Maccabee's scream cut me off.
She was trembling, and Claude pulled her behind him at once.
"Where's security?"
"Where did this crazy woman come from? Get her out of here!"
Security grabbed my arms on Claude's order and started dragging me toward the door. The corners of Maccabee's mouth curled up so high they nearly touched the ceiling, but her voice came out small and wounded.
"It was just a little joke. Ruby, you really can't take a joke, can you?"
"Claude, from now on let's never use AI to mess with fools again, okay?"
The grief had already drained everything out of me.
My vision went black. The last thing I saw was Claude's pupils suddenly going wide, his mouth opening and closing, and then I couldn't hear a thing.
When I woke again, I was lying in the bedroom.
The pillow smelled of Cherry's favorite peach-blossom detergent.
Claude sat on the edge of the bed, holding a bowl of plain rice porridge.
"You're awake?"
I closed my eyes.
"The death certificate. Did you sign it?"
"When is the cremation?" I drew a deep breath. "I want to send Cherry off."
Claude didn't look up, blowing on the porridge one spoonful at a time.
"The doctor said you've had a severe shock and need to rest. Otherwise your heart could be damaged. It's serious."
"All I did was take Maccabee to pick up some iron supplements. Was this really necessary?"
"I'm asking you when Cherry will be cremated!"
I opened my eyes and knocked the bowl over with one swipe, the porridge spilling across Claude's expensive suit.
His brows knotted together. He stood and wiped at the stain, his patience gone entirely.
"Ruby, have you lost your mind? Haven't you put on enough of a show?"
"I already looked into it. There's no patient named Cherry anywhere in that hospital!"
"You'd actually lie and curse your own child just to smooth things over between us? You're despicable!"
"When did you look into it?" Tears shot from the corners of my eyes. I lunged and seized his collar with everything I had. "Before I called you, or after?!"
"You waited until the child was dead to go investigate. Do you even deserve to be called a father?"
"She never even got the chance to be admitted before she—"
A sweet female voice floated up from downstairs. "Claude, come help me look over these documents. I need them for the afternoon meeting."
"And my luggage is so heavy. Come carry it for me, quick."
"Coming right up."
Claude answered at once, gentle as anything, and ignored every word I'd said.
I gripped tighter, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at him. "Our child's body is still in the morgue and you brought that woman home to live here?"
Slap.
I struck him across the face, and a thread of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He froze for a beat, then clamped down hard on my wrist and threw me onto the bed, his eyes cold to the bone.
"I heard you weren't well. Maccabee didn't hold the past against you for a second. She moved in to take care of you, to take care of Cherry, never minding that you humiliated her in public before."
"You really should learn something from her. As narrow-minded and full of lies as you are, how could you ever raise Cherry properly? From now on, Maccabee will handle Cherry's upbringing too."
The door slammed shut.
Claude couldn't get away fast enough.
I propped myself up against the window and saw Claude downstairs, holding up a brand-new sky-blue dress.
"When did you buy this dress? Why haven't you worn it for me?"
A blush spread across Maccabee's face as she picked up a smaller version of the same one.
"I designed it myself with AI. I made a matching one for Cherry too. Once the mess at the company is cleaned up, the three of us should go out and unwind together."
Claude smiled at her, doting, and never once took his eyes off her.
