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Semua Bab The Billionaire Married Me, Then Forgot How to Love Me: Bab 61 - Bab 70

270 Bab

061 I’ve Got It Handled

(Serena)It takes me a second to remember he actually got home. No warning, no heads-up.Just a door creaking open at 4am and then him pinning me to the bed like he couldn’t wait another second.I’m sore in places I haven’t been in a while. But I feel good. Really good.Maybe it was angry sex. Maybe it was him trying to prove something. But I don’t care. It was him needing and wanting what he can’t get from anyone else.Well, he could potentially get it elsewhere but he’s choosing not to and making a physical point of that.And I’m going to make a clear point of him not needing to go elsewhere.Because I’ve got it handled. Him, this mansion, my life as Mrs. Hale and as Serena. I’m going to make it all work.He’ll see. Margot will see. Everyone will see that just because I wasn’t born into money, doesn’t mean I can’t cut it.No dwelling on the past, I’m moving us forward.It’s later than I usually sleep, but the hot and heavy sex and James’s body, wrapped around mine like a lock, kept

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062 Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

(Serena)James was different with the baby this morning.Not just attentive. Present. Because it matters to him, I can tell.Holding Savannah’s baby boy locks into his mind what kind of father he’s going to be.Gentle, focused, solid. And when he looked at me, hand on my back, eyes softer than I’ve seen in weeks, I knew he was thinking about our child too.He doesn’t have to say it. I feel it.Now it’s 11.30am. I’m in uniform at my bakery. Ready for action. This is going to be a massive lunch service. I’m glad because it takes my mind off him being alone with Savannah.I’m ready for the adrenalin pump this place is when it’s in full swing. Serena’s Bakery.My legacy. My way to change the world, one bake at a time.Apron crisp, hair in a slick bun, comfortable and supportive shoes.I flip the first batch of croissants from the oven. The smell of buttery flakiness hits my nose. The kind of smell that tells me everything’s going to be okay.The croissants are perfect and my personal good

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063 All Eyes on Me

(Serena)“Serena! You’re absolutely glowing.”It’s not a compliment. Not really.It’s a test. A pregnancy probe. A suggestion they hope will make me give some sign. A hesitation, a protective hand over my stomach, anything they can run with.I give them nothing but big smile, “sweat can be kind from afar,” I say. “But make sure I give you my skin care routine.”I’m out in front of the bakery, a little across the road so as not to block the doorway. The bakery is behind me. Better for marketing to get the shopfront in shots.Cameras. Microphones. Flashbulbs.Half a dozen local media outlets, a few from the national dailies. Some I don’t recognize at all.But all of them are locked into me and have their microphones on the ready.I breathe. Just once.Because this is my idea. My stage.Whatever they throw at me, I’m not ducking.The questions come fast. Not gentle ones.“Serena, are you and James okay? Is your marriage in trouble?”I laugh. “Oh hell no, we’re doing fine. Marriage isn’t

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064 The Room Where We’re Real

(Serena)I’m glad at last to get home and be able to talk freely to James face to face.I’m glad he suggested coming to the east wing office to talk, but I’m also a little worried as he’s just come from the hospital and talking with Savannah.I hope she’s been honest with him, but I can’t be sure she isn’t running her own agenda. In fact, I have to presume she is.James walks in behind me and closes the door.I sit at the desk in the leather chair and James sits across from me.He reaches over and takes my hand. “You’re still okay?”“I pass the ten-week mark today,” I say. “That’s when it happened last time. So I’m not all risk is gone of course but I’m more hopeful.”His thumb brushes lightly. “That’s good.”“It is. We’re past the most common danger window. The worst is supposed to be behind us.”“Supposed to be,” he echoes.“Yeah.” I pull in a breath. “There’s always a chance. But it’s smaller now. I’m letting myself breathe a little.”“You’ve been incredible lately. Thank you.”It’

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065 Creating the Hoops

(James)Serena’s scared of losing me.I’m scared of losing her. I won’t lose her. I can’t.Now she’s starting to at least try and see how life as Mrs. James Hale can be. How I need her to be.It gives me renewed hope.Because for us to be together, and be happy, she needs to play a certain role. It can’t be any other way because if I walk away from my parents for love, I walk away from the very essence of who I am, who I’ve worked all my life to be.I can’t do that. This is who I am. The billions in my banks, the power at my fingertips, the ability to affect world change in my lap.She said I have to start putting her first, above the work, above the people who make demands on my time, above everyone.And she’s probably not wrong, but it can’t happen yet. I’m too close to being the sum of everything before me. I have political aspirations too. I need to stay my course for now.I’m just not sure I know how to find the balance with Serena right now. And Savannah? She a wildcard I can’t

