Chapter 2

The next morning my mother's surgery went smoothly. When they wheeled her out, she was still weak, but she was awake.

I held her hand, and the dread that had hung over me for days finally settled.

That afternoon I went home for a change of clothes and my asthma medication. I'd been running on nothing for days, my chest kept feeling tight, and my asthma was starting to act up.

I pushed open the front door. No one was home. Deborah was probably out doing her dance class in the square.

I went straight into the master bedroom and pulled down the storage box from the top of the closet to dig out a thick coat. My hand went in and hit something hard, a can.

It was a can of imported baby formula.

We didn't have a child. Why would there be baby formula?

I kept digging and pulled out a few infant onesies.

At the very bottom was a prenatal record. I picked it up. The name field read "Lauren Dickerson," twenty-one weeks pregnant, chart opened just over two months ago.

I gripped that record, and my fingers were shaking.

So Lauren wasn't Piers's foster sister. She was his mistress.

The million he'd moved out of the account was to set her up with a shop and raise the baby.

I breathed in, over and over, forcing myself calm.

Just then Piers came home, a young woman in a white dress trailing behind him, her makeup done up nicely. It was Lauren.

Lauren saw me and a flicker of surprise crossed her face, like she hadn't expected me back at this hour.

Then she came over, all smiles. "Hi. I'm Lauren. Piers must have mentioned me."

"I just came by to pick up a few things. Sorry to intrude."

As she spoke, she slid her hand through Piers's arm, easy as anything, so cozy it was obscene.

Piers looked uncomfortable and tried to pull his arm back, but Lauren only gripped it tighter.

I leaned in the bedroom doorway, arms crossed, watching her. "Picking up the baby formula? Or the change of clothes you've been keeping here?"

Lauren's face went white for an instant, then she turned to Piers, wounded. "Piers, look, I think she's got the wrong idea about us..."

I gave a cold laugh and flung the prenatal record down in front of them. "Lauren. Twenty-one weeks pregnant. The baby's Piers's, isn't it?"

Piers's face drained white. He said quickly, "Lorraine, let me explain, it's not what you think..."

I cut him off. "Then tell me. Whose baby is she carrying?"

"Why are her things in our master bedroom? Was that million to open the salon so you could keep her and raise the baby?"

Before Piers could answer, Deborah's voice came from the doorway. "And what if it is?"

She strode in and said to me, brazen, "Lorraine, we're past the point of hiding it from you."

"Lauren's carrying Piers's child. We've already had it checked at the hospital. A big healthy boy, no less!"

"Three years married and you couldn't even drop an egg. You can't expect the Fox line to just die out, can you?"

"Lauren's a sensible girl. She doesn't want a title, she just wants to give Piers a child. From now on you wait on her properly, and once the baby's born, we'll register it under your name. Count yourself lucky."

I was shaking with rage. "He cheats on me during our marriage, moves our shared money to his mistress, and you want me to wait on that mistress while she has his baby?"

"Deborah, are you insane, or am I?"

Piers frowned and scolded me. "Is that any way to talk to my mother? What's with the attitude?"

"Since you've found out, I'll tell you straight. Lauren's carrying my child, which makes her the one who's saved this family."

"You're the legal wife. Isn't looking after her exactly what you should be doing?"

"I'm telling you, Lorraine, you'd better be smart about this, or else..."

I cut him off, my voice cold. "Or else what? You'll divorce me?"

"Piers, you cheated during our marriage and moved marital assets. If this really goes to court, you think it'll go your way?"

Deborah snorted. "Who can prove the baby's Piers's?"

"Who can prove Piers gave her the money?"

"For all anyone knows, you spent that million yourself and are turning around to frame us!"

Lauren was wiping tears too, head down, murmuring, "I know I'm the one in the wrong. Don't blame Piers, and don't blame his mother."

"If you really can't stand having me around, then I'll go. Worst case I'll have the baby on my own..."

Deborah grabbed her at once. "You're carrying the eldest grandson of this family. You're not going anywhere. If anyone's leaving, it's certain people who take up space and do nothing!"

As she said it, she shot me a vicious glare.

I looked at the three of them and suddenly there was nothing left to argue about.

I took a deep breath and forced the anger down. "Fine. I understand."

The three of them froze for a second, probably not expecting me to "cave" so fast.

A trace of smugness crossed Piers's face, and his tone softened. "Lorraine, I'm glad you've come around."

"Lauren's really a good person. You two will get along fine from now on..."

I cut him off, picking up the suitcase I'd packed. "I just think arguing with you people is a waste of time."

"Piers. We'll see."