I clenched my teeth so hard that my chest was sore to the point I could hardly breathe.
If these were things I had bought at random, maybe it wouldn’t have hurt this much.
But they weren’t.
Those clothes were ones I received by asking favors, borrowed from the children of respected people in different fields, and they were hand-me-downs from their kids.
I fixed each piece bit by bit, washed, dried, pressed them, pouring into them my hopes and wishes for my baby’s days ahead.
The toys came from old friends and family, each one was a heartfelt gift they handed me when they learned I was pregnant.
And now, Zion had personally taken them away.
To hand them to his mistress’s dog!
I lost all calm, held my belly, and rushed straight to the company.
The front-desk assistant stopped short when he saw me, then quickly stood up in alarm. “Ma’am, Mr. Payne can’t see anyone right now—”
I ignored him and walked right inside.
The assistant rushed after me, stepping in front of me, lowering his voice with clear intent to stop me.
“You really can’t go in right now.”
Before I said anything, sounds came from the slightly open office door at the end of the hall.