Chapter 3

JENSEN POV: I didn't get to take Zoe home. Not right away. As I tried to leave, Jared's assistant intercepted me. A polite but firm barrier. "Mrs. Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery and his mother would like to see you in the study." A summons. I entrusted Zoe to the care of the old family butler, one of the few staff members who had ever shown me kindness, and walked toward my judgment. The study was paneled in dark mahogany, the walls lined with portraits of Montgomery ancestors. Their cold, painted eyes followed me, judging the outsider. Jared, Eleanor, and a few of his uncles were arranged on the leather sofas like a tribunal. Crystal was absent, but her presence lingered like cheap perfume. I stood before them and waited. Eleanor spoke first, her voice as brittle as winter frost. "Jensen, I require an explanation. Your behavior on the lawn today was a profound embarrassment to this family." "I was protecting my daughter," I said, my voice flat. One of Jared's uncles scoffed. "Protecting her? By screaming at a seven-year-old boy? That sounds more like hysteria." My gaze found Jared. My husband. I waited for him to defend me. To say a single fair word. He finally spoke, his voice colder than the grave. "Jensen, I've told you. Zoe's condition is delicate. You shouldn't have brought her to an event like this. And you certainly shouldn't be starting fights with a guest's child over nothing." "Nothing?" The word was incredulous on my tongue. "He called your daughter a mute. A waste. You call that nothing?" Jared's brow furrowed with impatience. "Aiden is a child. He says things he doesn't mean. As an adult, you should have shown some grace." "Grace?" I laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. "Jared, if it had been Aiden who was bullied today, would you be telling Crystal to show grace?" His face tightened. He had no answer. Eleanor cut through the tension. "Enough. The details are irrelevant. What matters is that the media has photos. What do you think tomorrow's headlines will be? 'Montgomery daughter-in-law has public breakdown at funeral'?" She paused, her tone shifting to one of command. "Jared, tomorrow you and Crystal will pay a visit to young Aiden. A formal apology on behalf of the family. As for you, Jensen, you will stay home for the foreseeable future. To reflect." I was to reflect? While my husband went with his old flame to apologize for my supposed crime? It was the most absurd, insulting thing I had ever heard. In that instant, the last, flickering ember of hope I held for this family, for this marriage, was extinguished. I looked at their cold, self-serving faces. They didn't care about the truth. They didn't care about Zoe. They only cared about the pristine, polished reputation of the name 'Montgomery'. I took a deep breath. "I understand," I said, my voice unnervingly calm. Jared and Eleanor seemed pleased by my sudden compliance. "You may go," Jared said with a dismissive wave of his hand. I didn't move. I lifted my chin, meeting his eyes directly. "I said, I understand. I understand that in this house, Zoe and I will always be outsiders." I continued, my voice gaining strength. "So, we won't be a bother any longer." Jared's brow tightened. "What are you talking about?" I turned to Eleanor. "Thank you for your... hospitality these past few years." Then, I turned back to Jared. "Jared. We're done." The silence in the room was absolute. They stared at me as if I'd grown a second head. I didn't give them time to react. I turned, walked out of the study, and didn't look back. I collected Zoe from the butler, took her hand, and walked straight out the front door of the grand estate. No one followed. I strapped Zoe into the car seat of my modest Honda Civic, a car that had always been a quiet symbol of my otherness in their world of luxury vehicles. As I pulled away, the magnificent mansion shrinking in my rearview mirror, I felt the weight of a gilded cage lifting from my shoulders. There were no tears. It felt as if I had none left to cry. I merged into the flow of traffic. At a red light, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my best friend, the sports reporter Esther Gilmore. I need the number for the best divorce lawyer you know.