1. He Chose Her

HARPER:

I caught my husband cheating on me again on our third wedding anniversary.

Minutes earlier, I had found out I was pregnant with his child.

For three years, I had loved Alexander Banks with everything I had. For three years, I had forgiven things no wife should forgive.

That day, I finally ran out of chances to give.

But if you really want to know, this was how it happened.

_______

EARLIER

The examination room smelled like antiseptic. I hated that smell. It made my stomach turn. I didn’t want to be here but recently I’d been waking up nauseous every morning.

Oh God.

My heart raced in my chest. Dr. Ross, a.k.a, my best friend, walked into the room minutes later with a clipboard in her hand.

“The test shows you are pregnant, Harper.” She said, handing me the results. “Five weeks and everything looks normal.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. My hands trembled around the paper. Positive. The word blurred in front of my eyes.

After three years of searching for a baby.

“I’m…I’m going to have a baby,” I whispered, almost breaking down into tears.

Alexander, my husband, would be so happy. His father had been pushing him to produce an heir.

I laughed.

“Congratulations… I’m so happy for you,” Ross said, flashing a big smile at me. I clutched the paper at my chest like the news could change any moment and I didn’t want it to.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, grabbing my bag and pushing the chair backward. I turned toward the door.

“Harper,” Ross called and I paused. She stood up from her chair and walked up to me. She tucked a strand of her curly red hair behind her ears. “I love that you’re happy but… remember our deal? Today is day thirty.”

I blinked. Yes. The deal. I had almost forgotten about it. “Of course, I remember.”

Her lips curved. “Then you also know you owe me if you don’t leave him.”

I rolled my eyes. Thirty days and if Alexander cheated again, I walked. No excuses. No “but I love him.”

My nails dug into my palms. I touched my stomach instinctively. “He hasn’t cheated.”

Yet. The word sat on my tongue but I didn’t say it.

Ross didn’t push. She never did but the way her eyebrows narrowed told me all I needed to know. She wasn’t happy with my decision. To Ross, cheating was a deal breaker, if he cheated, you walk away.

“Tonight is our anniversary,” I said, changing the subject. The truth was, I was trying to convince myself as much as Ross that he would change. “He promised me a real dinner.”

It wouldn’t be like the dinner date we usually have where he would rush his meal because of meetings or be busy working on his laptop. He had said it himself this morning.

“Be ready tonight. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Ross raised an eyebrow. “And you believe him?”

My stomach dropped. I wanted to be angry at the question. Why couldn’t she just be happy for me for once?

My hands tightened on my bag. I swallowed the words I wanted to say. She was the only person in my life who told me the truth. My mother was gone. My father sold me to the Banks family to pay for his gambling debt.

Alexander had married me because his father arranged it. I married him because I loved him. Somewhere along the way, I convinced myself that would be enough for both of us.

“I believe him,” I said and stormed out of her office.

*****

My heart was still racing as I stepped onto the sidewalk. If I was in my room, I would have been jumping happily. That was how happy I was.

My hand rested over my stomach. Alexander’s baby.

I smiled to myself. Maybe this was exactly what we needed.

A fresh start. A reason for him to finally stop looking backward and start looking at me.

I pulled out my phone to check the time.

4:20pm.

Less than eight hours until the thirty-day bet ended and he had behaved so far. Honestly? I was winning.

He would be coming to pick me up.

I should go home to change my dress and oh, he really loved the pale blue gown I wore on his birthday, especially how it hugged my curves.

Yes! That was it.

After dessert, I would tell him or maybe right away because I was never good at keeping secrets from him.

A car horn blared.

I jerked back to reality and crossed the street toward the parking lot.

A familiar shape caught my eye. My brows furrowed. That car... No. It couldn't be.

I slowed to a stop at the edge of the parking lot, shielding my eyes from the late afternoon sun. A black Bentley sat across the street outside an upscale restaurant. Yes, there were hundreds of black Bentleys in the city but I knew that license plate. Alexander's.

What was he doing here?

Oh, had he come to surprise me? A smile spread on my face before I could stop it.

Was he planning to take me to an early anniversary dinner after all?

My chest warmed. Typical Alexander... Always pretending he wasn't romantic before doing something thoughtful.

I took a step toward the restaurant,

Then the passenger door opened. The smile froze on my lips. A pair of long legs appeared first, followed by elegant heels.

The air caught in my throat. I couldn't breathe.

She still looked the same. Rowena.

Tall, elegant, blonde hair. The woman he had promised was out of his life. His first love. The woman who left him at the altar and still, he never stopped loving her.

She moved closer to him, resting her hand on his arm like it belonged there.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. The sound of my phone ringing inside my bag made me look away.

Reaching for my phone, I looked at the screen. My love. Alexander.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered. “Hello?”

“Harper?” His voice was calm and distracted. “I’m sorry... but I can’t make it tonight.”

My eyes stayed locked on the woman across the street. Rowena had her back to me now. She was saying something to Alexander. Her hand was on his chest.

“What?” I whispered, hands tightening around my phone. “But… you said…”

“I am swamped with work at the moment,” he interrupted, “Something came up and I can't get away.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and tears burned at the back of my eyes. I couldn’t stop it and I let it drop down.

If Ross was here, I would scream it to her, you were right, Ross!

Rowena tugged his tie, pulling him down toward her. I heard it before I saw it. The soft wet sound of lips meeting lips.

“Who are you talking to?” Rowena asked. Her voice was loud like she wanted the whole city to hear. "Is that your wife?”

Alexander did not answer her. He spoke into the phone.

“Tomorrow, Harper. We’ll do dinner tomorrow.”

For one stupid second, I waited for him to push Rowena away and tell her to stop.

Instead...

Rowena kissed him again, longer this time. I could hear it. Every second of it.

She pulled back and whispered, loud enough for me to hear through the phone, “Tell her you love her. That’s what husbands do, right? Lie?”

My hand shook.

“Harper?” Alexander snapped.

I opened my mouth, nothing came out.

“Are you still there?” Alexander asked.

I took in a breath. “I’m here.”

“Good. Don’t wait up.”

He dropped his phone into his pockets but I did not move. I couldn’t. He clearly did not hang up as Rowena's voice rose from the phone.

“You’re so good to me,” she said. “Now take me to the hotel. I want to show you what I bought. Lingerie. Blue. Your favorite color.”

The bet rang in my head. He was picking her over me on our anniversary. The night I was going to tell him about our child.

My hand dropped to my stomach.

“I’m sorry," I whispered. “Your father is already choosing someone else.”

I watched Alexander open the car door for Rowena. Watched her slide into the passenger seat. Watched him walk around to the driver’s side like he had done for me a thousand times.

Then they drove away.

I went home. I did not change into the blue dress. I sat on the couch in the clothes I had worn to the doctor’s office. The pregnancy report stayed folded in my hand.

I knew he told me not to wait up but I gave him a chance… his last chance to pick me.

Seven o’clock came. Then eight. Then nine.

He did not come home. At midnight, the bet officially ended. Alexander lost. I opened my laptop. I typed two words into the search bar.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT.