“Kate,” Gwen said softly, crouching so she was eye-level with her. “Look at me. Andrew’s name is all over this. We both know what he’s like. He could never handle you succeeding at anything. And now you’ve moved on? You’ve built a life he couldn’t dream of. To him, that’s the ultimate insult. That’s all this is. Him trying to claw you back down.”
Kate blinked at her through tears, trembling. I pressed my forehead to her hair, holding on like she might slip through my fingers.
My phone rang again. Matt’s voice filled the room from the speakerphone, calm as ever. “Alright, mate. First thing, we’ve got the legal team drafting a cease-and-desist. That article’s defamatory as hell. They’ve dragged IVF into it; that’s private medical history. A line they can’t cross.”
I paced the living room, phone clutched so tight my knuckles ached. Kate was curled against Gwen on the sofa, her eyes raw from tears. Her shoulders rising and falling like every breath cost her something dearly. I wanted to tear the bloody paper down brick by brick.
“Cease-and-desist isn’t enough,” I snapped. “I want them sued into the ground. Every cent they’ve got.”
“Which we’ll do,” Matt said evenly. “But for tonight, we control the narrative. We put out a joint statement. Calmly. Nothing defensive. You don’t dignify this kind of trash.”
Kate’s voice cracked across the room, weak and ruined. “It doesn’t matter what we say. People have already read it. They’ll believe it. They’ll think I…”
“No.” My chest clenched like it might cave in. I crouched in front of her, took her hands in mine. “Babe, look at me. They don’t get to decide who you are. Not Andrew, not some two-bit rag. Just us. Just me. I know the truth. And I’ll make bloody sure everyone else knows, too.”
Matt cleared his throat gently. “I’ve drafted something for you both to approve.” His voice softened a notch. “It puts you together, united. Nothing feeds the press faster than cracks. This shows the opposite.”
He read it aloud, steady and clean:
“We’re aware of a story published today regarding Kate’s past. We want to be very clear: the claims being made are false and deeply hurtful. Our relationship is built on love, respect, and choice, not speculation. We will not be commenting further on private matters, but we want to thank everyone who has supported us as we prepare to welcome our first child. We’re excited to focus on that joy, together as a family.”
Kate sniffed, wiped her eyes, her voice so small it killed me. “You really think…that’ll be enough?”
Matt didn’t hesitate. “It’s more than enough. It shuts it down, it protects you, and it makes Andrew look like the bitter little man he is. You’ll come out of this stronger.”
I looked at her, then at Gwen, who nodded firmly.
“Do it,” I snapped. “Send it out now. And put Kate’s name first.”
Matt paused. “That’s not?—”
“I don’t give a shit what’s standard.” My voice came out like gravel, my chest heaving. “She’s not some fucking afterthought. She’s my fiancée. She’s the mother of my son. She comes first, always.”
My fists clenched. I wanted to put one straight through the wall—or better yet, straight through Andrew. Rage tore at my chest. She hadn’t done a single thing to anyone except give her whole heart, over and over, and it gutted me that this was how the world repaid her. She deserved love, safety and respect. Not this.
For the first time all night, a flicker of something passed over Kate’sface. Not relief, not yet. But a spark of belief. Like maybe, she wasn’t fighting this alone for once.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Kate
The house was finally quiet.Gwen had gone home hours ago, after pressing a final kiss to my cheek and promising she’d “handle the vultures” if she had to. It was just me and Jordan now, curled up on the sofa in the low light of the living room. My eyes were swollen, sore from crying, and my body felt wrung out like a cloth.
I was lying with my head in his lap, his hand resting protectively over my bump. He kept running his hands gently through my hair, muttering that he loved me, like if he said enough gentle things it would undo the day. And then, against his palm, our son kicked. Once, then again, strong and sure.
Tears pricked my eyes for the hundredth time, but these were different. “He’s okay,” I whispered, clutching Jordan’s wrist. “I was so scared I’d harmed him today.”
Jordan bent down and kissed my temple, his voice rough with emotion. “He’s tougher than both of us put together. Takes after his mum.”
I smiled weakly. The kicks kept coming, steady and reassuring, like he was reminding me he was still there. Still safe.
Jordan’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. He reached for it, still stroking my belly with his other hand. “Matt,” he said quietly, readingthe message. Relief softened the tension in his jaw. “Article’s been pulled. Statement’s live. Lawyers are handling it.”
I let out a long, jagged breath and nodded with the sheer relief of his words.
A few minutes later, Chris and Maggie called. Jordan put them on speaker, and Maggie’s voice was warm and firm in the no-nonsense way only she could be. “Kate, don’t you dare read the comments. I did it for you already. It’s wall-to-wall support. Everyone’s tearing the article apart, calling it disgusting. The public’s on your side.”
My throat tremored. “Really?”
