He has the audacity to look guilty, after all this time.
“She was my assistant, my TA at the school we both worked at,” he explains, carefully omitting the fact that he had a five-month long affair with her, and got her pregnant.
Hope scoffs, and we both turn to her. Her arms are crossed over her chest, every line of her body taut with anger—anger aimed squarely at her ex-husband.
“Oh, for God’s sake, Adrian. He knows she was more than just your TA. He knows you were fucking her while they were still together!” she snaps, and it’s almost laughable how quickly the colour drains from his face.
“I...um...I,” he swallows, his gaze flicking nervously between Hope and me.
“Save your breath,” I say, not caring to hear what he has to say. “You actually did me a favour. You spared me from building a life with someone so vile, so toxic. But it still doesn’t excuse you for what you did to your own family.”
“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know that I blew up my entire life because of what I did? Trust me, I fucking know. And I’ve paid for it dearly,” he murmurs, his sad eyes flicking to Hope.
She remains standing with her arms crossed over her chest, her expression unreadable.
“I’m curious,” he continues, his gaze moving between Hope and me, once again. “How did you two end up meeting?”
“Who do you think told me about your affair?” It’s Hope who answers this time.
“I thought you said you had a PI follow me?”
“I didn’t say I was the one who hired him.”
Adrian snaps his head in my direction, his brow furrowed tightly. “You had someone follow me?”
“Not you—Lucia,” I reply, teeth clenched. “You just happened to pop up in the file.”
“So what? You decided to get your revenge on me by going straight to my wife—showing her everything you’d dug up about me, tearing our family apart.”
“No, Adrian,youtore our family apart,” Hope says, her voice tired and edged with irritation, as though she’s had to repeat those words far too many times. “Kaden only did what you were too much of a coward to do—tell the truth.”
He lets out sharp breath, his jaw clenching as everything finally sinks in. He’s quiet for a brief moment, just staring past me at the street beyond.
“Let me guess, you two have formed some weird bond over the betrayal and are friends now. Have you been seeing each other this whole time?”
“We’ve been friends for a few weeks now,” Hope says. “He’s been helping Zac and me out a lot.”
“You’ve introduced this man to our son!” he snaps. “The man who literally has a personal vendetta against me for sleeping with his girlfriend?”
“Mate, I don’t have a personal vendetta against you. I couldn’t care less about you or Lucia,” I bite back.
“Adrian, not everything is about you. My friendship with Kaden was completely unexpected. We hadn’t seen or spoken to each other for over a year. It was by pure chance that we crossed paths again.” She meets my gaze and offers me a soft, genuine smile that always seem to thaw my heart.
I give her a wink, unfazed by Adrian silently watching every bit of our exchange.
“Wait,” he interrupts our little moment. “I remember something—something Lucia once brought up in a conversation.”
We both glance his way, but a knot begins to churn deep in my stomach, like some instinct already knows what he’s about to reveal.
“Oh my god. I remember now. She told me about the history of your relationship.”
I go still. “Adrian, don’t,” I warn, shaking my head, my eyes searching his with a near-pleading look.
Hope is looking between us, with a puzzled look in her expression. “What about it?”she asks.
My heart feels as though it’s sinking to the bottom of my stomach.
“Do you want to tell her, Kaden, or should I?” he sneers, an arrogant smirk spreading across his smug face.
