Chapter 1 · Beg For Me, Mr. Caldwell

I'd only forgiven Ian Caldwell three times in my life.

The first was when he instinctively defended his secretary right after she caused my miscarriage.

I swallowed my pain.

The second was on the drive home from the hospital, when he voluntarily apologized for her while she sat in the passenger seat.

I accepted it.

The third time came quickly.

To help his secretary catch her flight because she forgot her ID, Ian floored the gas pedal, hitting a hundred miles an hour.

Even knowing my body was still incredibly weak and couldn't handle the stress.

I let it slide.

Three strikes. It was time for a divorce.

*****

I thought I could make it all the way home.

But halfway there, I told Ian to pull over and weakly pushed the car door open.

He looked at my pale face, seemingly realizing something.

After a moment of hesitation, he got out and hailed a cab with me.

"I promised Stella I wouldn't leave her alone again. Nora, you'll have to go back and get your ID yourself," he said to her.

When our cab started moving, I stayed in the back seat.

Ian parted his lips and did something completely out of character.

He offered an unprompted explanation. "Last night was her final birthday at the company. She invited me, and it would've looked bad if I didn't show up.

"She's resigning after the holidays, so you won't have to look at her anymore."

Ian turned to look me in the eye. He paused for a long time before continuing. "As for why I'm not firing her right now? Nora comes from a struggling family.

"She needs her year end bonus before she can afford to leave. I couldn't say no to one small request."

I slowly pulled my gaze away from the window.

Honestly, after he abandoned me last night to celebrate his secretary's birthday,

I had already decided to stop getting angry over him. But Ian always knew how to read my mind, and he spoke before I could.

Ian said, "If you're mad that I didn't make Nora apologize to you directly just now, it's because I know you don't want to hear her voice. Even if she apologized, it wouldn't make you feel any better."

I let out a cold laugh. My face was dripping with undisguised sarcasm.

But Ian acted like he didn't see it, continuing to say exactly what I didn't want to hear.

"Stella, I know you're grieving," he said. "But I'm going to say this one last time. Nora didn't mean to harm our baby.

"If she had that kind of nerve, I never would have kept her around this long. You can't take your pain out on an innocent person. It's not fair."

I blinked, meeting his eyes for the first time today.

So what?

My five month old baby was lost because Nora knocked into me for no reason. Wasn't my baby innocent?

She never once came to the hospital to check on me. Her only apology was the one he just delivered on her behalf.

Was any of this fair to me?

But under Ian's darkening gaze, I swallowed those words down. He didn't understand.

Talking until I was blue in the face wouldn't change a thing.

I turned back to the window and simply replied, "Got it."

Our cab had barely started moving when Ian's phone rang.

Terrified I'd misunderstand like I used to, he deliberately answered it on speaker right in front of me.

The voice sounded, "Mr. Caldwell, my phone is on one percent. I don't have any cash on me, and I'm scared I won't be able to pay for a ride."

Whether from panic or guilt for interrupting us, Nora's voice was choked with tears. "I'm so sorry for being a burden again. Please stay with your wife. I'll figure something out."

When he tried calling back, it went straight to voicemail. Ian calmly put his phone down and asked what I wanted for dinner, offering to cook.

But I was already pushing the car door open. "I really don't want to see her. I'll make my own way back."

A text from an unsaved number had just popped up on his screen, saying she was waiting at the intersection ahead.

I didn't even need to guess who it was.

Ian gave me a look, then let the cab drive off without a single word.

While I was forced to walk all the way home because I left my phone in his car and had no cash, Ian had already taken Nora to get her ID and brought her back.

Our eyes met as they drove past, but he didn't stop.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Nora looked at his white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and tentatively spoke up. "Ian shouldn't we just tell your wife the truth?"

Chapter 1

I'd only forgiven Ian Caldwell three times in my life.

The first was when he instinctively defended his secretary right after she caused my miscarriage.

I swallowed my pain.

The second was on the drive home from the hospital, when he voluntarily apologized for her while she sat in the passenger seat.

I accepted it.

The third time came quickly.

To help his secretary catch her flight because she forgot her ID, Ian floored the gas pedal, hitting a hundred miles an hour.

Even knowing my body was still incredibly weak and couldn't handle the stress.

I let it slide.

Three strikes. It was time for a divorce.

*****

I thought I could make it all the way home.

But halfway there, I told Ian to pull over and weakly pushed the car door open.

He looked at my pale face, seemingly realizing something.

After a moment of hesitation, he got out and hailed a cab with me.

"I promised Stella I wouldn't leave her alone again. Nora, you'll have to go back and get your ID yourself," he said to her.

When our cab started moving, I stayed in the back seat.

Ian parted his lips and did something completely out of character.

He offered an unprompted explanation. "Last night was her final birthday at the company. She invited me, and it would've looked bad if I didn't show up.

"She's resigning after the holidays, so you won't have to look at her anymore."

Ian turned to look me in the eye. He paused for a long time before continuing. "As for why I'm not firing her right now? Nora comes from a struggling family.

"She needs her year end bonus before she can afford to leave. I couldn't say no to one small request."

I slowly pulled my gaze away from the window.

Honestly, after he abandoned me last night to celebrate his secretary's birthday,

I had already decided to stop getting angry over him. But Ian always knew how to read my mind, and he spoke before I could.

I let out a cold laugh. My face was dripping with undisguised sarcasm.

But Ian acted like he didn't see it, continuing to say exactly what I didn't want to hear.

"Stella, I know you're grieving," he said. "But I'm going to say this one last time. Nora didn't mean to harm our baby.

"If she had that kind of nerve, I never would have kept her around this long. You can't take your pain out on an innocent person. It's not fair."

I blinked, meeting his eyes for the first time today.

So what?

My five month old baby was lost because Nora knocked into me for no reason. Wasn't my baby innocent?

She never once came to the hospital to check on me. Her only apology was the one he just delivered on her behalf.

Was any of this fair to me?

But under Ian's darkening gaze, I swallowed those words down. He didn't understand.

Talking until I was blue in the face wouldn't change a thing.

I turned back to the window and simply replied, "Got it."

Our cab had barely started moving when Ian's phone rang.

Terrified I'd misunderstand like I used to, he deliberately answered it on speaker right in front of me.

The voice sounded, "Mr. Caldwell, my phone is on one percent. I don't have any cash on me, and I'm scared I won't be able to pay for a ride."

Whether from panic or guilt for interrupting us, Nora's voice was choked with tears. "I'm so sorry for being a burden again. Please stay with your wife. I'll figure something out."

When he tried calling back, it went straight to voicemail. Ian calmly put his phone down and asked what I wanted for dinner, offering to cook.

But I was already pushing the car door open. "I really don't want to see her. I'll make my own way back."

A text from an unsaved number had just popped up on his screen, saying she was waiting at the intersection ahead.

I didn't even need to guess who it was.

Ian gave me a look, then let the cab drive off without a single word.

While I was forced to walk all the way home because I left my phone in his car and had no cash, Ian had already taken Nora to get her ID and brought her back.

Our eyes met as they drove past, but he didn't stop.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Nora looked at his white knuckled grip on the steering wheel and tentatively spoke up. "Ian shouldn't we just tell your wife the truth?"