Page 97 of When We Were Us

I knew Henri was right and I wondered if Oliver had told him to limit my stress because I was pregnant. It didn’t matter, I saw what I saw, and I found it hard to breathe as I heard talking and movement in the hall.

Henri sat me down on the couch and tried to soothe me but the only one that could was Oliver. Fifteen long minutes later, my husband knocked on the door and came inside. His eyes were wild and face beet red.

I looked up at him as fear gnawed at my belly. “You shouldn’t have hit him.”

“I wouldn’t allow him to speak to you that way. He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”

“And what would be the purpose of that?”

Henri excused himself, his footsteps fading as he left Oliver and me alone in my office. The door clicked shut, sealing us in a bubble of tense silence. My husband settled into the chair beside me, his arm snaking around my shoulders. The familiar weight of it should have been comforting, but I could feel the anger radiating off him in waves.

"I won't stand for that kind of disrespect," Oliver growled, his jaw clenched tight.

I turned to face him, searching his eyes. "He's a piece of shit. Firing him is what he deserves, but you hit him, Oliver. Now he can sue." I paused, a realization dawning. "What made you so angry before he even called me names?"

Oliver's laugh was cold, humorless. "He won't be suing unless he wants to go to jail." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I caught him trying to pass our proprietary accounting software to a competitor. If Zane Butler wasn't a friend, he would've copied it for himself, and Stoddard would've been a very rich man."

My eyes widened in shock. "What? He was trying to cheat you?"

"Apparently," Oliver spat, "Tim Stoddard has a mistress with very expensive taste. His credit cards are almost maxed out and he's in debt up to his ears. His six-figure salary wasn't enough to keep his little tart in the lap of luxury, so he decided to shop around our software."

A chill ran down my spine. "How long have you known this?"

Oliver's fingers drummed against my shoulder. "Weeks. The minute Zane got the information, he contacted me. It was before Thanksgiving."

The implications hit me like a freight train. "I was running the company at that time."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and Oliver pulled me close. "Don't," he murmured, his anger softening. "It's not your fault. This could've happened even if I was at the helm."

I pushed away from him, anger and frustration boiling over. "What the fuck were you thinking by putting me in charge?"

Oliver's expression turned serious. "I was thinking my company would be safe. Think about what would have happened if I put Tim in charge, or Todd? They might've gotten their hooks in the company and had me deemed unfit by the board. At least with you, I knew you were capable and safe."

"But I wasn't capable," I choked out. "Tim was screwing us right under my nose."

Oliver's eyes softened, a sad smile playing on his lips. "Now you see why I treat business associates with the utmost respect? Because I get the respect back." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I did collaborations with Zane before. He's a stand-up guy, and I owe him for this."

The weight of everything settled over us like a heavy blanket, leaving us both silent, contemplating the betrayal and the uncertain future ahead.

I shifted uneasily in my chair, one hand resting on my growing belly. "Maybe I should stay home after the baby's born," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Oliver's eyebrows shot up, surprise etched across his face. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Would you want that? Could you handle being home all the time?"

I chewed my lower lip, considering. "I don't know. Sadie seems to enjoy spending time with Teagan, but I also know there are times she's going stir crazy, especially when Finley is busy."

"You can always work from home," Oliver suggested, his tone gentle. "You did it for a while."

I nodded, exhaling slowly. "I know. We have months to decide."

A soft smile played on Oliver's lips as he reached out to caress my stomach. "I'm sure our son will appreciate his mama being home all the time."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You still believe we're having a boy?"

"I do," he said, his eyes twinkling. "I want a son, but I'll take a little girl just the same."

The stress of the day suddenly felt overwhelming. I closed my eyes, fighting back a wave of exhaustion. "Do you mind if I go home?"

Oliver frowned, concern etching lines across his forehead. He scratched at his scruff, studying me. "You're not feeling well?"

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