His eyes bounce between mine before he nods his head. I place a kiss on the corner of his mouth and jump into my car. Hugo’s eyes expand when my heavy compression on the accelerator causes my tires to skid out of control in the ice-covered driveway. I raise my foot off the accelerator and inhale a deep, nerve-clearing breath.I’m not going to do anyone any good getting in an accident.Once I have a more rational head, I carefully push my foot down onto the accelerator, taking the necessary precautions required to drive safely in the snow. The panic marring Hugo’s face eases when I reverse out of the driveway withoutincident.
When I enter the bustling main street of Rochdale, my eyes dart in all directions, seeking the first parking lot. I pull into an empty space across from my office building, not caring it is a handicapped space. I throw off my seatbelt and make a beeline for my office building across the street. The freezing cold air blowing in from the west does nothing to damper the fiery rage burning inside me. I throw open the glass door and rush into the building. Belinda’s head lifts from her computer monitor when I enter the office. Smiling a tight grin, I rush down the hall before taking the third door on the left. Not bothering to knock, I storm into Marvin’soffice.
My brisk strides stop and my breathing shallows, shell-shocked at the scene I’ve stumbled into. Oddly, my first response is relief. You’d think walking in on my fiancé in the midst of a sexual act would have my claws hackled and ready to pounce, but all I feel is relief.Sweet, heavenlyrelief.
When Marvin’s head lifts to the door, he balks and takes a step backwards. The half-dressed blonde sprawled on his desk whimpers from his loss ofcontact.
I roll my eyes.Nothing on Marvin’s body deserves that type ofresponse.
“Where are you going, sweetie?” she meows, her sickly sweet voice making her sound like a porn star in the middle of a filmproduction.
Marvin’s eyes dart between the blonde and me, his panic growing with every second thatticksby.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” he stammers, fixating his eyesonme.
I raise my hand into the air, stopping any more of his pathetic excuses. Following Marvin’s fretful gaze, the blonde shifts her head to the side. Her eyes widen and her throat works hard to swallow when she notices me standing in the doorway, displaying she is aware of who I am and what my significance in Marvin’s life is. In my book, that makes her just as guilty as Marvin. She scampers off the desk, yanking her skin-tight pencil skirt down on the way. Her stiletto heels shuffle on the tiled floor as she darts to the door, stuttering an apology to me on thewayby.
When the unnamed blonde exits Marvin’s office, I pace to his desk. I only came here for one reason, and the shock of discovering him cavorting with an unnamed blonde on his desk isn’t enough to dampen the violent anger pumping through myveins.
“You had no right to intervene in my son’s life. No right at all. Joel isnotyour son!” I yell, slamming the paternal forms he sent to Hugo onto his cherryoakdesk.
Marvin paces around his desk, tucking his disheveled shirt into his undone trousers on the way. “I want him to be my son, Ava. I want to legally adopt him. For him to have mylastname.”
“Why?” I fire back, skepticism in my voice. “Why would you want that? Joel knows the local dog walker better than you, and we don’t even ownadog!”
When Marvin lifts his hand to clutch my arms, I violently yank awayfromhim.
“Don’t touch me,” I sneer. “I have no clue where your filthy handshavebeen.”
I take a step backward, widening the distance between us. “Why did you do it, Marvin? Why are you trying to create a rift between them? Joel wants Hugo in his life. He needs him in his life. Heloveshisfather.”
“I can give him more, way more than Hugo ever could,” Marvin argues, his jaw quivering as his anger isunleashed.
“It isn’t about money or possessions. It is about love and understanding. Taking the time to give Joel the attention he needs—hedeserves.”
“I give him time and attention. You’re acting like I don’t give him anything. Everything he has is because of me!” Marvin roars, his angry snarl bouncing around hisoffice.
I laugh a witch-like cackle. “Everything my son has is because ofme, notyou. He doesn’t evenknowyou.”
“Your reaction has nothing to do with me filing adoption papers, and everything to do with Hugo being backintown.”
I grit my teeth and shake my head. “This has nothing to do with Hugo. I might have gone along with your little game to keep you in your daddy’s good graces and myself employed, but Joel wasneverpart of ouragreement.”
“The instant you slipped that ring on your finger,” Marvin says, nudging his head to my engagement ring sparkling in the office lighting. “You not only becamemyproperty, sodidJoel.”
Fury unlike anything I have ever felt before scorches my veins. I step closer to Marvin, so close my furiously heaving chest smacks into his. I stare him straight in the eyes, internally cursing the day I ever agreed to his stupid ploy. “Joel wasneverup for negotiation. He willneverbe your son. He has a dad. He doesn’t needanother.”
I rip the diamond engagement ring off my finger and place it on top of the paperwork. “Our agreementisover.”
I dash out his office and race down the hall. My steps are urgent, not wanting to give Marvin the satisfaction of seeing my tears.Today will be the last time he will be the cause of my tears.Belinda’s eyes dart between Marvin leaning in the doorjamb of his office with lipstick smeared on his face and my quickly retreating frame. Her eyes bulge when she notices my finger is void of the engagement ring I was wearing when I entered. Her eyes silently question me.Did you really do it?Did you leave him?When I nod my head, she jumps from her desk, snags her coat off the coatrack in the corner of the office, and briskly marches out of the officebehindme.
When we reach the sidewalk outside, I glide my eyes to her. “What are you doing?” I ask, my eyes bouncing between hers. “I thought you said you couldn’t comewithme?”
I begged Belinda for months to leave Gardner and Sons and come be my receptionist at the practice I'm endeavoring to get off the ground. She always said she would if she could, but she never agreed. I understood her hesitation. Who in their right mind would leave an established company for one that has more chance of collapsing than getting off theground?
Belinda slings her arms around my shoulders. “Who needs a dental plan when you are going to be working for the best dentist in thecountry?”
The warmth of our panicked breaths is visible in the frigid air. “Are you sure this is what you want? You’ve worked at Gardner and Sons for years. There is no guarantee my practice is going to get off the ground, let alone beviable.”
