Chapter 3

Nerissa’s POV

After lunch, Eric brought me back to his office, but a call pulled him away. The moment he stepped out, I slipped into the hallway.

Bella and two other girls were in the secretary lounge, cups of coffee in hand.

I slowed just enough to listen.

“The doctor said the baby’s very healthy,” Bella said softly, her hand resting over her stomach. “Due at the end of the year.”

“You’re so lucky,” one of them sighed. “Your boyfriend spoils you. That sea-view penthouse alone—”

Bella smiled shyly. “That’s not all. He promised that once the baby is born, he’ll marry me.”

Marry?

A quiet laugh rose in my throat. My husband hadn’t even filed for divorce, yet he was already planning another wedding.

Bella turned—and saw me. The color drained from her face instantly.

“Mrs. Vale,” she stammered, stepping back.

I walked toward her slowly, unhurried. “Bella, right?” I offered a gentle smile. “I heard you’re expecting. Congratulations.”

Her hand moved instinctively to shield her stomach. “Th-thank you, Mrs. Vale.”

“The child’s father treats you well?” I asked, my voice calm, almost warm.

“Yes,” she whispered, eyes lowering.

“That’s good,” I said softly. “Young girls should be careful. In this city, there are men who gamble with more than money.”

I let the words settle between us before I turned away.

…

Later that night, Eric came home drunk again. The usual scent of tobacco and whiskey clung to his shirt—and beneath it, faint but unmistakable, the cheap floral perfume that belonged to Bella.

He stumbled into the shower as usual. I picked up his phone and unlocked it.

The newest message appeared on the screen: “The test came back, honey. We’re having a son!”

Eric replied almost instantly. “Then I’ll work even harder. Once our boy is old enough, everything I have now will be his.”

“But what about… her?” Bella asked. “So weird that she dropped by the casino today, do you think she noticed anything?”

“So what? Don’t mention her. Bad luck. Just wait. Once you safely give birth to our son, she won’t have any excuse not to divorce me. Then we’ll be a real family. Just you, me, and our baby boy."

My stomach twisted. Every our future, every our baby, every promise he wrote to her felt like something crawling under my skin.

They had already planned it all—the penthouse, the child, the wedding.

All they needed was for me to quietly disappear.

I placed his phone back exactly where it had been and smoothed my expression into something soft and unsuspecting.

When Eric stepped out of the shower, I walked over and guided him to the bed. He rested his head on my thigh, and I began to massage his temples gently.

“You’ve been working so hard,” I murmured. “The casino’s been busy lately. So many clients. So many parties.”

He leaned into my touch, satisfied. “It’s all for our future,” he said, pride flickering in his eyes. “Everything I do is for us.”

For us.

“By the way,” I added lightly, “that pretty girl at your secretary desk—Bella. She’s pregnant. So young to be having a baby.”

His smile stiffened for just a second then casually said. “Yeah. You know how young girls are. Fooling around. She’s probably not even married.”

“She looks five or six months along,” I continued, fingers still moving at his temples. “I just hope the father is responsible.”

I paused, my voice soft. “It would be tragic if she trusted the wrong man.”

“Of course,” Eric replied too quickly. He sat up, then turned onto his side, ending the conversation as neatly as he could.

But before he slipped away from my touch, I felt it—A thin sheen of sweat along his temple.

Eric was nervous.

Was he that afraid I would uncover his little secret?

Tell me, Eric, was any of this worth it?

…

The next day, I had the my family’s private investigator follow Eric.

The photos came in one by one. Apparently, Eric and Bella skipped work and went shopping for baby clothes. Now that they knew it was a boy, they looked eager—laughing, pointing at tiny suits and blue blankets like they were already a family.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. There were also photos from a jewelry store.

Eric stood behind Bella as she tried on a diamond ring, his chin nearly brushing her shoulder.

They were already looking for one.

I glanced down at my own hand, the simple band he gave me on our wedding day was still there.

He used to say, “This ring is too plain. Wait for me. I’m working hard. One day I’ll buy you something bigger, better.”

“It’s just a ring,” I had told him. “Save the money for the casino expansion.”

I almost felt sorry for him back then—enough to lower my standards and accept something that was never truly at my level.

And Eric had looked at me like I was the most understanding woman in the world.

And now? Now he could slide a two-hundred-thousand-dollar diamond onto another woman’s finger without even a hesitation.

I saved every single photo. It hurt to look at them, but they were evidence—proof of how broken this marriage had become, of the kind of man Eric truly was, and of just how irresponsible he had always been.

…

This afternoon, the investigator sent over a video. Bella was sitting in a mall café with her friends. The audio was clear enough to catch the smug edge in her voice.

“Bella, are you serious?” one friend asked. “He’s married. You knew that.”

“So what?” Bella replied, her voice sharp, nothing like the trembling girl she had played in front of me. “He doesn’t love her anymore. They’ve just been together too long. He was waiting for the right time to bring it up. And they don’t even have kids.”

She leaned back, smug. “Just wait. Once my son is born, he’ll divorce her.”

“What if he’s lying to you?” her friend asked carefully. “You remember what happened last time… when you dropped out of college for that married man—”

“Shut up!” Bella snapped, almost shouting before lowering her voice. “Don’t ruin my day bringing him up. I checked this time, alright? Eric’s casino is doing great. And his wife has nothing to do with it. Even if they divorce, she won’t get any of it.”

“But—”

“Look.” Bella held out her hand. The diamond ring sparkled under the café lights. “If he’s lying, would he buy me something like this?”

She tugged her collar down slightly, revealing the diamond necklace resting against her skin. “And this? Would he spend this much just to lie to me?”

Her friend hesitated. “Aren’t you worried his wife will find out?”

“So what?” Bella’s voice sharpened. “I’m carrying his baby—his only son. Who do you think he’ll protect? Me and his son, or that old, ugly woman who probably can’t even have kids?”