Chapter 5: The Long-Lost Heiress

Pete collected the file from Petra’s outstretched hand, his fingers tightening around the edges as his eyes dropped to the bold letters printed across the first page.

The words DIVORCE AGREEMENT seemed to hit him harder than anything Petra had said that morning.

For a brief moment he just stared at it, as if hoping the words would somehow change if he looked long enough.

Petra had already leaned back slowly on the hospital bed, resting her head against the pillow again.

Her expression empty as she looked out the window.

Pete inhaled sharply, his jaw tightened.

Without saying a word, he began squeezing the papers in his hands, crumpling them slowly as anger rose in his chest. The file bent and twisted under his grip before he flung it behind him carelessly.

A couple sitting at the far end of the hospital room, whose wife had also been admitted in the same room, had been quietly minding their business.

They were seated a few chairs away with their newborn baby. But now they couldn’t pretend they hadn’t seen what just happened.

Both of them stared at Pete and Petra with open shock.

“Petra,” Pete began, his voice tight with frustration. “I only forgot that you’re allergic to crab. Must you make such a huge deal out of it and bring up divorce?”

Petra remained silent, her face still turned away.

“Yes, I misunderstood you last night,” he continued impatiently. “But you’re an adult. Can’t you take care of yourself?”

Still no response.

Pete rubbed his forehead and sighed like someone who had been burdened with an unreasonable problem.

“Since you’re on antibiotics now, our son can only have formula milk. Zoe said breast milk is the best for babies.”

He paused briefly before adding in a cold tone, “Are you even fit to be a mother?”

Petra’s head snapped toward him so quickly it startled even the couple sitting nearby.

Her eyebrows drew together in disbelief.

She pushed herself up on the bed again, her breathing already uneven.

“I’m not fit to be a mother?” she repeated slowly, pointing at herself as if she couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of his mouth.

Then she began to laugh.

But the laughter carried nothing but pain.

“I’ve been the one raising our son since birth!” she shouted, her voice breaking between frustration and heartbreak. “Day and night! I’m the one who feeds him, changes him, carries him when he cries!”

Her chest rose and fell quickly as the words poured out.

“That’s your responsibility!” Pete snapped, suddenly slapping his palm against the hospital bed as he stood up.

The sharp sound echoed in the room.

“I haven’t even blamed you for our son’s health,” Pete continued angrily, “and you still have the nerve to talk about divorce?”

Petra’s breath caught in her throat.

For a moment she could only stare at him, gasping quietly as if his words had drained the strength from her body.

Before either of them could say another word, a cheerful voice suddenly broke through the tension.

“Turns out you’ve been hiding here.”

Both of them turned toward the door.

Zoe walked into the hospital room as if she owned it. She was dressed casually in a jumper trouser with a black singlet and a light jacket thrown over her shoulders.

Her hair was tied loosely behind her head.

The moment she spotted Pete, she walked straight towards him and wrapped her arm around his neck as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” she said playfully. “Did you forget our twentieth anniversary? Everyone is waiting for you.”

She didn’t even glance at Petra.

Not once.

Petra watched the scene in stunned silence.

Pete sighed softly and placed his hand around Zoe’s waist without hesitation.

“Please,” he said gently, his voice suddenly softer than it had been moments ago. “You know I’ve never forgotten our anniversary.”

The tone of his voice shocked Petra more than the words themselves. It was warm, affectionate, nothing like the cold irritation he had shown her.

Her eyes stung with tears, but she refused to let them fall.

Pete finally turned back to look at Petra.

“I’m going to forget what you just said earlier,” he said casually. “I’m busy right now. Take some time to cool off.”

He turned as if to leave with Zoe.

“Pete.”

Petra’s voice came quietly from the bed.

Both of them stopped.

“I’m still on my drip,” she said slowly, looking away from them. “And you want to leave me here with the baby?”

“So what?” Zoe cut in immediately.

She scoffed loudly and folded her arms across her chest.

“Giving birth suddenly makes you special?” she said dismissively. “Women are nothing but trouble.”

Then she turned back to Pete with an irritated look.

“Pete, if you dare bail on me now, consider our friendship over. I’ll cut ties with you.”

She turned her face away from him, her arms still folded stubbornly.

Pete sighed again as if the whole situation was exhausting him. After a moment he turned back towards Petra.

“You’ve got an IV in your left arm,” he said, gesturing toward the drip connected to her. “But your right hand works.”

Then he added bluntly, “It’s usually the mother who looks after the child.”

Across the room, the other couple stared in disbelief.

The man sitting there had been holding his newborn baby gently in his arms the entire time, rocking him slowly while his wife rested on the hospital bed beside him.

He looked down at his baby and then back at Pete, clearly stunned by what he had just heard.

“That guy is pathetic—” the man muttered under his breath.

But he didn’t finish the sentence.

Zoe suddenly grabbed Pete’s arm and pulled him away slightly.

“Stop dawdling,” she teased with a playful smile. “Everyone is waiting for you.”

Pete glanced down at her.

“You said you wanted to cut ties,” he said quietly, almost like a warning. “Careful, or I’ll give you a good spanking.”

Petra’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Zoe scoffed, though a blush crept onto her face as she rolled her eyes.

“Sure,” she said with a grin. “If you’re confident, go ahead and try.”

She turned slightly and stuck her hips out towards him playfully.

Pete stared at her for a moment before suddenly bending down and lifting her up in his arms.

Zoe laughed loudly as he carried her towards the door.

“Hold me properly!” she complained, lightly hitting his back.

Then she looked over Pete’s shoulder towards Petra.

A wicked smirk spread across her face.

The door closed behind them seconds later.

Petra remained sitting on the hospital bed, staring at the empty doorway.

She didn’t say a single word.

Even the couple across the room seemed unable to believe what they had just witnessed.

“What kind of friend behaves like that?” the woman asked quietly, shaking her head in disbelief.

Petra heard every word.

“She’s basically a mistress,” the husband said with disgust.

“It’s shameful for a woman to live like this,” the wife added with a sigh.

“She must not have any family backing her,” the husband continued. “Otherwise, why would she put up with this kind of humiliation?”

But little did anyone know she came from a powerful and the wealthiest family in the United States. She’d hidden her identity and had been secretly funding Pete’s company, not until her family cut her off.

Petra lowered her eyes slowly.

**********

Inside a luxurious office, miles away from the hospital, at Chapman Corporation headquarters, an elderly man in his late sixties sat behind a large desk.

His hair was grey, and deep lines ran across his face.

He was staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

The office door opened quietly.

A young woman stepped inside holding an iPad. “Mr. Chapman,” she said respectfully.

The man turned his head toward her.

“A call just came in, sir,” she continued. “We’ve just found your daughter, Ms. Petra.”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed sharply as he shot up from his seat.

“What? Where?” The word left his mouth in shock.