“So you expect me to come back, unpack everything, and cook a full dinner for your boss after what you did?” I asked him directly.
“Yes, because this is extremely important for our future,” he replied as if it were the most logical request in the world. “What will Martin think if he walks into an empty home?”
“It sounds like a very stressful situation for you, Liam,” I said softly with a slight smile. “Maybe you should call your mother to fix it for you.”
I hung up the phone immediately without waiting for his response. Twenty minutes later, Brenda called my phone in a fit of rage, accusing me of sabotaging her son’s career and demanding that I return to fulfill my duties as a wife.
“If you won’t come back, then fine, because I will go over there, set up the apartment, and cook the meal myself,” Brenda snapped through the speaker. “We will just tell Martin that you are visiting family out of state so no one finds out what kind of wife you are.”
Instead of getting angry, I realized that attending that dinner was the best way to bring closure to this entire disaster.
The next evening, after leaving Hazel safely in the care of Mason and Clara, I drove back to the apartment and stepped inside. Brenda had brought over decorative lamps, pillows, and fine dining china to make the apartment look lived-in and welcoming.
Liam was standing near the dining table wearing a crisp suit while talking to Martin, while Brenda emerged from the kitchen holding a serving platter. Both Liam and Brenda froze in complete shock the moment they saw me walk through the door in casual clothing.
“Claire—I mean Paige!” Liam stumbled over his words as his face turned pale.
“I thought you were away dealing with a family emergency, Paige,” Martin said politely, turning toward me with a smile. “Is everything alright with your family?”
“Everything is fine now, Martin,” I replied smoothly as I walked into the dining area. “I simply couldn’t miss such an important dinner with you and Sarah.”
Brenda glared at me with pure hatred, but she couldn’t say anything without making a scene in front of their guests. We sat down at the table, and the dinner began with tense, polite conversation until Sarah asked a direct question.
“And where is your little daughter tonight, Paige?” Sarah asked warmly while placing her napkin on her lap.
“Hazel is staying with my brother and sister-in-law tonight,” I answered clearly. “She is finally recovering after a very scary night.”
“Recovering?” Sarah repeated, her expression turning into concern. “Was she sick?”
“Yes, she was in the emergency room at Scripps Mercy two nights ago with a fever over 104 degrees,” I explained calmly to the table.
Martin stopped chewing his food immediately and looked up at me. “A 104-degree fever in a four-month-old baby?”
“Yes, it was quite terrifying for me,” I said, turning my head to look directly at Liam. “Isn’t that right, Liam? Oh, wait, you wouldn’t know the medical update since you haven’t asked about her since that night.”
The entire dining room fell into a heavy, uncomfortable silence as Martin and Sarah stared at Liam in shock.
“What do you mean by that, Paige?” Sarah asked carefully, looking between Liam and me.
“Liam walked out of the emergency room before the doctor even evaluated Hazel,” I stated clearly.
“He had an extremely critical work presentation the next morning and needed his rest!” Brenda chimed in defensively from the head of the table. “I picked him up myself so he could sleep properly at my house.”
Martin looked at Brenda, then looked at Liam with a look of absolute disgust. “You left your four-month-old daughter in the emergency room with a high fever just to get sleep for a meeting?”
“Martin, please, it sounds much worse than it actually was,” Liam stammered, his face turning bright red with humiliation.
“How would you know how bad it was if you left?” Martin asked in a stern, quiet voice before setting his napkin down on the table. “Sarah, I think we should leave right now.”
Martin and Sarah stood up from the table immediately, ignoring Liam’s desperate attempts to explain himself as they walked out the front door.
“Do you have any idea what you just did to my career and my reputation?” Liam screamed at me the moment the door closed behind his boss.
“I didn’t do anything to you, Liam,” I replied as I picked up my coat and handbag. “You did this to yourself the moment you walked out of that hospital.”
“Are you just going to walk out on our marriage now?” he shouted as Brenda gasped in the background.
“I will be in touch through my lawyer once I officially file for divorce,” I told him calmly before walking out the door for the final time.
I drove back to Mason’s house in La Jolla where the lights were dimmed for the night. Hazel was sleeping peacefully in her bassinet, her tiny fingers curling around mine as I reached down to touch her hand. Liam had spent days worrying about his job, his mother, his dinner, and his reputation, but he had never once asked if his daughter was safe. He made his choices repeatedly, and in the end, I simply chose Hazel and myself.
THE END.
