Chapter 10

Arya remembered that day vividly.

It had been Neil's birthday, and they had just started dating. He had promised to have dinner with her, so she had spent three hours getting ready, carefully applying makeup and choosing the perfect outfit. She had then waited for him at the restaurant, full of excitement.

He had never shown up. She had waited until midnight, long after the restaurant closed. Even so, there had been no sign of Neil. His phone had been off.

Worried, Arya had rushed to his school to look for him and waited outside the men's dormitory until sunrise.

She hadn't seen Neil, only his roommate, Seamus.

When Seamus saw her, his expression grew awkward. After hesitating, he had told her Neil had gone to the hospital the night before.

Arya had been naïve. She had assumed that Neil must have been sick and even asked Seamus not to mention that she had waited all night. She had feared that it would make Neil feel guilty.

The truth?

That night she had waited in the cold, Neil had been with Lindsay.

That memory cut too deep. Arya couldn't bear to relive it. She shut her eyes tightly, her chest aching with the weight of it.

That photo, that moment, burned into her memory like a brand. It stabbed deep into her most vulnerable place, tearing her heart to shreds.

She had been under the impression that Lindsay had only swooped in during the five years she had been in a coma, as if they had just found each other and fallen in love while she was unconscious.

No. They had been involved all along.

It was obvious now—all of Neil's friends had known about Lindsay from the start. In their eyes, Arya was nothing but a pathetic, clueless joke.

A cold chill spread through Arya's chest. She saw it clearly now. Neil had deliberately brought Lindsay into the company and made her his secretary. While Arya was pregnant, her belly swollen, Neil had been sneaking around behind her back with that woman.

How could he treat her like that?

The pain and fury in Arya's chest nearly exploded.

Diane rushed over and wrapped her arms around Arya's trembling body, her voice soft with worry. "Ary…"

Arya forced down her emotions and gave her friend a weak smile. "I'm fine."

Diane wanted to say more, but her assistant knocked frantically on the door. "Diane, we have to go! The paparazzi caught wind of your location. Some stalker fans are already waiting downstairs. The company sent a car."

Diane looked reluctant to leave Arya, but the latter gently nudged her out the door. "Go, now. You've got enough enemies in the industry. Don't give anyone a reason to start a scandal."

Diane quickly pulled on her hat and mask. Before leaving, she turned back and said firmly, "Ary, if that bastard Neil dares to mess with you, I swear I'll drag him through hell on social media!"

Her assistant nearly fainted at the threat, tugging her away. "Oh my god, please! You already fight everyone online, and now the company controls your account!"

Arya chuckled quietly.

Once Diane left, Arya sat in silence for a while, then pulled herself together. She put on sunglasses and a hat, grabbed her cane, and headed out.

The Hammonds were powerful. She wouldn't let Diane risk herself for her.

This was her war to fight. She would make Neil pay for every act of betrayal and wound he had caused. He didn't deserve to be the father of her children.

As Arya rounded the hallway corner, a soft, childish voice stopped her.

"Mommy Lindsay, this is the sticker I got at school today! The teacher said I could give it to someone I like the most."

Arya's heart froze. That voice belonged to Charlotte.

What was she doing here?

Neil had told her that the kids were going straight to piano lessons after school.

Before Arya could think it through, Lindsay's gentle voice echoed. "Then who are you going to give your sticker to, Lottie?"

"Of course I'm giving it to you, Mommy Lindsay!" Charlotte giggled. "I brought it just for you. Besides Daddy and Chris, you're my favorite person!"

Each "Mommy" stabbed Arya's heart like a knife.

"You're my favorite too, Lottie," Lindsay said with a soft smile. "I'll treasure this sticker. Come on, let's go back. Daddy's waiting for us."

Naturally, "Daddy" meant Neil. The easy intimacy in Lindsay's voice made them sound like one big happy family.

Arya's grip tightened on her cane as she fought the urge to lose control. She slipped into a nearby emergency stairwell just as Lindsay's heels clicked louder.

Through the narrow gap in the door, Arya watched Lindsay walk hand-in-hand with Charlotte.

Charlotte wore a puffy princess dress and skipped beside Lindsay, beaming up at her with a smile that could melt anyone's heart.

Tears welled in Arya's eyes. That was her baby girl, the one she had fought death to bring into the world. Now, she looked at someone else like she was everything.

Before Arya could stop herself, she trailed quietly behind Lindsay and Charlotte. Soon, they reached a private room. Lindsay pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Teasing voices and laughter came from within. "Look who's here, Linz!"

Arya recognized the voice immediately. It was Seamus, Neil's university buddy and roommate.

Seamus had never liked her. He was cold, distant, even hostile. Even after she married Neil, he still called her Ms. Songhurst.

Neil used to brush it off, saying Seamus was spoiled and moody, not to take it personally.

'Yeah, right.' Arya let out a bitter laugh.

Of course Seamus had known about Lindsay all along. He resented Arya because, to him, Neil's "real" partner was Lindsay. In his mind, Arya had stolen Lindsay's place.

Arya suddenly felt pathetic. Legally, she was Neil's wife. Yet, in his friends' eyes, she was worth less than a mistress.

From her hiding spot, she peeked inside.

Neil sat on the sofa, looking down at his phone. She didn't see her son, Christopher, anywhere.

"Daddy!" Charlotte chirped as she ran into Neil's arms.

The person beside Neil moved immediately, making space for Lindsay and teasing, "Oh, sorry, didn't realize I was in your seat, Linz."

Lindsay smiled shyly but didn't correct him as she slipped into the spot beside Neil.

Charlotte grinned cheekily and grabbed Neil's hand, placing it on Lindsay's. She chirped, "Daddy, your hand is warm. Mommy Lindsay's hand is cold. You should warm it up for her!"

The image of her daughter playing matchmaker between her husband and another woman hit Arya like a freight train.

It wasn't just betrayal anymore. It was a total replacement.

In the five years Arya had been lying unconscious, Lindsay had completely inserted herself into their lives. Neil hadn't just allowed it but also encouraged it. No, this was exactly the outcome he wanted.