PART 1 - FIVE DAYS AFTER SURGERY SHE CAME HOME TO HIS BETRAYAL

"You gave him a daughter.

You should be thankful he even allows you to stay here."

Those were the initial words Laurel Bennett encountered when she walked into her residence just outside Nashville, Tennessee, a mere five days after undergoing an emergency C-section.

Her tiny newborn daughter, Maisie, dozed peacefully against her chest in a plush gray carrier. Laurel’s body still a:ched with every single movement, and her physician had strictly advised her to avoid climbing stairs, carrying heavy objects, or standing up for extended periods.

However, Grant had ignored all of her phone calls.

He had not bothered to show up at the hospital for three whole days.

He hadn't even bothered to schedule a ride to bring her back home.

Laurel eventually ordered a rideshare because her intuition warned her that waiting around any longer would simply result in yet another empty excuse.

The second she stepped inside the house, she realized her

gut feeling was completely accurate.

An unfamiliar floral fragrance drifted through the entryway. A pair of crystal glasses sat next to an uncorked bottle on the living room coffee table. A set of silver stilettos was discarded near the base of the staircase.

Then, she caught the distinct sound of laughter echoing from the upper floor.

Laurel ascended the steps at a sluggish pace, gripping the banister with one hand while shielding Maisie with the other. Every upward motion tugged p:ainfully at her fresh incision, yet the sound of Grant’s voice compelled her to keep moving forward.

When she finally made it to the master bedroom, the door was slightly ajar.

Inside the room, Grant was sitting on the edge of their mattress, dressed only in his slacks. Standing right next to him was Sienna Blake, the marketing consultant he had brought onto the team half a year ago.

Sienna

was draped in Laurel’s own cream-colored silk robe.

For one awful second, absolute silence filled the room.

Then, Grant scowled, looking as if Laurel had just barged into a crucial business conference.

“Why are you here?”

Laurel just stared right at him.

“I live here.”

Sienna crossed her arms over her chest and offered a smirk, showing zero signs of shame.

“You were supposed to remain at the clinic for another night.”

Laurel shifted her gaze from Sienna back to her husband.

“You knew exactly when I was scheduled to come home?”

Grant shot up to his feet and hastily fastened the buttons on his dress shirt.

“This isn't what it appears to be.”

Before Laurel even had a chance to respond, Vivian Bennett stepped into the hallway. Grant’s mother had been occupying the guest suite for a few weeks, supposedly to provide Laurel with assistance once the baby was

born.

And yet, Vivian had flat-out refused to drive her to the medical center when her labor started.

She had claimed that childbirth was a natural process women had endured for centuries and coldly accused Laurel of being overly dramatic.

Now, Vivian peered into the master bedroom, spotted Sienna wearing Laurel’s personal robe, and displayed absolutely no sh0ck whatsoever.

“Take the infant downstairs,” she instructed with an icy tone. “Grant has been dealing with an immense amount of pressure. A successful man requires a peaceful environment, not endless demands.”

Laurel pulled Maisie closer to her chest.

“I dialed his number nineteen times while the medical staff was prepping me for s:urgery.”

Vivian offered a careless shrug.

“And yet, you both surv!ved.”

Grant let out a heavy sigh.

“Laurel, please do not turn this into a dramatic scene.”

Something deep within her soul permanently shifted in that exact moment.