Chapter 2
"Besides, you were the one who wanted Chelsea to move in and help you out during your pregnancy," Gunnar shot back.
He hadn't even noticed how he'd started calling her by her full name at first, then switched to just Chelsea, and now it was all about that intimate nickname, Chels.
Noticing my dark expression, Chelsea quickly grabbed my hand and said in a fake-sweet voice, "Gunnar, Isabella's just a little emotional because she's pregnant with your baby. Don't be so harsh."
"Gunnar, Isabella's just a little emotional because she's pregnant with your baby. Don't be so harsh," Chelsea said, her tone overflowing with false concern.
Watching the two of them put on a two-faced show together, I felt bile rising in my throat from sheer disgust.
But without any hard evidence of Gunnar's cheating yet, all I could do was grit my teeth and put up with it.
Gunnar rubbed his nose, then pulled me into his arms and said softly, "Isabella, I'm sorry. I was a bit harsh just now. Don't take it to heart.
"By the way, tomorrow's the company's quarterly meeting. Try to get some rest. It'll be your last one before you give birth."
His tender move really seemed to get under Chelsea's skin.
Her eyes—usually so gentle—flashed with real hate for a split second, only to turn smug again in no time.
Looks like tomorrow's meeting was gonna be a real fight.
Gunnar and I grew up together—practically joined at the hip since we were kids.
After graduation, we didn't want to lean on our families, so we started this talent agency from scratch.
I was not just a shareholder; I was also one of the agency's signed talents myself.
We didn't use any family connections. People mocked us and looked down on us every step of the way, but somehow, we managed to hold our own in the cutthroat entertainment business.
Once the company was set up, I helped Chelsea join our team.
She came from a tough background—I'd been looking out for her since high school. At first, I threw almost all our resources her way, even giving up chances that should've been mine.
She really proved herself too. After snapping up tons of awards, she finally snagged the title at the supermodel competition, just like she'd always dreamed.
But I never imagined that Chelsea—the very woman I single-handedly turned into a star—would stab me in the back and end up in my husband's bed.
Two months ago, she dropped everything herself and insisted on coming to my place under the guise of taking care of me. Yet Gunnar twisted the story, making it sound like I had pleaded for her help.
Sure enough, at the company's quarterly meeting the next day, Gunnar didn't even bother to hide it—he handed all the best resources straight to Chelsea.
As soon as he made the announcement, a few of the other artists went ballistic. "Mr. Shepard, this is way out of line! Don't the rest of us deserve a shot at the spotlight? If people didn't know better, they'd think Chelsea and you were..."
The undisguised contempt in their eyes left me stunned, and a wave of self-mockery washed over me.
So it turned out that everyone in the company had already caught on to Chelsea and Gunnar's dirty little secret. I was the only fool who'd been kept in the dark this whole time.
The other artists were all staring at me, just waiting to see how I'd respond.
I cleared my throat. "This might not be the most appropriate move. Based on what we've agreed in our contracts with everyone else, the remaining resources should be..."
Before I could even finish, Gunnar snapped, cutting me off. "Isabella! Have you already forgotten how many gigs Chelsea turned down for you? What's the problem with giving her the top pick?"
Chelsea caught on quick, her eyes welling up with tears and her voice going all shaky. "Isabella, did I do something wrong? Why do you..."
As soon as Gunnar heard Chelsea sounding like she was about to cry, he lost it, snapping at me.
"Enough, Isabella! Chelsea's the real money-maker for this company, okay? No one deserves the top resources more than her."
He paused, that look of contempt flickering in his eyes. "Just relax and take care of the baby. Company matters aren't your concern anymore."
As soon as he brought up taking care of the baby, all I could see was that awful scene of Chelsea and Gunnar tangled up together last night, replaying in my mind like a horror movie. To make it even worse? The baby in my belly wasn't even mine—it was theirs.
Just the thought made my hands tremble so bad that I almost couldn't control it. I clenched my fists, struggling to keep them hidden behind my back.
When the other artists heard Gunnar's attitude, everyone started talking about quitting then and there.
Gunnar just let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You'd better think twice! If you break your contracts, you're paying for it.
"Honestly, I couldn't care less about any of you. If you really want out, go find legal. As long as Chelsea sticks around, this company's never going to tank."
After hearing Gunnar's heartless speech, the artists in the meeting room all marched straight off to legal to start their exit talks.
In no time, the meeting room was empty except for the three of us.
Maybe it was my face looking downright stormy, because Gunnar suddenly went down on one knee, took my hand, and tried to reassure me. "Isabella, I'm sorry. I was way too harsh just now. Please, don't let it get to you. Just take care of yourself and the baby, okay?"