The fear sent me into hard, unrelenting contractions, and I begged the butler to drive me to the hospital.
But he came rushing back from the garage to tell me my car was gone.
Frantic, I lost my footing and fell down the stairs.
I lost the baby.
It turned out Thaddeus had taken my car. Just for the thrill of it.
At some point Thaddeus appeared in the bathroom doorway.
He asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
I didn't answer. As I passed him on my way back to the room, I said, "Thaddeus, I mean it about the divorce."
He gave a cold laugh.
"I told you. You won't get a single cent out of this divorce."
I was too exhausted to pull out that recording and confront him then and there.
So I only answered flatly, "Do as you like."
His temper snapped all at once. He pinned me against the wall and seized my chin.
"Kate, did you ever mean any of it with me? Even once?"
What a joke. A man who only ever slept with me, asking me for sincerity.
As if he'd registered how absurd he sounded, he sneered.
"After all, back then you only told Grandfather about me and Lisa so you could marry into money, didn't you?"
His look stung me for an instant before I steadied again.
"Mm. But I don't want it anymore."
His chest rose and fell, and at last he let go of me and slammed the door on his way out.
I sent the divorce papers to Thaddeus. He didn't reply.
It didn't matter.
That afternoon he called, but it was about something else entirely.
"Mrs. Lambert is hosting a charity gala tonight. She's always been fond of you. We'll go together."
Mrs. Lambert and I were on good terms, and before I left I did owe her a proper goodbye.
"Fine."
Thaddeus said we'd go together. I didn't dwell on it.
He was the head of the Matthews family now. There was no longer any need to hide the thing with Lisa, and he might even use the chance to make their relationship public.
That evening I went to the ballroom alone.
The moment I walked in, I felt the room sizing me up.
Guests leaned in to whisper, not bothering to hide it.
"Mr. Matthews and Miss Dudley are inseparable these days. She came here to humiliate herself?"
"Maybe she knows she's about to get kicked out, and she wants one last taste of high society!"
I couldn't be bothered with them and kept walking, looking for Mrs. Lambert.
A little way off, I spotted Thaddeus and Lisa. They stood at the center of a crowd, talking and laughing easily.
Lisa noticed me first, a smug little smile curling at her lips.
She rose on her toes and murmured something in Thaddeus's ear, and he looked over at me too.
He wore the same arrogant air as always, then suddenly laced his fingers tight through Lisa's and announced to the room, "Everyone, Lisa and I have set our wedding for next month. We'd love for you all to come."
The words landed, and the hall broke into cheers.
Lisa was so moved by the public declaration that she burst into tears.
I watched the whole performance coldly. The instant I looked away, Lisa spoke up.
"Thank you, everyone, but there's one person whose blessing I want most." She turned to me. "Miss Swanson, if it weren't for you back then, Thaddeus and I wouldn't have been apart so long. Why don't you offer it as your apology?"
I met her eyes and smiled faintly.
"Of course. I'll bless not only the two of you, but also... the baby in your belly. He won't have to be born a bastard now."
"You—!"
Lisa's brows shot up in fury.
Just then, Mrs. Lambert finally appeared.
Her face dark, she rounded on Thaddeus and Lisa.
"This is my gala! If you want to put on a love show, go build your own stage for it!"
