I woke up coughing, the sharp smell of disinfectant burning my lungs. The white ceiling made my head spin, and I heard Jordan’s voice beside me, all warm and smooth. "You’re awake? How do you feel?"
"Jennifer!" I scrambled up, ignoring the sting from the IV, trying to pull the covers off and get out of bed.
Jordan grabbed my arms, holding me down. "Don’t worry, the baby’s fine. Anastasia’s watching him in the next room."
I shoved him hard. "Get out!"
His face darkened, the fake patience slipping. "Genn, I know you’re angry, but Evan was kidnapped. I didn’t have any other choice."
I laughed bitterly, tears starting to sting my eyes. "So your choice was to use my daughter to save your own ass?"
I grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it on the floor. Shards flew at his feet. "Jordan, get out! I never want to see you again!"
He sighed, his voice like honey covering poison. "Do you really have to be like this? Ever since you had the baby, you’ve been unpredictable. Fine. I’ll leave. Call me when you’ve cooled down."
The door slammed behind him, and silence swallowed the room.
Before I could even breathe, Anastasia barged in, grinning and holding some agreement in her hand. "Your daughter’s in the nursery. Sign this and never show your face to Jordan again, and I’ll let you take her."
I stared at the clause that said we’d never see each other, tracing the words with my fingertips. My chest tightened. "You set up your son’s kidnapping yourself, didn’t you?"
She raised an eyebrow like it was nothing. "You’re smart. I just want you to see that in his heart, Evan and I are the real family. He saved Evan, and all he cares about is us, mother and son. You can’t win."
I didn’t answer. I flipped to the last page and signed.
...
When the nurse brought Jennifer back, I hugged her tiny body, curling her close to me, and finally let the tears fall. This little girl was my whole world.
Anastasia let out a sigh, like she was revealing some kind of truth. "You know, I used to think he loved you too. Our first time was a mistake and he avoided me for months until he found out I was pregnant. Then he finally came around."
I clenched my jaw, listening, feeling like I was being stabbed all over again.
"But men change. He may have loved you before, but now he loves me. I gave birth to a son, and your daughter will never compete with him. Honestly, you’re lucky you were born into a good family. If it were the other way around, you’d be no better than me."
I barely moved my lips, too tired to argue. My throat burned, my chest ached, and even saying one more word felt impossible.
I went to the company one last time to check the production records for the cancer treatment project. Anastasia had hidden everything—switching to cheap suppliers and pocketing the difference—into some encrypted file. I held Jennifer a little tighter. Karma has eyes. Those secrets were ticking time bombs, and I wondered if Jordan would still be able to cover for his greedy little wife when it all blew up.
I sent a message to Jordan’s biggest enemy. "Sorry I took so long. I said I’d marry you, and I never go back on my word."
The reply came almost immediately. "Genevieve, I’ve waited twelve years for this day. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, it’s worth it."
I nodded to myself, swallowing the lump in my throat, and then peeked at Anastasia’s Insta Story. There was Evan in a birthday hat, Jordan and Anastasia smooching his cheeks. The caption read Our little birthday boy is seven today. Mom and Dad will always love you.
I gritted my teeth and muttered under my breath, "Birthday gift from him, huh? For her."
Then my phone buzzed again. It was Jordan. "Gen, I have urgent business at the company. I’ll be home later. When I get back, I’ll register your daughter’s household and find the best doctor to treat her illness. I’ll always love you."
I laughed bitterly. "Always love me? You couldn’t even love your own daughter when she needed you!"
Jennifer stirred in my arms, and I brushed her hair back from her face. "Mommy’s here, baby. Don’t worry."
I scrolled through Anastasia’s pictures again.
My phone buzzed, another message from Jordan. "Gen, don’t be upset. You know I only ever wanted what’s best for you. I’ll fix this, I promise. Everything will be fine when I get home."
I stared at the screen and laughed until it hurt. "Fine? Everything will be fine? You mean for him and that little monster. Not us. Not me."
I blocked every way they could reach me: Jordan, Anastasia, anyone and tossed my phone aside .
The plane broke through the clouds then I shut my eyes.
