Six months after the divorce, I never expected to hear my ex-husband’s voice again. Yet that morning, as I lay in a hospital bed with my newborn daughter sleeping peacefully beside me, my phone vibrated. The name on the screen made my breath hitch: Ethan Walker—my ex.

Security rushed forward, but Ethan lifted a shaking hand. “Give us a minute,” he said hoarsely.

Madeline laughed wildly. “You promised me there was no baby! You said she was lying!”

I pulled my daughter closer, my entire body trembling with anger and exhaustion. “Get her out,” I said quietly.

Ethan turned to Madeline, his voice low and stunned. “You told me she wasn’t pregnant anymore. You swore.”

She crossed her arms. “Because if you knew the truth, you would’ve gone back to her.”
That was the moment everything finally fell into place for him.

He sank into the chair beside my bed, covering his face with his hands. “I destroyed my family over a lie.”

I felt no satisfaction—only deep fatigue. “No,” I said evenly. “You destroyed it because you chose not to trust me.”

Madeline sneered. “Oh, come on. She probably got pregnant on purpose.”

Ethan sprang to his feet so suddenly the chair clattered to the floor. “Get out,” he said flatly. “Now.”

Security escorted her out as she kept yelling about money, reputation, and what people would think. When the door finally closed, the silence in the room was crushing.

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