The sharp smell of antiseptic filled the air as I entered the hospital's private waiting room. The glaringly white walls seemed to close in as I stepped closer to the group of doctors and executives huddled near the corner. They murmured in low tones, but their smiles were guarded, their glances toward me uneasy.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Nathaniel had asked me to be here, his wife, the woman who stood by him for five years while he built the Archer empire from nothing to a billion-dollar name. Yet, as I scanned the room, he was nowhere in sight.
“Mrs. Archer,” one of the doctors said, his tone carefully neutral.
“Yes?” I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the unease creeping up my spine.
“Mr. Archer asked us to bring you upstairs when you arrived. He’s in the VIP suite.”
A ripple of discomfort spread through me, but I nodded, brushing invisible wrinkles from my tailored dress. This wasn’t the celebration dinner we had planned. Nathaniel had insisted on postponing it at the last minute, claiming he needed to handle “a personal matter.”
I took the elevator up, my heels clicking against the marble floors as I followed the nurse to the suite. The door was ajar. Voices spilled out—Nathaniel’s, warm and familiar, mixed with soft laughter I couldn’t quite place.
I stepped inside, and the sight hit me like a blow.
Nathaniel was sitting beside a woman on the edge of the bed. She was beautiful in an effortless, golden sort of way, her loose curls framing a face that radiated confidence. She looked like she belonged there. But it wasn’t just her presence—it was the small, unmistakable swell of her stomach that caught my attention.
Nathaniel’s head snapped toward me. His face froze, but not in guilt—no, it was more like he’d been caught in a moment he hadn’t yet figured out how to explain.
“Claire,” he said, rising to his feet.
My gaze darted between him and the woman. The way she looked at me—a smug little smile playing on her lips—told me everything I needed to know.
“Who is she?” My voice was barely above a whisper.
“I’m Dana, Dana White,” the woman said smoothly, her hand resting on her stomach as though she wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the significance of the gesture. “Nathaniel’s…” She glanced at him, savoring the pause. “Well, I think you know.”
“Stop,” Nathaniel snapped at her before turning back to me. “Claire, it’s not what you think.”
I laughed, the sound bitter and sharp. “Not what I think? Then tell me what it is, Nathaniel. Tell me why the woman you’re apparently having a child with is here, in our space.”
“It’s complicated,” he began, his tone infuriatingly calm, like this was some negotiation he could control.
“Complicated?” I echoed, taking a step closer. “You think this is complicated? Because to me, it seems pretty simple. You betrayed me.”
Nathaniel rubbed a hand over his face, and for a moment, I thought I saw regret flicker in his eyes. But it was fleeting, drowned out by something colder—pride, or maybe self-preservation.
“I wanted to tell you sooner,” he said.
“But you didn’t.” My voice cracked, and I hated myself for it. “You let me walk in here and find out like this.”
Dana’s voice cut through the tension. “Claire, I’m not here to ruin your life. This—” She gestured between her and Nathaniel. “It just happened. And frankly, it’s what Nathaniel needs right now. Someone who can give him the family he’s always wanted.”
The air left my lungs. I’d heard those words before, whispered in the quiet moments when Nathaniel thought I wasn’t listening. He wanted children, an heir to the Archer legacy. And I… I couldn’t give him that.
“Get out,” I said, my voice low but firm.
Dana arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“I said, get out.” My glare was unwavering. “This isn’t your home. It’s mine.”
“Claire,” Nathaniel began, but I held up a hand to silence him.
“You’ve made your choices, Nathaniel.” I spoke lowly.
Dana hesitated, but the steel in my voice must have convinced her. She stood, smoothing her dress with deliberate grace. “You’re stronger than I thought,” she whispered as she walked past me, her heels clicking softly on the floor.
Nathaniel moved to follow her, but I stepped in his path. “Don’t,” I said, my voice trembling. “If you leave with her now, don’t come back.”
“Claire… don't be a child, it's really not likeable trait in a woman.”
I didn’t wait to hear the rest. I turned and walked out, my heart pounding in my chest. The betrayal cut deep, but I wouldn’t let it destroy me. Not tonight. Not ever.
“Claire, wait,” I heard Nathaniel call out.
I looked over my shoulder.
“I plan on announcing this joyous news to the board of directors, they've been begging me for an heir for far too long.”
What? My heart sank.
