The CEO's Rejected Wife And Secret Heir novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Chapter 4 – Cast Aside

The taxi dropped me at the Monroe mansion gates just as the sun set behind the estate.

I paid with crumpled bills from my purse. My hands shook as I counted them out.

The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Are you okay, miss?"

I nodded. "I’m fine."

I wasn’t fine.

The gates opened automatically the facial recognition still worked. At least they hadn’t locked me out yet.

The mansion loomed ahead, all white columns and manicured lawns. I’d grown up here, but it had never felt like home. Now it felt more like an enemy territory.

I walked up the drive, my small suitcase wheels scraping against the gravel.

The front door swung open before I reached it.

My father stood in the entrance, his arms crossed. His face was stern.

"Aria." His voice was cold. "I wondered when you’d show up."

I stopped at the bottom of the steps. "Dad, I"

He cut me off with a raised hand. "Inside. Now."

I climbed the steps slowly. My legs trembling.

The foyer was exactly as I remembered—crystal chandelier, marble floors, fresh flowers on the table. Everything was perfect and lifeless.

My mother appeared from the sitting room. She wore pearls and a cream suit, her hair perfectly styled.

She looked at me like I was something unpleasant she’d found on her shoe.

"Well." Eleanor’s lips pressed into a thin line. "The prodigal daughter returns."

I set down my suitcase. "Can we talk?"

My father walked past me into his study. "Follow me."

I did.

The study smelled of old leather and expensive cigars. He moved behind his desk, standing rather than sitting.

"I received a call from Blackwood’s attorney this afternoon." Charles’s jaw clenched. "Apparently, you went to Damien’s office today."

My stomach dropped. "I had to tell him"

"That you pregnant?" He laughed bitterly. "Yes, I heard. Quite the scheme, Aria. Did you really think trapping him would work?"

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "It’s not a scheme. The baby is his."

"The baby is a problem." My mother’s voice came from the doorway. "One that needs to be dealt with immediately."

I spun to face her. "What are you talking about?"

She walked into the room, closing the door behind her. "The Blackwoods are threatening to pull all support. The business deal, the investments, everything." Her eyes were hard. "Because of you."

"Because I’m pregnant?"

My father slammed his hand on the desk. "Because you’re trying to trap their son with a bastard child!"

I flinched. "It’s not"

"I don’t care what it is." Charles moved around the desk. "You will terminate the pregnancy. Today. Tomorrow at the latest."

My hands instinctively covered my stomach. "No."

"Excuse me?" My fathers voice rang out.

"I said no." My voice shook but held steady. "This is my baby. I’m keeping it."

My mother’s laugh was sharp. "Don’t be ridiculous, Aria. You have no money, no job, no husband." She stepped closer. "You can’t raise a child."

"I’ll figure it out."

"You’ve always been the stupid one." Vivian’s voice came from the hallway. "Haven’t you?"

I turned. My sister stood in the doorway, wearing designer jeans and a smug smile.

She walked in like she owned the place. "I just got off the phone with Damien." Vivian held up her phone. "He’s filing for divorce. Citing abandonment and attempted entrapment."

The room tilted.

My father’s voice came out in a low tone. "You’ve failed, Aria. Completely and utterly failed."

"The Blackwoods want nothing to do with you," my mother added. "And neither do we."

I looked between them. "You’re my family."

"Family?" Charles laughed. "You were useful when you were marrying into the Blackwood empire. Now you’re a liability."

Vivian perched on the edge of the desk. "Damien and I are together now. Officially." She smiled. "He’s taking me to the Charity Gala next week. As his date."

Something inside me cracked. "You’re sick." I looked at my sister. "All of you."

"We’re practical." My mother moved to the door. "Come with me, Aria. Let’s clear out your room."

I followed numbly.

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