, it might not happen quite as fast as you want," Sean smiled at her.

"What? You don't want me to have your children? Is that how it is? Fine! And here I thought you loved me. Whatever! Honestly, I'm so sick of you!" She grabbed her purse and stormed out, ignoring Sean's confused attempts to stop her after such a sudden outburst.

She spent the night in Julian's arms. In the morning, after waiting for Sean to leave for work, she went to his apartment, packed all her things and gifts, and left a note telling him not to look for her.

That day, everything went wrong for Sean. He couldn't understand what had happened between him and Lily. He tried calling her repeatedly and, in a fit of frustration, accidentally crushed his phone by backing over it with his car. Toward evening, he bought a new device and a fresh SIM card, immediately dialing his fiancée's number from memory.

***

At that same time, across the city, a quiet girl named Darcy was crying bitterly. Four years ago, she had finished school and moved to the city for college, but she fell just a few points short of a scholarship and couldn't afford the tuition. Back in her small hometown, her mother worked as a cook at a local diner, her father was a farmhand, and there were two younger siblings at home. They couldn't help their eldest daughter.

Darcy decided to save the money herself. If she didn't get a scholarship next year, she would pay her own way. She searched the classifieds and found an ad for a live-in maid in a private estate. Without a second thought, she went there. She passed the interview with the mistress of the house, was thrilled to have her own room, and eagerly started work, even though she was on a two-week trial period. Darcy did her job well, but by evening, she could barely crawl into bed.

When the mistress's husband returned after a long trip, Darcy's days became a nightmare. Albert just wouldn't leave her alone.

"Well, look at the little bird we have here. Darcy, sunshine, I've never seen such beauty—and believe me, I've seen a lot. Don't be a brat, come here!"

"How dare you! I'll tell your wife everything!"

"Just try it. You'll be out on the street in a second. Anyway, who's she going to believe? You or me?"

For two weeks, Darcy carefully avoided him, crying in the evenings as she looked at the bruises from where he had grabbed her. She tried to talk to the wife, but Albert walked in at that exact moment and led his wife away. Later that evening, while Darcy was turning down the bed, he snuck up on her and pinned her down.

"You little brat," he hissed, pressing his weight against her. "You're going to be punished for being so difficult. Right now, while my wife is out! Scream all you want, I love breaking them in."

In the struggle, they didn't hear the door open. The mistress of the house stood on the threshold. "What is this?" she shrieked. "You little tramp! How dare you!"

"It was him! I tried to tell you! He won't leave me alone!" Darcy clutched her torn blouse with one hand and tried to fix her disheveled hair with the other.

"Lucille, you're not going to believe her, are you? These people will do anything for money. She's been throwing herself at me constantly," Albert said, lounging arrogantly on the bed, knowing from his wife's look that he had won.

She was nearly ten years older than him, and he used that to manipulate his wealthy wife. "Right," Lucille looked at Darcy. "You have exactly five minutes to get out. And you're not getting a cent of back pay, understand? Get out, you little snake! Or I'll call the police and report you for theft."

Darcy ran out of the room crying. Lucille turned to her husband. "Now, as for you..." But he stood up, pulled her toward him with a strong grip, and threw her onto the bed. Lucille forgave him once again.

***

Darcy walked through the night city, sobbing, not knowing what to do. She had no home and no money. She wandered aimlessly; the city lived on around her, full of people, yet she felt like she didn't matter to a single soul. Nearby was a bridge over the river. Darcy headed toward it, no longer wishing to survive in such an unfair world. She had already reached the railing when an old phone rang in her pocket.

She answered mechanically, whispering through her tears, "Hello..."

"Hello, sweetheart, I miss you so much," a voice said on the other end. "Don't cry, I can hear you're crying. Believe me, I love you so much! I want us to have a family... Do you hear me? I'm coming to get you, where are you?"

Hearing the kind voice of a stranger and those tender words, Darcy broke down completely. "On the bridge..." she sobbed.

Silence fell on the line. Sean, trying to call Lily, had dialed from memory and missed a single digit, accidentally reaching Darcy.

"Wait... who is this? Where's Lily?"

"I'm Darcy. There's no Lily here. You have the wrong number. Goodbye."

"Stop, stop! Darcy, wait. Why are you crying? What happened? Can I help? Darcy? Hello!" The line went quiet.

***

Sean realized something was terribly wrong and ran to his car. Ten minutes later, he was at the bridge. He saw a small, slumped figure sitting right on the ground, her back against the railing, arms wrapped around her knees.

"Darcy," Sean called out. She looked up at him with such a hollow gaze that he didn't ask another question. He helped her up, drove her to his apartment, fed her, and tucked her into bed under a soft throw blanket.

Now he knew her whole story. He was stunned by the fact that he had called this girl at the exact moment she was standing on the edge of her life, effectively saving her. Sean looked at Darcy's face, her color finally returning, and suddenly remembered he still hadn't reached Lily. He picked up his phone, turned it over in his hands, and then set it back on the nightstand without dialing her number.

***

Two weeks passed. Darcy had been living at Sean's place, and out of gratitude, she made him the most delicious breakfasts and dinners and kept the apartment spotless. When he opened his closet to find all his shirts and trousers washed and perfectly pressed, his face was so shocked that Darcy actually laughed.

During this time, she was constantly looking for a new job, talking about it every day. One day, Sean realized he didn't want her to leave at all.

But he still had Lily, and he felt he couldn't just betray her. He finally called her and went numb when he heard the sounds of kissing and Lily's playful laughter on the other end. "Hello! Oh, Julian, stop, someone's calling! Hello, I'm listening!"

"I'm listening too," Sean said flatly.

"Sean..." Lily said, flustered. "What's this number? Why aren't you calling from your own phone? Sean, let's meet, I can explain everything." A disgruntled male voice muttered in the background.

"There's nothing to explain, Lily. I think I've got it."

"Sean, wait—" But he had already hung up. He went out, bought a beautiful bouquet and a ring, and hurried home to Darcy.

He knew for certain that he wouldn't let this wonderful girl go—the girl he had fallen in love with without even realizing it.

***

Five years passed. Sean and Darcy were married and raising their little boy, Alex. While out as a family at the mall one day, they were walking along, laughing at their son's antics. Suddenly, Sean felt eyes on him. He turned around. A janitor was staring at them, leaning on her mop. Sean raised an eyebrow in surprise, then gave a small, knowing smile. It was Lily. She nodded to him, but he didn't return the greeting. He hurried to catch up with his wife and son, not wanting to leave them for even a second.