bChapter /bb3 /b

Nancy bfroze /bbmomentarily /bbbefore /bmeeting her bgaze/b. This bwasn’t /bbour /bbagreement /bwhen we made bour /bdealb. /bbAre /bbyou /bhaving bsecond /bbthoughts/b?b” /b

Yesb, /bbshe /bbwas/bb. /b

Charlotte lowered her beyes/bb, /bsuppressing the bbitterness /bin them.b“/bbI’ve /bdisappointed you.”

Nancy closed her beyes /bbriefly and bsighed/b. b“/bVery bwell/b. If that’s what byou /bwant, bgo /bbahead /bband /bdivorce him. bI /bbgave /bbyou /bthe bopportunity/b. But byou /bbcan’t /bbwin /bJaxson bover/b. Now bour /bfamily owes byou /bnothing moreb./bb” /b

A heavy bweight /bbsettled /bin Charlotte’s chest. Thank byou/b,” she breplied /bbhoarsely/b.

Returning to Havenwood Apartments, she coincidentally bencountered /bCaroline, bher /bbson/bb, /bband /bbJaxson /bdownstairs.

They had arrived in Jaxson’s bcar/b.

Charlotte stood bfrozen/b.

Caroline looked at her in surprise. Dr. Sutton? Do you live at Havenwood bApartments /btoo?”

Instinctively, Charlotte bnced /bat Jaxson, but he showed no reaction.

His indifference cut deeper than any words could.

Havenwood Apartments was a luxuryplex in Bostonb, /bone bof /bthe Hamilton family’s properties. Jaxson had boffered /bit to bher /bbas /bpensation.

It was close to the hospitalb, /bso she bepted /bit.

She never imagined he would move Caroline and her son here bas /bwell.

How eager he was.

“What ba /bcoincidence,” Charlotte murmured, suppressing her emotions.

As she turned to leave, Caroline spoke again, “Dr. Sutton, I heard you’re married. Why haven’t we bseen /bbyour /bhusband baround/b?”

Charlotte’s

steps

Her gaze flickered to bJaxson/b, whose eyes darkened with displeasure.

Charlotte sneered inwardly. bWas /bhe really that afraid of Caroline finding out about their rtionship?

“I don’t have a husband,” she stated tly.

A shadow passed through Jaxson’s normally calm eyes.

“But Dr. Sutton, you’re listed as married,” Caroline said, bher /bsmile still in bce/b.

bHer /bhospital records did indeed list her as married. Yet no one had bever /bbseen /bbher /bsupposed husband.

Charlotte forced a mocking smile.“I just wrote that for fun. I bdon’t /bhave a husband.”

Jaxson’s eyes narrowed dangerously at her denial.

Since she’d already resigned and decided to bleave/b, she didn’t bcare /banymore about keeping her bmarital /bstatus ba /bbsecret/b.