Chapter 4

The next morning, despite his well-known aversion to germs, Hudson tenderly cleaned and redressed my wounds. The home nurse watched with barely concealed envy. I felt nothing but emptiness. His heart seemed to break when he saw my swollen, crying eyes; that familiar look of worry crossed his face.

“Reese, I know you’re grieving. Trust me, I am too. But you need to rest—I’ve lost our boy, I can’t lose you too. Let me handle the funeral today.”

Handle it? Like you handled murdering your own son?

Swallowing my bitter thoughts, I kept my voice steady. “No. I need to say goodbye to my baby.”

At the funeral home, I immediately spotted Valeria and a teenage boy holding court with my mother-in-law, Eleanor. They were making her laugh—at her grandson’s funeral. Everyone else wore respectful black. Valeria, however, wore a skin-tight red dress; the teenager matched in a blazing red suit. Eleanor didn’t seem to notice or care. She fawned over them as if they were her actual family, even having the staff shield them from the mild sun with umbrellas.

Valeria’s eyes glittered when she saw me. “Oh, Eleanor, sweetie, save the umbrella for poor Reese here. After all, she’s the one who lost her child. And those injuries…”

Eleanor turned to me, her face twisting with disgust. “It’s just one ungrateful brat gone. Why the dramatic puffy eyes? So theatrical—you’re embarrassing the Montclair family.”

“Look at Val and Leon—they actually care about family. They rushed straight here from their flight to check on poor old me. They even brought me this gorgeous jade bracelet. They’re real family—unlike your ungrateful, selfish ass.”

Eleanor never accepted me. I wasn’t good enough for her precious Hudson. During my years of infertility, she called me useless. When Noah was born, she resented how he always defended me, calling him disloyal. Hudson used to stand up for me. Now? He couldn’t take his eyes off Valeria, looking at her as if she hung the moon.

Valeria flashed me a triumphant smirk before clutching Eleanor’s arm. “Please don’t get upset, Eleanor darling. Besides, Leon would love to be your grandson—your real grandson.”

Valeria sauntered over, the teenage boy trailing behind her like a prince. “Reese, darling! Been forever! Sorry about the outfit, hun—literally just landed from overseas. No time to change! But you’re always so…understanding about these things, aren’t you, sweetie?”

“Oh, let me introduce you properly: this is my son, Leon Montclair.”