Chapter 12: The Email
252 Words
The email made my blood go cold.
Attachment: Medical records. Ultrasound photos. Bank statements from my mom’s hospital.
Subject line: “THE REAL GOLD DIGGER”
Vanessa had leaked everything. My past. My debts. The fact that I took the contract to pay for chemo.
“Don’t,” Aiden said, seeing my face. “Whatever it is, don’t read it alone.”
But I already clicked.
Within minutes it was everywhere. News sites. Twitter. The comments were brutal.
“Used him.” “Pregnant for money.” “Scammer.”
I started shaking. “This is my fault. I should’ve taken the 8 million.”
Aiden grabbed my shoulders. “No. This is her fault. And we’re going to fight it.”
“How? You don’t even have a company anymore.”
“Then we use the truth.” He pulled out his phone. “My lawyer. My PR team. And me.”
That night Aiden went live. No suit. No script. Just him, sitting on our hotel bed, my hand in his.
“My name is Aiden Cross. And yes, I married Zuri to save my company. But I stayed because I fell in love with her. With the twins. With us.”
He held up the ultrasound.
“This is my family. And if you have a problem with that, you have a problem with me.”
The stream hit 2 million views in an hour.
For the first time, people weren’t laughing at us.
They were rooting for us.
- Writer
