Chapter 3 · His Fake Trip Cost Him Everything

I knocked on the door three times.

Every head in the room turned.

The moment Eric saw me, the soup bowl nearly slipped out of his hand.

"Ni... Nina?"

"Eric." I leaned against the doorframe and looked at him. "Aren't you supposed to be in Silvercrest? Closing a deal?"

I'd studied that face every day for three years. This was the first time I'd ever seen this particular expression on it.

It wasn't guilt. It was the raw, animal panic of being caught red-handed.

"I... I can explain..."

"No rush." I walked into the room, glanced at the woman in the bed, then at the baby in the bassinet. "Let me get a look at this kid first."

Laura instinctively shrank back against the pillows, pulling the blanket up toward her chin.

Her mother jumped to her feet and blocked my path. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Eric's wife."

The room went dead silent.

Laura's mother froze mid-motion, the paring knife hovering in the air. Her mouth opened, then closed again. The color drained from Laura's face, and she whipped around to look at Eric.

"You told me you two were separated," Laura said, her voice cracking. "You said it was over."

I let out a small laugh. "Separated? We went grocery shopping together last Sunday."

Eric shot to his feet and reached for my arm. "Nina, let's step outside. We can talk about this..."

I took one step back, out of his reach. "You've touched that woman. Don't touch me."

"Nina!"

"I'm just here to give you a heads-up," I said, pulling a business card from my purse and setting it on the nightstand. "My lawyer's number. Divorce papers are drafted. Whenever you're ready to sign, have your attorney call him."

Eric stood there, frozen. "You... what are you saying?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

"Nina, listen to me. Laura, she... the baby was an accident. I..."

"Nine pounds, two ounces," I cut him off. "Full-term, natural delivery. Nine pounds. You're calling that an accident?"

His mouth moved twice, but nothing came out.

Behind him, Laura burst into tears. "Eric, did you actually file for divorce or not? You lied to me! You told me you were already separated!"

"Shut up!" Eric spun around and snapped at her.

Laura only cried harder.

The noise woke the baby, who started wailing too.

Laura's mother erupted. "What is wrong with you, Eric? My daughter gave you a son, and you tell her to shut up?!"

The entire room had erupted into chaos, three voices tangled together in one small space.

I stood in the doorway and watched the whole circus play out.

A patient from the next room over poked her head out to see what the commotion was about.

Without a word, I turned and walked away.

Eric's footsteps pounded the floor behind me.

"Nina! Stop right there!"

He caught up to me in the corridor and grabbed my arm.

"Just calm down for a second. We can go home and talk this through..."

"Are you out of your mind? Just because..."

"Just because you cheated and had a baby with someone else?" I looked him straight in the eye. "Yeah. Just because of that."

"I'm not signing anything," he said through clenched teeth. "Knock it off. I'll handle this."

"I'm not asking for your permission."

I pulled my arm free and stepped into the elevator.

Just before the doors closed, I saw him standing in the middle of the hallway, one hand braced against the wall, his face drained of all color.

His phone was ringing. The name on the screen read "Mom."

I gave his reaction a mental score. Still trying to figure out how to keep everyone in the dark.

It was too late for that. On the drive home, I called Olivia Green. She was my only real friend, someone I'd known since college. These days she was a partner at a media management company, overseeing 30-plus influencer accounts.

"Nina? Why are you calling me in the middle of the day?" Olivia answered.

"Eric's cheating on me."

"What?"

"He has a son. Born yesterday."

Five seconds of stunned silence hung on the other end.

"That piece of shit," Olivia muttered.

"Olivia, I need a favor."

"Name it."

"Not yet. I'll let you know when it's time."

"Alright. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"Nina, don't bullshit me."

"I really am fine," I said. "Three years of this marriage, and now the bill's come due. He's gonna pay it."

After we hung up, I went home. I sat down at my computer and logged into an email account I hadn't touched in three years. The inbox held over a thousand unread messages, all from the Sullivan Group.

The inbox held quarterly reports, board meeting minutes, and shareholder notices.

When I'd walked away three years ago, the Sullivan Group had been valued at 2.5 billion dollars.

Now it was worth 4 billion.

My 15 percent stake came out to roughly 600 million dollars.

Eric had spent 120 thousand on Laura Bennett and thought it was a fortune.

