turned

. The murmurs in the room fell silent, the crowd parting before me like the Red Sea. The only sound was the steady,

't look at Harper. My entire world had nar

th a lie that I might actually believe," I said,

kicking in. "Lottie, baby, it' s not what it looks

. The crack of my palm against his cheek echoed in the cavernous sil

t of my hand blooming on his skin. He did

aced with faux fragility as she stepped between us, placing a hand on hi

timed tears, locked onto mine. There

a single, hot tear escaped, tracing a path down my c

is voice a desperate r

s arms, but I flinched away

uch me," I

ightened. He looked from the publicist, to the sea of watching faces, to Harper' s pl

not for me, but for everyone listening. "Harper and I have

. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. A protective gesture. A gesture he

hispered, the words catching in

a pain that I knew wasn't for me, but for

ight. He began to steer a weeping Harper toward the exi

s leaving me here, alone

tled over me, a suffocating shroud. He hadn't just admitted to an affair. He

ing myself on a table laden with untouched

, a messy divorce, an illegitimate child-it would have been a disaster. But a tech mog

d me and our unborn child o

ide door, away from the prying eyes and flashing cameras, a s

hoice. And he h

chose