by E. L. Todd
What just happened? What did he think I lied about? Why was he being so hostile?
I jumped out of bed and followed him. “Ward.”
He kept walking, his shoulders square and his back straight.
“Ward, wait.” I moved down the stairs as fast as I could but it was difficult with my swollen belly.
Ward headed to the door and ignored my protests.
I finally reached him then grabbed him by the back of the arm.
He twisted out of my grasp then gave me a death threat with just his eyes. “Don’t touch me.” The hatred leaked from his body, hovering in the air. It burned my skin because it was so warm.
“Why are you acting like this?” I whispered. “What did I do?”
He released a laugh but it was maniacal. “What did you do?” He shook his head with a slight smirk on his lips. “You really can’t figure it out? Is it because you have more than one skeleton in your closet?”
I stepped back because he was scaring me. “Ward, I don’t know what I did. You should tell me so we can set everything straight.”
“Yeah?” He slammed the door behind him then got in my face. “You told me you were buying diapers but I saw you having a coffee date with some suit I’ve never seen before. You lied to my face.”
My heart fell in realization. He must have seen us when he walked by from the office. And I did get caught in a direct lie.
“You know why people lie, Clementine? It’s because they have something to hide. Therefore, you’re hiding something from me. And I have a feeling I’m not going to like what it is.” His hands shook like he wanted to strangle me. “I’ve given you everything. I’ve given you every penny in my bank account and every minute on my watch. And you fuck me over like this?”
“It’s not what you think—”
“Then I don’t know what it is because you didn’t tell me.” He got in my face again, his jaw clenched tightly. “This relationship is never going to work if you lie to me. You left me because I “misled” you about Skye but I never hid it from you. You point blank lied to me when I asked you a direct question. You’re a hypocrite and a damn liar.”
I released a depressed sigh. “Let me explain—”
“You had the opportunity to explain when I asked where you were. But you decided to lie instead. You missed your chance.”
“Ward—”
“I don’t even want to hear you talk,” he said savagely. “Everything that comes out of that mouth of yours means nothing to me. So save us both some time and shut the fuck up.” He walked out and slammed the door.
I remained in the entryway, feeling my heart ache and my body grow weak. I only hid Jeremy from Ward because I knew how protective he was. If I’d known it would lead to this I would have fessed up from the beginning.
Now it was too late.
***
Ward never came home, and when I went to the office I suspected he bought a suit on his way to work and changed in the bathroom. I hadn’t seen him all morning and I didn’t dare go to his office.
My heart rate permanently beat fast. My palms were always sweaty. And I constantly felt sick. Ward had never been that angry with me, even when we were broken up. It looked like he wanted to hurt me, and if not me then something else.
It was difficult to focus on work because my mind was elsewhere. Fortunately, Sean was self-efficient and didn’t leave his office often. Conrad and Mike worked on their own projects, and Skye remained in her office.
I wondered if Ward had told Skye about what happened between us. But if he had, I’m sure she would have come over here and given me a piece of her mind. The fact she hadn’t was a good sign.
At the end of the workday, I didn’t wait around for Ward. I knew he wouldn’t come to my desk and offer to walk home with me. He would take off and head elsewhere.
If I explained the situation to him he would understand. But he was so hotheaded and pissed off that he wouldn’t see reason at the moment. The best thing I could do was to give him space until he was ready to listen to me.
But how long would that be?
I headed home and took my time getting there. My feet were starting to swell and my boobs constantly ached. Everything was getting bigger and I was more uncomfortable with every passing day. I was excited for my son to get here because I wanted to meet him, but also so my body could take a break.
When I entered the house it was empty like I expected it to be. I placed my purse on the kitchen counter then opened the refrigerator to find a snack. Now I was hungry all the time. Even after I ate I was starving.
Footsteps were heard on the staircase, so I shut the door and turned to Ward. He was carrying a bag over his shoulder like he planned on taking a trip for a few weeks.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t look at me. “Leaving.”
This was getting out of hand. “Ward, just let me explain.”
He reached the end of the stairs and shot me a glare. “Maybe I don’t want to hear you explain anything.”
I came closer to him with my hands by my sides. “The only reason I lied—”
“Do I look like I give a damn?” he snarled.
I was losing my cool. “You know I would never cheat on you. And if you thought I did, you wouldn’t have been living with me for the past week. So, calm down and let me tell you what happened.”
“I don’t care what happened,” he said. “You lied to me. How can I ever trust you?”
“I was just trying to protect you.”
“Protect me?” he asked with a laugh. “God, that’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“I know how you are, Ward. And if I told you what happened you would have destroyed half of Manhattan.”
“What I destroy is my business,” he said darkly.
