Chapter 3 - The Family He Chose
While Audrey prepared to leave the hospital through a private exit, Dominic was at the mansion with Paige Lawson.
Paige was beautiful, ambitious, and far less interested in Dominic than she was in the world surrounding him.
She had spent months listening to him complain about Audrey.
According to Dominic, his wife was dull, dependent, and incapable of appreciating his success.
Paige believed that once Audrey disappeared, she would become the next Mrs. Vale.
Victoria encouraged the affair. She considered Paige more suitable because her father owned a chain of luxury hotels.
That evening, Victoria raised a champagne glass.
“To new beginnings.”
Dominic smiled, though something unsettled him.
Audrey had not called.
Usually, after an argument, she apologized—even when she had done nothing wrong. She would prepare dinner, speak softly, and accept whatever version of events Dominic preferred.
Her silence felt different.
“Did you actually see her fall?” he asked his mother.
Victoria’s hand paused.
“She was being dramatic. She stepped backward and lost her balance.”
“You said she was shouting.”
“She was.”
“What was she shouting about?”
Paige looked away.
Victoria set down her glass. “She accused you of having an affair.”
Dominic frowned. “How did she know?”
“Does it matter? She was threatening to leave.”
The doorbell rang.
A courier delivered an envelope addressed to Dominic.
Inside were divorce papers.
Paige moved closer. “That was fast.”
Victoria laughed dismissively. “She has no money for a serious attorney.”
Dominic examined the name printed at the bottom.
Sophia Sterling.
His smile disappeared.
He recognized the name from business magazines. Sterling represented major investment firms and wealthy families. She did not handle ordinary divorces.
Before he could question it, his phone rang.
Dr. Reed introduced himself.
“Mr. Vale, your wife authorized me to provide you with limited information concerning the consequences of her injuries.”
Dominic walked away from Paige.
“What consequences?”
“Your wife was eight weeks pregnant. The fall caused a miscarriage.”
Dominic stopped breathing.
For three years, Victoria had blamed Audrey for their inability to have children.
But Dominic had undergone private fertility testing the previous month. He had hidden it from everyone, terrified of the result.
Dr. Reed continued.
“The specialist you consulted requested that I remind you to schedule a follow-up regarding your own test results. The findings indicate that natural conception is extremely unlikely.”
Dominic pressed one hand against the wall.
“That’s impossible.”
“Your wife’s pregnancy proves otherwise.”
The implication struck him immediately.
If he was unlikely to father a child, how had Audrey become pregnant?
Then he remembered an experimental procedure he had undergone months earlier. The specialist had warned that a narrow window of fertility might exist before his condition progressed.
Audrey’s pregnancy had likely been their only chance.
And she had lost it after a confrontation with his mother.
His phone vibrated with a final text from Audrey.
Enjoy the family you chose.
May you like
Dominic rushed toward the front door.
At that moment, every light in the mansion went dark.
