Chapter 2

Over in the corner, Lily had been playing with other kids. The moment the commotion started, she quietly slipped behind Lara.

I stared at Derek's hand still holding Lara's arm.

"An anniversary," I said, my voice cold. "With another woman. Derek, what exactly do you think I am?"

The room went dead silent.

People exchanged glances. Someone whispered: "Wait ！ who's the other woman here?"

Another: "Gould's really out here like this?"

The murmurs rippled through the room, and something shifted uncomfortably across Derek's face.

Lara looked up at Derek like the whole world had just wronged her.

"Derek..."

He seemed to make a decision. He looked at me and his voice went hard:

"Are you done? I've told you ！ we're over. Stop showing up and making scenes."

I stared at him. "When did we end?"

"Stop playing dumb!" His voice cracked upward.

"You're the one who said it was over! I have a wife now, a family ！ why won't you leave me alone?"

I pointed at Lara. Then at myself. A laugh rose in my chest ！ the kind that isn't funny.

"Derek. Look at my face. Tell me who I am. Tell me who Lily's mother is."

Nathan stepped forward. "You've got this wrong ！ Chloe is still your wife！"

"Who the hell are you?" Derek cut him off.

"This is between me and Chloe Quinn. Stay out of it."

He turned back to me, impatient.

"Chloe, I'm telling you ！ walk away. Don't embarrass yourself. My wife Lara is Nathan Rhodes' own prot└g└e and the daughter of Hartwell Group. You cannot touch her."

Nathan went very still.

I looked at him. He looked at me. He shook his head slowly.

The whispers sharpened around us. Eyes shifted toward me with something ugly in them.

"So she's the ex who won't let go..."

"She seemed so put-together. How does someone have that little self-respect?"

"Poor guy. Having to deal with someone like her still chasing after him..."

Lara moved in at exactly the right moment, draping an arm around Derek's shoulder, positioning herself between us like she was shielding him.

"Lady, Derek has already told you. He wants nothing to do with you."

She turned to the room, her voice dropping into something soft and aggrieved.

"The past is the past. Derek and I have a child, a home. Please stop disrupting what we have."

I stared at the two of them, rage burning straight through me. I closed the distance in one step and slapped her across the face.

The crack rang through the entire ballroom. Every person in the room went rigid.

Lara pressed her hand to her cheek and turned to Derek, her eyes filling on cue.

"Derek!"

Derek's face changed instantly. "Hold her down!"

Two guards in black suits exploded from the corners of the ballroom, seizing me by both arms and forcing me to the ground.

My knees cracked against the hard marble floor and I hissed through my teeth at the impact.

"Have you lost your mind?" I thrashed against their grip, screaming up at him. "I am your wife! You're doing this for her?"

Derek said nothing. His eyes had gone red.

He turned, grabbed a wooden chair from the nearest table, raised it above his head, and brought it down across my back with everything he had.

The pain tore a muffled cry from my throat. My back blazed.

He wasn't done. He stepped forward and drove his dress shoe into my side ！ once, again, again.

Nathan fought his way through and lunged to intervene. Another guard slammed him to the ground before he could reach me.

"Derek Gould, stop it! She is your wife!" Nathan's voice tore from the floor.

Derek kicked harder.

Then I coughed, and tasted blood ！ and caught a flash of movement as Lily came sprinting through the crowd toward me.

"Don't you dare hurt my mom!"