Waking up with my nemesis baby novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Her fingers curled tightly, numb with tension, as a wave of

unease gripped her.

Roderick stormed toward them, his presence commanding and

fierce.

Before Madeleine could find her voice, Nanette stepped

forward, her tone placating. “Mr. Livingston, please don’t be

upset. Mrs. Livingston was only…”

“Dr. Clark,” Roderick cut her off, his voice sharp and unyielding.

“Today’s session is over. You’re free to go.”

Nanette’s words died in her throat.

She blinked, stunned, thinking she’d misheard him.

Her eyes darted to Roderick, searching for an explanation, but

his gaze never left Madeleine.

“Was I not clear?” he said, his tone colder now. “Kirsten, show

her out.”

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Kirsten, quick to respond, emerged from the kitchen and

gestured for Nanette to follow. “This way, Dr. Clark.”

Nanette’s jaw tightened. She wasn’t ready to leave–not without clearing the air.

“Mr. Livingston, if there’s been some misunderstanding, I’m happy to apologize to you and Mrs. Livingston.”

“You do owe my wife an apology,” Roderick snapped, his eyes flashing as he turned to her.

“You’re Kevin’s therapist, not her interrogator. You don’t get to

question her.”

Nanette bit her lip, a surge of indignation rising within her.

She’d worked with Roderick and Kevin for over two years,

earning Kevin’s trust and confidence.

She’d always believed Madeleine didn’t love Roderick–that their

marriage was a hollow shell.

She couldn’t understand why Roderick was defending her so

fiercely.

Her chest heaved with resentment, but after a glance at

Chap 29

Roderick, then at Madeleine, she forced herself to calm down.

“I’ve been too hasty,” she thought.

“Their marriage might lack passion, but they’d maintained a

fragile peace for years.

“Breaking that would take time and finesse.”

Swallowing her pride, Nanette turned to Madeleine with a practiced smile. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Livingston. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just worried about Kevin, that’s all.”

She dipped her head, her apology dripping with sincerity.

Madeleine didn’t respond.

She still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

He’d been furious, yet not at her. Instead, he’d demanded Nanette apologize to her.

She couldn’t understand why he would do that. What was driving him to protect her like this?

After apologizing, Nanette said no more. She picked up her

things and left in haste.

Chapter 29

The room felt suffocating now.

Madeleine stole a glance at Roderick. His face was still

clouded, his jaw tight with lingering anger.

She understood why he’d be upset–Kevin’s struggles stemmed

from her past mistakes, after all.

Any parent would be furious. If she were in Roderick’s shoes,

she’d be livid too.

But one thing gnawed at her. Why, after everything, hadn’t he walked away? Why hadn’t he divorced her?

“Um,” Madeleine ventured, stepping closer.

She rubbed her nose nervously, her voice soft. “I don’t

remember much about… before. Was I really that awful to

Kevin?”

Roderick’s brow furrowed, his expression unreadable.

After a long pause, he said, “That’s a question you should ask

him.”

His words stung, and Madeleine’s heart ached.

She toyed with the hem of her shirt, her voice barely above a

whisper.

“I don’t know what happened back then. But Ricki, you knew me

before all this. I wasn’t that bad, right? I wasn’t cold or cruel,

was 1?”

Roderick stayed silent, his eyes distant.

Of course he knew what she had been like.

She used to be kind and simple, sometimes a little careless, but

always warm–hearted.

The changes in her over the past years had nearly broken him.

More than once he had wondered if her transformation had

been his fault, the result of forcing her into this marriage.

Madeleine pressed on, her voice trembling but hopeful. “I’ve

lost my memories, and maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. It

gives me a chance to make things right with Kevin.”

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with determination.

In her heart, she was already mapping out a new path.

She would learn to be a better mother and help Kevin heal from

the shadows of her past.

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But Roderick’s expression was a tangle of emotions, his gaze

heavy with sorrow.

“Have you thought about what happens…” His voice caught, as

if the words pained him.

“If your memories come back?”

The light in Madeleine’s eyes dimmed, her breath catching.

Her lashes trembled as she whispered, “My memories…”

Her mind raced.

What if the old Madeleine–the one who’d despised Kevin and

Roderick–returned?

What if that version of her saw the love she was pouring into

Kevin now and lashed out, crueler than before?

The thought was unbearable.

If Kevin, so fragile and hopeful, lost the warmth she was giving

him now, it could shatter him.

Roderick took a deep breath, unable to meet her haunted gaze.

“I’ve scheduled a checkup for you tomorrow,” he said, his voice

flat. “Make sure you go.”