Chapter 82 She's Twenty six
Vivienne's POV
She's twenty-six years old. Heiress to the Voss shipping empire. Educated at the best European schools. Beautiful, blonde, sophisticated. Everything I wasn't.
The articles about her engagement to Raphael were glowing. Called it a "power couple match." Talked about how the combined Moreau-Voss shipping operation would dominate Mediterranean trade routes. Showed photos of them at various galas and events over the past few months.
All lies!
Over the past few months.
While Raphael and I were still married and running around business. While I was still thinking about our life together and wondering if it had meant anything.
He had been building a relationship with Sherlyn the whole time.
I was never anything more than a work wife. A temporary distraction. A useful American business contact.
I closed the laptop and lay back down, my hand on my stomach again.
"Your father is a liar and a user," I whispered to the tiny cluster of cells growing inside me. "And he doesn't even know you exist. I don't know if I should tell him. I don't know if he deserves to know."
The baby, of course, had no answer.
I fell back asleep eventually and woke up to Sarah shaking my shoulder gently.
"Viv. It's almost noon. You slept through the whole morning."
I sat up groggily. My head felt heavy and my mouth tasted awful.
"Raphael called last night," I said. "At three in the morning. Left a voicemail saying the engagement is 'complicated' and 'business not personal' and he wants to explain."
Sarah's eyebrows went up. "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I deleted it and blocked his number."
"Good," Sarah said firmly. "He doesn't get to explain. He doesn't get to justify himself. He made his choices. Now he can live with them."
"But he's the baby's father," I said. "Shouldn't he know? Shouldn't I at least give him a chance to—"
"To what?" Sarah interrupted. "To pressure you into an abortion so you don't complicate his engagement? To offer you money to disappear quietly? To claim the baby isn't his? What exactly do you think is going to happen if you tell him, Viv?"
I didn't have an answer to that.
"You need to protect yourself," Sarah continued. "You need to think about what's best for you and this baby. Not what some man who used you thinks or wants or deserves to know."
She was right. But it still felt wrong somehow. Keeping this secret. Making this decision without input from the other person involved.
My phone rang. Monica.
"Good afternoon," she said when I answered. "I hope you got some rest. Are you ready to talk about moving forward?"
"I think so," I said.
"Good. Because we have the hearing in five days and we need to prepare. Can you come to my office this afternoon?"
"Yes."
"Bring Sarah if you want. And Vivienne? I know this is overwhelming. I know you're dealing with a lot. But we can handle this. We can win this. You just have to trust the process and trust me. Can you do that?"
Could I? Could I trust anyone after everything that had happened?
But what choice did I have? I couldn't fight this alone.
"Yes," I said. "I trust you."
"Good. See you at three."
Sarah and I arrived at Monica's office at two-fifty. Monica was ready for us, her desk covered with files and legal documents and highlighted notes.
"Sit," she said. "We have a lot to cover."
For the next two hours, Monica walked me through everything that would happen at the hearing. What the judge would ask. What Raphael's lawyers would likely argue. How I should answer questions. What I should wear. How I should act.
"You need to be calm," she said.
"Composed. Don't get emotional even if they try to provoke you. Don't argue with opposing counsel. Answer only the questions asked, nothing more.
And if you're not sure how to answer something, you look at me and I'll object or redirect. Understand?"
"I understand."
"They're going to bring up Raphael Moreau," Monica said. "They're going to try to paint you as someone who cheated on her husband. You need to be ready for that."
"How do I answer?"
"Honestly but carefully. Your marriage to Raphael Moreau was already over emotionally. You and your husband had been separated in all but legal terms.
"What if they ask if I'm pregnant?"
Monica was quiet for a moment. "Are they likely to know? Have you told anyone besides Sarah and me?"
"No. But if they've been investigating me, if they've talked to people, if they've somehow gotten access to medical records—"
"They can't get access to your medical records without a subpoena," Monica said.
"And we would fight that. But if they ask directly, you need to decide now if you want them to know or not.