Seven months pregnant, I drove forty minutes for Sunday lunch only to discover my usual seat beside my husband had been given to the woman he was sleeping with

By early spring, my life had completely transformed.

The house in Oakridge Estates was sold for a handsome profit. I didn't want to live in a place filled with memories of Grant’s lies and Dorothea’s cruel visits. Instead, I bought a charming, three-bedroom craftsman bungalow on a two-acre lot right beside Reed’s property in the countryside.

The house had a wraparound porch, a big oak tree in the front yard, and a sunlit room that I transformed into a nursery painted in soft sage green and warm cream.

Reed spent his weekends helping me build custom shelving, hanging a wooden crib he had carved by hand in his shop, and installing a state-of-the-art security system to ensure absolute peace of mind.

One sunny afternoon in late March, I sat on the porch swing, watching the green shoots of tulips poking through the damp earth in my garden.

Reed walked up the porch steps, carrying two mugs of warm chamomile tea.

"Here you go, Mom," he smiled, handing me a mug and sitting down on the wooden bench beside me.

"Thanks, Reed," I said, taking a sip. "For everything. For coming when I called."

Reed looked out over the yard, his expression serious and gentle. "You don't ever have to thank me for that, Les. Dad made me promise before he died that I’d always look out for you. I let Grant isolate you for too long because I didn't want to push you away. I’ll never make that mistake again."

"I let him isolate me too," I admitted softly, touching my heavy belly. "I was so scared of failing... so scared of admitting my marriage was a lie that I ignored every warning sign. But I'm not scared anymore."

"You shouldn't be," Reed said, bumping his shoulder against mine. "You took down a corrupt law firm, exposed a fraud, and stripped the Sterlings of everything they used to hurt you. You're the strongest person I know."

Just then, a sharp, sudden sensation tightened across my abdomen.

I gasped, dropping my mug onto the porch floor, where it shattered into warm ceramic pieces.

Reed jumped up instantly. "Les? What is it?"