Chapter 4

I slapped her hard.

“Zoe, have you lost your mind?”

Sean rushed over and shoved me hard.

My lower back slammed into the corner of a table. The pain stole my breath. For a long moment, I remained doubled over.

Concern flickered in Sean’s eyes, but when he saw the red mark on Monique’s cheek, his face hardened.

“Monique only came here with good intentions to talk to you. What gives you the right to hit her?”

Monique leaned against his chest. Tears welled up in her eyes on cue. She continued to sob as she said, “This is all my fault! I shouldn’t have come! Let me go, Sean. I can raise the baby on my own. Please don’t ruin what you have with Zoe because of me.”

I looked up and stared at Monique’s stomach in disbelief. “You’re pregnant?”

Sean looked just as stunned.

Monique nuzzled deeper into his chest and sobbed even harder. “Sean, the doctor said I’m two months along. The baby is perfectly healthy.”

I watched Sean’s expression soften instantly. I remembered I had lain on the hospital bed when he had said, “We can always have another baby.”

Then, he had left to celebrate Monique’s birthday. Even then, he had been busy making another baby with her.

“Well, congratulations to you both.”

Sean’s face flushed. He scrambled to explain. “Zoe, listen to me. It isn’t what you think…”

“Save it! I’m stepping aside, so you can have each other. Since the wedding’s off, let’s settle what you owe me, Sean.

“My parents sold their house to pay off $1,200,000 of your debt. Over the years, I transferred $350,000 to you. That comes to $1,550,000. I want every cent paid back by the end of today.”

“Zoe, you’ve lost your mind if you think you’re getting that money!”

Monique’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Your parents chose to sell their house, and you chose to give Sean that money. For the past five years, he’s paid for everything.

“The roof over your head, your parents’ living expenses, their medical bills… If you add it all up, you’re the one who owes him money!”

“I owe him money?”

I pointed to the necklace around Monique’s neck. “That necklace cost $360,000. Sean bought it for your birthday with the money from the sale of my parents’ house.

“Then, there’s your handbag, and those shoes you’re wearing. Should I pull up the bank statements and prove it?”

“Enough!”

Sean’s face darkened.

“Zoe, since when have you been so hung up on money? We were together for five years. For old times’ sake, I’ll pay you $100,000 as compensation.”

Five years of my life, three jobs at once, the weight I had lost from stress, my parents’ home, and my unborn child were only worth $100,000 for him.

This man was rotten to the core.

“Sean, my stomach is starting to hurt.”

“Don’t worry, Monique. I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”

He swept Monique into his arms and hurried away. Before leaving, he gave me a warning. “Zoe, you’d better accept my offer. Otherwise, you’ll find out what the Loker Corporation’s legal team can do to you.”

I stopped the recording on my phone and sat there numb until morning.

The next morning, I discovered that my bank account had been frozen. On top of that, I had been fired from my job.

Sean sent me a text.

[Zoe, this is your last chance. Take the $100,000, or you’ll walk away with nothing.]

I took a deep breath and went back to the law firm.

I submitted screenshots of the fake appointment confirmation, copies of their messages, screen recordings of the livestream, audio recordings from the county clerk’s office, and my confrontation with Sean and Monique at the apartment.

I also pulled up five years of bank records, the contract from the sale of my parents’ house, my medical records from the miscarriage, our lease, and the hospital bills.

I pulled a signed retainer agreement from my bag and set it on the attorney’s desk.

“Mr. Lutz, I want to sue them.”