Tears washed down my face. I’d hoped he’d understood me when I ran out. Hurting Michael was another knife in my heart.
I swallowed and said, “I wanted him to be free to live his best life.”
Kelly stared at me. “I still don’t get it. Why don’t you love him? It seemed so obvious to me you were both happy.”
I let out a sad laugh as a way of breaking my tears. Then I stared at her and said, “Because the stress of that kind of inheritance was crazy. If I have a daughter, I don’t want her to be betrothed to anyone. And my son doesn’t need burdens. They should make their own choices. I need to protect them.”
Isabel said, “You were doing great. You won over the damn queen. His parents seemed to respect you.”
Kelly stared at me, making my skin prickle. She folded her hands. “So that’s it. You don’t care about Michael.”
Fuck me. If she didn’t understand, he wouldn’t either. I stood and paced. “I do. I miss him, but the life I had is much safer for raising a child.”
“Than telling the man of your dreams you’re in love?” Kelly asked.
I froze. I wasn’t a big believer in feelings.
Isabel took Kelly’s hand and said, “I don’t know about any of that stress. Look, we can get drinks after you give birth.”
Then I knew for sure that my life there was over. If my friends hated me, I truly had nothing though not having Michael was worse. I hugged my waist. “I’m not sure what happens now.”
“You’ve always been our reigning queen of style and grace,” Isabel said.
I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. I can’t risk my child dealing with a future where everything rests on his or her head. My baby and Michael both deserve better.”
Kelly said, “Even if you don’t love him, you need to fix this.”
She was right. I needed to set things straight so that he would know he was still going to be a dad. My head was pounding.
“I’ve never loved anyone but me all my life,” I said.
Kelly asked, “And this baby?”
I turned toward her, wishing she at least understood. I nodded. “Gets to be my one exception.”
Kelly hugged her waist and asked, “But not Michael? Did he do something we should hate him for?”
I slumped in my chair. I had no defense. “No. He and I were a huge lie.”
She blinked like I was speaking words she hadn’t understood.
Isabel said, “Don’t tell me that blog struck again.”
Right. The Regina blog. I shook my head, recalling that all the stuff I’d been warned about was published the day I came home. Michael’s sister had issues beyond threatening me.
I swallowed and said, “You read it, so you know the truth.”
Kelly said, “I know you were happier than I’d ever seen you.”
“Happy” wasn’t a thing for me.
I rocked in my chair and said, “It was all a lie on a lie.”
Isabel asked, “So that’s it, then?”
I took a deep breath. Nothing was ever going to be the same. I swallowed and said, “I probably need your help selling this place.”
Kelly glanced around and said, “Let’s table that till you’ve smoothed things over with Michael.”
