Chapter Four: The Wife He Failed
Khloe woke shortly after midnight.
The room was dim, and the monitor beside her bed displayed the baby’s steady heartbeat. Her side hurt whenever she breathed deeply, but the doctor had assured her there was no sign of immediate danger to the pregnancy.
Marcus sat in a chair near the window.
He had removed his tuxedo jacket. His bow tie hung loose around his neck. He looked older than he had that morning.
When he saw her eyes open, he stood.
“Hey.”
Khloe turned her face away.
Marcus stopped beside the bed but did not touch her.
“The baby is all right,” he said. “The doctors will keep monitoring both of you.”
“I heard.”
“Khloe, I’m so sorry.”
She stared at the wall.
“For what part?”
“For all of it.”
“You didn’t kick me.”
“No. I only ignored every warning that led to it.”
That made her look at him.
Marcus’s eyes were red, but his voice remained controlled.
“I kept telling you Isabella was harmless. I said my mother was old-fashioned. I asked you to be patient because confronting them would upset investors.”
“You asked me to become smaller.”
“I know.”
“You asked me to smile when your mother insulted my work. You asked me to ignore Isabella touching your arm, showing up at our house, calling you late at night.”
“I know.”
“And when you walked into that suite, you hesitated.”
Marcus looked down.
“I will never forgive myself for that.”
Khloe swallowed against the emotion rising in her throat.
“For one second, I saw you wondering whether she was telling the truth.”
“I was confused.”
“You were trained to trust her voice over my pain.”
He did not deny it.
That honesty hurt, but it was also the first honest thing he had given her in months.
Marcus pulled the chair closer but remained standing.
“My mother made an agreement with the Rossi family. They intended to remove you from my life after the baby was born.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
Some part of her had always known.
“They were going to claim I was unstable,” she said.
Marcus nodded.
“They had notes from a therapist.”
“I saw him twice because your mother insisted.”
“He was reporting to her.”
Khloe felt sick.
“The vitamins?”
“They’re being tested.”
Her hand immediately moved to her stomach.
“The doctors don’t believe they harmed you or the baby. But we don’t know what they contained yet.”
Khloe looked at him.
“How long did you know your mother was meeting with Isabella?”
“I knew they had lunch occasionally. I thought it was related to charity boards.”
“You always thought the easiest explanation was the right one.”
“I thought the explanation that required the least courage from me was the right one.”
For the first time, Khloe saw that Marcus understood the depth of his failure.
But understanding did not repair trust.
“I need space,” she said.
“You have it.”
“I don’t know whether I can stay married to you.”
His face tightened, but he nodded.
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t. I spent months questioning my own instincts because every time I told you something was wrong, you told me I was tired or sensitive.”
“I understand that now.”
“Now is late.”
Marcus stepped backward.
“You’re right.”
He walked toward the door, then stopped.
“I turned over every company record connected to my mother and the Rossis. I also removed her from the board pending an investigation.”
Khloe said nothing.
“I’m not doing it to earn forgiveness,” he continued. “I’m doing it because it should have been done before you ever had to ask.”
After he left, Elias entered.
He sat beside her and gently took her hand.
Khloe stared at him.
“You warned me about them.”
“I warned you badly,” he replied. “I made you feel judged instead of protected.”
“I stopped calling.”
“I let pride keep me from reaching out.”
Tears slipped quietly down Khloe’s cheeks.
Elias squeezed her hand.
“We both lost five years.”
She nodded.
“But we’re not losing another day.”
May you like
Outside the room, Marcus heard those words.
Then he walked away alone.
