Chapter 3

Lily froze.

Five red finger marks bloomed on her cheek.

Something inside me snapped clean in half.

I shoved Grayson back and put my body between him and my baby.

"Grayson! Are you out of your damn mind?!"

"You didn't raise her right!"

He jabbed a finger at my nose.

"That kind of evil at her age? She got it from you. Jenna, if anything happens to Chloe or that baby, I swear to God I'll bury you."

Diane was right there egging him on.

"Exactly. Those little brats are jealous. Throw them out. I don't want to look at them."

Chloe lay against Grayson's chest, panting weakly.

"Baby, don't blame Jenna… the kid didn't know better… but oh God, my stomach hurts so bad…"

"Hospital. Now."

Grayson scooped her up and bolted for the door.

On his way out, he shot me a look that could kill.

"You sit here and think about what you've done. You don't leave this house without my say-so."

The door slammed hard enough to shake the walls.

I looked at Lily's swollen cheek.

My heart was bleeding.

"Mommy, why doesn't Daddy love me anymore?" she sobbed.

I wiped her tears and squeezed her tight.

I cleaned her up.

I iced the bruise.

Then I packed our bags.

I was done with this house.

But before I walked out, I had one last little gift to leave behind.

Let them find out where that son actually came from.

That afternoon, I had the girls by the door, ready to go.

Grayson walked back in.

He was glowing.

He had a sonogram in his hand.

"Trying to run?"

He blocked me.

"Yeah, Jenna, I figured you knew you couldn't stay. You can leave. But you walk away with nothing. That's what you get for teaching my kid to hurt people."

He slapped the sonogram right against my cheek.

"Take a good look. It's a BOY. The doctor says he's developing perfectly."

He was practically bouncing.

"The Hunts finally got a real heir."

I looked at that little black-and-white picture.

And I laughed.

Quietly.

"Grayson. You know what they say. The louder a man brags, the smaller the thing he's bragging about."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Chloe stayed in the hospital for three days.

"Bed rest," she called it.

Grayson waited on her like she was royalty.

To clear space for her, he shoved a divorce agreement at me.

"The house is mine. The savings are mine. The kids are yours."

He tossed the pen across the counter.

"Sign it. Then get out."

"Out of respect for what we had, I'm not pressing charges over Lily shoving Chloe."

I looked at that garbage contract.

I signed it.

No hesitation.

"Grayson. Someday you're going to be on your knees begging me. I hope your kneecaps are strong."

"Begging you?"

He barked out a laugh.

"I've got a son, a daughter, money, and a house. Why the hell would I ever beg some cast-off ex-wife? Get real."

One week later, my phone rang.

Grayson.

His voice was shaking.

Pure panic.

"Jenna… where are you? Get to Central Hospital. Bring Lily and Rosie. Please. Just bring them."

"Why? Your precious son finally born?" I said coldly.

"Something happened…"

His voice cracked.

"Chloe fell. She's hemorrhaging. The baby came early…"

Turns out, Chloe had been acting like a queen around the house.

She had insisted on strutting down the staircase in stilettos to film content for her socials.

She missed a step and tumbled all the way down.

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