Chapter 2
I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Charles's hand on Aria's waist, the intimate way she'd tilted her face toward his. By morning, my body ached from tension as much as from healing, but my mind was crystal clear.
Charles emerged from the shower, humming softly as if nothing had happened. The normalcy of it—the way he toweled his hair, reached for his cologne—made my stomach turn.
"We need to talk," I said, standing in the doorway with our daughter in my arms.
He glanced at me in the mirror, his expression carefully neutral. "About what?"
"About last night. About Aria."
Charles sighed, setting down his razor. "Eliza, I already explained. She reached out because she's going through a rough patch. What kind of person would I be if I ignored someone who needed help?"
"The kind who honors his marriage vows," I shot back.
He turned to face me fully, his voice taking on that patronizing tone that made my skin crawl. "You're being jealous and irrational. Aria lost her job, her apartment—she had nowhere else to turn. As a decent human being, I couldn't just abandon her."
"So you meet her secretly? You lie about working?"
"I didn't want to upset you during your recovery." He moved closer, reaching out to touch my arm. "The doctor said postpartum hormones can cause paranoia, delusions. Maybe we should schedule an appointment—"
I jerked away from his touch. "Don't. Don't you dare suggest I'm crazy when you're the one lying."
Charles's jaw tightened. "I'm trying to be understanding here, but you're making this impossible. If you can't trust me to help an old friend without turning it into some sordid affair, maybe you need professional help."
The gaslighting was so smooth, so practiced, that for a moment I almost doubted myself. Almost.
"Fine," I said, surprising him with my calm tone. "Let's clear the air. Invite her to lunch. Today."
Charles blinked. "What?"
"If this is all innocent, if she's just a friend in need, then there's no reason we can't all sit down together. Right?"
I watched him struggle, saw the moment he realized he was trapped. "Eliza, she's going through a lot right now. I don't think—"
"Call her. Now."
The restaurant Charles chose was upscale but quiet, the kind of place where conversations could be held without being overheard. I'd left the baby with Margaret, Charles's mother, who'd insisted on coming to help during my recovery. The knowing look in her eyes when I'd explained where I was going told me she suspected more than she was saying.
Aria arrived fifteen minutes late, making an entrance that turned heads. She looked polished, professional—nothing like someone who'd lost her job and apartment. Her dark hair fell in perfect waves, and her dress was designer.
But it was what hung around her neck that made my blood freeze.
"Eliza!" she said, air-kissing my cheeks as if we were old friends. "You look wonderful for someone who just had a baby."
The protection pendant—my protection pendant—caught the light as she settled into her chair. It was a delicate gold piece with an intricate Celtic knot, passed down through three generations of my family. Charles had given it to me on our wedding day, saying it would keep me safe.
"That's an interesting necklace," I said, my voice steady despite the rage building in my chest.
Aria's hand flew to the pendant, fingers caressing it possessively. "Oh, this? Charles gave it to me for protection during these difficult times. Wasn't that sweet of him?"
I turned to look at my husband, waiting for him to explain, to deny it, to show some shame. Instead, he studied his menu intently, unable to meet my eyes.
"That pendant belonged to my grandmother," I said quietly.
Aria's smile widened. "Well, Charles said it would be safe with me. That I needed it more than anyone right now."
"Why would you need it more than his wife?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge. Aria glanced at Charles, some silent communication passing between them. When she looked back at me, her expression had shifted from false sweetness to something triumphant.
"Because," she said, placing her hand deliberately on her stomach, "I'm carrying his child."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles white.
Charles finally looked up, his face pale but defiant. "Eliza, I can explain—"
"You're pregnant," I whispered, staring at Aria's barely visible bump.
"Three months," she confirmed, her voice soft but her eyes hard. "Charles has been so supportive, so caring. A real man takes responsibility for his actions."
I turned to Charles, waiting for denial, for outrage, for something that would prove this was all an elaborate lie.
Instead, he straightened in his chair and met my eyes directly for the first time since we'd sat down.
"Yes," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "It's true. And as a good man, I have to take responsibility for my child. I hope you can understand that, Eliza. This isn't about choosing between you and Aria—it's about doing what's right."