Ten years with my fiancé Blake Carrington. I said, "Blake, I'm pregnant." The documents in his hands hit the floor. His brow furrowed hard. "The company IPO is at the most critical stage. This is the worst possible time for a baby." "It's fine. Your career comes first." I smiled softly. He didn't catch my meaning. I was pregnant. But he wasn't the father. —— The tenderness in his eyes had died long ago. All that remained was raw impatience. The look on his face—like I was some kind of baggage he couldn't shake off. He saw I hadn't moved. He must've realized he'd gone too far. He cleared his throat. His tone eased up. "Madison, think about it. Once the company goes public, we'll have the life we always wanted. Listen to me. This baby is bad timing. And your body's never been that strong anyway. Sometimes stress, or a little too much exertion... you know how it is. First trimester. Things happen." I froze. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. I knew he was ruthless. I didn't know he'd turned this cold. He thought I was carrying his own flesh and blood. And the words coming out of his mouth were about how the problem might just "take care of itself." "Could you find time to go to the clinic with me?" He slammed the documents onto the desk. "Madison. I thought I made myself clear. I can't get away right now. Handle this yourself. Don't bother me with it." He grabbed his phone and sent me a transfer. "For the medical bills." I stared at the four-figure amount on my screen. A thousand dollars. Less than what he spent on one dish at the Michelin-starred restaurant he took Olivia to last week. That's what I was worth to him. Me and this child. "Blake, what's with the temper?" We were locked in stalemate when Olivia pushed the door open and walked right in. She stepped behind him. Her fingers found his shoulders. Kneaded softly. Neither of them acted like his fiancée was in the room. Oh, now she's playing gentle? Two years ago when she called him out of my investor meeting, she didn't have this face on. He'd been in a meeting that day. Got a call. Rushed out. I found out later. His university obsession, Olivia Violet, had returned from Europe. Of course he dropped everything to pick her up at the airport. At first I let it go. Until Olivia became VP of the company. I confronted Blake. What exactly were they? He just looked annoyed. "She's an old friend." I believed him. A week later, the two of them took a "business trip" to Napa Valley. Arms linked. Tasting rooms at a boutique winery. After that, I could count on one hand the nights he slept at home. At the office, they stopped pretending entirely. Arrived together. Left together. New hires assumed they were the couple. "Seems some people never grow out of stealing other women's boyfriends." My voice was ice. Olivia's face collapsed. Her hand flew to her mouth like I'd slapped her. Tears pooled in her eyes. Exactly the right amount. Blake's expression darkened. "That was out of line. This company wouldn't be standing without Olivia. Everything you eat, everything you wear—it's all paid for by this business. You could at least show some gratitude instead of attacking her." Everything paid for by her? I was the one at Soho House. Swallowing stomach pain, drink after drink, pitching his incoherent valuation models to arrogant VCs. Convincing them his technology deserved investment. That night, I left the party in an ambulance. I lifted my head. Looked at him. "You know what, Blake? I just realized. You're not the man I fell in love with. You're just the man I built. And frankly, my creation is a piece of shit." I knew there was nothing left to say. I grabbed my bag and turned to leave. Behind me, Blake was already comforting Olivia. "Ignore her. She grew up in foster care. She never learned how to act in a normal family." Olivia wiped her tears. Brave. Forced a smile. Shook her head. "It's fine. I understand. Madison probably just misunderstands me. I'll try harder with her. She's your fiancée. I don't want to make things difficult for you." Blake let out a long sigh. "You're always so considerate." I couldn't stomach another second. I walked out.
