Billionaire's Pregnant Ex-wife novel Chapter 6

Grabbing the mop, I marched into the kitchen, leaving everyone in shock.

“Lily! You should go to Mr. Bradford’s office and apologize to him,” one of my co-workers, Lia, followed me inside. Panic filled her ashen face.

“No, I will not apologize to him, Lia,” I replied. My calm demeanor alarmed her even more.

“But h–he will fire you,” she blurted, forcing everyone in the kitchen to look at us. I grabbed Lia’s arms and ushered her to the Staff Room for privacy.

“Maybe he will, but it’s better than seeing him every day,” I mumbled under my breath, opening the door and returning the mop to the cleaning equipment.

“I don’t want to lose you, Lily,” she whined. “You’ve been my best friend since I started here four years ago. If you get fired, there’s no one to share lunch with me.”

“Don’t be silly. We could still eat lunch together at our favorite restaurant anytime,” I told her calmly, noticing how strange her eyeglasses looked for the first time.

“But it wouldn’t be the same. Here, we’re together all the time,” Lia reasoned desperately, her thick eyebrows merging into a frown.

“In some way or another, we will have to part ways,” I explained, but it did nothing to erase the betrayal etched on her face. “I have to leave the country, Lia. I need to grab the opportunity to work abroad.”

“Y-you w-will resign?” Lia gasped, startled by my revelation.

I nodded. Lia stared at me, dumbstruck. For a moment, she couldn’t say a word. Collecting her thoughts, she finally spoke. “B-but why so sudden? I would understand if today’s incident forced you to resign, but based on your tone, you had plans to leave before this.” She scowled, placing her hands on her waist and scrutinizing me.

“The offer is outstanding, with several irresistible benefits. Going abroad will also benefit Mom. She will have access to better medical care and a modern environment,” I replied, partly revealing the truth.

“Is that all?” she asked suspiciously, seeing through my half-truths.

I gaped at her. Could it be that Lia knew more than I thought? I shook my head. It couldn’t be. I’ve been cautious about keeping my marriage with Grey a secret. There’s no way she would know the truth.

“There’s no other reason, Lia,” I said, inwardly cringing at the lie.

Lia remained doubtful, eyeing me suspiciously. Expecting a barrage of questions, I took a deep breath, ready for an interrogation. However, the questions didn’t come. Lia sighed, her shoulders relaxing.

“Forcing the truth out of you won’t work, Lily,” she said meaningfully, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. “It seems I’m not the only one keeping secrets here.”

Lia had been my best friend for four years, yet I had never seen that expression on her face before. Behind her old-fashioned eyeglasses shone a glint of knowingness. Her enigmatic blue eyes pierced straight to my soul, seeing past the facade I maintained.

Realization hit me like a bolt of lightning.

She knows the truth.

“I’ve been friends with you for years, Lily—four years to be exact,” Lia began, as if reading my thoughts. “That’s enough time for me to know when you’re hiding something. I once caught you removing your wedding ring when you thought no one was watching. I also noticed how Mr. Bradford looks at you differently.”