Chapter 4

The air in the conference room at Mortimer's company was so heavy it was hard to breathe.

I stood outside the door, watching through the gaps in the blinds.

Mortimer stood alone at the far end of the conference table, and Effie sat beside Manager Whitney.

Her eyes were red and swollen, a tissue clutched in her hand, a small sob breaking loose every so often.

"Mortimer, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Manager Whitney slammed a stack of printed photos down on the table.

"The pictures are all right here."

"And Effie has identified you."

"Do you have any idea how much damage your behavior has done to this company's reputation?"

Mortimer's fists were clenched so tight the knuckles had gone white.

He kept his jaw locked and said nothing, which to everyone else looked like a guilty man's silent admission.

"Morti…"

Effie lifted her head and looked at him, her whole face wounded.

"I know you've always had feelings for me."

"But you're already married."

"Last night, in that private room… you'd had too much to drink, and you kept grabbing at me…"

She covered her face and wept like a rain-soaked flower.

"If I hadn't fought you off and run out of there."

"My whole life would have been ruined!"

The executives around the table shook their heads and sighed, and every look they turned on Mortimer was full of contempt.

"He always seemed like such an honest guy. How could he do something like this."

"You never really know what's inside a person."

"He has to be fired. You can't keep a bad apple like that around."

Manager Whitney rapped the table, wearing an expression of deep, wounded regret.

"Mortimer, out of respect for all the years you've given this company."

"I won't call the police and have you arrested."

"You're going to sign this voluntary resignation agreement right now."

"Effie will take over the supervisor position."

"On top of that, you'll pay Effie compensation for emotional damages."

Mortimer stared at the agreement, the whites of his eyes shot through with red.

He was almost at his breaking point, and that was when Effie dropped another bomb.

She pulled a hospital lab report out of her bag and set it on the table.

"Manager Whitney, everyone."

"The truth is… this isn't the first time he's harassed me."

"Last month, at a work dinner, he… he forced himself on me."

"I was so scared, I didn't dare say anything."

"But yesterday I went to the hospital for tests, and I… I'm pregnant."

The whole room erupted, everyone sucking in a sharp breath.

Even Manager Whitney looked stunned.

"What? You're pregnant?"

Effie sobbed as though her heart were being torn out.

"I can't go on living like this."

"I want him to walk away with nothing and pay for everything he's cost me!"

Outside the door, hearing that line, I nearly laughed from the sheer anger of it.

In my past life she hadn't played this card until three months later.

I never imagined that this time, because Mortimer never went to that private room, she'd been so eager to pin the crime on him that she played it early.

I looked at Mortimer's swaying body, on the verge of going down.

I raised my foot, and the door crashed with a thunderous sound.

I kicked the conference room door wide open.

The huge noise sent a jolt through everyone.

Their heads all snapped around toward me.

I walked into the conference room step by step, the thick file envelope in my hand.

My gaze swept across the room and finally settled on Effie's face.

"So I hear you're carrying my husband's baby?"