Chapter 3

Cali Massey POV:

I walked out of the clinic in a daze, the doctor' s cheerful voice echoing in my ears. Pregnant. Eight weeks. The news felt like a cosmic joke, a cruel twist of fate designed to break me completely. How could this happen? Now, of all times? This tiny, fragile life, growing inside me, felt like a burden, a complication in a life already in ruins.

My feet carried me aimlessly through the hospital corridors. I needed air. I needed to think. On the other end of the hall, near the waiting area, I saw a familiar figure. Chase. He was leaning against the wall, head bent low, talking to someone.

My stomach dropped. I ducked behind a large potted plant, my heart thumping a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I had to see. I had to know.

He looked... distraught. His shoulders slumped, his face etched with a rare vulnerability. My chest tightened. Was he finally feeling the weight of his actions? Was he regretting it?

Then, another figure emerged from an examination room. Hayden Acosta. She walked directly to Chase, her hand going instinctively to his arm. He straightened, his posture shifting back to its usual controlled elegance, but the sadness in his eyes remained.

"Is he okay?" Hayden asked, her voice hushed, filled with genuine concern.

Chase nodded, exhaling slowly. "The doctor said he'll be fine. Just a nasty fall." He ran a hand through his hair. "Hayden, I can't keep doing this. It's too much. The stress, the lies... Cali almost found out the other day. She asked about having a child."

Hayden' s eyes narrowed. "And what did you say?"

"The usual," he mumbled. "Work, timing, all the excuses she's heard a thousand times." He looked away, his gaze distant. "She trusts me. She believes me." The words felt like a fresh wound in my chest. He said it with such casual disregard.

"So, when are you going to leave her?" Hayden pressed, her voice sharper now. "You promised, Chase. You promised you'd make me your wife, that Denver would have both parents together, officially."

Chase flinched at her words, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "I can't just leave her, Hayden. She's my wife. She' s... Cali. My public image. My stability." He shook his head. "Besides, I feel guilty. I hurt her. I still care about her."

Guilty? Care? The words were a mockery. He cared about his image, about his comfort. Not me. Not the real me.

Hayden scoffed. "Guilty? That's rich. You made your choice, Chase. You chose me. You chose Denver." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "Denver needs his father. And I need my husband." She punctuated her words by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him into a soft kiss.

Chase responded, his body relaxing into her embrace. He held her tightly, as if she were a lifeline.

Then he pulled back slightly, his eyes filled with a tenderness that sent a jolt of ice through me. "I love Denver, Hayden. More than anything. And I love you." He paused, his gaze meeting hers. "But Cali... she still means something to me. I owe her. I owe her for everything."

Hayden' s eyes, over Chase' s shoulder, flickered towards my hiding spot. A flash of triumphant malice, quickly masked. She already knew. She knew I was here. This was a calculated performance. For me.

My legs gave out. I slid down the wall, clutching my belly, tears streaming down my face. My breath hitched in jagged sobs. He loved me? He owed me? No. He pitied me. I was a placeholder, a convenient wife for his public persona, while he lived his real life, his real love, with someone else.

The vows, the promises, the shared history-all hollow. All meaningless. I was nothing. A ghost in my own marriage. My body shook with the force of my heartbreak. This child growing inside me-it deserved more. It deserved a father who didn' t live a double life, a mother who wasn't a shattered mess.

My phone, lying forgotten in my pocket, buzzed again. It was the clinic. A reminder for my follow-up appointment. I knew what I had to do. With trembling fingers, I cancelled the appointment. Then, I dialed a different number. My lawyer.

"I need to file for divorce," I choked out, my voice raw and broken. "As soon as possible."

The line clicked. It was Chase' s birthday. My birthday. I had completely forgotten. The date, usually a highlight of my year, now felt like a cruel irony.

Chase called again later that evening. His voice was overly cheerful, laced with a false sincerity. "Happy birthday, my love! I'm so sorry I've been so distant lately. Work, you know. But I'm making it up to you. I've planned a surprise party for you tonight."

My response was a flat, toneless "Okay."

He paused, clearly thrown by my lack of enthusiasm. "Just 'okay'?" he asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. "Cali, I've gone all out. All our friends will be there. It's going to be amazing."

"Okay, Chase. Whatever you say," I managed, my voice devoid of warmth.

He sighed, a faint sound of exasperation. "Look, I know you're upset. But tonight, let's just celebrate. Please. For me."

I hung up, the phone clicking softly against my ear. A surprise party. A grand gesture. Another performance. Another layer of lies to maintain his perfect image. He had no idea. No idea what was coming. No idea that his carefully constructed world was about to implode. And I, his forgotten wife, was holding the match.