Chapter 6 - THE PRICE OF ARROGANCE
Emily's brother was a senior financial analyst at Brighton.
That connection changed everything.
My firm hired outside counsel.
My laptop was examined.
My phone was copied.
Every embarrassing message became evidence.
I had spent years building a reputation as one of the city's most disciplined attorneys.
Now strangers were reading texts where I lied about conferences so I could spend weekends in hotel rooms.
Professional humiliation was brutal.
But it still couldn't compare with remembering Clara calling me sir.
One afternoon, Emily arrived at my office.
Security called upstairs.
"She's asking to see you."
I almost refused.
Then I agreed.
She entered wearing jeans and a gray coat.
No designer gown.
No diamonds.
She looked different.
Ordinary.
Tired.
"I didn't steal information from you," she said.
"Then why were you meeting Victor?"
"He contacted me after my brother told him I was seeing you."
"When?"
"Three weeks ago."
"What did you give him?"
"Nothing."
I didn't believe her.
Emily placed her phone on the desk.
"He offered me money."
She opened a message thread.
Victor had offered her fifty thousand dollars for information about our strategy.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She laughed bitterly.
"Because I was furious."
"About what?"
"Finding out you weren't leaving Clara."
I stared at her.
"You already knew I was married."
"I thought you were separated."
"I told you that."
"Exactly."
She looked at me.
"You lied to both of us, Daniel."
That sentence stripped away my attempt to make Emily the villain.
She had made terrible choices too.
But I had created the conditions for all of them.
"Did you take his money?"
"No."
"Why meet him?"
"To tell him no."
"Then why not show investigators?"
"I will."
She picked up her phone.
Before leaving, she paused.
"I did something awful."
"So did I."
"But Clara didn't."
No.
She hadn't.
Emily looked toward the door.
"You know what bothers me most?"
"What?"
"You weren't unhappy."
I didn't answer.
"You talked about Clara constantly."
She shook her head.
"You loved her."
"I still do."
"Then maybe you should figure out why loving someone wasn't enough to make you respect them."
She left.
That question followed me home.
I began therapy the next week.
Not because Clara asked.
She didn't.
Not because I thought therapy would win her back.
It wouldn't.
I went because I finally understood that apologies were useless if I remained the man capable of doing the same thing again.
Weeks passed.
Clara and I communicated only about the baby.
Doctor appointments.
Insurance.
Hospital plans.
She allowed me to attend the final ultrasound.
We sat on opposite sides of the room.
Then our daughter's face appeared on the screen.
The technician smiled.
"She's got quite a personality already."
Clara laughed softly.
I hadn't heard that laugh in weeks.
For one second, I remembered our old life.
Then the memory disappeared.
Afterward, we walked into the parking lot.
"Do you have a name?" I asked.
Clara rested her hand over her stomach.
"Grace."
I smiled.
"Grace."
"Grace Evelyn."
Evelyn was Clara's mother's name.
"It's beautiful."
Clara looked at me.
"I don't want your last name automatically."
The words hurt.
But I nodded.
"That's your decision."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"You aren't going to argue?"
"No."
She studied me.
"You're different."
"I'm trying to be."
"Don't do it for me."
"I'm not."
For the first time, she seemed to believe me.
Then her expression suddenly changed.
She grabbed my arm.
"Daniel."
"What?"
May you like
Her eyes widened.
"My water just broke."
