Chapter 3

A few words from Claire were all it took for him to throw me out.

I gave a bitter smile and said nothing.

I looked down and gathered my things, one piece at a time.

Then I packed them.

"Audrey, it's only a month. You can move back when it's over. Just think of it as a vacation." Felix sounded perfectly relaxed.

As if kicking me out of my own home because of Claire's tarot reading was no big deal.

He did whatever she said, and this time, she wanted me gone.

What about next time?

So I asked him, "If Claire ever tells you that staying with me will cost you money or bring you bad luck, who will you choose?"

He froze.

Then he laughed. "That won't happen."

Claire chimed in. "And even if it did, you're reasonable. You'd put Felix first. Wouldn't you?"

Felix started to say something.

Maybe he wanted to deny it. Maybe he wanted to make me feel better.

I didn't want to hear either one. I no longer had faith in him.

Because I knew he would always give Claire whatever she wanted and believe every word she said.

I answered Claire before he could. "Of course. That's what you'd want too, right, Felix?"

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he smiled stiffly. "Audrey, what are you talking about? We're getting married."

I turned and headed for the moving truck parked outside.

So he hadn't forgotten we were getting married.

Yet here he was, forcing his fiancée to abort his baby and kicking her out of their home.

I took a deep breath. Maybe this was for the best. I had been wondering how to hide my terrible morning sickness for a month.

Now that I had been kicked out, I did not have to hide anything.

I told the driver, "We're not going to that address. I'll send you a new location."

I would never leave another thing of mine in any home Felix owned.

I moved into a hotel near the hospital where I had my prenatal checkups. It made things much easier.

A few hours later, Felix called. "Audrey, I told you to go to that house. Why did you get a hotel instead?"

He sounded angry.

I said calmly, "I didn't spend your money."

He took a sharp breath. "This isn't about money!"

"Then why are you calling to lecture me?"

He went quiet. For a moment, all I heard was his heavy breathing. "Audrey... you're still angry with me."

My lips twisted. "Don't flatter yourself, Felix. Go run your company with that dedicated secretary of yours."

Then I hung up.

My stomach churned again. Stress made my morning sickness even worse.

My arms and legs felt heavy. I lay down and quickly fell asleep.

Not long after, someone knocked.

I thought it was room service. But when I opened the door, Claire stood outside.

"Audrey. Here we are again."

Before I could stop her, she walked right in like she owned the place.

"Felix said you're angry with him, so he sent me over with this little labor of love!"

She lifted the container in her hand and gave it a shake, then looked around. "Now I'm starting to wonder. Did Felix send me because you're angry with him, or because this place is a dump?"

I kept a hand on the door. "Yes, it's a budget hotel. I'm sure it's far beneath you and Felix. Now get out, and don't come back."

She made no move to go.

"You're not playing hard to get with Felix, are you? Fair enough. I guess it takes a few tricks to keep a man interested. You seem to love him a lot. Now I'm curious. If you knew he'd slept with someone else, what would you do?"