Page 110 of The Contract Marriage

Leaning forward and bracing myself on the desk, I raise a hand to stop him from touching me. I can’t even bear to look at him right now. How could he… Hugh, Deena, Brielle…and now him too?!

I slowly put it together. “You knew, didn’t you? That he was here. Listening.”

Simon averts his eyes.

“Answer me!”

“Yes.”

Fuck! I start shaking. I bury my face in my hands. No wonder. I try to recall exactly what I said. Something about a pawn and discarding or something like that, I think. And how I didn’t pick Simon to be the father of my baby because I valued him too much as a partner or whatever. The mental gears spin faster, but I can’t recall everything. Regardless, nothing I said could’ve landed well with Liam.

No wonder he came home looking like a man who’d lost the world.

He genuinely loves this baby. His feelings for me…despite the contract between us…are real. Shit.

“You egged me on.” I lower my hand and glare at Simon, so I can see if he’s lying to me.

His Adam’s apple bobs. “Olivia… I just wanted you to see he isn’t worth the emotional investment you’ve been putting in—”

“That isn’t your job, Simon.”

“He’s weak—”

“No. He’s a hundred times the man you’ll ever be.”

His lips tight, he stares at me defiantly.

Is this the first time? What else has he done behind my back? I consider my relationship with Liam, then pause. “Did you withhold the health report I asked you to send Liam?”

Simon blinks rapidly twice. “I told you, the spam—”

“Yes or no, Simon.” Even as I say it, I know the answer.

“Yes. But only because I didn’t think he deserved it. You should be able to keep some privacy even if you’re marrying him.”

“I didn’t hire you to judge my life choices.” I point a finger at his sickeningly righteous face. “Get out.”

He turns white as a sheet. “Are you firing me?”

“Yes.”

“Olivia, don’t throw away our relationship over him.”

I shake my head. “You threw away our relationship when you thought you could manipulate my life. I can’t trust you anymore.”

He sways. “Olivia, please… Give me another chance.”

I look away.

He clenches his hands, then spins around and nearly runs out of the office.

The moment he’s gone, I plop down in my chair. Damn it. Shit, shit, shit. I tunnel my fingers into my hair. Just what the hell was I thinking? I should’ve been more careful. Liam’s been stopping by after I got pregnant. Why run my mouth, even to manage Simon? Who cares what he thinks, anyway?

Liam didn’t come home last night, even after my text telling him I moved out. Did he block me or is he just not even looking at anything I send?

I can’t sit still anymore. I pick up my purse and start walking out.

Simon looks up from his desk, stopping in the middle of putting things in a box. “Olivia—”