Chapter 1Everyone says Marcus would die for me.
At his mother's sixtieth birthday dinner, she suddenly asks:
"Marcus, where's my grandson? Why isn't he here?"
I freeze. Must be confusion. I laugh it off.
"Mom, you forgot—I'm only seven months along."
She glances at me. Cold. Calm.
"Oh. So you don't know."
My stomach drops. I look at Marcus.
He sets down his fork like he's discussing the weather.
"I have a son. He's five."
The room goes silent.
Everyone knew.
Except me.
The woman he'd "die for."
The shrimp I'm peeling drops from my fingers.
My head's ringing. White noise everywhere.
"I'm sorry—what?"
My voice breaks.
"Five years ago. That night with Lily." Marcus shrugs. "She got pregnant."
Casual. Flat. Then he sighs and his shoulders drop.
"Honestly? Thank God you finally know. Keeping this secret was killing me."
I whip around to his mother, desperate, begging with my eyes.
"Mom—tell me this is some sick joke. It's your birthday. You're pranking me. Right?"
She takes a slow sip of tea.
Doesn't even look at me.
My stomach drops.
Marcus keeps talking.
"The doctor said it would've wrecked her body. And that's a human life, Emma. I couldn't do that."
His face softens when he talks about the kid.
I press my hand to my belly. Eight months pregnant. His baby. Our baby.
"You should be grateful I didn't ask you to get rid of yours."
He leans back in his chair.
"Otherwise we'd never have children at all."
I want to scream that he's lying.
But their faces say everything.
Six months "overseas" that year. Daily video calls—while he played daddy to them.
Five years of monthly "business trips." Every single one a lie.
And I swallowed it whole.
I smile. It feels like my face is cracking.
"You hid it perfectly. So why tell me now?"
Before Marcus can answer, his mother's hand slams the table.
"Because I'm DONE hiding my grandson!"
She inhales sharply. Softens her voice into something sweet and poisonous.
"Emma, honey. Haven't I treated you well? You're such a sweet girl. But that poor boy's been locked away for five years. Do you know what that does to me?"
My hands are shaking so hard I have to grip the chair.
Everyone knew.
The whole fucking family.
Except me.
She slides a folder across the table. Contract inside.
"One million dollars. Property. Investments. The Hastings family doesn't forget loyalty. You just have to accept him. That's all. Marcus swore he'd never see Lily again—"
"Or we get divorced."
Marcus cuts her off. Pushes the papers toward me.
His signature's already there.
I stare at it. It burns.
Five years ago, I wanted out.
He cried on his knees. Said he'd kill himself if I walked away.
I stayed.
I forgave him.
And now he's the one handing me the pen.
Dead silence. Just the grandfather clock ticking in the corner.
Then the front door crashes open.
A sugary voice rings out.
"Mom! We're here! I brought Ethan to celebrate—"
Lily breezes in. A little boy's hand wrapped in hers.
She sees me.
Her smile shatters.
"Oh. Emma."
Chapter 2
Marcus's mother sees the kid and her whole face lights up. She grabs him, practically squealing.
"There's my baby! Come give Grandma some sugar!"
I'm glued to my seat. Can't stop staring at Lily.
Marcus really kept her hidden, huh?
Five years. Perfect cover.
And I bought every word.
I watch them doing their happy family thing while I'm sitting here pregnant with his kid. Eight months.
"So this is you 'making things right,' Marcus?"
My voice is dead flat.
"Was lying to me for five years fun?"
Everyone goes white.
Lily yanks the boy behind her. Full mama-bear mode.
"Say whatever you want about me. But leave my son out of it. He's Marcus's biological child."
She's shaking now, voice rising.
"He's a Hastings. He deserves to be in this family. And if you can't handle that, then Ethan doesn't need a father who won't fight for him!"
She's acting like SHE'S the victim here. Like I'm the bad guy.
Then she storms out with the kid.
Marcus jumps up and goes after her. Doesn't even look at me.
His mother turns on me. Ice cold.
She picks up the contract and throws it in my face.
"Emma. One million dollars. More money than you'll see in your pathetic life."
She gets right up in my space.
"That boy IS joining this family. You're gonna shut up and stay out of it."
Then she's gone too.
I'm standing there alone. Birthday cake still on the table. Nobody touched it.
I bend down and grab the contract.
Hands shaking as I flip through it.
One line jumps out:
Do not interfere with Marcus Hastings and Lily Monroe's co-parenting arrangement.
My chest gets tight.
I rip it in half. Then again. And again.
Five years.
He lied straight to my face for five fucking years.
It started three months after we got married.
I came home early from a work trip. Wanted to surprise him.
The place was trashed.
Clothes everywhere. Bra on the lamp. Stains on the carpet I didn't want to think about.
