The Transactional Marriage That Imploded novel Chapter 36

What a heartless, ungrateful bastard. Bianca had wasted years of true devotion on this man for absolutely nothing.

Naturally, their little 'family of three' instantly became the center of attention.

The birthday girl, Lydia York, was relegated to background decor as the crowd swarmed Mathis, desperate to glean even a scrap of advice from the legendary investor.

Cynthia soaked up the adulation, reveling in the feeling of the stars revolving around her.

Lydia wandered over, hugging the doll Bianca had given her. She beamed. "Miss, you're so pretty! Just as pretty as the doll you bought me!"

Juliana had notoriously high expectations for her daughter and strictly forbade her from playing with "frivolous" toys like dolls, believing they would ruin her ambition.

Looking down at the sweet, rosy-cheeked little girl, Bianca's voice softened. "I guessed you might like this doll. I'm so glad you do."

Lydia reached out with her soft little hand and grabbed Bianca's. Bianca's heart skipped a beat, a sudden wave of melancholy washing over her as she wondered if she would ever get to hold her own child's hand like this.

She shot a glance at the picture-perfect family across the room. Seeing how doting Mathis was with Lamont, she figured he wouldn't bother trying to fight her for custody of her baby.

That thought brought her a small sliver of peace.

Lydia pulled Bianca aside to chat, happily sharing a barrage of funny stories from kindergarten. Bianca made for an excellent listener, gently guiding the conversation and matching the girl's enthusiasm.

The two of them hit it off wonderfully. Eventually, Lydia pulled out her smart-watch and added Bianca on a messaging app.

"Miss, I want to text you all the time! Is that okay?"

Furious, Juliana raised her hand and slapped Bianca hard across the face. Bianca immediately swung her arm back to return the blow, but Conrad rushed over and grabbed her wrist, stopping her mid-air.

"Ms. Baldwin," Conrad said dismissively, "please don't stoop to my wife's level."

At that moment, Lamont ran over, wanting to play with Lydia. Right behind him were Mathis and Cynthia, both witnessing the scene.

Mathis's face remained entirely devoid of emotion, but Cynthia let out a mocking laugh. "Well, Ms. Baldwin certainly is bold. Assaulting the host at her own party? I really have to wonder if Mr. Calder is blind for keeping someone like you at Stellaride."

Bianca was trembling with fury. "Juliana hit me first. Am I not allowed to defend myself?"

"You were trying to use my daughter to climb the social ladder!" Juliana shrieked, doubling down. "You're incredibly manipulative. Everyone knows Stellaride only hires top talent. How did a woman like you ever get through the door? I bet you used some extremely unsavory methods to sleep your way into that job!"