The chime of the coffee shop door, announcing Samantha's arrival, sent a jolt of adrenaline through Selena. She felt a familiar mix of nervousness and excitement, a thrill that came with playing her role, a role that had the potential to change Richard's life.
Samantha, her face a mask of confusion and hurt, stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes darting between Richard and Selena, her gaze landing on Selena's pregnant stomach.
"Richard," she said, her voice laced with a tremor, "what is this?"
Richard, his face pale, met his fiancée's gaze, his voice a low, hesitant murmur. "Samantha, I... I need to tell you something."
"Just tell me what's going on," Samantha insisted, her voice rising in frustration. "Who is this woman? Why are you with her?"
Selena, stepping into her role with confidence, placed a hand on Richard's arm, her expression a blend of love and protectiveness. "Samantha, please," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Let Richard explain."
Richard looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude.  "Samantha," he began, his voice barely a whisper.  "I've... I've been lying to you.  About everything."
He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with a mix of regret and determination. "I'm not who you think I am.  I'm not the man you thought I was."
Samantha's eyes widened, her face a mixture of shock and disbelief.  "What are you saying, Richard?  What are you talking about?"
"I'm... I'm in love with someone else. The woman that I'm in love with is Candy, and we are going to have a baby soon." Richard confessed, his voice barely audible.  "I'm so sorry, Samantha. I can't marry you."
Selena, now playing the role of the pregnant Candy, felt a pang of sympathy for Samantha, the woman who had unknowingly been engaged to a man who doesn't love her because of a valid reason. It was a painful reality, a truth that shattered illusions and exposed the cracks in their carefully constructed world.
Samantha stood there, speechless, her heart shattered by the revelation. The world around them seemed to fade away, the hum of the coffee shop, the clinking of cups, the chatter of other patrons, all muted, distant sounds.
"I... I don't understand," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I thought we were happy.  I thought we were in love."
"I... I know," Richard said, his voice cracking.  "And I'm sorry. I’m so sorry.  I never wanted to hurt you.  But I couldn’t just abandon Candy and our baby."
"I really am sorry, Samantha. We tried to forget  each other but love just led us back to each other. And now that we're going to have a baby, it's very important for us to raise our child together, with a complete family..." Candy started getting teary-eyed, as she is getting absorbed by her acting.
Richard's words, laced with a mix of guilt and desperation, hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the cheerful hum of the coffee shop.  Samantha, her face pale, stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Selena, playing the role of Candy, was lost in the moment, channeled the emotions of a woman scorned, a woman whose heart had been broken but who had found a new love, a new path, a new purpose.  She was convincing, she was believable, she was Candy, the pregnant woman, the woman Richard loved.
Samantha, her eyes filled with tears, turned towards Richard, her expression a mix of hurt and confusion.  "You... you were just pretending that you loved me?" she whispered, her voice laced with pain.
"I'm so sorry, Samantha," Richard said, his voice filled with remorse.  "I… I didn’t mean to hurt you."
"I... I don't know what to say," Samantha said, her voice cracking.  "This is all… it's too much... But for the sake of the baby, I am finally letting you go, Richard... "
Then, without any other word, Samantha turned and walked out of the coffee shop, the chime of the door ringing out as she left, a sound that echoed the shattering of their relationship, the end of a dream, a carefully constructed illusion.
Richard, watching her leave, heaves out a sigh of relief afterwards, "It's over," he said, his voice a low murmur.  "It's really over."
"I really feel bad for her, but it's better this way. I sincerely wish, hope and pray that she will be able to find her one great love in the future, and she will live happily ever after." Selena, aka Candy, genuinely stated.
She knew that her role, her performance, was over. She had helped Richard find his freedom, his truth, and that was all that mattered.   She was just a performer, a weaver of illusions, but in that moment, she felt a sense of purpose, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of having made a real difference in Richard's life.
"I really hope so, Candy. By the way, thank you for your service today, and just like what I promised, here's your service fee and I added a bonus as well. I appreciate your help today..." Richard said, while giving her an envelope full of money inside.
"Thank you as well, Richard. But just a piece of advice... You need to tell everyone the truth, especially to your family. You are not just torturing yourself, but you're also torturing and fooling the people around you, especially the one you love. I know you're scared of the outcome, but you have to face it head on so that you can finally gain your freedom, and be fair to everyone. But anyway, it's up to you if you are going to follow my advice, because it's still your life... Just think about it and I hope when we see each other again in the future, you are in a much better place." Selena stated, while pulling the pillow underneath her clothes, finally revealing her fake pregnancy.
Then, she started walking away from the restaurant, while looking back at her client...