Page 176 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

“I’m coming.”

My voice doesn’t shake.

My decision is made.

I won’t tell him yet.

Not while he’s supposed to accompany Bianca to their first appointment on Monday afternoon.

I’ll wait for the right moment.

I leave the bathroom and close the door behind me.

Now that Bianca has served her purpose in their trap, Dante allows himself to visit me at the lab, even though we still avoid being seen together in public.

“So what are we eating today?”

“Raspberry cake, duck pie, and truffle ravioli. What do you want to start with?” he asks, amusement gleaming in his eyes.

“With the appetizer.”

I can be civilized too when I want to.

Lunch is delicious, even if I barely eat.

The real challenge is managing to keep everything down afterward.

We’re starting dessert when his phone vibrates.

Bianca.

He doesn’t answer. He immediately silences the phone.

Then a text arrives.

It’s always the same pattern. She tries to contact him every day. He almost never answers, but he always checks her messages.

I know why.

A future father has to remain reachable when the mother of his child is pregnant.

I understand that.

But seeing her name appear on the screen instantly tightens my chest.

Slowly, I set my spoon down.

I’m not hungry anymore.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dante’s fists clench briefly before he forces himself to relax.

He doesn’t look thrilled either.

Dante probably notices my shift in mood, because the rest of the meal gradually loses its lightness.

And when we each return to work, I’m almost relieved.

The rest of the week passes in a haze of exhaustion, research, and morning sickness.