Chapter 4

The knot in my chest over the baby loosened, little by little.

I hated giving up this small life. But my future was mine.

I spent the whole afternoon with Grant. As I left, he said, "Remember to get a lawyer. Sort out the compensation part of the divorce agreement, make it your own private property. Don't let Lois Thomas set a trap for you and claw everything back once the ink's dry."

I didn't think Lois would pull something like that. Still, to be safe, I hired a lawyer.

Sorting the assets was more trouble than I'd expected. Lois had given me too much, and I was buried in it, dizzy every day, so I left the baby with Grant for the time being.

No sooner had I finished counting the assets than Grant called again to say he'd found a buyer, and I needed to clear out the house fast.

So I threw myself into packing and moving.

I didn't bother contacting Lois to come get her things. I just threw them all out.

Only, while I was clearing the study, I turned up a sealed file envelope, still stamped with the Thomas Group company seal.

That one I couldn't just toss.

I thought about it, then called Lois.

The line picked up after only two rings, but the voice that came through wasn't hers. It was a man's.

"Hello, what do you want with Lois?"

His tone wasn't friendly. He must have seen my name saved in her phone and guessed who I was.

I kept my voice level. "Hello. Could you put Ms. Thomas on? There's something of hers she left behind at the house. She'll need to come pick it up."

Instead, a mocking laugh came down the line. "Victor Pruitt, quit playing your little games. Lois isn't coming back."

And with that, he hung up on me.

I listened to the flat dial tone, one beep after another, and my head started to ache.

So I called Lois's driver instead.

He sounded genuinely torn. "Mr. Pruitt, Mr. Mason gave orders. You're not allowed to contact Ms. Thomas."

That was how I learned the man who could end Lois's marriage with a single word was called Reg Mason.

There was nothing for it. I'd have to take the sealed file to Lois's office myself.

Back when Lois and I got married, we'd only signed at the registry, no ceremony. It was basically a secret marriage, so the front desk at the company didn't know me.

I only meant to drop the file off and have them pass it to Lois.

But I'd barely arrived when the receptionist said, "Good afternoon, sir. Ms. Thomas would like you to come up."

I didn't think much of it and followed her upstairs.

The second I stepped into Lois's office, a cup of scalding coffee came flying at my face.

I ducked fast, but some of it still caught me, the whole left side of my arm scalded red.

"You trash. You really love playing the homewrecker that much, clinging to Lois and refusing to let go?"

Something Grant had said to me came back all at once.

He'd told me, "If the man who's making Lois divorce you starts pushing you around, don't take it. You've got leverage now. Go ahead and make their lives good and miserable."

So I lifted my eyes to Reg Mason and smiled. "Mr. Mason, Lois and I haven't even hit the cooling-off period yet. Our marriage certificate is still legally valid. Which means you're the one playing homewrecker here."

Reg clearly hadn't expected me to talk back. Shame twisted straight into fury, and he lunged at me to slap me across the face.

I didn't dodge. I took it full on.

He hit hard. My lip split, and blood came.

Seeing me like that didn't seem to satisfy him. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, aiming to drive his foot hard into my stomach.

I hadn't thought he'd be this vicious. I twisted away just in time.

The moment his kick landed on nothing, I turned and ran, shouting as I went, "Mr. Mason, please, stop hitting me. I'll divorce Lois, I'll send the baby far away, I won't bother the two of you, just stop hitting me..."

Reg went mad with rage, chasing after me to shut me up, which was exactly what I wanted.

The executive floor was nearly empty. There was no point performing up there.

The elevator was too slow, so I took the fire stairs.

Down at the bottom I burst out into the open, threw myself to the floor as if I'd fallen, and cried and screamed in terror, drawing every eye in an instant.

Then I shouted it all again, loud.

"Mr. Mason, please, stop hitting me. I'll divorce Lois, I'll send the baby far away, I won't bother the two of you, just stop hitting me..."

But the uproar I'd expected never came. The staff sat quietly at their desks, not daring to breathe a sound.

I lifted my head, a little lost, and met Lois's eyes across the distance.