Splendor Gone Too Soon

After learning the truth, Riley Nolan did two things.

First, she went to the hospital to terminate her pregnancy at five months.

Her baby had already started kicking inside her. Riley made it through the procedure without shedding a tear, gritting her teeth as she lay on the operating table. But when a nurse asked if she wanted to see the baby, she broke down and shook her head.

The second thing she did was have divorce papers drawn up.

Then she called Yale Sullivan.

He used to answer the moment she called, greeting her in that gentle voice she'd come to love. "What's wrong, baby?"

This time, it took twenty-three calls before someone finally picked up.

Noise spilled through the receiver, followed by the teasing voice of one of Yale's friends.

"You want to know just how much power a first love has over a man? Selise comes back to the country, and Yale goes straight off to see her, leaving his little wife at home five months pregnant."

"Well, she's only a substitute. You remember how crazy Yale was about Selise back then. He practically drank himself to death after they broke up. He never got over her, not even after all these years. He just found himself a younger girl he could sweet-talk into taking her place."

"And the poor girl has no idea. She's all over Yale every day. I caught them kissing once, and the way she clung to him was enough to make me melt. If I had someone that sweet and affectionate waiting for me at home, I'd have forgotten all about Selise ages ago."

"That's Yale for you. He acts all cold and heartless, but when it comes to love, he's hopeless. Selise's the only woman he'll ever love. Just now, she casually mentioned that her feet hurt from wearing heels, and he scooped her right up and took her shopping for flats."

Riley listened with the phone pressed to her ear, tears streaming silently down her face.

Then the voices abruptly fell silent.

"Which one of you answered my phone?" Yale demanded.

"Huh? No idea. Someone must've picked it up by accident..."

Footsteps sounded through the receiver, and soon the background noise faded.

When Yale spoke again, his voice had softened into the familiar tenderness that had made Riley fall so deeply in love with him.

"What's wrong, baby? Is the thunder keeping you awake? I've got a business engagement tonight, but I'll be home later to keep you and our little one company, okay?"

Riley drew a deep breath. "I was going to ask you to sign the divorce..."

Before she could finish, a woman's voice interrupted.

"Yale, my feet hurt..."

He fell silent for a moment, then hurriedly told Riley, "Be good and get some sleep, baby. I'll be home later to keep you company."

With that, the call ended.

Riley laughed softly.

After wiping away the last of her tears, she looked at the two "gifts" she'd prepared for Yale, both sitting on the table.

One was the divorce agreement. The other was a gift box containing the baby she'd had delivered at the hospital.

There's a special place in hell for people who betray someone who truly loves them.

She might be young, but that didn't mean she could tolerate being deceived like this. She wanted nothing more to do with someone who could lie to her so completely.

Riley knew how to love someone with her whole heart, and she also knew when to let go.

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting there when she finally got up and carried the box containing her baby to the refrigerator.

Just then, she heard a noise at the front door.

"Baby, why are you still awake?"

Yale came toward her, shrugging off his suit jacket. His tie hung loosely around his neck.

"What are you looking for in the fridge? Are you hungry?"

Riley didn't answer. She simply stood there, looking at him.

Unaccustomed to such a cold reception from his young wife, Yale produced an elegant food container from behind his back.

"I drove all over town to get these for you," he said, his expression tender. "Haven't you been craving them lately?"

He began taking out the pastries and arranging them in front of her, one by one. They were all her favorites, the treats she'd loved eating during the past few months when she'd been struggling with morning sickness.

In the past, she would have thrown herself into his arms and kissed him by now.

Instead, the gesture struck her as bitterly ironic.

"Why are you just standing there? Is our little one giving you trouble again?"

He reached toward her belly, but Riley blocked his hand and held out a document.

"Sign this."

Yale looked momentarily surprised. He was about to open the document when his phone rang.

Riley saw the name on the screen.

Selise Lane.

She couldn't hear what the woman said after he answered, but something in Yale's expression changed. The moment he hung up, he signed the document without even looking at it.

Then he grabbed his car keys and headed for the door.

"Baby, something urgent has come up. Get some sleep, okay?"

At the door, he turned back to add gently, "Next time you want to buy something, just go ahead and get it. You don't need to ask me to sign anything. We're married, sweetheart. What's mine is yours."

Riley tightened her grip on the divorce agreement, now bearing his signature, and gave a faint smile.

"Yale Sullivan, we won't be married much longer."