Chapter 2
The thing was, he had a rare medical condition. For years, he’d believed he could never father a child.
So when Natalie got pregnant with his baby, it was, as Murray said, nothing short of a miracle.
Jason didn’t love Natalie, but he was dead set on keeping the child. And until it was born, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to her.
He guided Natalie to sit before turning to the maid, Mary Thompson. “Mrs. Pereira is expecting. From now on, I want you to take special care with everything—her meals, her clothes, anything she needs. Not even the smallest slip-up is allowed.”
Mary nodded promptly and set about making the kind of meals fit for an expectant mother.
Jason leaned down, kissed Natalie’s forehead, and touched her still-flat stomach. “I never imagined I’d be a father, Natalie. Thank you for making it possible. From now on, you and our baby mean more to me than anything. I love you.”
Natalie felt the bitter irony in his words. If she and their child really meant so much to him, then what did that say about Sienna, the woman he actually loved?
Fine. If Jason wanted to keep up the act, she’d humor him one last time. After that, she’d be gone.
…
The next morning, Jason left for work early.
Mary followed his instructions, making sure each meal was perfectly balanced to meet Natalie’s nutritional needs.
She set the bowl down in front of Natalie and passed her the utensils. “For breakfast, you’ve got creamy steel-cut oatmeal. Right here in front of you is a soft-boiled egg with microgreens.
“To your left, there’s steamed asparagus with lemon butter. And to your right, you’ll find baked sweet potato medallions.”
Natalie set down her utensils and stared straight ahead. “Mary, could you help me post something on Instagram? I want to tell everyone about the pregnancy.”
“Sure thing,” Mary said.
Natalie gave a quiet smile and pulled out her test results from yesterday’s checkup. “Can you take a picture of the ultrasound? For the caption, write, ‘I’m looking forward to meeting you. From now on, through every season and every meal, you’ll be the heart of my and your father’s life.'”
Mary snapped the photo, typed out the caption, and hit post. “Mrs. Pereira, Mr. Pereira already liked it the second it went up. He must really love you.”
Natalie smiled but stayed silent. After all, no one knew better than her whether his love was real.
After just a small bite of breakfast, she headed to the yard for a walk. Tulips filled the area, their scent sweet and calming.
Tulips weren’t really her thing. Jason was the one who loved them. But now, thinking back, she realized Sienna had loved them more than anyone, which meant these flowers had only ever been for Sienna.
A cold wind rushed past, catching the tear at the corner of Natalie’s eye. She gripped the hem of her skirt, heart aching like a piece had been ripped away.
She gave a dry laugh and swiped the tear with her hand.
After a long moment, she sank into the swing and called her best friend.
Natalie had her best friend submit her application to an art school overseas, then booked a flight leaving for another country in two weeks. Above all, Natalie asked her to help track down a cornea donor.
Two weeks was all she allowed herself to settle everything in Grendale.
Meanwhile, Jason was constantly in motion—either directing someone to prepare the nursery or stocking up on every baby item imaginable, from toys to supplies. He even bought a book called “How to Be a Good Dad”.
It was obvious he genuinely cared about the child. The only uncertainty was whether the child mattered as much to him as Sienna had.
Natalie wasn’t wasting time, either. She got rid of every gift Jason had ever given her—birthday presents, anniversary gifts, and Valentine’s Day stuff. Even her wedding ring, the one he’d placed on her finger and she’d once held so dear, went up for sale.
A man who wasn’t hers? She refused to keep him.
Things that didn’t truly belong to her? She wouldn’t keep those, either.
…
That night, Natalie got a call from Sienna. Sienna told her Jason had too much to drink and needed a ride.
The request didn’t make sense. Why would she ask a blind woman to pick up a drunk guy?
Unless Sienna had something else in mind. She’d obviously seen Natalie’s Instagram post and couldn’t resist making a move.
…
Natalie pulled up to Beyond the Waters, Grendale’s most famous club.
She couldn’t see, but the noise alone told her everything she needed to know. The rowdy atmosphere made her frown in distaste.
Natalie was standing near the entrance, phone in hand, just about to call Sienna when someone called out to her.
“You’re Natalie, right? Sienna sent me to get you.” The woman stepped closer and casually took Natalie’s wrist. “Sienna said to keep an eye out for a blind woman with a cane. Guess that’s you.”
Natalie could always tell a person’s true tone—whether they were being nice or nasty. This woman was obviously one of Sienna’s puppets.
Natalie kept her expression calm, offering just a faint smile. Someone like this woman wasn’t worth the energy.
The woman guided Natalie up to a plush private room—the sort that could fit dozens of people.
But as soon as they walked in, the woman mumbled something about needing the restroom and disappeared.
The roar of loud voices and the stale reek of cigarette smoke turned Natalie’s stomach. Worse, though, was how lost she felt.
Natalie couldn’t even bring herself to leave the house, not when she couldn’t see a thing.
Meanwhile, Sienna waltzed around, seeing everything through Natalie’s own eyes. She even mocked Natalie for being blind.
Who the hell did Sienna think she was?
Amid the clamor of voices, Natalie caught snippets of conversation, including someone talking about her.
“I’ll never get why Jason married that blind thing. The Steiners didn’t even want her.”
“Honestly, it’s baffling. Jason and Sienna were a much better match. Just look at them. They’re perfect together.”
“Exactly. Sienna’s the real Spencer heiress. She and Jason are perfect together. How could some blind, fake heiress even compare?”
“Who knows? Maybe she’s got some special moves in bed that Jason can’t quit. Once he’s done with her, I might take her for a spin to see what the hype is about.”
Everyone knew the truth by now. Sienna was the real Spencer heiress. The family’s nanny had swapped her with Natalie, who was actually her own daughter.
And everyone acted like Natalie owed Sienna for it. The Spencers, who had raised Natalie, were convinced. So was Xavier Steiner, her ex-fiancé. Even her husband, Jason, seemed to think so.
Natalie stayed where she was, surrounded by total darkness and the voices of strangers.
But the way those people spoke so boldly and carelessly at Jason’s gathering told her everything. They were close to him.
It also meant one thing. Jason must have brought Sienna around them often. And this definitely wasn’t the first time they’d made Natalie the butt of their jokes. They knew exactly how far they could go with Jason.
And since Jason didn’t care, why should they?
A cold, sick knot tightened in Natalie’s chest. Her frown deepened.
Without another thought, she strode toward the voices, grabbed a glass from the table, and flung the drink straight at the sound.
