Page 144 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

“Valeria. Look at me.”

I do. And that’s a mistake. Because I see everything.

His love. His panic. His terror of losing me again.

And none of it changes the pain crushing me, because pain doesn’t ask permission.

“I love you, do you hear me?”

He kisses me desperately.

As though his mouth can hold together something already breaking apart.

But it’s too late.

Something shifts inside me. Enough that suddenly I can’t breathe right anymore.

I pull free from his arms.

“Leave me alone. I need to be by myself. Besides, you have an emergency to deal with. The mother of your child is waiting for you.”

I know exactly where to strike. I do it anyway.

“Valeria, please. Don’t do this.”

I don’t answer. I walk into my room.

My movements become precise, mechanical—my body continuing while my mind refuses to follow.

Without thinking, I dial a number.

There’s only one person I call when everything falls apart.

“Come get me.”

My voice breaks on the last word.

“Don’t move. I’m coming.”

I hang up. I pull on my coat beneath Dante’s helpless gaze.

He follows me in silence. He watches me like a man seeing something slip through his fingers and not knowing how to reach out without frightening it away.

As Hugo’s car pulls into the driveway, I open the front door.

“Wait, Valeria. Give me two minutes.”

The pain in his voice nearly breaks me. I stop on the threshold.

“I love you,” he says. “I never stopped loving you. I would give anything for you to stay, but you’re right—this isn’t my choice to make. Too many people have already taken that choice away from you.”

His voice grows slightly unsteady.

“I won’t be here when you come back, but whatever you decide, I will always love you. I... I understand that this baby changes everything for you.”

He lowers his gaze for a moment.

“I understand that you may never be able to live with this.”