Chapter 3 - VANESSA’S VERSION
By Monday morning, Manhattan already knew something was wrong.
Amy Harrison had left the foundation gala without her husband.
Daniel had canceled three meetings.
The Harrison apartment had become unreachable to staff.
And Vanessa Cole had arrived at the office wearing the expression of a woman determined to control the story before the story controlled her.
She entered Daniel’s office without knocking.
“We have a problem.”
Daniel did not look up.
“Yes.”
Vanessa sat across from him.
“People noticed Amy leave.”
He remained silent.
“The press noticed too.”
“Then tell them it’s private.”
“That creates speculation.”
“I don’t care.”
Vanessa studied him.
“You always care.”
Daniel finally looked at her.
Something in his expression made her straighten.
“Amy is pregnant.”
Vanessa froze.
For the first time since Daniel had known her, she had no immediate response.
“How far?”
“Seventeen weeks.”
Vanessa looked toward the windows.
“I didn’t know.”
“Neither did I.”
Daniel’s voice was cold.
The words landed harder than anger.
Vanessa folded her hands.
“Daniel, whatever happened Saturday night, you need to understand that Amy has been unhappy for a long time.”
He stared at her.
“You don’t get to talk about my wife.”
Vanessa’s expression tightened.
“I’m trying to help you.”
“No.”
Daniel stood.
“You’ve been trying to help yourself.”
She rose too.
“That’s unfair.”
“Is it?”
“Nothing happened at that gala.”
“Something happened long before the gala.”
Vanessa said nothing.
Daniel walked around the desk.
“Chicago.”
Her face changed.
There it was.
The memory neither of them had said aloud.
A hotel balcony.
Two drinks.
A late-night conversation after a successful acquisition dinner.
Vanessa touching his face.
Daniel kissing her.
Only once.
Only for seconds.
He had pulled away immediately.
He had told himself stopping made him honorable.
Now he understood how ridiculous that sounded.
He had still kissed another woman.
Then he had come home and looked Amy in the eye.
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“You kissed me too.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t exactly act like a married man.”
“I know.”
Her confidence returned slightly.
“So don’t make me the villain because your wife finally noticed your marriage was already falling apart.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“My marriage was falling apart because I stopped showing up for it.”
Vanessa blinked.
“And you knew that.”
She looked away.
Daniel continued.
“You sent those messages knowing Amy could see them.”
“That’s not true.”
“She has no idea, does she?”
Vanessa’s face went pale.
Daniel had remembered the message Amy mentioned during their brief phone call that morning.
“What exactly did Amy have no idea about?”
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“What did you mean?”
Vanessa reached for her purse.
“This conversation is going nowhere.”
Daniel moved between her and the door.
“It goes somewhere before you leave.”
Her eyes flashed.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“I thought you were going to leave her.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You never said it directly.”
She continued before he could interrupt.
“But every time you complained about going home, every time you stayed late, every trip you extended, every dinner you chose with me instead of her, what was I supposed to think?”
Daniel felt sick.
Vanessa stepped closer.
“She didn’t know how close you were to giving up.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
“You were.”
“No.”
“You just don’t like hearing it now because she left first.”
That sentence struck exactly where Vanessa intended.
Daniel stepped away.
Vanessa picked up her purse.
At the door, she looked back.
“You didn’t lose Amy because of me.”
Daniel said nothing.
Vanessa’s expression hardened.
“You lost her because you made her feel alone while standing right beside her.”
The door closed.
Daniel remained motionless.
May you like
He hated Vanessa for saying it.
He hated himself more because it was true.
