A Reckoning for Our Lost Child

But that didn't scare Silene off. Instead, she sent me a friend request.

I clicked on her profile picture: a lazy Persian cat lounging in some luxurious apartment.

Jeffrey hated animals. Once, I had suggested getting a cat to keep me company, but he had flatly refused, claiming to be "allergic." Now, with Silene, his allergies were cured? Apparently, his so-called principles evaporated in the face of a new temptation.

I accepted the request. Almost immediately, she sent me a private message:

Mrs. Sterling, I don't want to ruin your marriage. I just want to have this baby. Every life is a gift from God, and it's innocent.

The nerve. She couldn't wait to announce her pregnancy, framing it as some kind of noble act. I left her on read. A few minutes later, another message arrived:

Mrs. Sterling, I'm serious! Jeffrey loves this baby very much.

By then, I had already saved all her posts and photos. Screenshots for evidence.

Finally, I replied:

What are you talking about? You're pregnant? With Jeffrey's child?

The typing bubble popped up, flickered a few times as she typed and deleted, and then her message finally appeared:

I'm sorry, I thought you knew...

I shot back: Don't play these little games with me. Having a baby is your business. Whether Jeffrey acknowledges it is his problem. It has nothing to do with me.

She didn't reply, probably thinking I was just another bitter high-society wife who would swallow her pride to save face.

The next day, I scheduled an appointment to terminate the pregnancy. Then I called Cathy, New York's most vicious divorce lawyer and my best friend.

Jeffrey and I had always been that model couple, the perfect pair in everyone's eyes.

No clingy mistresses, no gold-digging women. I truly thought our union was born of love. I never imagined he would betray me so cruelly, and with an illegitimate child.

Cathy Pierce almost dropped her phone when she heard the news.

"Olivia, have you lost your mind? Did that bastard drug you?"

"He has someone else," I said, my voice flat as I gazed out at Central Park. "She's four months pregnant."

Cathy was furious. "That bastard. Give me five minutes alone with him and a dull knife. I'll neuter him myself."

I raised a hand to stop her. "Calm down, Cathy. He's not worth it. I just want the money. He's the at-fault party, and we have a prenup."

She stared at me for a long moment, then pulled me into a hug. "Olivia, you don't have to hold it in. If you want to cry, just cry. I'm here."

But the tears wouldn't come. The pain was too sharp for that. It was just a raw, open wound, already beginning to scar over, hardening into something cold inside me.

"Cathy, I want a divorce. I want him to leave with nothing."

"No problem. Leave it to me. I'll make sure he can't even afford his own underwear."

An hour later, I showed up at my parents' house with the draft of the divorce agreement.

When I told them about Jeffrey and the baby, my father, a Wall Street titan, rarely let his anger show, but I could see a storm brewing in his eyes.

"Olivia, do whatever you need to do. The Prescott family will always have your back," he said in a firm voice. "As for that Sterling boy, I'll make him understand the price of betraying us."

"And as for... the baby you're carrying, it's your decision, my dear," my mother added softly.

I placed a hand on my stomach. A life had already begun to grow here, not even eight weeks along.

If Jeffrey hadn't woven his web of lies, we might be celebrating this moment right now.

But my mind was made up. I refused to let my child be born into a broken family, or to face an illegitimate half-brother six months his senior from birth.

My parents respected my decision. They let me handle the divorce on my own but made it clear: if the Sterling family caused any trouble, they would intervene.

After leaving my parents' house, I headed to a private clinic on the Upper East Side for a pre-op checkup. There were just some things I had to take care of first.

In the waiting area, through the frosted glass, I saw Eleanor leading Silene into a VIP room. A bitter wave of nausea rose in my throat, but on pure instinct, I followed them.

"Silene, I told you, Jeffrey cares about you. Don't overthink things," Eleanor's voice drifted from the room. "He's not saying anything right now to keep Olivia calm. The Prescotts still have business with us."

The words made me sick. I turned and walked away.

At the end of the hallway, I came face-to-face with Jeffrey.

The moment he saw me, he froze as if struck by lightning. Panic flashed across his face. "Olivia? What are you doing here? Are you not feeling well?"

He feigned concern, but his eyes betrayed him, darting to the Bonpoint gift bag in his hand.

I said nothing, just stared coldly at the bag with its little cherry logo. Jeffrey's eyes darted to the bag, and his face turned deathly pale. "This is for a colleague," he stammered, his voice suddenly dropping as he rushed to change the subject. "She just had a baby. I was just dropping off a gift."

"What about you? Why are you at an OB-GYN clinic?"