Chapter 4

The rest of the time, I got through it one agonizing second at a time.

By the time the reception ended, I was drenched in cold sweat.

I was about to leave when Mason's assistant appeared and steered me into a dressing room without giving me a choice.

Chris had already changed out of her wedding dress. She sat there with her legs crossed, watching me.

I pressed through the cramping pain in my stomach and held out the painting. "This is yours."

She curved her lips into a slow smile, reached out, and tore it clean in half.

"Fiona, right? I know who you are. My husband's mistress."

"I'm not a mistress," I said, forcing down the surge rising in my chest. "And you know that."

Chris's expression shifted instantly, her face twisting with vicious jealousy.

"Mason married me. You're still clinging to him — what would you call that if not being a mistress?"

"You saw it yourself today. Mason loves me. He married me. What does five years with you even matter now?"

"I have no interest in fighting over anything," I said, looking at her with complete calm.

"Once I've handled the last thing he promised me, I'll be gone."

I was exhausted. I had no fight left in me.

I turned to leave.

Chris lunged after me and dug her nails into my arm.

I cried out in pain and pushed her away without thinking.

But before I even used any real force, she went sprawling to the floor.

At that exact moment, Mason shoved the door open, his face a picture of panic.

I stood there, frozen. "I didn't —"

The rest of my sentence was obliterated by what came next.

"Chris, are you okay?" Mason rushed in and pulled her up from the floor.

"Mason, you're finally here!" She flung herself into his arms.

Then she tilted her tearful eyes toward me. "Fiona came to drop off the painting — and then she just ripped it apart herself."

"She said I'm a homewrecker. That I don't deserve to marry you, and I don't deserve to have our painting."

"That's a lie!" The fury hit my chest so hard I could barely breathe.

Mason snapped his head up, his gaze dark and heavy as it locked onto me.

"Why would Chris make something like that up when she's carrying my child?"

"Fiona, if anything happens to her or the baby, don't think for a second you'll walk away from this."

They had a baby on the way too...

The world went silent. A long, hollow ringing filled my ears.

Chris leaned into Mason's arms, the corner of her mouth curling into a quiet, triumphant smile.

"Mason, my stomach hurts."

"I noticed the gemstone pendant Fiona's wearing. It matches yours — they're a pair."

"As an apology, why not let her give it to us? For the baby's blessing."

My chest seized.

That gemstone pendant set was my mother's wedding jewelry — the gift she'd given me and Mason for our engagement.

I reached up and clutched the pendant at my throat, then looked at Mason, silently pleading.

But he only glanced at me, his tone carrying a quiet edge of warning.

"It's just a pendant. We'll give it back when we're done with it."

"Fiona, learn to pick your battles."

I swayed on my feet.

The nausea twisting my stomach didn't come close to the pain tearing through me right now.

Mason stared at my pale face, momentarily distracted.

Chris caught it. A flash of spite crossed her eyes. She shook his hand.

"Come on, Mason, we still have our after-party tonight. We need to go."

As she brushed past me, she dropped her voice to just barely above a whisper:

"Thanks for the pendant. And don't worry — I left you a little gift too."

The next second, my phone rang. I nearly dropped it.

"Miss Fiona, your mother's condition has taken a turn. Please come to the hospital immediately."