"Of course, I haven't forgotten," I said ambiguously. "If you want your world back, I'll gladly step aside."
Without waiting for a response, I stepped into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. Pressing my back against it, I exhaled deeply, the tightness in my chest creeping back in.
Did they take me for a fool?
Did they truly believe I would welcome their child with open arms and love it as if it were my own? No. I would not waste my life. I would not waste a lifetime on them.
How could I love their baby when mine lay buried beneath the damp, dark earth?
Just as I was about to compose myself, my phone vibrated on the nightstand. I frowned as I saw Leon’s name flash across the screen.
[Tomorrow. Harvest Café. Nine o’clock. I’ve got what you need.]
My heart skipped a beat. He had done it.
A new identity.
An identity that would erase Wendy Clark from this world.
I hadn't objected when Archie asked me to settle Zac for his nap. Regardless of his origins, the baby was innocent. His presence was merely a tool for his selfish parents, and I couldn’t bring myself to hate him for that.
And yet, as I cradled him in my arms, I couldn't ignore the way my chest ached. Looking at Zac was like staring directly at their betrayal. At the night they had spent together, tangled in passion, exchanging whispered promises and sweat, conceiving the child now nestled in my embrace.
I had seen enough in the way Archie looked at Claire—so deeply, so reverently. The gaze that had once belonged to me was now hers entirely.
Soft footsteps approached, the sound of heels tapping against the marble floor in a careful, deliberate rhythm. I didn’t need to turn my head to know who it was.
"Wendy," a sweet voice greeted me.
I exhaled slowly, refusing to let her presence unnerve me.
Claire’s footsteps echoed closer, her stiletto heels clicking against the floor. Yet, she moved carefully—as if not wanting to wake Zac.
How motherly.
"I already know, Claire," I murmured, keeping my voice level. "There's no need to pretend anymore."
"Ah, Wendy," she sighed dramatically, though her cunning eyes never left mine. "Archie and I love each other. We were always meant to be together."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Is that so? Then why did you leave him at the blessing ceremony? Why drag me into this farce of a marriage, only to return years later acting as if nothing happened?"