“The baby’s father treats you well?” I asked, watching her squirm.
“He… yes. He treats me well.” She replied quickly, refusing to meet my eyes.
“That’s good, then. Cherish it. Just don’t let yourself be fooled by the wrong kind of man.”
I held her gaze for a long beat, then turned on my heel and walked away.
Walking out of Brian’s office building, I drew in a long breath of cold air.
Vanessa O’Hara, you really think hiding in the shadows means I can’t touch you? You’ll learn soon enough what it means to cross a wife.
That night, Brian came home late, reeking of whiskey and woman’s perfume.
“Client dinner. Had a few drinks to please them,” he muttered, hiccupping as he kicked off his shoes. “I’ll go shower.”
Vanessa: [Babe, the checkup went well. Doctor says everything good. Oh and it’s a boy!]
Brian: [That’s amazing! I’ll have a son. Tomorrow I’ll take you shopping for baby stuff.]
Vanessa: [You’re the best, babe. I love you.]
Brian: [I love you and our baby. Once he’s here, we’ll be a real family.]
Disgust twisted in my stomach. I had to fight the urge to throw up. They’d already planned everything—just waiting for me, the legal wife, to step aside. Well, over my dead body.
I slid his phone back into place just as he came out of the bathroom, steam curling behind him. My lips curved into the sweetest smile I could muster.
“Seems like you’ve had a lot of meetings lately. You’ve been working so hard, honey,” I murmured, stepping close, my fingers kneading his shoulders.
He sighed with satisfaction, eyes half-lidded. “It’s all for our future.”
“By the way,” I said casually, “I had a little talk with your front desk girl today. I think she’s pregnant.”
His body stiffened instantly. “Really? Didn’t notice.”
“Probably because it’s still early. Three or four months along maybe,” I added, baiting him.
“Young people these days are careless. No respect for themselves,” he muttered after clearing his throat, scrambling for an excuse.
I fought the urge to scoff, “Well, I hope her boyfriend’s a decent guy. Otherwise… poor thing.” Thin smile on my lips, showing just enough sympathy.
“Yeah… he’d better be,” Brian mumbled, sweat forming at his temple.
***