The baby shifted heavily inside my belly, pressing against my ribs.
Nine months pregnant.
And my husband had decided this was the perfect moment to erase me.
My phone buzzed before I even finished reading the paperwork.
A message from Grant.
Meet me at Westbridge Courthouse at 2. We’ll finalize.
No apology.
No explanation.
Just instructions.
Like I was another task on his afternoon schedule.
The courthouse smelled like worn carpet and cleaning chemicals.
Grant was already there when I arrived.
He looked… refreshed.
Crisp navy suit.
Hair perfectly styled.
The relaxed confidence people wear when they believe they’ve already won.
Standing beside him was a woman in a cream dress and high heels.
Her manicured hand rested on his arm like it belonged there.
Tessa Monroe.
I recognized her instantly.
She worked at Grant’s office.
The same coworker he once told me not to worry about.
The same woman whose “holiday party invitation” I skipped because Grant insisted I was “too tired to attend.”
Grant glanced at my stomach and grimaced.
Not concern.
Not guilt.
Disgust.
“I couldn’t stay with a woman with a big belly like you,” he said flatly.
The words carried farther than he probably intended.
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