Chapter 2

Kyle sounded a little out of breath, and there was a faint edge of warning in his voice.

"You didn't change your mind, did you? We already have a boy and a girl. I can't stand the thought of you putting your body through another pregnancy. If you really love me, you need to make sure this is permanent. And get something from the doctor proving you can't get pregnant again."

I didn't need to hear much more to know what was happening on the other end of the call.

Fury shot through me, and I nearly confronted him right then and there.

But I stopped myself.

I couldn't let them know I had figured everything out. They had clearly been planning this for a long time, and if I tipped them off now, I would only give them time to cover their tracks.

I clenched my teeth and swallowed my anger.

"It's done. You don't have to worry."

Kyle's whole tone changed. The relief in his voice was impossible to miss.

"That's my girl. Come home. I'll make it worth your while."

With that, he hung up almost immediately.

I forced down the anger boiling inside me and drove home.

The moment I opened the front door, I heard the twins laughing in the living room, completely wrapped up in whatever they were talking about.

When they heard the door open, they both turned automatically.

"Mom!"

The second they saw me, their smiles disappeared.

Their faces fell, and neither of them made any move to come over. They simply turned back to each other and started whispering again, as if I barely mattered.

The sight sent a sharp ache through my chest.

It had always been like this. No matter how hard I tried to be a good mother, they never seemed especially close to me.

But whenever Chloe came over, they naturally flocked to her, even when she barely did anything to win them over.

I felt hurt because of that. I even felt jealous. But Kyle always told me kids were just like that and promised they would grow out of it.

Thinking back on it now, I gave a bitter laugh.

I was such an idiot. The signs were right in front of me all along, but I kept making excuses because I didn't want to see the truth.

Normally, even when the kids barely acknowledged me, I would still walk over with a smile and pull out whatever little gifts I had brought home for them. No matter how badly they acted up, I could never bring myself to scold them.

But not this time.

I didn't even look at them. I changed my shoes, walked straight into the living room, and sat down on the couch.

A few minutes later, the bedroom door opened, and Kyle walked out. His hair was still damp, and a mix of unfamiliar scents clung to his skin.

I didn't have to guess what had happened in that room while I sat alone at the hospital waiting for surgery.

The second he saw me, he smiled and turned to our nanny, Rachel Hart.

"Rachel, take the kids outside for a while. Keep an eye on them."

Rachel nodded and led the reluctant kids out. The living room fell quiet.

Kyle walked over and leaned close, his breath warm against my ear.

"I have a surprise for you. Come upstairs."

I looked at him without saying anything for a few seconds, then got up and followed him into the bedroom.

The moment we stepped inside, Kyle reached for the belt of his robe and loosened it. The robe fell open, revealing the body I once found impossible to resist.

Now, just looking at him made me sick.

In the past, seeing him like this would have made my pulse race.

This time, my stomach turned. A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and I frowned before I could stop myself.

"I just had surgery. I'm really not in the mood."

My voice came out colder than usual.

Kyle's smile faded. He looked annoyed for half a second, then caught himself and stepped closer.

When I still didn't respond, he reached for my waist, his voice dropping.

"I know you're probably sore, but just bear with it for a little while. The doctor said it wouldn't affect our sex life. And it's been so long since we…"

When he noticed how cold I was acting, he stopped.

Then he walked over to the dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a box before handing it to me.