Chapter 20: Forty Thousand Dollars

Brett Hadley brought Kendall Roark into the decision meeting, making the woman who planned to raise my son sit beside him.

Kendall took the chair beside Brett while the company leaders watched.

The chair had stayed empty until she sat down.

She folded her hands in her lap and gave me a small, helpful smile.

I kept my own chair and looked back at her.

Brett set a bottle of formula on the table.

He pushed it across the polished wood toward my hand.

'You might need this.'

The bottle stopped beside me, its blue cap turned toward Brett.

His voice carried just far enough for the leaders to hear the insult dressed as concern.

My fingers shook against the table.

I pressed them flat and took a moment before I answered.

The price sticker was still stuck to the bottle.

He had brought formula to a meeting about my son, and he expected me to sit there and take it.

I looked at Kendall.

'You wrote the nursery plan, and you wanted my son.'

Her smile held for a beat, then weakened at the corners.

'I only wanted to help, Tessa. I thought you could use support.'

She glanced at Brett before she finished.

The company chair saw it.

So did the leaders around the table.

Kendall looked to him for permission instead of answering me.

Brett leaned forward, one hand beside the folder in front of him.

'Tessa is turning private family matters into a threat to my job.'

He looked from the chair to the other leaders.

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