Chapter 1I showed up for my prenatal alone. Saw my husband—the guy was supposed to be overseas on business. With his "wife?"
Garrett had one hand on her waist. The other pushing people out of her way.
She had a baby bump. Caught me staring. Smiled.
"Hey! You know my husband or something?"
My brain went straight to his text from this morning.
[Back to back meetings. Signal sucks. Take care of yourself and the baby.]
I just looked at him. Didn't say shit.
His eyes went wide. Hand froze mid-air.
Then he recovered. Tried to play it off.
"This is Blair Donovan. We went to high school together."
Like we never got married. Just old classmates who haven't seen each other in forever.
She looked me over. Noticed my wedding ring.
"Oh that's gorgeous! Where's your husband? Shouldn't he be here for your checkup?"
I look down at the ring.
Garrett bought it with his first real money when his company took off.
Wore it for three years. Never took it off.
I laughed. Slid the ring off.
"Not here for a checkup."
Looked at Garrett.
"I'm here to get rid of it."
---
Kelsey's face goes pale but her eyes? Pure shock.
"Wait—you're pregnant and wanna get rid of it?"
I look at her rounded belly.
"Whatever. This kid wouldn't be happy anyway."
I look straight at Garrett standing right beside her.
"Not like yours. Your husband treats you real nice."
Garrett's eyes get huge again.
But Kelsey? Totally misses what I'm saying.
Her cheeks go pink as she touches her belly, sounding super sweet.
"Honestly I told him not to bother. It's just a checkup, no big deal."
She shoots Garrett this playful look.
"But he was like nah I'm worried about you and the baby."
I take a breath. "How far along?"
Kelsey's whole face lights up.
"Five months."
My hand go ice-cold.
The baby in my belly? Three months.
I look back at Kelsey, smile getting bigger.
"When'd you two get married? Funny—never heard this old classmate mention it."
"Oh we haven't done the wedding yet."
Kelsey answers like we're just chatting, zero suspicion.
"But both families met already. Garrett says I'd get way too tired doing wedding photos with the bump, doesn't want me looking bad or having regrets later. So we're waiting till after the baby."
Another chill hits me.
Both families met.
So what about Garrett's parents? They know too?
I turn to Garrett. His face is ghost-white.
He grabs Kelsey's arm.
"Let's go check in."
She pushes his hand away, acting all bratty.
"There's like a million people ahead. What's the rush? I'm talking to her."
She looks at me again, curious as hell.
"You really Garrett's high school friend? How come he never mentioned you?"
I keep my tone flat. "Probably 'cause we weren't close."
Kelsey doesn't catch the vibe at all. Just laughs.
"I love hearing about Garrett in high school. He never tells me anything though."
"How'd you meet?" I ask.
Her eyes go all soft.
"I interned at his company two years ago. Had no clue what I was doing. My boss kept ripping my work apart."
"Garrett helped me out."
"We'd stay late fixing stuff. He'd drive me home."
"Thought he was just cool. Then this concert thing—my favorite artist."
"Couldn't get tickets. I was upset about it for like a week."
"Garrett just shows up with two tickets one day. 'Wanna go?'"
"That's when I figured out I liked him."
She sounds all dreamy, like some high school crush story.
I stare straight at Garrett.
"September fifteenth?"
Kelsey's eyes go wide. "Wait you follow that artist too?"
I smile a little.
"Yeah. Couldn't get tickets either."
I keep going. "That night I was home with a fever—hit like 104. Called my husband over ten times. He rejected every single one."
Kelsey freezes.
"Oh my god. Were you okay?"
"I'm fine."
I'm still smiling.
"Someone got me to the hospital."
Kelsey looks relieved, like she actually cares.
"Thank god someone helped."
I keep staring at Garrett.
His eyes get huge. Dude looks freaked out.
"Wanna know who it was?"
Chapter 2
Right then the overhead speaker crackles.
Kelsey's response gets cut off.
Garrett grabs that lifeline. Literally pulls her toward the exam room.
"It's your turn. Let's go."
She turns back after a few steps. Smiles at me.
"Nice meeting you! Maybe we'll see each other again."
I look right at her.
"Yeah. We will."
Oh we're definitely gonna see each other again.
Just hoping she'll still be smiling next time.
I turn and head for the registration desk.
"Hi, need to cancel my OB appointment."
"Schedule me for an abortion."
She stops for a sec. "Okay. You gotta see the women's clinic first. They'll check you out, then we'll schedule it."
I take the form. Fingers feel numb and cold.
Garrett and me? Together since high school.
Seventeen years old, he handed me a cold water bottle by the field, ears burning red.
"Blair, I like you."
I told him he was corny.
Long-distance all four years of college. He called every single night.
His startup was dying and he had to budget every meal? I gave him everything I'd saved.
Wedding day he gripped my hand so tight, eyes red and glassy.
"Blair, I'm never gonna make you regret marrying me."
But people change.
I clutch the form and walk outta the hospital.
Second I hit the steps, someone grabs my wrist from behind.
"Blair!"
Garrett's breathing uneven—clearly ran after me.
Sweat on his forehead, eyes holding panic I haven't seen in forever.
"It's not what you think."
I almost laugh.
"Kid's five months along. What're you gonna explain?"
He doesn't let go.
"Look, it's messy. She just started at the company, didn't know anything. I was helping her."
