6.50%
Chapter 5
Grant seemed determined to haunt me.
Like some tragic romance protagonist, he’d stand outside my apartment building all night, doing nothing but staring at me with that hollow, broken.
expression.
After a while, even my neighbors started giving me strange looks.
The last thing I needed was a repeat of seven years ago.
Finally, I went downstairs to confront him.
His face lit up with hope when he saw me approaching
I took a deep breath. “Stop coming here. Are you trying to ruin my life again? I’m married. My baby’s due in two months. What’s the point of all this?”
His gaze flickered to my belly, pain flashing across his eyes before he looked away.
I turned to leave,
He grabbed my wrist, voice trembling with desperate hope. “You’re not really married, are you?”
I stared at him, stunned.
Growing more confident, he continued, “All this time, I’ve only ever seen you alone. This child doesn’t have a father, does it?” He glanced painfully at my stomach. “I could be”
“My child has a father, thank you very much!” A cold voice cut through the air, I turned to see a tall man in a trench coat striding toward us, dragging suitcase with one hand and holding a greasy bag of f chicken tenders in the other.
If looks could kill, Grant would have died a thousand deaths under Nathaniel Graves’s glare.
Nathaniel’s expression softened when he turned to me. “Vivian
I wrenched my wrist free, tears springing to my eyes as I moved toward him. “You’re finally back.”
With Grant stationed outside like a man possessed, and me too pregnant to budge, the past weeks had been torture.
Nathaniel caught me in two quick strides, patting my back before handing me the chicken tenders. “Don’t eat too many,” he murmured.
Then he looked past me at Grant. “Mr. Holloway, Coveting another man’s wife and child isn’t very gentlemanly.
Grant paled. Hispanicked eyes sought mine, pleading.
I nodded firmly. “Exactly. It’s morally bankrupt
He locked like he’d been sucker–punched, his whole being crumbling
But the proud young master couldn’t take such humiliation. He turned on Nathaniel with forced bravado. “What kind of man leaves his pregnant wife alone? What can you possibly offer them? Street food?”
Nathaniel’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry,” he said to me, eyes full of remorse. “Has it been very hard? I’ve been a terrible husband.”
I couldn’t bear his guilt, I hugged him tightly. “Don’t say that. You were doing important work. You’re nothing like him.” Grant stood frozen, his face ashen
Looking at those once–beloved features now filled me with disgust. “Who are you to judge him?” I snapped. “Do you have any idea how much he’s supported me all these years? And you? All these grand declarations–did you ever really look for me? I was literally one block away from your campus.” After leaving Rivermere, I’d still gone abroad–on full scholarship to every school I applied to, though Grant had always assumed I needed his money to study.
He’d never valged my elforts, so he’d trampled them without thought.
Abroad, I’d even been caught in a random shooting once. Nathaniel, who happened to be sitting at the same café table, had shielded me with his own body.
Don’t come back,” I sald coldly. *
y.“You’re bad luck ”
“With that, I linked arms with Nathandel and walked away.
Grant stood helpless, his gaze daning between our retreating figures.
But he had no right to stop me.
S
eStory
0.201
Now, it was he who was the outsider.
