Chapter 17

Liliana looked at her mother, at the familiar expression of disappointment and blame.

"What if it does have to do with him?" she asked.

"Don't be difficult," Vida sighed, her voice taking on a lecturing tone. "How many times have I told you? A man's life is hard. You need to be understanding and supportive, not throw tantrums."

It was the same speech she'd given Liliana every time she'd complained about Cedric's coldness. But it wasn't her mother's words that had kept her in the marriage; it was her own foolish love for him.

Now, she wondered if, without the affair, she would have ended up just like her mother—a woman who was a ghost in her own marriage.

"Go home and apologize to Cedric," Vida said, her tone softening slightly. "A woman depends on her husband. The only reason you have this comfortable life is because of him."

Her words echoed Cedric's own. "Fifty thousand dollars a month... is that not a good enough deal for you?"

The memory was still a raw, open wound. She could tolerate his arrogance, she could even tolerate his indifference, but she could not live with a man who didn't love her.

"Mom, do you have any self-respect?" Hale Preston, her younger brother, called out as he sauntered down the stairs. "It's the twenty-first century. Haven't you heard of equality?"

Vida's tone instantly changed,

becoming warm and indulgent. "This doesn't concern you, brat." Hale was the golden child. Vida had often told Liliana how disappointed the family had been when she was borna girl. She had barely recovered from Childbirth before she was trying for a son. Hale's birth a year and a half later had secured her position as Mrs. Preston.

The story always made Liliana sad, but Vida told it with pride. She had done her duty.

"Why did Dad want me to come home?" Liliana asked, needing to escape before she blurted out the truth about the divorce.

"He brought back some specialty

foods from his trip for you to take to the Forrests tonight," Vida said, then pulled her back onto the

ofa And another thing. It's been two years, and you're still not pregnant. Your father thinks you should see a doctor."

The news of Cedric's lavish party for Sylvia had made Chuck Preston nervous. He was worried about Liliana's position.

The mention of pregnancy was like a physical blow.

Cedric made her take a birth control pill after every time they were together. He claimed he was too busy with work for a child. Now she knew the real reason. The thought was devastating, but in a way, it was a relief. No children meant no ties.

"I'll think about it," she said, trying to get away.

"Don't brush this off. A man like

Cedric has women throwing

themselves at him left and right. The

smartest move for you is to have his

child that will secure your position, get him to make your marriage public, and scare off any other woman for good. It's the perfect solution."