"She's being generous enough not to press charges. All she's asking for is an apology. What more do you want?"
"You took away her chance to ever be a mother. Carrying a child for her is the least you can do. Consider it repayment for selling off my company shares behind my back!"
The least I could do.
And the man who had always put his career above everything else had just ranked his thirty percent stake below Claudia Simmons.
He really did love her to the bone.
I laughed until tears spilled from my eyes, and finally let three words fall from my lips.
"I'm sorry."
Harrison released his grip and had me sign a document.
It was almost laughable. What made him think that just because I signed, I'd actually carry a child for Claudia?
But I needed to get out of there. So I signed.
Only then did Harrison help me to my feet. His expression was complicated.
"Just to make sure you don't cause any more trouble, you'll have to bear with something for a little while."
"And Claudia losing the baby stays between us. You don't breathe a word."
It wasn't until I was locked inside an abandoned storage room in the hospital that I understood what he meant by bear with something.
He wheeled Claudia off to their wedding.
I pounded on the door and screamed until a janitor finally heard the commotion and let me out.
I checked the time. My flight was about to depart.
I hailed a cab and raced to the airport.
As I was boarding, Mrs. Delgado called.
"Tilda, where are you? Harrison says you ran off before the wedding! And now he's marrying Claudia Simmons?"
Before I could answer, she caught the sound of a flight attendant announcing boarding information in the background.
"Tilda, you're at the airport? Today is your wedding with Harrison. Where are you going?"
"Mrs. Delgado, today's wedding is his and Claudia's. It has nothing to do with me."
She didn't even hang up before turning to confront Harrison, demanding to know if he'd mistreated me.
He shouted back at her.
"Mom, Claudia's pregnant. You're going to be a grandmother soon."
I'd assumed Fiona, who had been desperate for a grandchild for years, would be thrilled by the news.
Instead, her voice rose to a furious roar.
"Bullshit! That girl's had no uterus since she was a child. Pregnant with what, exactly?"
