Chapter 35 Married for the Baby Bump
That evening, Elizabeth headed to the Howard family's estate for Natalia's eighteenth birthday party. One hand shoved casually into her pocket, she arrived without so much as a gift.
If she was going to spend money, she'd rather spend it on herself than on Natalia.
When she walked in, Natalia was surrounded by her classmates, laughing and chatting.
Calista spotted Elizabeth immediately. Her smile faltered, her brows knitting. "It's Natalia's birthday. You didn't think to get her a present? And what on earth are you wearing?"
Elizabeth glanced down at her long-sleeved shirt and casual trousers. Her hair fell in loose waves to her waist. She was tall, lean, and carried a certain athletic energy—utterly wrong for an occasion like this.
Elizabeth's lips curved faintly. "I forgot to buy one. You can prepare something for me to give her. She won't know the difference."
Calista kept her polite smile fixed for the passing guests, but her voice dropped to a hiss. "I'll have someone pick up a gift right now. When the cake's cut, you hand it to her. Understood?"
Elizabeth gave a lazy nod. "Sure."
Natalia, in a princess-style gown, looked every bit the picture of sweetness and charm. When she noticed Elizabeth, she excused herself from her friends. "My sister's here. I'll be right back."
"She has a sister?"
"Step-sister," one girl whispered to another.
"Elizabeth, you haven't been home in ages," Natalia said, looping her arm through Elizabeth's. "If I hadn't told Mom to invite you, you wouldn't have shown up at all."
Elizabeth's smile was thin. "Didn't know you missed me that much."
"Of course I do." Natalia released her and slipped her arm through Calista's instead. "Right, Mom?"
"Right. You're the only one who misses her. She's heartless," Calista said with a bright laugh.
Natalia was Calista's pride and joy.
The Howard family's relatives had turned out in force, though no actual nobility were present. Elizabeth barely knew most of them.
When they came over to offer Natalia their congratulations, their eyes inevitably slid to Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, I never imagined you'd be so lucky—marrying into the Johnson family."
"Yes, such good fortune. Is your husband here tonight?"
"The Johnson family is nobility. Your family must be thrilled."
Calista's smile tightened.
"Elizabeth is divorced," Natalia murmured.
The relatives' gazes shifted—surprise mingled with barely concealed glee.
Elizabeth arched a brow. "None of you have divorcees in your family?"
Silence.
She gave a short, derisive laugh.
While the women whispered about her failed marriage, the men speculated on what it meant for the Howard family. Without the Johnsons behind them, business would be harder. Some went further, suggesting she'd used underhanded means to marry into the Johnson family—getting pregnant to force the marriage, only to lose the baby later.
A few approached Calista directly. "Weren't there rumors the Johnson Group was going to give Elizabeth shares? What happened?"
Calista's smile was cool. "They weren't compatible. So they split."
Others cornered Natalia. "Why did Elizabeth and Mr. Johnson divorce?"
Natalia hesitated, then sighed. "He never liked her. He only married her because he had to."
That was all anyone needed to hear.
When Elizabeth reached for another canapé, she caught the way a few guests were looking at her now—judgmental, disdainful. She set the food down untouched.
After the cake was cut, she handed Natalia the gift Calista had arranged and left the Howard estate without looking back. Unless Calista was on her deathbed, she had no intention of returning.
Natalia watched her go, then pulled out her phone and typed a message.
It read: [Ms. Johnson, it's done.]
The next morning, Elizabeth was woken by the doorbell. Still groggy, she opened the door to find Quinton leaning on a crutch.
"I brought breakfast," he said, stepping inside.
Elizabeth collapsed onto the sofa, yawning. "I'll save it for lunch."
He draped a blanket over her legs. "Have you checked the trending topics today?" He unlocked his phone and held it out to her. "Elizabeth… there's a problem."
She opened her eyes and scanned the top headline.
#Pregnant Bride's Tragic Twist: Baby Gone, Marriage in Shambles!
#Secretary's Noble Marriage Ends in Scandal After Miscarriage!
The clickbait was shameless.
Elizabeth tapped into the article. It was all about her—supposedly leaked from a "reliable source" within the Howard family.
According to the piece, she had seduced Armando while working as his secretary, gotten pregnant, and forced him to marry her. Then she'd miscarried, and the Johnson family had thrown her out.
Quinton's jaw tightened. "I don't believe a word of it. We need to clear this up."
Elizabeth's gaze lingered on the word "miscarriage." She could handle rumors, but that particular wound was one she'd tried to bury. Now it was being dragged out for the world to pick over.
The comments section was a torrent of abuse—calling her shameless, manipulative, a disgrace. Someone had even dug up her photos, twisting her beauty into proof of her supposed scheming.
[She looks exactly like the type to trap a man.]
[Too bad her plan failed.]
The mob mentality was in full swing.
Elizabeth handed the phone back. "Don't worry. I'm just wondering who's behind this."
The Howard family? Or someone else? She mentally ran through the list of people who hated her most—Mindy, Sherry, Natalia.
She fetched her own phone, created a social media account, and posted a statement.
It read: [Armando and I divorced simply because we had no feelings for each other. Please do not spread false information. Legal action will be taken.]
While she typed, Quinton was already on the phone with a lawyer, compiling the usernames of those spreading lies.
"Go brush your teeth and eat breakfast," he said, squinting at her. "You've got something in your eye."
Elizabeth raised a fist in mock threat, smirking before heading off to wash up.
No matter what, she would handle this calmly.
But the trending topic wasn't going anywhere.
She called Armando. If he spoke up, this could be shut down quickly.
The line connected—and Sherry's voice came through. "Elizabeth? Looking for Armando? He's busy right now…"