Chapter 10

Essie’s eyes burned as the words tore from her throat.

“You… brought her here?”

For one foolish, desperate second I had believed Leo had come for me.

Instead he stood in Serena’s living room with Bella pressed against his side, and the old wound from yesterday ripped open all over again.

Bella’s smile was pure poison. “You didn’t actually think he would come alone tonight, did you?” She stepped forward, a thin folder clutched in her manicured hand.

Leo’s arm slid around Bella’s waist. He pulled her in, kissed her full on the mouth right there in front of me.

I turned my face away, but the image was already in my head. My heart thumps.

My baby…this tiny secret that I hadn’t told Leo about seemed to sense my panic and twist inside me.

Serena moved like a shield, stepping between us.

“You can step away now.” She said, her voice was ice.

Serena ushered them toward the door, body blocking my view of the kiss that still lingered in the air.

Leo ignored her completely. His gaze locked on me, dark and cold. “Essie… have you signed the divorce papers?”

“I haven’t… reviewed them,” I whispered. The words scraped my throat raw. “I—”

“She will review them with her lawyers,” Serena cut in sharply.

I nodded, even though the lie was not needed.

I can’t afford a lawyer right now. I can barely afford anything. But I nodded anyway, because pride was the only thing I had left.

Bella stopped mid step. Something flickered across her face…tension, calculation. “What lawyers?”

Serena’s eyes narrowed. “And what business is that of yours, little miss husband-taker?”

Leo’s voice exploded through the room. “Don’t speak to her like that!” He stepped forward, jaw clenched.

“You were never a good friend to her. Stop pretending…”

“Leo.”

I would not let him tear into Serena.

Not here. Not in the only safe place I have left. “You can’t speak to her like that either.”

He stared at me as if I had slapped him. His eyes flicked between me and Serena, searching for something…

My hands shook as I took the folder from Bella.

Bella rolled her eyes at Serena, but I barely noticed.

“I will review these tonight,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “And I will send them back to you tomorrow morning.”

Leo nodded once. Bella gaped at Serena, who stared right back, unflinching.

I felt a fierce, painful pride. Serena had never backed down from anyone.

“You both can leave now.” I tilted my chin toward the door.

Serena stretched an arm out, opening the way but Leo remained rooted, staring at me…

“Please, Leo,” I whispered.

I watched as Bella’s fingers tightened around his. “Honey…”

Leo’s ignored her and his voice dropped, almost gentle, almost cruel. “You shouldn’t be with her, Essie. She is not your friend.”

The words landed like stones. I wanted to scream that Serena had answered every late-night call when he forbade contact. That Serena had driven through the rain the night he threw me out, no questions asked.

Serena was the only person who still looked at me like I was worth something.

Instead I stood silent, eyes burning, and watched the man I had loved walk out the door with another woman on his arm.

The door clicked shut. Serena hissed under her breath and turned.

“No. No, no, no—don’t you dare do that, Essie.” Strong arms wrapped around me before the first sob fully broke. “You cannot cry for him. He isn’t worth it.”

But the tears came anyway, hot and endless. They soaked into Serena’s shoulder. My eyelashes stuck together. My whole body trembled.

“Why does it hurt so much?” I choked.

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Serena’s hand stroked my hair, gentle and fierce at once. “You’re going to be fine.”

I pulled back just enough to look at her. The words felt impossible. How was I supposed to be fine when I had no job, no savings, and a child growing inside me that Leo still didn’t know about?

The future stretched out like a dark, empty road.

Serena’s eyes softened, as if she had heard every unspoken fear. “I promise.”

I sniffed hard and stepped out of her embrace. My hands felt cold without Serena’s. “I should have told him…”

“Hey. Hey.” Serena caught my wrists, voice low and urgent. “Don’t you do that to yourself. This is not your fault. We will figure this out. Okay?”

I nodded, because saying anything else would shatter me completely.

Serena exhaled, relief flickering across her face for half a second—then her phone buzzed on the counter. Once.

Twice.

Then, a third time.

She glanced at the screen. I watched as color drained from her face so fast I felt the shift in the air.

“Serena?” My voice came out small. “What is it?”

Her hand tightened around the phone.

She looked up, “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” She smiled but those were the smiles that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Hmmn..”

“I promise, everything is fine,” she whispered. “It’s just someone from….from work.”

“Okay…what is it about?”

Serena’s throat tightened as she swallowed saliva.

She opened her mouth, closed it, then forced the words out like they physically hurt.

“They need me to come in first thing tomorrow. They found something on some of the papers am working on…and they want me to check it.”

“Let me see…” I said grabbing the phone, but Serena’s hand smacked my hands off her phone

“What?” I screamed shocked at the sudden mood of Serena.

“I am sorry, Essie.. I …I didn’t mean to do that.”

I stared at Serena in shock as silence settled between us.