Ann didn’t know why she had agreed to go with Richard that morning. He had a board meeting, and she had a prenatal checkup later that afternoon. They’d planned to get brunch together after his meeting. It sounded like a nice idea. Something normal. Something close to… a date. Of course, it wasn’t a date. Richard had made that clear. This wasn’t about love. This was about the baby. About responsibility. About keeping up appearances.
Still, Ann had dressed a little nicer than usual. A soft cream blouse, black slacks, and low heels. Just enough to feel pretty, confident. Just enough to feel… noticed.
The office was buzzing when they arrived. Richard walked ahead, as always tall, sharp, impossible to ignore. Ann followed at a slower pace, ignoring the curious eyes of employees. They still we
