Chapter 3

Alexander' s words, "Our precious boy. A son," echoed in the silent confines of my car, ricocheting off the windows and slamming into my soul. My hands trembled, the steering wheel suddenly too cold, too hard beneath my fingers. I watched as he guided Carson, so fragile and swollen, into the clinic. His gaze, once so devoted to me, was now fixed on her, brimming with a tenderness I hadn't seen in years.

Carson, sensing his preoccupation, leaned into him. "You know, Alexander, my mother is asking when you're going to make an honest woman out of me," she purred, her voice a little stronger now, laced with a playful but unmistakable demand. "And the baby, darling. He'll need his father's name, won't he?"

Alexander stiffened, glancing around as if fearing eavesdroppers. "Carson, not now. We've discussed this. Give me time. Everything will be handled discreetly." His tone was placating, but a hint of frustration colored his words.

"Time? We're about to pop!" she retorted, a flash of anger in her eyes. She then smiled, a manipulative glint in her gaze. "Unless you want me to tell Haylie all about our little family? She's always wanted a child, hasn't she? I'm sure she'd be thrilled to know she's getting one, even if it's not from her." Her voice was a venomous whisper, but loud enough to pierce the fragile peace of the afternoon.

Alexander' s face hardened. He grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her skin. "Don't you dare, Carson. Don't you ever threaten me. Haylie has nothing to do with this. This is about our son, and our future. You understand?" His voice was low, menacing, a side of him I had never witnessed.

Carson, despite the anger, seemed to relish his fierce response. She leaned into his touch, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, darling, you're so fierce when you're protective. It's exhilarating." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Come on, let's go celebrate our little secret, hm? My place. I've got that vintage champagne you love." She pressed her body against his, her gaze daring him.

He hesitated for a moment, then, with a sigh that sounded more like surrender than resistance, he nodded. He kissed her, a deep, passionate kiss, his hand caressing her burgeoning belly. They climbed back into his car, the vehicle rocking slightly as they settled in. Then, the car began to move. Not towards the clinic entrance, but to a more secluded corner of the parking lot, shrouded by trees.

The car shuddered, then began to sway rhythmically. My blood ran cold. My stomach churned, a volatile mix of nausea and revulsion. The sounds, muffled but unmistakable, reached my ears. Every groan, every gasp, tore at my very being. It was a crude, vulgar affirmation of their intimacy, a physical representation of the utter desecration of my marriage.

My heart seized, a sharp, excruciating pain that stole my breath. My vision blurred, tears streaming down my face, hot and stinging. That man, Alexander, my husband, the man I loved, the man I had given my life to, was reduced to this. A cheat, a liar, performing such a base act with another woman, while she carried his child. And I was watching it.

I had believed in Alexander. I had seen him as the antithesis of my own philandering father, a man whose betrayal had splintered my childhood. Alexander had been my safe haven, my promise of something pure and enduring. He had held me, consoled me, vowed eternal fidelity. He had built this perfect, beautiful lie around me, brick by brick, until it became my entire world. And now, in a single, gut-wrenching moment, he had torched it all. He was a complete stranger to me, a monster cloaked in a familiar face. My love for him, once boundless, turned to ashes in my mouth.

The car stopped shaking. The engine rumbled to life. They were leaving. I closed my eyes tightly, wishing I could unsee, unhear, erase this moment from existence. The image of them, entwined and shameless, was burned onto my eyelids. The image of the hickey on Carson's neck, the triumphant glint in her eyes, Alexander's hands on her pregnant belly. It was all a cruel, twisted nightmare.

I started my own car, my hands gripping the wheel, my knuckles white. My jaw ached from clenching it so hard. I drove, blindly, through the city streets, the world outside a blur. The pristine white walls of my gallery, the elegant lines of our penthouse, the carefully curated life we had built – it all felt like a hollow mockery now.

Images flashed through my mind: Alexander, on our wedding day, gazing at me with what I thought was adoration, whispering, "I will cherish you, Haylie, always and forever. My heart, my soul, my life are yours." He had promised me children, a family. He had promised me a love that would never falter, a loyalty that would never bend. "I will never be like your father, Haylie," he had said, holding my trembling hands. "I will never betray you."

The irony was a bitter taste. He hadn't just betrayed me. He had orchestrated a slow, agonizing psychological torture. He had stolen my dreams, twisted my desires, and fed me lies disguised as hope. And all for a son he couldn't have with me, a son he desired more than he desired me. The son, the heir, the family name. That was all that mattered. I was just the convenient, decorous wife, used as a shield while he built his actual family elsewhere.

My phone buzzed. A text message. From Alexander. So sorry, darling. That 'office crisis' kept me longer than expected. But I'm making it up to you. Big plans for your birthday. A surprise you' ll never forget. I love you, my Haylie.

I stared at the words, a cold, humorless laugh escaping my lips. Big plans. A surprise. Oh, he had no idea what kind of surprise awaited him. He thought he could still manipulate me, still control the narrative. He thought I was still the naive, trusting wife.

A dangerous thought, cold and precise, began to form in my mind. He hadn't divorced me. Why? Was it for appearances? For his family's reputation? Or because he simply couldn't be bothered with the messy inconvenience of ending our charade? Whatever the reason, it was a mistake he would soon regret.

I pulled into our driveway, my mind eerily calm, the storm of emotion replaced by a chilling clarity. I had a birthday party to plan. A grand, unforgettable fête. A farewell celebration.

I walked through the house, my gaze lingering on the objects that had once brought me joy. A framed photo of our wedding day, my hand in his, our smiles bright and full of promise. A delicate porcelain vase he' d bought me in Italy. The plush velvet armchair where we' d spent countless evenings, dreaming of our future. Each item now felt tainted, a monument to his lies.

I gathered them, one by one. The framed photos, the small gifts, everything that represented "us." In the kitchen, I found the half-empty mug of Alexander's "fertility tonic." I poured the contents down the drain, the dark liquid swirling away, carrying with it years of false hope. Then, with a sudden, fierce resolve, I smashed the mug against the counter. The ceramic shattered, a sharp, satisfying crack.

As I cleaned up the shards, my fingers brushed against something hard and leather-bound tucked away behind a stack of old magazines. It was Alexander's old journal, the one he'd kept during our courtship, filled with his elegant handwriting. I hadn't seen it in years. A pang of something akin to curiosity, a morbid desire to revisit the past, made me pick it up.