Chapter 4

Clementine POV:

The following Saturday, I was supposed to meet Braden for his family's monthly dinner. I walked into his office building, expecting to find him putting the finishing touches on a post-op report or perhaps indulging in some light flattery from a grateful patient. His office was empty.

"He left early, Dr. Bennett," his assistant said, her voice unusually subdued. "Said he had an urgent personal matter to attend to. Someone's covering his afternoon surgeries."

A knot formed in my stomach. Urgent personal matter. It always was.

I noticed his assistant scrolling through her phone, her eyes flicking up to me with a strange mix of pity and discomfort. Other colleagues in the bustling plastic surgery department seemed to avoid my gaze, their whispers hushed, their glances furtive. The air in the office was thick with unspoken words.

My thumb instinctively went to my phone. I opened Instagram. The first post on my feed made my breath catch in my throat.

There it was. Isabella Coleman. Her arm linked through Braden's, a beaming smile on her face. Leo, her son, stood between them, grinning, clutching Braden's free hand. All three of them were wearing matching denim jackets, a casual, picture-perfect "family" shot.

The caption read: "So grateful for this beautiful afternoon with my incredible boys! Family time is the best time. #blessed #familyfirst #myloves."

My hands started to tremble. Braden had skipped his family dinner, our family dinner, for this. He had abandoned me at the clinic for a scraped knee, then paraded around as Isabella's loving partner. My heart hammered against my ribs, a dull, aching throb. I had known, intellectually, that he was capable of this. But seeing it, in such stark, public display, twisted a knife in my gut.

I took a screenshot. It was a cold, calculated move, but instinct told me I would need proof. Then, with a chilling calmness, I tapped the 'like' button. And added a comment: "So glad you all had a wonderful 'family' day, Braden. Don't forget your actual family tonight. See you at dinner."

He had chosen public humiliation. I would return the favor. No more protecting his fragile image. He wanted to air our dirty laundry? Fine. I'd add some bleach.

By the time I arrived at his parents' lavish East Side apartment, my phone was buzzing incessantly. Missed calls from Braden. Three, then five, then seven. I ignored them all.

I saw Isabella's post had vanished. Too late. The internet never forgets.

Braden was waiting for me outside the double doors, his face a thundercloud. His usually impeccable hair was slightly dishevelled, his tie askew. "Why didn't you answer my calls?" he demanded, his voice tight with annoyance, not concern.

I met his gaze, my own eyes cold and unwavering. "I was busy."

He flinched, his jaw clenching. He opened his mouth, then closed it. No coherent explanation came out.

"Braden, darling!" Isabella's syrupy voice drifted from behind him. She emerged from the foyer, her arm now linked through his. "You know how Leo can be, so demanding! He insisted on 'family pictures' at the park. It was all so innocent, just a bit of fun. And then he just grabbed your phone and posted it! Kids these days, no sense of privacy. I made him take it down immediately, of course." She gave me a saccharine smile, her eyes sparkling with false innocence.

I didn't dignify the lie with a response. "Isabella," I said, my voice flat, "why are you here?"

She looked affronted, then turned to Braden, her hand reaching for his sleeve. "Braden, she's being mean..."

Just then, my mother-in-law, Eleanor, swept out, a forced smile plastered on her face. She took my hand, her grip surprisingly firm. "Clementine, dear! Don't be so stiff. Isabella and Leo are here to liven things up. We love having a full house, don't we, Braden?"

She squeezed my hand, a silent warning. I gently, politely, pulled my hand free. I handed her the expensive bottle of wine I'd brought. "Happy anniversary, Eleanor."

Eleanor, who had once praised my intelligence and ambition, now looked at me with thinly veiled disapproval. Her enthusiasm for my career had waned the moment our fertility struggles became public. Suddenly, my achievements meant nothing. All that mattered was a grandchild. One she desperately wanted, one she now seemed to believe Isabella' s son could somehow provide.

My mother-in-law's shifting allegiance solidified a dark thought in my mind. The only thing that mattered to them was a child, a legacy. And if I couldn't provide it, they seemed perfectly willing to welcome anyone who could, even if it meant tearing apart their son's marriage.