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066 Selling The Dream

(James)“After a scan, if we want to disappear for a bit. Just us. You’ll need to find the time….”“I’ll need to find the time? You’re the one who’s never home.”“But I can move my work anywhere and do it. But the bakery, well, I don’t think you can do that from another country. Maybe you can…”“What do you mean?”“I know you’re stepping back to run it from a hands-off perspective. I wonder if that will really happen. At the first disaster you’ll be there, fixing things. That’s who you are and I love you for it. You can’t do that from across the world.”“What are you saying?”“Just that if we are going to babymoon, maybe you need to make the separation from the bakery… more complete.”She stares hard at me. “Is this just another way to convince me to sell up?”“No. But you can’t be everywhere and focuses on everything. I’m just saying, we all need to make hard choices. I want us to keep this pregnancy secret so we can enjoy it together for longer.”She softens. “The babymoon idea? I d

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067 The Call I Didn’t Want

(Serena)My cell phone buzzes just as I sit down.Savannah.I stare at the screen. For a second, I think about letting it go to voicemail. I’ve been doing enough. More than enough.But then I think of the baby. And I answer.“Hello?”She doesn’t speak at first, just breathes. Then there’s a sharp, choked inhale.“Savannah?”Her voice is broken. “I shouldn’t have called. I’m sorry.”“What’s going on?”“I can’t do this,” she says. “I can’t be this… this thing everyone expects me to be. A mother. A good person. I’m not.”“Savannah, calm down. Take some breaths. Ring the buzzer for help.”“I don’t feel anything for that baby. And when I try… it makes me feel sick. What kind of person does that make me?”Her voice cracks. A sob sounds out.I close my eyes. “You’re not well. You need help.”“I hate myself. They tried. They took me to the ward, I panicked. I couldn’t even look. I can’t.”I just don’t know what else to say.She continues, “I feel like I’m going to scream or tear my skin off.

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068 I’ve Made My Choice

(James)Savannah is still sobbing so hard I can barely understand her.“I can’t do this,” she cries. “I can’t… I hate myself. I hate how I feel. It’s not normal. Why can’t I even look at him? What is wrong with me?”“Savannah, breathe. You’re not alone in this.”“I’m not a mother. I don’t deserve him. Maybe I shouldn’t even be here anymore.” Her voice breaks. “If they make me, I’m going to do something… They can’t make me see him.”The hair rises on the back of my neck. Does she mean to herself or the baby?The doctors are in and out. They’re worried. Talk of observation. Maybe even transfer to the psych ward. Savannah won’t stop apologizing, won’t stop blaming herself.“They all hate me,” she says, hollow. “They hate me because I can’t love this baby. Especially Serena.”“Don’t say that. Serena has been here helping you. She’s worried about you,” I say. “So am I.”“No one can fix this,” she says.“You’ll be okay. We’ll work through this, Savannah. I promise.” I take her in my arms an

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069 Something Doesn’t Add Up

(Serena)James didn’t come home last night.I keep telling myself not to spiral. He texted. He said Savannah had a breakthrough. That she agreed to see the psychologist and they made progress.It should be a good thing, right?It means maybe she’s one step closer to bonding with her baby, to not dumping him entirely. It means James showed up, he stayed, he helped. Same as I did when I did her makeup and hair.Human kindness, right?Still, all I can think about is how it used to be.When he’d roll over and pull me closer before I even opened my eyes. Before she came back.Before everything became a test of how much space I’m willing to give the woman who’s slowly gutting my life.I push the thought away. Today isn’t about wallowing.It’s about control. It’s about dinner with my family.And I have a ton of stuff to do to get this formal dining room ready for my first solo dinner party in there. I have plenty to do without overthinking what James is doing and why.The formal dining roo

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070 Potatoes Don’t Care

(Serena)He wasn’t here before me, but he is here now.The doorbell rings.“Just be nice, guys, please. He’s been trying really hard lately.”“Love shouldn’t have to try hard, Serena.”“Mom! Please. Give him a chance to breathe.”Mom opens the door before I can. She doesn’t even pretend to be impressed. “Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.”He’s standing there, a bottle of wine in one hand and two bunches of flowers in the other. His smile is guarded. He knows this is enemy territory and still showed up anyway.“I said I’d be here,” he says. “Ladies, I brought you flowers.” He hands a bunch to my mother and one to me.“Lucky you finally turned up, Serena was beginning to look disappointed.”“I try not to make a habit of disappointing Serena twice in one week,” he replies with a small grin. Hoping to lighten the moment, no doubt.I give an awkward little laugh in support.“Mm. Maybe next time aim for ‘at all’ instead,’” she replies without missing a beat.He has the good sense to

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