“I was with Jeremy, the married man I used to see—”
“This is what pisses me off.” He held up a hand. “You throw me aside over the dumbest reason, but yet, you walk all over me because you think you can get away with it. Newsflash, sweetheart. You can’t be a brat without any consequences. You tortured me for so long, and even after I bent my body backwards for you I still didn’t deserve another chance. But this is far worse than anything I’ve ever done to you.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“How can I have a baby with a woman I don’t even trust? How can I live with her and believe a word she says? Every time you say you are doing something I’m going to wonder what you’re really doing. So, why the hell would I want that?”
My heart raced in my chest and my breaths became deep.
“I shouldn’t have to put up with this bullshit. Perhaps if you hadn’t trampled me I would be more understanding of this. But I refuse to be treated like garbage when I don’t deserve it. If you can’t respect me and love me, I can certainly find someone else who can.”
The threat burned my heart. “Ward, I love you more than anything in this world.”
“Yeah, it shows,” he said sarcastically. He turned to the door and opened it.
Tears emerged from my eyes. “Ward, please don’t go.”
“I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
“Please.” I moved my body against his and clung to him. “I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll never lie again. I just didn’t want to make you mad. Please…”
He let me hold him but he didn’t reciprocate the affection.
“Jeremy called me first then he waited outside the office for me to leave. Then he cornered me and wouldn’t leave me alone. I agreed to coffee just to get it over with. He told me he divorced his wife and wanted us to be together. I told him I was in love with you and we’re having this baby together. Then he backed off and left. That’s all that happened. I swear.”
“Then why lie?” he said coldly.
“Because I knew how pissed off you would be…”
“I assure you, I wouldn’t be as mad as I am now.”
I squeezed him harder. “Please don’t go. I’
m sorry. I’ll apologize as many times as it takes.”
He gently moved me off him. “It’s too late for that, Clementine.” He shouldered his bag and gave me a final look.
Tears fell down my face. “Ward, I know you’re upset and you have every right to be. But don’t walk out like this. At least stay for our son.”
He gave me a cold look before he stepped outside. “I’ll never walk out on my son. But I have no problem walking out on you.”
Chapter Five
Trinity
The success of the clothing line demanded more workers and a higher level of productivity. My two floors of the building simply weren’t cutting it anymore. Now I would have to expand.
I paid back my loan and now my profits were mine to keep. I’d always hoped I would make a decent living doing my passion but I never expected to have this level of success. If things continued in this direction, I would be on the same level as my father.
Doing all of this on my own gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I didn’t need anyone’s help to get where I was. I pursued my passion without taking no for an answer, and all that hard work paid off.
For the first time, I was proud of myself.
My dad knocked before he stepped inside my office. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey, Dad.” I stood up and hugged him.
He embraced me for a long time, squeezing me to his chest. His chin rested on my head, and his thick arms were the size of my legs. This was the first time he’d seen me since I returned from my honeymoon. It was clear he missed me. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me too.” I pulled away and gave him a smile.
He examined my face. “I’m glad you didn’t get too much color. Sun exposure is a serious issue.”
“Slade was adamant about keeping me in the shade.”
“Good man.” He looked out the window then examined my desk. “Busy?”
“Work never stops.”
“I know how that is,” he said with a chuckle. “When I was little my dad was hardly home because he worked so much. But after the company became stable he was home every night for dinner.”
“I make sure I come home every night,” I said. “If not, my husband would throw a fit.”
“How’s he handling all of this?”
“He’s excited for me.” Slade was being supportive of my ambition and that meant the world to me. Sometimes I worked long hours, and sometimes I took work home. But he held his tongue and offered to help in whatever way he could.
“So, you’re looking to expand?”
I asked my dad to come along so he could be involved. I knew he looked for any excuse to spend time with me, and I wanted to assure him that Slade would never take his place as a prominent man in my life. “Yep. I need a whole building to myself now.”
“Impressive,” he said. “Business must be good.” He never asked what my salary was but I knew he was curious.
I passed him a spreadsheet. “These are the numbers from the past four quarters.”
He examined the numbers with wide eyes. “Damn…”
I chuckled. “I know. I can hardly believe it either.”
He whistled. “My daughter is rich.”
“And I didn’t take a cent from you.”
He gave me a smile. “I’m very proud of you, sweetheart.” He pulled me in for another hug. “I always knew you were destined for greatness, even since you were a little girl.”
“Yeah?”
He kissed my forehead. “Yeah.”
***
Dad and I spent the afternoon looking at different buildings. There was one next to the magazine I used to work for, and I was very tempted to take it. Being next door to the people who undervalued me would be a great treat. Plus, it was a great location.
“What are you thinking?” Dad asked over lunch.
“I really like that one on fifth.”
“Yeah, it’s nice.”
“And it’s closer to work and Slade’s shop.”
“Does he come by a lot?” He sipped his soda.
“No. Only once a week,” I answered. “I’m usually too busy to take lunch.”
