Chapter 43

Simon shook his head. "She didn't come."

Alexander arched a brow, his voice dripping with implication. "With all the chaos at the hospital, and given that she's Ethan's fiancée, her absence would raise eyebrows!"

Especially since Eleanor, Ethan's mother, was also present.

Eleanor had never approved of Vanessa, deeming her unfit for her son.

Yet Ethan had publicly declared Vanessa as his fiancée right in front of the press.

It was a direct challenge to Eleanor's authority.

Ethan had never openly defied his mother before. This was the first time he had disregarded her wishes.

One could only imagine the fury simmering beneath Eleanor's composed exterior.

Now, the entire Caldwell family had gathered at the hospital—

Grace, Ethan's sister, stood stiffly by the window, her expression unreadable.

Harold, the family patriarch, sat in silence, his sharp gaze flickering between his son and his wife.

And then there was Vanessa, who had yet to show her face.

Alexander smirked.

This was going to be interesting.

The stage was set. Without Vanessa, this performance would be incomplete.

Alexander wanted Vanessa to understand that becoming part of the Whitmore family wasn’t some fairy-tale ending. Even if she clawed her way in, she’d only be stepping into her own personal nightmare.

After all, Evelyn had suffered three years of wrongful imprisonment because of Vanessa’s schemes.

Vanessa believed marrying into the Whitmore family would grant her everything she desired. But in truth, it would mark the beginning of her torment.

Simon nodded, immediately grasping Alexander’s meaning. "I’ll handle it."

Meanwhile, Vanessa was restless.

From the moment she walked into the office that morning, the air felt thick with judgment.

As she headed to the break room for coffee, hushed whispers reached her ears.

"Can you believe it? Vanessa stole her sister’s fiancé just to climb the social ladder. How heartless!"

"Who wouldn’t want to marry into the Whitmore family? It’s practically a goldmine."

The words stung, but she forced a smile.

She had worked too hard to let gossip ruin her plans.

Yet, beneath her composed exterior, doubt gnawed at her.

What if Alexander had something worse in store for her?

The thought sent a chill down her spine.

She gripped her coffee cup tighter, her knuckles turning white.

This wasn’t just about securing her future anymore.

It was about survival.

The scalding coffee burned Vanessa's tongue as she overheard the whispered conversation.

"You honestly think Ethan would willingly marry her? That man deserves better than a gold-digging social climber."

"Marrying Vanessa would be career suicide. Can you imagine the jokes at the country club?"

A third voice chimed in, dripping with fake sympathy. "Poor Ethan. If I were him, I'd fake my own death to escape that train wreck."

The ceramic mug shattered against the tiled floor before Vanessa registered throwing it.

Silence.

Three horrified faces turned toward her, their gossip-smeared lips parting in unison.

Vanessa didn't speak. Didn't blink. The tremors in her hands had nothing to do with spilled coffee.

The coworkers scrambled like cockroaches under light, muttering excuses as they fled the breakroom.

Her assistant found her twenty minutes later, pressing ice cubes to her throbbing temples. A replacement latte appeared on the desk without comment.

The phone's vibration startled them both.

Nathan Reeves - Executive Assistant flashed across the screen.

Ethan's right-hand man never called without purpose.

Vanessa stared at the buzzing device, the unspoken question louder than any gossip: How much worse could today get?

The answer arrived with the next ring.

The morning sun filtered through the hospital windows as Nathan Reeves stood in the stairwell, his voice low but urgent.

"Mr. Ethan Caldwell woke up asking why you didn’t come to see him," he said. "The entire Caldwell family is here. He thinks this is your chance to make an impression."

Vanessa Hart’s eyes gleamed at his words.

This is it.

No matter how vicious the rumors were, no matter how absurd they sounded—none of it mattered.

The only thing that mattered was securing her place in the Caldwell family.

Once she was officially Ethan’s wife, no one would dare whisper behind her back.

She remembered how, just days ago, Ethan had publicly introduced her as his fiancée.

But she wasn’t naive.

Evelyn Carter had been engaged to him for three years, and look how easily he had discarded her.

Vanessa pressed her lips together.

"I need to be seen," she murmured. "The Caldwells need to acknowledge me. Only then will my position be secure."

She straightened her dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles.

This was her moment.

And she wouldn’t waste it.

The morning sun streamed through the kitchen window as Evelyn Carter stood by the stove, flipping pancakes with practiced ease.

She glanced at her reflection in the stainless steel fridge and frowned.

I need to gain some weight.

Her fingers brushed over her collarbones, too prominent for her liking.

Looking like a ghost won’t do.

She poured maple syrup over her stack of pancakes, determined.

Losing my family was painful. Losing Alexander hurt worse. But losing myself? Unacceptable.

The fork clinked against the plate as she took a bite.

I’ll rise from this. Stronger. More radiant.

A smirk curled her lips.

Let them see me shine. Let them choke on their regret.

That was the best revenge—success wrapped in elegance.

Just as she finished washing the dishes, her phone buzzed.

Claire Dawson’s name flashed on the screen.

"Hey," Claire’s voice was strained. "Can you come to the hospital with me?"

Evelyn’s grip tightened on the phone.

"Of course. What’s wrong?"

Claire exhaled shakily.

"I’ll explain when you get here."

Evelyn grabbed her keys.

Whatever it was, she wouldn’t let Claire face it alone.

Evelyn didn't press for details. Instead, she quickly sent Claire her current location.

Thirty minutes later, Claire's car pulled up to the curb. Evelyn slid into the passenger seat, studying her friend's tense expression.

"Why the hospital visit? Are you sick?" Evelyn asked, concern lacing her voice.

Claire bit her lip, hesitating before giving a slow nod—then shaking her head just as quickly, as if conflicted.

A heavy silence stretched between them before Claire finally blurted out, "Last night... I slept with Lucas."

Evelyn's eyebrows shot up. "Wait—weren't you two about to sign divorce papers? Is this some kind of reconciliation?"

Claire exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. She wasn't entirely sure how things had escalated the way they did.

Just last night, she had placed the divorce documents right in front of Lucas, fully expecting him to sign them so she could file the paperwork first thing in the morning.

But then—

One heated argument led to another.

And before she knew it, they were tangled in sheets instead of legal battles.

Now, sitting in the car with Evelyn, Claire couldn't decide if she regretted it or not.

The air between them grew thick with unspoken questions.

Evelyn waited, sensing there was more to the story.

Claire finally met her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What if I'm pregnant?"

The words hung in the air like a storm cloud.

Evelyn's breath caught.

This changed everything.