Chapter 2

Audrey slammed the gear shift into park, the tires of her Audi screeching against the asphalt of the VIP lot. She didn't wait for the valet. She threw open the door and stepped out into the bright afternoon sun, the heat doing nothing to thaw the ice in her veins.

She marched toward the clubhouse, her Louboutins digging into the manicured lawn. The sound of laughter and the thwack of golf balls drifted from the private family day on the back nine. She followed the sound, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts.

She saw them before they saw her.

Devonte was standing on the putting green, a golf club resting casually over one shoulder. He was laughing, a deep, genuine sound that she hadn't heard directed at her in years. And right beside him, clinging to his arm like a second skin, was Carmen. The younger woman was wearing a pastel pink dress that matched the club's aesthetic, her blonde hair perfectly styled under a visor.

They looked disgustingly comfortable, like a couple who had been together for years, not a sordid secret hidden in the shadows.

Audrey's feet felt glued to the grass. The image of the two of them-Devonte and Carmen-burned into her retinas. They looked like a family. They looked like the family she had always wanted and never had.

Carmen looked up. Her eyes locked onto Audrey. Instead of panic, instead of shame, a slow, feline smile spread across the younger woman's face. She tightened her grip on Devonte's arm, tilting her head in a gesture of possession.

Devonte followed Carmen's gaze. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a flash of annoyance, quickly smoothed over into cold indifference. He handed his club to a caddy and started walking toward her.

"Audrey." His voice was sharp, low enough not to carry to the other members. "What are you doing here?"

Audrey didn't answer. She walked straight past him, her eyes fixed on the green, and demanded, "What did you do to Leo? Why is his name on a trust fund with her?"

Devonte grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her bicep through her silk blouse. He pulled her away from the green, toward the shade of a large oak tree, away from the prying eyes of the other members.

"Are you out of your mind?" he hissed, his face inches from hers. "Following me? Making a scene?"

"Answer me!" Audrey wrenched her arm free. "What is in that file? Why is my son's name on a document with your mistress?"

Devonte's eyes flickered, just for a second, before the mask of condescension slid back into place. "You went through my things," he said, his tone dangerous. "You're spiraling, Audrey. This is exactly what the doctor warned us about. Menopause, paranoia..."

"Don't you dare gaslight me!" Audrey pulled out her phone, thrusting the screen toward his face. The photo of the adoption decree was displayed, the name "Devonte Vaughn" listed clearly as the father.

Devonte's jaw tightened. His hand shot out, snatching the phone from her grip. He didn't look at the screen. He just threw it. Hard. It hit the trunk of the oak tree and clattered to the grass, the screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks.

"You're delusional," Devonte said, his voice a low growl. "If you don't get in your car and go home right now, I will have you committed. I will take everything, and you won't even have enough money to pay a shrink to listen to your crazy theories."

"Devonte, darling." Carmen's voice floated over. She had walked up behind them, holding Audrey's broken phone. She held it out, her expression a perfect mask of concern. "Mrs. Vaughn, you look terrible. Devonte has been so worried about your mental state lately. We all have."

Audrey stared at the girl. The fake sympathy, the smugness hidden just beneath the surface. She wanted to rip that perfectly styled hair right out of her head.

Devonte reached out and pulled Carmen against his side, his hand resting on her hip. He looked at Audrey, his eyes dead. "This is my life now, Audrey. This is what makes me happy. You were just a stepping stone. It's time you accepted that."

A caddy walked up, hesitating as he saw the tense standoff. "Mr. Vaughn, everything okay?"

The question hung in the air, a stark reminder of the perfect life Devonte had built while she was left in the dark.

Devonte didn't even look at the caddy. "We're leaving," he said to Carmen. He guided the younger woman away, leaving Audrey standing alone under the oak tree.

Audrey bent down. Her knees ached as she knelt on the grass. She picked up her broken phone. The screen was shattered, but it was still lit. The lock screen photo stared back at her.

It was a photo of Leo. The baby the hospital said had been kidnapped. The baby she had spent twenty-three years mourning. The baby whose loss had destroyed her from the inside out.

She looked up. Devonte and Carmen were disappearing through the clubhouse doors. The other members were staring at her, whispering behind their hands.

Audrey stood up. She didn't brush the grass stains off her skirt. She didn't wipe the tears from her face. She just stared at the door, a vow forming in the darkest part of her heart. She wasn't going to cry anymore. She was going to make them pay.