Chapter Fifty
Ailee
When I get the text from Chad’s wife, Autumn, I stare at it for a while. What does she want? The anniversary ring? Crap, Josh threw it away, and I totally forgot about it.
Basically, I’ve already won the bet with Chad, so he should just replace it with his own money, but at the same time I feel like I owe Autumn something. Although I had no idea he was married, I inadvertently hurt her.
Since I have a doctor’s appointment at eleven thirty, I figure I can get everything done back to back.
When I reach the office, she’s sitting in front of my desk, her belly hugely swollen.
Instead of glowing with the joy of upcoming motherhood, she’s haggard, with dark circles under her eyes and limp hair.
Her mint-green maternity dress hangs off her drooping shoulders, and the tip of her nose is red, as though she’s been crying a lot.
“Hi. You wanted to see me?” I say softly, taking my seat.
“Hello.” She sniffs. “Ugh. I don’t even know how to begin.”
“It’s fine. I know this is going to be…awkward.” I try to smile for her.
She exhales shakily. “Chad…” She presses her lips together. “He’s been cheating on me.”
I sigh. “I’m so sorry.” I can’t think of anything else to say. How do you comfort a pregnant woman who’s realized her husband is an unreliable, cheating scumbag?
“It isn’t your fault. He, uh, has other women.
Yeah. Plural. They all thought he was single…
and he promised to marry them”—her voice cracks—“just…stringing them along.” Tears drip from her eyes, and she angrily wipes them away.
“I thought he was just busy, you know? Trying to build a better life for us and…and our baby.” She snorts a laugh. “Stupid, huh?”
I pluck a few Kleenex and hand them to her. “No. Not even a little. There’s no shame in trusting your husband. He’s the one who betrayed you.”
She shakes her head, still deep in self-recrimination.
“I had to dig around—I thought what happened at the restaurant was just some misunderstanding or, or something…except nothing added up.” Her chin wobbles, then firms. “I want to divorce that son of a bitch. And I want to make it hurt. You know all the lawyers here, right? Who’s the nastiest?
Like, the most vicious? I’ll pay with blowjobs if I have to.
I want to leave that bastard with nothing.
Less than nothing. I want to take what’s left of his hair. ”
Sweet Jesus. “I know just the man. Let me introduce you—personally—to Bryce Huxley. He’ll clean Chad out.”
Autumn flashes a small but genuine smile. “Great. Can’t wait.” She shifts. “By the way, I’m starting a Let’s Fuck Chad Up club and inviting all the women he lied to. The idea is to find various ways to disrupt his life and screw him the way he did us. You’re welcome to join anytime. It’ll be fun.”
*
You’re pregnant.
I keep rolling the two words around in my head. It seems like a joke, but the doctor was serious. Not only that, she even did a vaginal ultrasound to prove it, although how I’m supposed to know if those grainy dots were babies or not is beyond me.
And not just one baby. Twins!
I kill the engine in the garage and cover my mouth with a hand. How did this happen? Josh said he had a vasectomy. So how did these babies come about? They’re most definitely not Chad’s. They’re too young, which sounds sort of funny, given that they’re barely eight weeks old.
I would’ve never thought I was pregnant, but when food started to taste a bit off, I began feeling exhausted and my period didn’t come, I had to go in, just to be sure. And the doc wanted to check for pregnancy because vasectomies can fail.
“You heard about that famous case, right? The Hollywood producer? Seven kids with seven different women because his vasectomy failed—all in four months! If a Hollywood hotshot with all his money can get a bad vasectomy, why not your man?”
If the doc thought that would make me feel better, she was sorely mistaken.
I start to get out of the car, but there’s a call from an unknown number. Maybe from the police about Zoe’s death? They ruled it self-defense, but they needed to interview multiple times to make sure they had every detail for their records.
“Hello?”
“My gosh! It’s taken forever to reach you!”
My stomach knots. “Mom?”
“Yeah! I missed you.”
I say nothing because I can’t say the same.
“So. When’s the wedding? Your father and I should be there. After all, you’re marrying into the Huxleys.”
“What happened to being a bad daughter and stealing your precious Katt’s fiancé?” I ask bitterly.
Mom laughs. “Are you holding on to a grudge? It’s unbecoming, dear. Unkind, even.”
“Do you get the news?”
“Of course.”
“Do you know that I was kidnapped and almost died?”
“Yes, we did hear something about that. But you’re all right!”
I bury my face in my hand, suddenly too exhausted. “Were you sad because you couldn’t claim the life insurance?”
“Oh, honey, we weren’t worried about the insurance!
It was a moot point, after all. I mean, since we were going to be invited to Josh Huxley’s wedding.
Is it true he’s close to Elizabeth Pryce-King and Barron Sterling?
We saw photos. They’re really rich, Ailee!
” Mom’s practically panting with excitement.
“Why do you want to come to my wedding? Can you tell me at least three reasons without mentioning Josh or his family and friends?”
Mom hesitates. “Well. We’re your family, of course. And…we raised you with love. Hmmm… Also, I don’t want to be crass? but—you owe us.”
“No.” It’s so weird that I’m not even disappointed anymore. It’s like I’ve lost all expectations. “You’re not invited. None of you. I owe you nothing. We’re done. If you want it more formally, I’m sure something can be arranged through one of the lawyers at the firm.”
“Ailee—”
“Please don’t call me again.” I hang up and block the number. It feels good to set boundaries. Inhaling, trying to shift gears, I go into the house. How should I break the news? Will Josh be surprised or upset or…?
Hopefully, surprised and happy. I place a hand over my belly. I want my babies to be born in love and joy.
Josh is sitting on one of the living room couches.
He pulls out a velvet box from a luxurious, glossy blue-and-white bag and opens the lid.
The size of the highly saturated blue gemstone in the center makes it impossible for me to breathe.
The band is simple but chic. The design of the ring clearly indicates it’s for… an engagement.
“Are you dumping me?” I blurt out. Then, before he can answer, tears start to flow. My heart hurts at the idea. Actually, I’m outraged too! I’m pregnant with his babies, damn it!
“What? No!” He jumps to his feet. “Klein, don’t cry! I’m not dumping you!” He wipes away at my tears, but they continue to drip down my face.
“But why do you have that ring? It’s an engagement ring, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but—”
“You already bought me one.” I thrust my left hand at him.
He shoves his hand into his hair. “Right.” He blinks, eyebrows pinching hard. “Can you please stop crying?”
“You can’t even come up with a good excuse.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just…” He inhales. “I wanted to ask you properly.”
“About what?”
“I really wanted to do it romantically, too.”
“I don’t understand.” My voice cracks through the tears.
Helpless, he drops to a knee and pops open the lid. “Ailee Klein, will you marry me?”
I stare at him. I’m the one who just found out she’s pregnant, so why is he acting like he’s lost his sanity? “But we’re already engaged!”
“But I never asked you properly. It was forced on you by the circumstances. I felt that it wasn’t right.” He shakes his head. “I want you to have a grand proposal.”
I laugh through the tears at his forlorn and slightly disappointed expression. “Okay.” I take his face in my hands. “The answer is yes. It’s always been yes.” I wrap my arms around him. “Now, I’m going to tell you a secret.”
“Okay. Good. I’m good at keeping secrets.” He looks at me earnestly.
“First, I love you. I think I was in love with you way, way, waaay before that whole restaurant scene.”
His eyes light up. A brilliant smile breaks over his face. “I love you too, Klein. I think I fell in love with you a long, long time ago, too.”
I press my forehead on his, maintaining eye contact. “And second, whoever did your vasectomy did a pretty shitty job. Because I’m pregnant. With twins.”