Marcus. Naked. In our bed with some woman I'd never seen.
I couldn't breathe.
He fell out of bed, crashed into the nightstand, dropped to his knees and grabbed my legs.
"Emma—God, Emma, please—I was wasted—I thought she was you—"
Words tumbling out. Barely making sense.
"I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't. I'll quit drinking. I'll do anything. Just don't leave."
His mom found out the next day.
She came over and slapped him. Over and over. I stopped counting.
Then she turned to me. Shoulders hunched. Voice breaking.
"Emma, honey. He screwed up. But he loves you. He really does."
I didn't care.
I told him I wanted a divorce.
That's when Marcus climbed onto the balcony.
"You leave me, I'm jumping. Right now."
Tears streaming down his face.
"I can't do this without you anyway. So what's the point?"
That's what got me.
I couldn't watch him die.
So I pulled him back inside. Both of us crying.
"Fine. We stay married. But Marcus—this EVER happens again—"
"It won't. I swear. Never again."
After that, he went all out.
Put everything in my name. House. Car. Company shares.
Gave me his whole world.
My friends were jealous.
"Emma, seriously. What did you do to land a guy like Marcus?"
Years passed. Other couples got married. Cheated. Divorced.
People started betting on us.
How long till Emma and Marcus crash and burn?
Then he said he had to go overseas for work. Year-long project.
But we video-called every day.
He knew I had trust issues. So he'd fly back just to see me.
Always said the same thing:
"Don't give up your dreams for me. Keep building your career."
I really thought we'd make it.
Thought we beat the odds.
But "overseas." "Business trip." "Client meeting."
All lies.
He was playing house with her. With them.
And I believed him.
For five years.
Tears are running down my face.
I wipe them away hard.
Look at the divorce papers on the table.
His signature already there.
I fold them up. Put them in my purse.
Fine.
He wants this? He's got it.
Chapter 3
Marcus and his mother bring Lily and the kid back anyway.
His mom's glued to the boy's side.
"As long as I'm alive, Ethan is my grandson. Nobody's going to hurt him."
She keeps glaring at me. Making sure I get the message.
Lily notices. The nervous victim act disappears.
She slides her arm through Marcus's. Slow and deliberate.
"Emma, don't worry. I'm not trying to steal your place."
Her voice is sweet. Too sweet.
"I just want my son to have his father. So people stop calling him a bastard."
I let out a harsh laugh.
"Well, the label fits. Can't change facts."
Lily's face goes pale. She turns to Marcus with those wounded eyes.
Marcus's expression hardens.
"Emma. Do you have any class left?"
His voice is ice cold.
My hand clenches into a fist. Then goes limp.
My throat's so tight I can barely speak.
"Five years ago, you promised me. You said there wouldn't be a second time..."
Marcus is holding his son's hand. Won't even look at me.
"I gave you the divorce papers. Sign them. I'm not stopping you."
Beat.
"But you're still pregnant with my child."
His eyes drop to my belly.
"Emma. I'm just bringing Ethan home. He's five years old. He deserves a father."
His voice softens. Like he's being reasonable.
"Can you stop being so petty? Wouldn't it be good for our baby to have a big brother?"
He genuinely doesn't think he did anything wrong.
That casual tone destroys whatever hope I had left.
Before I can respond, he keeps going.
"Mom and I already decided. We're throwing a party next weekend."
"You're going to be Ethan's godmother. That way nobody can talk."
I force down the rage building in my chest.
Of course he's already planned everything.
"Absolutely not."
Marcus smirks. Cold.
"Fine. Then go to the hospital and terminate."
My head jerks up.
"Are you out of your MIND?! I'm eight months pregnant!"
His face stays calm. But his words are brutal.
"I'm the father. I have legal rights. Once it's born, it's a baby. Right now? It's just tissue."
He steps closer.
"So choose. Be Ethan's godmother and smile. Or I'll drag you to that clinic myself."
Then he walks out. Lily and the kid trailing behind him.
Weeks pass. Complete silence.
He doesn't come home.
Now that everything's out in the open, Marcus starts posting on social media.
He never posted before. His profile was basically dead.
Now it's multiple times a day.
Photos of him with Lily and Ethan. Captions that make them look like the perfect family.
My phone starts blowing up.
"Emma—who is that woman? That kid looks exactly like him—oh my God, is he...?"
"Who IS she?!"
I can't even answer them.
The only person who really understands is Sarah—she knew about the cheating five years ago.
"Emma. I told you back then. You should've left him."
Her voice cracks.
"Guys like him don't change. They just get better at hiding it."
I laugh. But there's no humor in it.
Everyone else could see it coming.
Everyone except the idiot carrying his child.