He had no idea that his wife's net worth could buy the entire office building where he worked.

I closed the laptop and stood at the window, looking down at the courtyard below. An elderly couple was walking their dog. A young mother pushed a stroller along the path.

Chapter 3

I knocked on the door three times.

Every head in the room turned.

The moment Eric saw me, the soup bowl nearly slipped out of his hand.

"Ni... Nina?"

"Eric." I leaned against the doorframe and looked at him. "Aren't you supposed to be in Silvercrest? Closing a deal?"

I'd studied that face every day for three years. This was the first time I'd ever seen this particular expression on it.

It wasn't guilt. It was the raw, animal panic of being caught red-handed.

"I... I can explain..."

"No rush." I walked into the room, glanced at the woman in the bed, then at the baby in the bassinet. "Let me get a look at this kid first."

Laura instinctively shrank back against the pillows, pulling the blanket up toward her chin.

Her mother jumped to her feet and blocked my path. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Eric's wife."

The room went dead silent.

Laura's mother froze mid-motion, the paring knife hovering in the air. Her mouth opened, then closed again. The color drained from Laura's face, and she whipped around to look at Eric.

"You told me you two were separated," Laura said, her voice cracking. "You said it was over."

I let out a small laugh. "Separated? We went grocery shopping together last Sunday."

Eric shot to his feet and reached for my arm. "Nina, let's step outside. We can talk about this..."

I took one step back, out of his reach. "You've touched that woman. Don't touch me."

"Nina!"

Eric stood there, frozen. "You... what are you saying?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

"Nina, listen to me. Laura, she... the baby was an accident. I..."

"Nine pounds, two ounces," I cut him off. "Full-term, natural delivery. Nine pounds. You're calling that an accident?"

His mouth moved twice, but nothing came out.

Behind him, Laura burst into tears. "Eric, did you actually file for divorce or not? You lied to me! You told me you were already separated!"

"Shut up!" Eric spun around and snapped at her.

Laura only cried harder.

The noise woke the baby, who started wailing too.

Laura's mother erupted. "What is wrong with you, Eric? My daughter gave you a son, and you tell her to shut up?!"

The entire room had erupted into chaos, three voices tangled together in one small space.

I stood in the doorway and watched the whole circus play out.

A patient from the next room over poked her head out to see what the commotion was about.

Without a word, I turned and walked away.

Eric's footsteps pounded the floor behind me.

"Nina! Stop right there!"

He caught up to me in the corridor and grabbed my arm.

"Just calm down for a second. We can go home and talk this through..."

"Are you out of your mind? Just because..."

"Just because you cheated and had a baby with someone else?" I looked him straight in the eye. "Yeah. Just because of that."

"I'm not signing anything," he said through clenched teeth. "Knock it off. I'll handle this."

"I'm not asking for your permission."

I pulled my arm free and stepped into the elevator.

Just before the doors closed, I saw him standing in the middle of the hallway, one hand braced against the wall, his face drained of all color.

His phone was ringing. The name on the screen read "Mom."

I gave his reaction a mental score. Still trying to figure out how to keep everyone in the dark.

"Nina? Why are you calling me in the middle of the day?" Olivia answered.

"Eric's cheating on me."

"What?"

"He has a son. Born yesterday."

Five seconds of stunned silence hung on the other end.

"That piece of shit," Olivia muttered.

"Olivia, I need a favor."

"Name it."

"Not yet. I'll let you know when it's time."

"Alright. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"Nina, don't bullshit me."

"I really am fine," I said. "Three years of this marriage, and now the bill's come due. He's gonna pay it."

After we hung up, I went home. I sat down at my computer and logged into an email account I hadn't touched in three years. The inbox held over a thousand unread messages, all from the Sullivan Group.

The inbox held quarterly reports, board meeting minutes, and shareholder notices.

When I'd walked away three years ago, the Sullivan Group had been valued at 2.5 billion dollars.

Now it was worth 4 billion.

My 15 percent stake came out to roughly 600 million dollars.

Eric had spent 120 thousand on Laura Bennett and thought it was a fortune.

He had no idea that his wife's net worth could buy the entire office building where he worked.

I closed the laptop and stood at the window, looking down at the courtyard below. An elderly couple was walking their dog. A young mother pushed a stroller along the path.