Hadley stood frozen. Everything finally made sense. She turned to Elissa, her face locked in disbelief, layered with something far more difficult to read.
“Ernest!” A flush drained from Elissa’s skin as fury surged. Her fists tightened. Her whole frame shook as if trying to hold itself together. “I’m not going to Lion Bay! Do you hear me? I’m staying right here!”
“Not going?” Ernest tilted his head, eyebrow raised, speaking as if he were humoring a stubborn child. “You’re expecting a baby. You’ll need help—nurses, meal plans, proper support. If you refuse to move to Lion Bay, should I just relocate the entire team here instead?”
A chuckle followed as he gave a small shake of his head. “That’s far too much for Hadley to deal with. Let’s not turn this into a bigger issue.”
He rose from his seat, brushing nonexistent dust from his sleeve. “Anyway, I’ve got to head out. I’ll check in with you later.”
Before walking off, he glanced at Hadley. “I’m trusting you to look after her while I’m gone. She needs care. And don’t worry—I’ll make sure to make it up to you later.”
Hadley stood there, unsure of what to say.
“Alright, I’m leaving.”
“Take care, Ernest!”
Once Ernest disappeared from view, Hadley rushed over and sat beside Elissa. “Elissa… is this really happening?”
A hollow chuckle slipped out as Elissa blinked back the sting in her eyes. “Hadley, what am I supposed to do now?”
She lowered her hand to her stomach. With a slow shake of her head and closed eyes, she whispered, “How did things even end up like this?”
Reality hit like a wave.
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Hadley massaged her temples, stunned by how unpredictable life could be. “Wait… does this mean you and Ernest are together again?”
“Together?” A bitter laugh escaped Elissa as she stared off blankly. “He doesn’t want a wife. He wants a woman he can control. He just asked me to be his mistress while he married Linda!”
Hadley froze, stunned that Ernest would even suggest something like that.
“Shocked, aren’t you? Hard to wrap your head around it, right? Ha… so am I.” A bitter laugh slipped from Elissa. “Back then, marrying him wasn’t exactly something I chose. And now he wants to keep me like some dirty little secret while he’s with another woman? How dare he!”
“Exactly!” Hadley pulled herself together and gripped Elissa’s cold hands, her voice full of emotion. “You can’t let him do this to you! You don’t owe him anything—don’t give in!”
“Hadley…” Tears spilled as Elissa clung to her tightly. “What am I supposed to do? How can I ever get away from him? Is there even a way to break free?”
“Let’s not panic. Just give me a second…” Hadley’s voice wavered. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
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