"The pregnancy thing—total accident. I was gonna tell you but you had your own problems. Didn't wanna add to it."
"So you just lied? Went to all her appointments? Met her parents? Promised to marry her?"
His face goes tight. "Jesus, why are you being like this? It happened. Can we just sit down and talk?"
Right then Kelsey comes walking out, one hand on her belly.
She sees Garrett holding my wrist. Stops dead.
"Garrett."
Her voice shakes.
"What're you doing?"
Garrett lets go right away.
Kelsey walks closer, eyes bouncing between us.
"Why were you holding her hand?"
Garrett rushes over to steady her.
"Kelsey, it's not what you think."
Her eyes well up fast.
"Not what I think? You said she was just some girl from high school. Why did you start ditching me to go hold her hand?"
Garrett's voice drops. "She was upset. Thought she might do something."
I laugh. Sounds bitter even to me.
So done with this.
Turn and walk off. Don't look back.
That night? Garrett doesn't call. Not once.
I open my laptop. Start going through everything we own together.
The more I see the crazier it gets.
His company's first three years—the worst ones—I'm working full-time and doing his books at night.
Put my entire paycheck into keeping his business alive.
Took the wedding money my parents had been saving for me and used it to bail him out.
Then his company blew up. Everyone called him this young success story.
And he used the life I helped him build to support another woman and her kid.
3 a.m. I book a consult with a divorce lawyer.
Then text Garrett.
[Come home tomorrow. We need to talk about divorce.]
Send. No response.
Next morning I go into work like usual.
But before I can go after Kelsey, her mom shows up at my office first.
Chapter 3
10 a.m. front desk calls me, voice shaking.
"Ms. Donovan, someone's downstairs making a huge scene. Asking for you."
Before I can even answer, I hear this woman yelling through the phone.
"Blair! Get your ass down here!"
"You homewrecking bitch! Stealing someone's husband and hiding in your little office!"
"Everyone's about to see what you really are!"
By the time I get downstairs the lobby's packed.
Kelsey's in the middle. Eyes red and puffy. Holding this stack of photos.
Next to her's this woman in her fifties, voice loud as hell.
"Where's Blair? Get her out here!"
"Young piece of trash going after other women's husbands!"
"My daughter's pregnant and this bitch is still going after my son-in-law. Women like her should get fired and blacklisted!"
Coworkers are whispering.
"Ms. Donovan? No way. She doesn't seem like that."
"You never really know people."
"I mean the girl's belly's pretty far along. Doesn't look fake."
"And she brought photos. Probably legit."
I step outta the elevator.
People move out of the way.
Kelsey spots me. Starts crying instantly.
She throws the photos right at me.
They go everywhere.
Photos of me and Garrett eating together.
At the grocery store.
Him pulling bags out of the car while I'm standing there.
All taken from far away. Someone was clearly following us.
Kelsey's full-on sobbing now.
"I knew something was off."
"Garrett kept telling me he was working late. Business trips. Meetings. But it felt like bullshit."
"I'm pregnant with his kid. I was freaking out. So I hired someone to follow him."
She points at the photos on the ground, voice shaking.
"Never thought the investigator would find this."
Lobby whispers get louder.
"Wow there really are photos."
"Ms. Donovan went home with someone else's husband?"
"Doesn't she wear a wedding ring too? Her husband even real?"
"This is messy as hell."
Kelsey's mom storms up to me, finger basically in my face.
"Got anything to say?"
"My daughter's five months pregnant and you're still going after her husband. You got no shame?"
I look at her.
"You sure Garrett's your daughter's husband?"
Her mom sneers.
"How's he not? Both families met. My daughter's carrying a Ashford baby!"
She gets more worked up.
"I've seen women like you before. You just want his money, trying to climb up huh?"
"Dressing all nice doing dirty shit behind the scenes!"
Before I can respond one of my coworkers speaks up.
"Ma'am you don't even know the full story. Maybe don't just insult people."
Kelsey's mom whips around.
"What do you mean I don't know? Photos are right here! My daughter saw her going after my son-in-law with her own damn eyes!"
Then she turns back to me, eyes vicious.
"You're gonna apologize to my daughter in front of everyone. Swear you'll never see Garrett again! Now!"
I smile.
"And if I don't?"
Her face twists. She raises her hand and swings.
Smack.
My ear rings.
Why the hell should Garrett cheat and I get called the mistress?
She lunges again.
I raise my hand and slap her right back. Hard.
Her head snaps to the side.
Few seconds later she comes at me like she lost her mind.
"You hit me?!"
She grabs my collar. I shove her off without hesitation.
In the chaos someone bumps someone.
Kelsey screams and hits the floor.
She clutches her stomach, face going pale.
"My stomach…hurts…"
Lobby explodes into chaos.
Kelsey's mom drops down next to her daughter. Shoots me this look like she wants to kill me.
"Blair! If my grandkid dies I'm coming for you!"
I just stand there. Stare right back at them.
Kelsey looks up at me. Tears all down her face.
"Even if you wanted him…why'd you have to hurt my baby…"
Everyone's staring at me now.
I don't say anything.
Just reach into my bag and pull out this little book.
Open it up.
Our marriage certificate.
Photo shows me and Garrett sitting side by side.
Registration date clear as day.
Three years ago.
I look straight at Kelsey. Her face goes completely white.
Say it real slow so everyone hears.
"Look at this."
"Me and Garrett? We're married. Legally."
