Chapter 3

A hand grabbed my arm just as I reached the revolving doors of the West Enterprises building.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. This is a private event."

The security guard was built like a refrigerator, his expression impassive. He was new. He didn't recognize me.

"I'm Kelsie Hopkins. Franklin West is my husband. I need to see him."

The guard's eyes flickered with a hint of recognition, but he didn't move. "Mr. West is preparing for a press conference. He can't be disturbed."

"My son is in the hospital," I said, my voice rising with desperation. "He's dying. I need to talk to him now."

The guard's grip tightened. "I have my orders, ma'am."

"Orders? From who?"

"From me."

The voice was like silk and poison. Janel Morales stepped out from behind the guard, a vision in a sleek, cream-colored maternity dress that did nothing to hide her swollen belly. She looked me up and down, a slow, deliberate appraisal of my cheap coat and worn-out shoes. A small, cruel smile played on her lips.

"Kelsie. What a surprise," she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "I thought you'd be holed up in that charming little apartment in Queens."

She had my old diamond earrings in her ears. The ones Franklin had given me for our first anniversary. They looked garish on her.

"I need to see Franklin," I said, ignoring her taunt. "It's about Leo."

I tried to keep my voice steady, to hide the rage and the fear. For Leo, I had to be calm. For Leo, I would do anything.

"Franklin is busy," Janel said, stepping closer. I could smell her expensive perfume. "He's about to announce his triumphant return. The fake bankruptcy was a stroke of genius, wasn't it? Shook off all the dead weight."

She looked pointedly at me. I was the dead weight.

"Please, Janel," I begged, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "Leo is sick. He needs an operation. It costs two hundred thousand dollars. I know Franklin has it."

My humiliation was a feast for her. Her eyes lit up with pleasure.

"Two hundred thousand?" she purred, placing a protective hand on her belly. "That's a lot of money. Franklin needs that for his new family. For his healthy heir."

The words were a physical blow. Healthy heir. As if Leo was defective. Tainted.

"I'll do anything," I said, my voice cracking. I hated myself for pleading with this woman, but Leo's face, pale and struggling for breath, was burned into my mind. "I'll sign the divorce papers. I'll never ask for another cent. Just... just give me the money for the surgery. Save him."

Janel laughed. A sharp, ugly sound.

"You really don't get it, do you?" she said, leaning in so only I could hear. "This whole thing... you losing your penthouse, your money, your life... it wasn't just business. It was for my entertainment."

Her eyes were cold and hard.

"I wanted to see you brought low. I wanted to see you grovel. And Franklin? He gave me everything I wanted."

"He knows Leo is sick?" I whispered, the final piece of hope crumbling.

"He knows," she confirmed, her smile widening. "And he knows you're here. In fact, he's the one who told security not to let you in."

The world tilted on its axis. He knew. He knew I was here, begging for our son's life, and he had set his mistress on me like a dog.

"You're pathetic," Janel sneered, enjoying my stunned silence. "You're a washed-up housewife with a broken child. You're an obstacle. And I'm very, very good at removing obstacles."

She turned to the guard. "Take her to the service elevator. Show her out the back. We can't have her ruining the big day."

The guard grabbed my arm again, his grip firm and impersonal. He started to drag me away, past the reporters and the banners celebrating a new era of prosperity built on the ruins of my life.