Page 73 of Against All Odds

He’s quiet for a few seconds and then clears his throat. “Know what?” he asks with what almost sounds like concern.

“I’m pregnant.”

This time the silence is much longer, and I actually pull my phone down to look at it. Maybe I lost service.

Nope, the clock is still moving, so I continue to tell him what I do know. “I was feeling shitty the last few days, nothing out of the ordinary, and then I got sick at work, thought maybe I was coming down with something, so I went to the doctor today. Turns out I’m not sick. I’m probably about two months or so pregnant.”

“I have to ask . . .”

“Don’t ask, Dylan. Don’t ask if the baby is yours. Do not do that to me. I didn’t cheat on you.” Regardless of the legal status of our marriage, we are not married. We are not a couple. Weare no longer anything but strangers who legally are tangled. So whatever has happened in the last few days does not hold any bearing on this.

“Okay, so what do you want from me?” he asks, almost detached, and I blink.

“What?”

“What do you want? Money? Is this a way to get more out of the divorce? The very generous settlement I offered isn’t enough? Now you have to have a baby to ruin the life I’m building?”

There is so much to unpack there, and I take a few seconds to try to make any of the things he said make sense. First of all, the settlement was an absolute joke. He offered me $200,000 for our $7 million home and to pay off my student loans. Not that I want to take an unfair amount of money, but there’s no way I was going to take that when I also contributed to building our life.

I paid for things when he was out of work. I took care of us, and now that I know there’s a baby I have to think about, there’s no way I’d accept that. We finally agreed to split the sale of the house in half, or he can buy me out.

What I’m more focused on is the part about me ruining his life. I’ll start there.

“I shouldn’t be surprised by anything you say at this point, but here I am, once again just completely baffled. I didn’t think this was going to go over with you being overjoyed, but I didn’t think you were going to accuse me of trying to ruin your life considering not once did I ask for a damn thing. I’m lettingyouknow thatyou’regoing to be a father because I know what that meant for you. As for the money, I don’t even know what to say to that. Do you not want to help your baby?”

“If it’s even really happening and this isn’t just some ploy to ruin my new life.”

I laugh out a huff. “Do you really think I’d make up a baby to what? Win you back? I don’t want you back. If you think for one second that I’m happy about this, you’re even more of a narcissist than I ever believed. The baby is real. It’s yours.”

He lets out a long sigh. “I can’t have a baby now.”

“And you think this timing is great for me?”

“I’m happy, Violet. I found someone who sees me and loves me. She’s not trying to change me and turn me back into the weak man who was struggling. She loves my fame and revels in it.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t give a flying fuck that you’re happy. I’ve been perfectly happy here as well.”

Seriously, the last couple of months of my life have been amazing. I have friends, freedom, Everett ...

“I’m going to have to talk to Whitney. We’re building a life, and I don’t think she wants a kid right now.”

I struggle to breathe. Who the hell is this man? “You’re going to have to talk to Whitney?” I ask, praying I didn’t hear him correctly. “And ask her what? You’re going to have a child, Dylan. This baby isn’t contingent on your fucking mistress. Do you get that? I’m going to have a baby in about six or seven months and ... you’re going to ask for permission?”

“No, Violet, I’m going to ask my fiancée if she wants to be around this or if we keep this quiet. I need to talk to my team. Don’t tell anyone until I have an idea of how to handle it. I don’t need the press getting wind of it and tearing me down more.”

I drop my head, my heart going with it. I didn’t expect him to be happy. I just didn’t think he’d be this much of a piece of shit. “So you’re worried that the baby will ruin your image?”

“Of course I am. I don’t need this right now. I’m doing my best to fix what you refused to help with, and this will just make it worse. And you plan to keep the baby?”

“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Right. Are you doing this to punish me? You can’t want this baby. We’re in the middle of a divorce, and we aren’t exactly on the best of terms.”

It’s always about him.

I really don’t know how to reconcile my feelings. They’re all over the place as I go from anger to utter despair.

“I’m aware of the current state of our life, but that doesn’t change anything. You do whatever you need to do with your team, but regardless, I want this kept out of the press. This baby isn’t going to be used for your benefit, and I swear to God, Dylan, if you do anything to leak this, I will go on my own press tour and expose anything I can. If you don’t want to be a part of this baby’s life, that’s perfectly fine. I’m not asking you for a thing, not money, not co-parenting. I just didn’t want to be like your mother and keep this from you. You do whatever you need to, and I’ll do the same for me and the baby.”

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