The Wife He Lost

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Whispers Behind Closed Doors

I did not mean to hear them.

If I had known that a single conversation would fracture my life so completely, I might have turned around. I might have stayed in the garden a few minutes longer. I might have clung to ignorance like a shield.

But the truth has a way of finding you, whether you are ready or not.

I had gone upstairs to look for a folder Evelyn insisted she needed. It was nothing important, just paperwork she claimed James had left behind after his last visit. The house was quiet in that way large homes often are, filled with soft echoes and the illusion of peace.

As I reached the top of the stairs, voices floated down the hallway.

Evelyn’s voice first. Smooth. Pleased.

Then Valerie’s.

I slowed without realizing it, my hand still resting on the banister. Something in their tones made my chest tighten. They were not speaking loudly, but there was excitement there. Satisfaction.

I told myself it was rude to listen.

I stayed anyway.

“It’s finally happening,” Evelyn said, her voice warm in a way I had not heard directed at me in years. “I was beginning to think James would never give me an heir.”

Valerie laughed softly. “Well, you won’t have to worry anymore.”

I froze.

An heir.

The word echoed in my head, heavy and sharp. My fingers curled into the wood beneath my hand.

Evelyn sighed happily. “I always knew it would be you. You were meant to be part of this family.”

Valerie lowered her voice, but the pride was unmistakable. “James was careful. He didn’t want to upset Daphne, especially after everything with the IVF. But accidents happen.”

The air left my lungs.

IVF.

My knees felt weak, but I did not move. I could not move. My body refused to obey my mind, locked in place as my world quietly cracked open.

Evelyn tutted. “That woman tried, I’ll give her that. But a wife who can’t give her husband a child is… well. Some things simply can’t be fixed with effort.”

Valerie hummed in agreement. “James did his best. He really did. But blood matters. Legacy matters.”

My heart began to pound so loudly I was sure they could hear it.

“Do you know how relieved he was when I told him?” Valerie continued. “He kept saying he didn’t want to hurt her, but he looked… lighter. Happier.”

I pressed my hand to my mouth to keep from making a sound.

Evelyn chuckled softly. “Of course he did. Any man would be. And now everything makes sense. You’ll be a wonderful mother. You already fit in so well.”

Fit in.

Like I never had.

“What about Anthony?” Evelyn asked casually.

Valerie scoffed. “Anthony is gone. And honestly, he never would’ve understood. He was too sentimental.”

My stomach twisted.

Anthony.

Dead. Gone. Buried.

And here they were, speaking of him like he had been an inconvenience.

Evelyn lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Once the baby is born, James will have to make decisions. Daphne has had her chance. She’s had years.”

Years of injections. Tears. Doctor visits. Quiet hope.

I remembered James holding my hand, telling me none of it mattered. Telling me children were not important as long as we had each other.

Liar.

“Do you think she suspects anything?” Valerie asked.

Evelyn laughed. “Daphne? No. She’s too busy trying to please everyone. That girl bends over backwards for this family. Honestly, sometimes I forget she’s even there.”

Something inside me went very still.

They kept talking. They talked about nursery colors. About how the baby would be raised. About how James deserved a woman who could give him everything.

Not once did they say my name with kindness.

Not once did they sound conflicted.

I stepped back slowly, my movements careful, controlled. My heart felt like it was bleeding out quietly inside my chest, but my face remained calm. Perfect. Composed.

I returned downstairs and walked into the kitchen like nothing had happened.

My hands shook as I poured myself a glass of water.

Valerie and Evelyn eventually joined me, both smiling brightly.

“There you are,” Evelyn said. “Did you find the folder?”

“Yes,” I replied smoothly. “It was in James’s office.”

Valerie watched me closely. Her eyes lingered on my face, searching. Calculating.

“Are you alright?” she asked, faux concern dripping from every word. “You look pale.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just tired.”

It was the truth. I had never been so tired in my life.

I excused myself soon after, retreating to the bedroom I shared with my husband. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, finally allowing my knees to give out.

I slid to the floor silently.

There were no tears at first. Just shock. Cold, numbing shock.

James had cheated on me.

With Valerie.

His best friend. My friend. A woman welcomed into our home, comforted after her husband’s death, treated like family.

And worse.

She was pregnant.

An heir.

I thought of every appointment. Every needle. Every quiet moment I spent convincing myself I was enough.

I thought of the way Evelyn’s kindness had faded, the way Celeste looked at me like I was temporary. Replaceable.

I thought of James telling me he did not care.

He cared enough to sleep with someone else.

He cared enough to put a child in her.

My chest tightened until it hurt to breathe.

I did not scream.

I did not cry.

I sat there on the floor, staring at nothing, while something inside me hardened into steel.

They thought I was weak.

They thought I would accept this.

They had no idea who they were dealing with.

By the time James came home that night, I was standing at the mirror, my face calm, my eyes dry, my heart made of ice.

I kissed him like I always did.

And I began to plan my escape.