Chapter 5
The divorce agreement came back faster than I expected.
Edward must have been desperate to comfort his mistress and play the tragic hero, sacrificing his marriage for true love.
My lawyer sent over the papers, and he signed them within 3 days.
He didn't fight much over the property division.
Maybe guilt got to him, or perhaps he was rushing to get back to Charlotte.
Or maybe he actually believed that "baby" would keep me tied to him and that he'd have another chance at reconciliation later, as if the money was just moving from one pocket to another.
He was pathetically naive.
I got what I deserved. A few properties, some cash, and shares in several companies. Most of them were shell corporations he'd used to hide debt, but I'd already worked my magic to strip out the risks and keep only the assets I could liquidate.
The day we finalized the divorce, the sky hung gray and heavy.
Edward showed up alone in a perfectly tailored suit, every hair in place. Still, his face carried a carefully crafted look of exhaustion and grief.
When he saw me in my crisp cream suit with flawless makeup and calm eyes, he actually froze.
"Olivia." His voice came out rough. "Don't you have anything you want to say?"
I looked up at him with a slight smile. "Say what, exactly? Congrats on being single again so you can finally make your mistress legit?"
His expression darkened. "Do you have to talk like that? Don't we have any history left between us?"
I toyed with the small purse in my hands. "History? Edward, whatever we had died the day you cheated on me. It died when you accused me of things I didn't do.
"And it was completely gone the moment you forced me to hand over our kid to make your girlfriend feel better. Right now, we're just business partners wrapping up our final transaction."
He stared at me with this complicated look on his face, like he was trying to figure out if I was just putting on a brave front.
After a long silence, he sighed and softened his tone. "The child. When are you planning to bring him over? Charlotte's been really unstable lately. Her doctor says she needs something to focus on, something to care about."
"Right now works for me," I cut him off. "My mom's got him. We can head straight there and pick him up."
He looked stunned, like he hadn't expected me to agree so easily. "You're really okay with this? You're not even a little torn up about it? That's our kid we're talking about."
"Your kid now," I said, pulling open the car door. "You getting in, or are you gonna follow me in your own car?"
Edward ended up climbing into my passenger seat.
The whole drive over, he kept opening his mouth like he wanted to say something, then closing it again. His eyes kept drifting toward me.
He was probably waiting for me to break down, to show some sign of pain or resentment, or at the very least a hint of reluctance.
I spent the entire ride staring out the window, scrolling through work messages on my phone and firing off a few quick replies.
Honestly, I felt lighter than I had in months. I was finally about to be free of this whole toxic mess.
When we pulled up outside Janet's building, Edward frowned at the worn-down apartment complex. "The kid's been living here this whole time?" he asked.
I hit the elevator button. "What'd you expect? You want me raising our baby in your mansion while your parade of girlfriends comes through for tours?"
His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue.
Janet answered the door, and her expression went ice-cold the second she saw Edward. When her eyes landed on me, though, they filled with concern.
I gave her hand a quick squeeze to let her know I was okay.
"Where's the baby?" Edward's voice came out rushed and anxious.
Janet jerked her chin toward the back room without bothering to hide her irritation. "Just fed him. He's sleeping."
We headed into the bedroom together.
A small crib sat against the wall with a tiny bundle inside.
The baby was two months old now, with chubby pink cheeks, and his eyes were closed. He looked like any other infant, maybe even cuter than most, with his fair skin and delicate features.
Edward crossed the room in three quick strides and leaned over the crib, staring down at the baby. His expression shifted through about a dozen emotions at once.
There was that new-dad wonderment he probably thought he was supposed to feel, mixed with guilt over Charlotte, and something else. Some weird kind of sentimentality?
He reached out like he wanted to touch the baby's face, but his hand hovered in midair uncertainly.
"Who does he look like?" His voice came out rough.
I almost laughed out loud. Who did he look like?
His real birth parents, who'd dumped him.
"He's got your eyes," I lied smoothly. "The nose and mouth, though, I think he takes after me." All babies looked basically the same anyway.
Edward studied the baby's face carefully. After a moment, he actually nodded, and his expression softened. "Yeah. He's got my eyebrows." He looked up at me. "Olivia, what's his name?"
"Doesn't have one yet," I said flatly. "That's for you and your baby mama to figure out."
He took a deep breath like he was steeling himself for something, then carefully lifted the baby into his arms.
His movements were clumsy but steady enough.
The baby woke up and scrunched his little face, but he didn't cry. He just stared up at Edward with those big eyes.
For a split second, Edward's face took on this weirdly sacred look, like he'd just discovered the meaning of responsibility or something.
He held the baby close and turned to me with this solemn tone. "Olivia, thank you for this. I'll take good care of him. And I won't forget my promise to you."
His promise? What promise? To come home more? To treat me better? I almost laughed out loud.
"Sure," I said coolly. I pulled a folder out of my bag and handed it to him.
"Here's his birth certificate, vaccination records, and some notes about what he needs. Just so you know, he's got a bit of a temper. When he starts crying, he really goes for it. You guys are gonna have your hands full."
Edward took the folder without even glancing at it and tucked it under his arm. All his attention stayed locked on the baby. "I got it. Charlotte's gonna be great with him. She's young, but she's got a big heart."
A big heart? The same girl who kept smoking and drinking while she was knocked up? Yeah, right. I didn't bother calling him out on it.
"Alright then, you should go," I said, stepping aside to let him pass. "Everything you need is right here. From now on, this kid has nothing to do with me or my family. And don't come around bothering my parents anymore."