After He Brought His Mistress Home, I Chose Myself

I looked up—and caught Derek holding Chloe in a kiss so intense they couldn't tear themselves apart.

The moment she saw my face drain of color, Chloe pulled back, her voice trembling with false apology.

"Grace, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be here?"

That made me laugh—a cold, brittle sound.

"I'm in my own home. Do I need to report to you?"

One sentence, and Chloe's eyes welled with tears.

Derek noticed immediately. Unhurried, he leaned down and kissed them away, then turned to me.

"Look what you did. You scared her to tears. Real classy."

I bit my lip hard, forcing my own tears back down.

"Derek, can you at least... stop bringing women home?"

He knew I couldn't stand filth—especially when it came to matters of the heart.

My eyes couldn't tolerate a single grain of sand.

But he did this to me anyway.

One second Chloe had been draped boneless in his arms; now she transformed into a startled fawn, peering at me from under her lashes.

"Grace, I know you hate me. I'll leave right away."

She hadn't taken a single step before Derek yanked her back, locking her against his chest.

"No. I won't let you leave."

Meeting my wounded stare, his voice sharpened with impatience.

"It's raining outside. Where exactly do you expect her to go?"

I swallowed the urge to storm over and slap them both.

"Where she goes is none of my concern. But one thing's clear: she's not setting foot in the master bedroom again. She'll dirty my bed."

Chloe's face flushed with humiliation. She wrenched free from Derek's hold and fled.

"Is it really that fun being this vicious?"

He shot me a look of pure contempt and chased after her.

The next day, still uneasy, I went to the hospital for a follow-up. The doctor told me I was pregnant.

My first reaction: "This child can't be kept."

The doctor frowned. "Ms. Chapman, given your husband's low sperm count, you know better than anyone how hard-won this pregnancy is. How can you just decide you don't want it?"

Unable to withstand his persuasion, I took the test results and, as if possessed, went straight to Derek's company.

His assistant tried to stop me, stammering that Derek was meeting an important client and couldn't be disturbed.

The next second, Chloe's breathy, unmistakable moan shattered that excuse.

"You've had a rough time, standing guard for them this long."

I gave the assistant a bitter smile, crumpled the pregnancy report, and pushed the door open.

What I saw made my heart seize.

Both of them froze when I walked in.

Derek didn't even have the decency to look flustered. He calmly straightened his clothes, slipping back into his polished, respectable facade.

"I've been working overtime. My back's been killing me. Chloe was just giving me a massage. It's not what you think."

I had no patience for his lies. I hurled the crumpled paper at him.

"I'm pregnant. When are you going to end things with her? I won't have our child born into this mess—with you still tangled up with this little bitch. That's not the environment any child should grow up in."

"What? You're pregnant?"

Derek smoothed out the paper, scanned it, and immediately rushed over to embrace me.

"Grace, thank you. My parents have been waiting forever for a grandchild. You're a blessing to the Gentry family."

I knew how badly Derek wanted children. That's why, despite his condition, I'd endured those painful fertility shots month after month.

Just when I thought he might finally settle down and come back to our family—

Behind me, Chloe's mocking laughter cut through the air.