Before he could finish, Melissa jabbed an elbow sharply into his side.
The rest of his words faded into the sound of insects chirping outside, and he did not attempt to bring the subject up again.
A silent, bitter laugh rose inside me.
“No need,” I said quietly. “Matty and Mom’s conditions are important. I do not feel safe leaving them to anyone else. You all settle into the new home. Once I am done here, I will come find you.”
Chris’s face tightened, as if he still wanted to say something.
But before he could speak, Tucker poked his head out from behind him and shot me a disgusted look.
“There are only three bedrooms,” he complained. “I do not want Dad getting talked about because of someone.”
For this child, who was not mine and hadn't grown up with me, I felt no affection at all, and I knew precisely where his snide comments came from: Melissa had taught him.
If I moved into the new house as Chris’s wife, rumors in the city would explode instantly.
The carefully crafted, devoted-lover image Chris had displayed at his grand wedding would crumble on the spot.
Online harassment would be nothing compared to the fallout he truly feared:
Eldridge Tech Corporation’s stock price is plummeting.