Chapter 3

Lena’s POV

I had thought I was already past the shock, that I had accepted the truth about Caleb and our marriage.

But the moment I saw them together, my heart still seemed to stop for a second.

This Caleb… was not the man I knew.

The Caleb in front of me had always been gentle, calm, almost patient.

But the way he held Ruby now… the way he kissed her… it was passionate, wild—completely unrestrained and filled with love.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I listened to the soft ticking of the car clock, mixed with the sound of my own breathing.

A tear slipped down my face. I didn’t even realize it until it landed on the back of my hand.

I had thought I was strong enough, strong enough to walk away and leave everything behind.

But it still hurt like hell.

“Lena, hold it together.” I whispered, “You have to be strong. For yourself. For the baby growing inside you.”

The baby might carry Caleb’s blood, but it was me who fought so hard to have this child.

I couldn’t let anything happen to my baby.

I took a deep breath, forcing my emotions to settle. Slowly, the tightness in my chest eased.

After a minute, I started the engine again.

Just in time to see Caleb with his arm around Ruby, guiding her back into the house.

I pressed down hard on the gas pedal and drove in the opposite direction.

…

Life really does have a twisted sense of humor.

The next morning, I stepped into the hospital for my monthly checkup. I was heading toward my doctor’s office when I turned the corner—and froze.

Ruby was sitting on a bench in the hallway. Caleb was kneeling in front of her, holding a bottle of water and a small container of food.

I could have walked away, but curiosity got the better of me. After yesterday, it felt like I had never truly known my husband. Now I found myself wondering what he was like when he was with the woman he truly loved. So I stopped, standing quietly in the opposite hallway, watching them.

“I really can’t drink any more water, babe,” Ruby pouted.

Caleb stayed kneeling, his voice soft and coaxing. “What did the doctor just say? You have to stay hydrated. Just drink a little more.”

He lifted the bottle toward her again. “Tell you what,” he added gently. “If you finish this bottle, I’ll go get that diamond necklace for you today. The one you liked. What do you say?”

Ruby’s entire face lit up. “Really?!” she gasped. “But didn’t you say it was out of stock?”

Caleb smiled at her, calm and confident. “Who do you think I am?”

“You’re spoiling me too much,” Ruby laughed, throwing her arms around him and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

People passing by slowed as they walked past them. I could see the smiles, the quiet envy in their expressions.

They thought they were looking at a perfect husband taking care of his pregnant wife.

A moment later, Caleb’s assistant, Jake, walked out from another hallway with one of Caleb’s close friends.

I stiffened.

For a long moment, I just stared.

I had always believed whatever was happening between Caleb and Ruby was a secret.

But the way Jake greeted Ruby… the way they spoke to her so naturally…

They knew. They had known all along.

Jake even addressed Ruby as Donna.

My heart dropped.

Did everyone around Caleb know?

My fingers tightened around my purse.

If they all knew, then they had all been helping him lie to me. All watching me smile, watching me believe in a life that was never real.

I had been nothing more than a joke to them. A woman happily living inside a lie.

Suddenly, my stomach felt heavy.

I drew in a slow breath, forcing myself to stay steady. My hand moved instinctively to my belly.

“I’m going to hold on,” I whispered softly. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not even myself.”

When I looked up again, my eyes met Ruby’s.

Slowly, deliberately, she leaned toward Caleb and pressed another kiss to his lips.

Her expression was smug, confident—surrounded by people who were all on her side. Meanwhile, I stood in the shadow of the hallway, watching it all unfold like a stranger.

Ruby looked straight at me and mouthed two words. “You lost.”

I turned and walked away.

Ruby had it all wrong. A relationship was never supposed to be a game of winning or losing.

Yes, I had been betrayed and lied to.

Fine. I could deal with that.

Ruby thought Caleb was the grand prize.

But in my eyes now, he was nothing more than a liar and a manipulator.

A man who could deceive one woman so easily just to protect the one he claimed to love was not a good man.

And Caleb, he might be devoted to Ruby now, but he still kept her hidden whenever it suited him. He hadn’t even given her the title she believed she deserved.

What kind of man was that?

Once I truly thought it through, the sadness I felt about our marriage slowly faded.

There was no reason to mourn a relationship that had never been real.

When I returned home, I called a divorce lawyer and asked him to draft the papers.

Because I wanted nothing from Caleb—and nothing from him for the baby either—the terms were simple.

I printed the documents this afternoon, signed them, and mailed them out.

The delivery date would be three days from now. The same day I planned to leave New York for good.

Caleb might have enormous influence in this city, but outside of it, there were countless places I could go.

Even if he wanted to find me, it would take time.

And I doubted Caleb would bother spending that time on me anymore. Ruby’s baby would be born soon. He would be too busy playing the devoted father—and crowning Ruby as his new Donna.