The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 127

One sentence, and the world went mute.

In three seconds flat, Maloney decided on the best damage-control strategy.

Deny it to the grave.

"No."

"Then what was it?"

"I was just kidding."

"No, you weren't."

Initially, back in the hospital corridor, Nora genuinely thought Maloney was joking.

After all, no sane person would casually demand seven kids.

Plus, he had been so laser-focused on 'making the first one' the second they got home.

At the time, she figured his focus wasn't actually on the baby, but rather on the 'making' part.

He was just using it as an excuse to get her into bed.

But a joke is only a joke if you say it once.

When the same line is repeated over and over, it stops being playful banter and turns into a heavily loaded implication.

It begins to carry weight.

It was like someone telling a friend they'd gained weight. Say it once, everyone laughs it off. Say it constantly, and it's obvious they either have a real problem with the person's body or a real problem with the person.

Maloney had brought it up in the corridor, and the second she stepped out of Cassidy's appointment, he brought it up again.

He even mentioned needing to buy a massive new mansion because their current place couldn't fit seven nurseries.

The second he dropped that detail, Nora knew he wasn't playing around.

He either genuinely wanted a massive brood, or he was deeply annoyed with her.

The chances of him suddenly wanting kids were slim to none.

But Nora couldn't figure out what she had done to upset him.

Everything had been perfectly fine when they left the house that morning.

So, while Maloney thought he was expertly baiting her into acting spoiled and begging him to stop...

Nora had seen right through his psychological warfare from the very beginning.

She had been carefully navigating a perceived landmine the entire time.

Nora muttered again, "You're lying."

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