The Woman They Underestimated

he humid New Orleans heat. Liam drove, his knuckles white on the ste

had pulled me from the wreckage of my family's ruin, a collapse orchestrated by my own father who ran off with his mistress, leaving my mother and

hospital. We pulled up to a discreet,

asked, a knot of confusi

is handsome face, the one I had trusted

ed to talk abo

aughter of the woman my father ran aw

about

at. "She has a rare autoimmune disease

e connection. "That' s terrible, but

u' re a perfect match, Chloe.

ity outside faded to a dull roar. "A

om the IVF clinic cross-re

cold, sharp dread. "Liam... w

my eyes. He looked

lant now. You can' t be pre

tesque and unbelievable. I fel

inate my pregnancy?" I

he man I thought I knew was go

s voice hardening. "Isabella is a living, breat

wild and hysterical, bubble up in

am, this is our child. W

y for as many rounds of IVF as you want

rd feeling like a monumental effort. "Absolut

get out, to breathe. His hand shot out a

e this diffi

was low,

o of me

said, his eyes cold. "You t

wrist, but the

t it? The best doctors, the best facility. All under my name. I

hing. "What ar

ved from life-sustaining care. The feeding tube, the medication... it all stops

e was threatening to kill my mother. My sick, h

dn' t," I

o protect you. Isabella told me how that doctor friend of yours, Julian, was obsessed

ned out of me, replaced by a hollow, cavernous emptiness. There wa

felt horribly final. A doctor spoke to me in hushe

dative, I looked at Lia

iage is ov

sture that was once comforting,

soothing lie. "It' s a difficult day. I promise, I

t thing I saw was his face, a portrait o