Chapter 2
Her body stiffened, and her pupils contracted sharply.
Avery had sent her a photo of lipstick.
The same one she'd seen in Arthur's office that day.
Chloe fought to control her trembling as she picked up her phone, her slender fingers hovering over the screen.
There was so much she wanted to ask.
Like why Avery had asked if she knew who the father was.
Like why was this lipstick identical to the one in Arthur's office?
Like why was Avery sending her photos like this?
What was Avery trying to pull?
Her full lips pressed into a tight line. After hesitating, she deleted all the accusations Avery had been about to send.
Stirring up trouble was Avery's specialty.
She'd witnessed it countless times over the years.
Besides, if Arthur was cheating, then there wasn't a faithful man left on the planet.
They'd been childhood sweethearts for over twenty years, woven through each other's entire lives.
Between Arthur and Avery, she'd choose to trust him without question.
Chloe stared at the message thread, a cold glint entering her eyes.
Years ago, after her mother Luna Carter's divorce, she'd brought Chloe into the Scott family when she remarried.
The following year, Avery was born.
All these years, Chloe had endured dirty looks, been treated like unwanted baggage, and constantly bullied by Avery.
Luna had always taught her to be patient, to remember the Scott family's kindness in taking them in.
She'd endured it all—from favorite hair clips and dolls as a child to jewelry as she grew older, everything stolen away by Avery.
And now she wanted to steal her husband too?
Ridiculous.
Her phone buzzed again, interrupting her thoughts.
A message from Arthur.
[Chloe, I had the housekeeper make that nutritious soup you love. Make sure to drink it and get some rest. I'll come home early today so we can keep trying.]
Heat rose in Chloe's cheeks. The care and love radiating from his words dissolved her last trace of doubt.
A blissful smile curved her lips as she typed back: [Okay.]
Chloe set down her phone and mentally counted the days before heading to the bathroom.
She sat gripping the pregnancy test, and when those two lines slowly appeared, she nearly cried with joy.
She pressed both hands over her mouth, her heart overflowing with happiness and the sweet relief of finally reaching this moment.
After years of trying, they finally had their baby!
She'd had late periods before—a whole month once.
They'd both thought it was good news, only to discover at the hospital that it was just hormonal imbalance.
She'd never forget that crushing disappointment, or the flash of sadness on Arthur's face before he turned to comfort her instead.
Worried the test might be wrong, Chloe rushed to the hospital.
The doctor sat across from her, nodding confidently at the pregnancy report. "Congratulations, Mrs. Williams. You're finally pregnant!"
The weight that had been pressing on Chloe's chest finally lifted. "Thank you for helping me with the treatments all this time."
"No need to be so formal."
Just as the doctor finished speaking, Arthur's call came through.
There was a hint of barely concealed urgency in his voice as he stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, brow slightly furrowed.
"Chloe, why did you suddenly go to the hospital? Are you feeling sick? Do you need me to come over right now?"
Chloe clutched the test results with one hand, almost blurting out the news.
But Arthur's birthday was next week—she wanted to give this to him as a gift.
She made up an excuse, "I just came for another pregnancy check, but still no good news."
Arthur's voice was gentle and reassuring: "Don't worry. We'll have a baby eventually."
"Mm."
Chloe hummed in agreement, shouldering her purse as she headed out.
"Chloe."
Arthur spoke again, sounding hesitant.
"What is it?" Chloe asked, puzzled.
His uncertain voice came through the phone.
"If we adopted a child who looked a lot like you, would you love that child?"
"Of course I would," Chloe answered without hesitation. "But I'd still want a baby that's truly ours."
As she said this, she couldn't help but smile.
Every word on that pregnancy report radiated pure happiness—she felt like she was floating on clouds.
She'd already thought of hundreds of names for their future child.
Time to pick one.
Would it be a boy or girl? Would the baby look more like her or Arthur?
Either way, she'd give this child all her love.
Arthur had waited so long for this—he'd be thrilled and would make a wonderful father.
Something dark flickered in Arthur's eyes.
He instinctively reached for the cigarettes in his drawer, then pulled his hand back, remembering they were still trying to conceive.
Even through the phone, he could picture the hope shining in Chloe's eyes.
After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly.
"Chloe, if I ever did something wrong, would you forgive me?"
Chloe's mind immediately jumped to that lipstick.
She crushed the thought as soon as it formed.
Impossible.
She was overthinking things.
Arthur knew about her history with Avery. Even if he ever did cheat, he'd never choose her.
"Something wrong?" Chloe asked hesitantly. "Did you do something to hurt me?"
"No," Arthur said firmly. "I made vows at our wedding. I'll never betray you."
A smile tugged at Chloe's lips, her voice soft, "Well, if you did mess up, it would depend on what it was. If it was really serious, I'd leave you and run far away where you'd never find me."
Something possessive flashed in Arthur's eyes as he gripped the phone tightly. "That day will never come."
"Good," Chloe laughed.