He nodded in understanding. “Your mom doesn’t come by anymore. I’m usually spending my lunch break with Conrad.”
“How’s he?” I asked.
“He’s been better.”
Alarm flashed through me. “What’s wrong?”
“Lexie ended their…arrangement.” He rested one arm over the back of the booth. “He was pretty bummed out about it.”
“Did she say why?”
“No, unfortunately.”
“I really like her,” I said. “She’s sweet and nice, and she never takes herself too seriously.”
“Your mother and I are in love with her,” he said. “It’s frustrating because I know she loves your brother. She just won’t admit it.”
“Why would she hide that fact?”
“Because they agreed to a purely physical relationship,” Dad said. “She’s afraid if she says otherwise Conrad will completely remove himself from her life.”
“Does he love her?”
“Yes. But he doesn’t realize it yet. That boy can be dense sometimes…”
“So…that’s it? They’re done?”
He drank his soda again. “I don’t think so. We went to Lexie’s conference and they were spending time together. I hoped they reconciled their differences. I haven’t seen Conrad yet so I haven’t had a chance to ask him.”
“I hope they work it out,” I said. “Conrad should settle down for a nice girl. And not a bitch like Beatrice.”
Dad didn’t comment on that last part.
I suspected he still had a soft spot for Beatrice even though she was out of the picture.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about.” He turned to his satchel and pulled out a folder.
“Okay…”
He set it on the table in front of me. “Keep an open mind when I talk. I’m not telling you what to do or advising you in any way. However, as your father I need to talk to you about this stuff.”
“Okay…” That sounded ominous.
“It’s always smart to protect your assets. You worked really hard for this company and it would be a pity if it was taken away.” He opened the folder. “This is a pre-nup. Basically, if you have Slade sign it he’ll have no access to any of your possessions in the event of a divorce.” I opened my mouth to speak but he held his hand to silence me. “I’m not telling you this needs to be done—at all. But, I needed to inform you about it. A lot of wealthy people do this and it’s totally normal. In the event of your death, everything will pass to him and your kids. It only applies in a divorce.”
I stared at the first page and didn’t say anything.
“You can have him fill this out at any point in your marriage. It doesn’t necessarily have to be right before. It’s just something to think about.” He closed the folder. “Do what you want, Trinity. I’m not here to persuade you.”
“Slade and I are never getting divorced.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” he said with confidence. “But if something bad happened, like you cheated on him, he could destroy you. Not that I’m saying you would ever do that. But a lot can change in twenty years.”
“Did Mom sign one?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Why not?”
He sighed while he stared at me. “I don’t want to answer because I don’t want to persuade you in either direction.”
“Did Scarlet sign one?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Do you think I should have Slade sign it?”
He pressed his lips tightly together. “My opinion is irrelevant. This is your marriage. Do whatever makes you more comfortable.” He pushed the folder closer to me. “Just think about it.”
I skimmed through the papers before I stuffed the folder into my purse.
Dad drank his soda while he looked out the window
.
“I don’t think I’m going to have him sign it.”
Dad’s eyes turned back to me but he didn’t say anything.
“I know we’re going to be together forever. It would be an insult to our marriage if I asked him to sign it.”
“I support whatever you decide.”
I couldn’t picture Slade and I taking a turn for the worse. And even if something terrible happened, I can’t picture him wanting any of my money. He wasn’t that type of person. “Why didn’t you have Mom sign it?”
He set the cup on the table. “As a sign of good faith. I trust my wife and know she doesn’t love me for my money. And I would never let her go—even if she tried to leave.”
“That sounds creepy…”
He chuckled. “I meant it in a romantic way.”
“That’s not how it came off.”
He looked away and stared at something in the distance. “Your grandmother wasn’t particularly fond of your mother when we got together.”
“Why not?” I blurted.
“Because your mother was married once before. My mom didn’t approve of that. She assumed Cassandra might divorce me too, taking a good chunk of the company and all its assets.”
“I bet Mom wasn’t happy about that…”
“She was a trooper…but she wasn’t thrilled.”
“At least they get along now.”
“Yeah…”
“Sean didn’t have Scarlet sign it for the same reason?”
“He said he didn’t understand why they would pledge to each other for life but then sign a pre-nup. To him, it falsified all of his vows. Scarlet didn’t care either way. She wanted to sign them to prove to Sean and my parents she couldn’t care less about his money.”
“But she never signed it?”
“Sean wouldn’t let her.”
“I just don’t think it’s a good way to start a marriage…preparing for the worst.”
“I agree,” Dad said. “But I had to let you make your own decision. A lot of couples do it and I’m sure Slade wouldn’t care. He’s never cared about my money.”
I chuckled. “All he cares about is tattoos, music, and me.”
“At least you only have two competitors,” he said with a chuckle.
“True.”
He regarded me with a serious expression. “I have some more advice for you, if you’re willing to listen.”
