Chapter 1

I was pregnant, and my belly hurt so much.

My voice was shaking when the call went through.

It was loud on his end. A woman was laughing.

Victor Henson lowered his voice. "What now? Don't go making trouble out of nothing. I'm entertaining clients."

"It really hurts... can you come get me?"

"Are you done? Just grab a cab to the hospital yourself. Don't hold up my work."

The call ended.

I called again. His phone was off.

I braced myself against the wall and worked my way downstairs, got a cab, the ER, the wait.

The doctor frowned. "Why did you wait so long? We can't save it."

When the surgical light came down over me, I touched my belly and said softly, "I'm sorry. Mommy shouldn't have picked him to be your daddy."

......

The cold consent form was slapped down in front of me.

"Where's your family? A procedure like this needs a family member's signature."

I gripped the pen, my fingertips white.

"I don't have any family."

The nurse glanced at me, asked nothing more, and turned away.

I signed my own name. Bella Fox.

Every stroke felt carved into bone.

By the time I came out of the operating room, it was dark outside.

The anesthesia had worn off, and my lower belly dragged with a pain that came in cramping waves.

I finished the paperwork alone. I walked out the hospital doors alone.

Cold wind poured into the thin hospital gown.

I flagged down a car and gave the address.

Back at the villa they called "home," it was pitch dark inside, empty.

I didn't turn on the lights. I felt my way back to the bedroom and threw myself into the covers.

I don't know how long it was before a car engine sounded outside.

Then the key in the lock, footsteps coming closer.

The bedroom door swung open, and the light snapped on.

Victor stood in the doorway, his suit jacket over one arm, reeking of alcohol and unfamiliar perfume.

He saw me and frowned.

"Why aren't the lights on? It's creepy, all dark in here."

He came over, loosened his tie, and tossed it onto the couch.

"I'm hungry. Is there any food left?"

I lay on the bed, not moving, staring at the ceiling.

He finally noticed something was off.

"What's the mood about now?"

He leaned down to pull me into his arms, and I turned away.

His hand froze in midair, and his face darkened.

"Bella, I've worked all day. I'm exhausted. I don't have the energy to fight with you."

I sat up slowly, took a sheet of paper off the nightstand, and handed it to him.

It was the discharge summary.

He glanced at it, and his face changed in an instant.

"A miscarriage?"

His voice was very quiet, with a trace of disbelief.

I looked at him and said nothing.

He grabbed my wrist, his grip frighteningly hard.

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"

His grip hurt. I tried hard to pull my hand back.

"Tell you?"

I gave a short laugh. It felt absurd.

"I called you."

"You said you were entertaining clients."

"I said my belly hurt."

"You said I was making trouble out of nothing."

The color drained from his face, bit by bit.

"I..."

He wanted to explain something, but his phone rang at the worst possible moment.

The name "Georgia Pruitt" flashed on the screen.

He reflexively went to hang up, but hit answer instead.

Georgia's soft, sweet voice came through the receiver, painfully clear in the dead-silent room.

"Vic, are you home yet? My dad says it was all thanks to you that the contract went through today."

Victor cut the call off hard.

I looked at him, my eyes cold.

"So you were with Miss Pruitt, closing a contract."

"That really is business."

"After all, Miss Pruitt's father's company matters more than your child."

His lips moved, but not a word came out.

I pulled the other document from under the pillow and threw it in his face.

"Victor, let's get divorced."