In the car on the way home, I hesitated. Then I dialed my mother's number. The international video call took three tries to connect. "Mom. It's me." Silence on the other end. Her voice trembled when she spoke. "Maddie? Is it really you? Do you have any idea how long it's been since you called home? When I wouldn't approve of you being with that penniless boy, you cut us off completely. Do you know how much that broke my heart?" When I'd announced our engagement, my parents hadn't approved. They'd pulled his credit history. Found nearly two hundred thousand dollars in student loans and business debt he'd hidden. My father didn't yell. He just slid a background report across the table. His tone left no room for argument. "Madison. Two hundred thousand in hidden debt. This man sees you as a ladder, not a partner. He's using you." I was blinded by love. I rejected their objections. Cut all ties. All these years, Blake still believed I was an orphan. No family. No roots. I'd stood beside him from nothing to everything. Helped him pay off every cent of that debt. He became the respected Mr. Carrington. And in his eyes, I became dead weight. Disposable. "Mom. I'm pregnant." A crash on her end. Something had hit the floor. Silence stretched. My mother sighed. "You called. That means you've already made your decision. Book a flight home three days from now. We'll handle this together." I hung up. Leaned back in the taxi. Watched the Manhattan skyline slide past the window. That hard shell I'd built over a decade of surviving New York alone finally cracked open. I wasn't fighting alone anymore. I needed you, Mom. Home. The apartment. Cold and empty. Same as always. Last time Blake came back? Two weeks ago? Maybe longer. A bitter smile crossed my face. I set my things down. Headed toward the bathroom. My phone buzzed. A message from a friend. "Girl, did you see Olivia's story? The audacity. She tagged your man." I opened her profile. The photo hit me like a fist. A hotel mirror selfie. Topless. A man's arm wrapped tight around her waist. His face cropped out. If they were actually a couple, it'd just be bedroom fun. But that arm. Near the shoulder. A scar I knew better than my own reflection. Blake. Back when we were still in love, he didn't have money. Our only entertainment was hiking. Free state parks. A rock slide on one trail. I was in the path. He shoved me out of the way. The rocks caught him instead. Left that scar. I'd sobbed. Swore in my heart I'd stay with him forever. Men's hearts change fast. Tears blurred my vision. I read Olivia's caption. "He said the scar was ugly. He's getting a tattoo. My name. To cover it up." I didn't need answers anymore. That photo was every answer I needed. The man who once risked his life to save me was now wrapping that scarred arm around another woman. Naked. In a hotel room.
I was the first one at the office the next morning. Not out of passion for the job. I was there to finalize my exit. My steps didn't hesitate as I walked into the building. One last thing to do. Make him sign me free. Final step of the exit process. CEO sign-off. That meant Blake. I paced outside his office. The door swung open. "Blame you. Last night was insane. My back's still killing me." Olivia's voice. Laced with laughter. My whole body went rigid. I turned toward the sound. Blake was beaming. One hand on her lower back. Kneading gently. An expression of tenderness I'd never once received. The moment they saw me, panic flickered in their eyes. Olivia coughed. "Madison. It's not what you think. We went to the gym together last night. I pulled my back." Her words said one thing. The flush creeping up her face said another. I knew she was baiting me. I didn't give her the reaction. I just handed the document to Blake. "Sign this." Blake frowned at me. "Everything's been approved already. What business is this?" He started flipping through the papers. My heart shot into my throat. The next second, Olivia snatched the document from his hands. "Oh, this? That ancient contract. The one that's been bleeding us dry for months. Finally resolved. You know the one. Blake, just sign it. Before any new problems pop up." I heard what she was saying. I was the "problem." The troublesome vendor she'd spent half a year trying to cut loose. "That's what this is. Good. I trust you to handle things." Blake's eyes brimmed with indulgence. He didn't examine the papers further. Just scrawled his signature. The breath I'd been holding. Released. Silent. I was free. He caught my expression. Suspicion crept in. "This document's that important? You look relieved." I stared at the floor. "It is important." He glanced at the papers again. But he trusted Olivia. He didn't push. Olivia winced. Made a show of pressing her back. Blake looked at me. Testing. "Madison. Olivia's really uncomfortable. You don't mind if I help her with her back, do you? She's got to meet clients for the company this afternoon." "I don't mind at all. You're partners. You should take care of each other." My smile was pure innocence. I'd gotten what I came for. Who cared what he did now? He'd braced himself for a fight. The same screaming match I'd always given him. My calm threw him off. "You... you mean that?" I nodded. Generous. "Of course. Like you said. Without Olivia on the front lines, I wouldn't have this comfortable life. I should be thanking her." Something in my words needled him. He couldn't pinpoint it. He just stared. I swung my bag over my shoulder. "Take good care of Olivia. I'm heading home." Maybe he realized he'd pushed too far. He cleared his throat. Reached for my arm. "I'll come home for dinner tonight." "No need. I've got plans with friends." I smiled. Slid my hand free. Walked out under his stunned gaze.
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