Chapter 42
Colette’s body tensed as she made her way to her room. The conversation with Zoe had left her feeling raw and uncertain, as though she were walking a tightrope between clarity and chaos. Her thoughts swirled in a storm of confusion, but before she could process any of it, the doorbell rang.
She froze mid-step, her pulse quickening. She didn’t need to see who it was. Her body, her heart, told her everything she needed to know. The familiar tension, the unspoken anticipation—it could only be one person.
Zoe, leaning against the couch, groaned loudly. “Oh, great. And here comes the asshole.”
Colette inhaled sharply, bracing herself as she turned to face the door. Zoe didn’t bother to move, her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with the anticipation of a fight.
“I would have called you a cunt in response, Zoe,” came the unmistakable voice of Matt as the door swung open, “but that wouldn’t be an insult. It would just be stating a fact.”
Zoe hissed in response, her words biting. “How dare you show your face here, Matt? You screwed everything up, like always!” Colette didn’t understand what Zoe meant with that comment, not until she realized that Matt hadn’t came alone. Zoe was angry because she had worked so hard to pin down that woman, was yet again walking free because of Matt.
Colette’s eyes flickered between the two of them, but she had no time to dwell on their ongoing feud, and it seemed neither did Matt. He didn’t waste any time; he stormed into the apartment with a kind of fury that was barely restrained.
Behind him, looking more disheveled than Colette had ever seen her, was none other than Iris Lawson. Gone was the perfect, composed façade. Iris looked like a shadow of her former self—her once immaculate hair was tangled and messy, her face a blotchy red, and her makeup was smeared as though she’d been crying for hours. Her lips trembled as she stood there, avoiding Colette’s eyes.
“Well, well,” Zoe sneered from her spot on the couch, her voice dripping with venom. “Look what the cat dragged in.” Her eyes flicked over Iris with disdain before locking onto Matt. “Just when I thought this chapter was finally closed, you go and rescue her from the mess I so carefully created. You stupid jackass, Matt! You had one job—to keep her out of our lives!”
Matt shot Zoe a cold glare but ignored her outburst, his focus entirely on Colette. He stepped forward, his expression intense, the weight of his words heavy as he spoke. “This chapter won’t be closed until Colette hears everything.” His eyes locked onto Colette’s, full of urgency, regret, and something deeper—desperation. “The way way I have behaved in the last few weeks, it haven’t exactly earned me any brownie points, I know that. But I need you to listen to me. I need you to hear it all.”
Colette’s heart pounded violently in her chest, the rapid rhythm deafening in her ears. She didn’t move. She wasn’t sure if she could.
Matt shifted, his gaze unrelenting as he glanced at Iris, who was now shifting uncomfortably, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here. “I knew she was lying,” Matt said suddenly, his voice low and steady. “When Iris showed up at that party, claiming she was pregnant, I knew she was trying to destroy what little was left of our marriage. And I knew that after everything I had done, after how distant we had been, you wouldn’t believe me if I denied it outright. So, I had to make sure Iris told the truth herself. So I got her out of the clutches of the authorities, in return of the promise that she will tell you the truth.”
Colette’s breath hitched, and she couldn’t help but glance at Iris, who looked like she was about to bolt out of the door any second. But Matt wasn’t letting her go. With a tight grip, he yanked Iris forward, forcing her to face Colette.
“Tell her,” Matt said through gritted teeth. His voice was sharp, like a blade pressing against the surface of Iris’s carefully crafted façade.
Iris flinched but remained silent, her eyes flicking from Matt to Colette, filled with hatred and defeat.
“Tell her!” Matt barked again, his patience wearing thin. “Or I swear, Iris, I’ll have you thrown into a jail so fast and for so long no one will ever hear from you again.”
Iris glared at Matt, her lips curling in disgust, but finally, with a trembling voice, she spoke. “I lied about being pregnant.”
Colette stood frozen, the admission sinking into her like a heavy weight. She felt like she’d been holding her breath since the moment Iris had appeared in the doorway, and now, the air seemed too thick to breathe.
“And?” Matt urged, his voice demanding more. “Keep going, Iris.”
Iris winced, her voice barely above a whisper. “And Matt and I never slept together.”
For a moment, Colette’s world went silent. Her heart was beating so fast, she was certain everyone in the room could hear it. She blinked, her mind trying to catch up with what Iris had just admitted. All the doubts, the sleepless nights, the fear that her husband had betrayed her—they felt like they were dissolving, but not without leaving a scar.
From behind her, Zoe let out a mocking laugh. “Not for lack of trying on your part, though, right?” she spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You were practically throwing yourself at him.”
Iris shot Zoe a venomous look, but didn’t respond. Instead, her face twisted with bitterness as she turned her gaze back to Colette. “I said those things at the party to break you up,” Iris confessed, the words coming out slowly, as if they physically hurt her to admit. “Matt fired me last night, and I wanted revenge.”
“And?” Matt’s voice cut through the air like a knife, sharp and unyielding.
This time, Iris snapped. “And what, Matt? Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg for her forgiveness? Do you want me to grovel for the sake of your little housewife?” she hissed, her eyes narrowing in disdain. “She’s nothing—just a high school graduate with no career, no talent. She’s—”
“Get out,” Matt’s voice was cold, but the fury underneath it was palpable.
Iris turned to him, her eyes widening in surprise, but before she could say anything, Matt stepped forward and grabbed her arm with a force that left no room for protest. He yanked her away from Colette, his face hard and unrelenting. “Get out right now,” he growled, his voice dangerously low.
As if on cue, two men from Matt’s security detail appeared in the doorway, their faces impassive as they took hold of Iris by the arms. She struggled for a moment, trying to resist, but they were too strong. They dragged her toward the door as she shouted over her shoulder, her voice shrill and full of venom.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Colette stood there, her body trembling as she tried to process what had just happened. Matt took a step toward her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of forgiveness.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. But I swear to you, Colette, I never cheated on you. I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
Colette’s heart was racing, her emotions a tangled mess of relief, anger, and confusion. But for the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope.
Could they really fix this? Could they rebuild what had been broken?
“I don’t know, Matt,” she said softly, her voice shaky. “I don’t know if I can just forgive everything.”
Matt stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup her cheek. “I’m not asking for immediate forgiveness. I’m asking for a chance. A chance to prove to you that I can be the man you deserve. The man I want to be—for you, and for our baby.”
Colette’s eyes filled with tears, but this time, they weren’t tears of despair. They were tears of hope, of possibility.
“I’m so tired, Matt,” she whispered.
Matt nodded, his forehead resting against hers. “I know. But let’s not give up on us. Not yet.”
And for the first time in weeks, Colette felt the tiniest flicker of belief—maybe, just maybe, they could make it through this storm together.