Chapter 2

The next morning, Eve posted to her social media feed.

In the photo, her hand rested on a red marriage certificate.

The caption was a single line:

【Six months late, but the happy ending is finally mine.】

Yvonne was the first to comment.

【Eve is the daughter-in-law the Gilberts always wanted.】

Owen's friends chimed in below.

【True love wins in the end.】

【Some people held on to Owen for years. About time they stepped aside.】

The post wasn't hidden from anyone.

It made its way into the company group chat before long.

【Wasn't Olive Henson Owen Gilbert's fiancée?】

【So she was the mistress all along?】

【Living in their wedding home and trying to steal the husband too. Disgusting.】

I'd barely finished reading the messages when HR's notice came through.

【Miss Henson, please suspend your work effective immediately and sort out your personal affairs. The company would prefer to avoid any negative fallout.】

I stared at those lines, and my first thought was my father.

He'd only just come out of surgery, still weak.

If someone showed him any of this, he'd blame himself.

I grabbed my bag and rushed for the hospital.

On the way, I called Owen.

It rang a few times, but the one who answered was Eve.

“Ollie, I'm so sorry.”

Her voice was soft.

“I only wanted to make things official for our marriage. I never meant for it to touch you.”

“Why did you post the marriage certificate?”

I kept my voice low.

“My father's still in the hospital. What if he sees it?”

The line went quiet for two seconds.

Then Eve laughed.

“Don't worry. I already had a word with the nurses' station.”

“I told them you're the mistress who kept clinging to Owen after he dumped you. They won't let your father hear much of anything.”

My hand went still around the phone.

“What did you just say?”

“Ollie, don't blame me.”

There wasn't a trace of apology in her tone.

“Whose fault is it that you kept hogging the spot as Owen's fiancée?”

Owen's voice came through the phone.

“Eve, the waist on this dress is a little tight. Should we size up?”

She answered with a coo.

“Come take a look for me.”

Then came the clatter of hangers.

And her lowered laughter.

I hit record right away.

“Where's Owen? Put him on.”

Eve ignored me.

“Ollie, I'm busy today. Once the wedding's over, I'll comfort you properly.”

The call cut off.

I phoned the company back and found out they'd both taken the day off.

I changed course, deciding to swing by the wedding home first for my father's insurance card and documents.

But when I reached the door, my key wouldn't turn.

The lock had been changed.

I tried my backup fingerprint a few times, and to my surprise, the door opened.

The living room was full of baby supplies.

The renovation sketches I'd drawn by hand were tossed on the floor, and on the wall hung Eve and Owen's wedding photo.

The two of them were sitting on the couch, picking out furniture.

The first thing Owen said when he saw me was:

“What are you here for?”

“To get my father's things.”

I went to the study, found the documents, and picked up the property paperwork off the desk on my way.

The owners listed on it had already been changed to Owen and Eve.

“When did you change this?”

Owen leaned against the doorframe.

“Three months ago.”

“I'm the one who paid for this place.”

I looked at him.

I'd scraped the down payment together by selling the old house my father left me.

The renovation and the furniture had all come out of my account too.

At the time, Owen said he was only helping me handle the paperwork.

So he'd had it planned all along.

“Give me back what's mine.”

My voice was very quiet.

But Owen only smiled.

“Your father still needs to recover, doesn't he?”

“Behave yourself, and I'll let Eve stay here a while.”

“Once the baby's born, I'll make it up to you.”

I walked out with the documents in hand.

My lawyer's message came through right then.

【There are irregularities in the ownership transfer. We can file to freeze it.】

I replied with one word.

【Now.】

But just as I was hurrying to the hospital, the caregiver called.

“Miss Henson, the hospital says your father's original medical records are with Mr. Gilbert.”

“They're telling you to come to the wedding venue to pick them up.”