Chapter 4

The service corridor was narrow.

Along one side stood several display stands on wheeled bases.

The crew had just removed a big sculpture, and the bases hadn't been locked in place yet.

I was almost at the emergency exit when Camille grabbed me again.

"You can't leave."

"Are you crazy?"

"If Julian finds out, he'll leave me."

"That's between you two."

I pulled my hand free.

Out of nowhere, she rammed her shoulder into the rolling base beside her.

The heavy wooden display stand rolled down the gently sloping floor toward me.

I only had time to dodge to the side.

My side slammed into a metal railing.

I went down hard.

A sharp pain shot through my stomach.

Camille sat herself down on the floor.

Then she started screaming. "Help!

"She pushed me!"

Staff and security guards rushed in.

Julian was the first one there.

When he saw Camille clutching her belly, his expression changed instantly.

"The baby?"

Camille was crying so hard she was shaking.

"I don't know.

"Nora found out I was pregnant, and she's been pushing me to leave you ever since.

"And just now she shoved me toward the display stand..."

I braced myself against the wall and got to my feet.

"She's not even pregnant."

Julian's head snapped toward me.

"What did you say?"

"Her follow-up slip is in the prep room.

"So is her fake belly."

Camille sobbed even harder.

"You'd say that just to avoid taking the blame?"

Julian's gaze turned icy.

"Enough."

"Take her to the hospital and have her checked. You'll see," I said.

"I need to get checked out at the hospital too."

The pain in my stomach was getting worse.

I had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

But Julian had already scooped Camille up.

"Get a private treatment room ready for Camille."

I called after him, "Julian, I need a doctor too."

He paused for a second.

Then he said, "Go explain the accident to the organizers first.

"If Camille's okay, I'll come find you."

"It really hurts."

"Nora."

He looked back at me.

"Don't make this a competition right now."

As he said it, a memory suddenly came back to me.

Two years ago, I'd had a high fever.

Camille had flown back to Seattle on short notice.

Julian had sent the driver who was supposed to take me to the hospital to pick her up at the airport instead.

Back then, I'd told myself they were just old friends.

Getting that memory back meant nothing. My body already knew the answer.

The head of security for the event asked me to sign the incident report.

The draft read:

[Nora Whitmore and Camille Hart got into a physical altercation, which caused Ms. Hart to fall.]

I put the pen down.

"I'm not signing this."

He looked uncomfortable.

"Mr. Cross would like to handle this internally, as quickly as possible."

"That's what he wants.

"It's not what happened."

I called Sophie to come get me.

By the time I dialed, my hands had started to shake.

As the elevator reached the ground floor, I felt something warm running down between my legs.

At first I thought I was bleeding from the fall.

Then I looked down and saw red on the hem of my dress.

Only then did a possibility I'd never even considered flash through my mind.

My periods had been irregular lately.

The doctors had run routine tests after the accident, but nobody had told me I was pregnant.

Was it because it was still too early to tell?

I called 911.

The on-site medical staff got to me fast.

They didn't make me wait for a private treatment room.

Instead, they called an ambulance right away.

I was examined immediately in the ER at another hospital.

Seven weeks pregnant.

Miscarriage.

The doctor said the injury wasn't the only cause, but the impact and the delay had raised the risk.

I stared at the ceiling.

I didn't cry.

I only had one question. "Is there any way to save the baby?"

The doctor shook his head.

By the time Sophie got there, Julian still hadn't shown up.

She saw my chart and went rigid.

"Does my uncle know?"

"No."

"I'll go tell him."

I grabbed her.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I already asked him once.

"But he told me to wait until Camille's checkup was done."

Sophie went white.

I kept going. "I'm not asking him twice."

That night, my lawyer sent over the papers to call off the engagement, revoke authorizations concerning our shared assets, and return the gifts.

My parents booked me a flight for the next afternoon.

I had the movers pack up everything that was mine in the Seattle apartment.

I didn't burn the five-year scrapbook.

I took out the receipts and photos that had to do with work.

The rest went to a shredding company.

The next afternoon, I got on a plane to Boston.

Before takeoff, Sophie sent me one last text.

[He's back at the apartment.]

I turned off my phone.

I didn't ask what happened next.