Chapter 2

"You call this a joke, Ethan?" I asked, still holding the screenshot up to his face.

All the color drained from his face in an instant, and his eyes darted away from mine in a panic. "Sierra, let me explain… It was… It was just them egging me on. A team-building game. Really, it was just a game…"

"I don't want to hear it," I said, cutting him off. I lowered my phone and went on calmly, "Bring Yvette here tomorrow, and we'll talk face-to-face."

Ethan froze. He took a tentative step toward me, reaching for my hand. "Don't be like this, Sierra. I know you're angry, but…"

I stepped back to avoid his touch. Then I fished a business card from the inside pocket of my purse and held it out to him between two fingers.

"Here's my divorce lawyer's card. Whatever you have to say, you can discuss it with him tomorrow."

…

At 10:00 am the next day, the doorbell rang.

Ethan pushed the door open and walked in, with Yvette trailing meekly behind him, her eyes downcast.

The moment they stepped into the living room, Ethan pulled Yvette in front of me and said sternly, "Apologize to Sierra right now."

Yvette's eyes reddened, and her tears fell right on cue. "I'm sorry, Ms. Jameson," she said, her voice trembling. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten so close to Mr. Fuller and given you the wrong idea. What happened on the yacht yesterday really was just a joke. Everyone had too much to drink.

"Mr. Fuller tossed and turned all night. He kept saying he was afraid you'd be angry. Please don't blame him. If you have to blame someone, blame me."

On the surface, she seemed humble, calling me "Ms. Jameson" at every turn. But that line about Ethan tossing and turning all night was her way of telling me, plain as day, that the two of them had been together after he left home last night.

I leaned back against the couch and watched the whole performance coldly. "Are you done?"

Yvette bit her lip and took a step forward. "I know you're angry, Ms. Jameson. Mr. Fuller has a sensitive stomach. He usually can't sleep soundly without a glass of warm milk, and last night at my place, he was up half the night. Deep down, he still cares about this family. Please don't let me come between the two of you."

"Ethan," I cut in, turning to him. His face had gone ashen. "Did you bring her here just to brief me on the details of your night together?"

"Don't listen to her, Sierra. She's making things up!"

Ethan hurried over and tried to grab my hand, but I coldly pulled away.

Seeing my stony expression, he started playing on my emotions. "All I did last night was crash at the office.

"Sierra, we've been together six years. Remember when we were first starting the company and couldn't even buy a slice of pizza without counting every penny? We've been through thick and thin together. How can you bring up divorce over one misunderstanding? That's all this is!"

The more he talked, the more emotional he got, as if he were a deeply devoted husband who had been terribly wronged.

Just as he was about to go on with his long-winded plea, Yvette, who had been standing off to the side the whole time, suddenly spoke up. "Ethan…"

This time, she didn't call him Mr. Fuller. Her voice was soft, yet every word hit its mark. "I wasn't going to say anything, but I'm afraid… afraid the baby will be born without a dad."

In an instant, the air in the living room seemed to freeze.

Ethan went rigid, and he turned to stare at her in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"I'm pregnant," Yvette said. She raised her head and looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

Then she turned to me, undisguised triumph flashing in her eyes. "I don't want anything, Ms. Jameson. All I want is Ethan. You can't have children with your health the way it is, but I can give him a complete family!"

"Shut up!" Ethan roared, his face deathly pale.

As if his shout had frightened her, Yvette jerked back half a step. She twisted her ankle and landed hard on her backside beside the coffee table.

She screamed in agony, clutching her stomach with both hands as cold sweat broke out on her forehead. "Ethan, my stomach… It hurts so much…"

Ethan had been watching for my reaction, but at her scream, he jumped as if he'd been shocked. He lunged toward Yvette on the floor and pulled her into his arms.

"Yvette! Yvette, are you okay?"

His voice shook uncontrollably, and sheer panic filled his eyes. There wasn't a shred left of the devotion he'd shown just moments ago while begging me to forgive him.