Joanne knew Heather was lying. She didn’t have the full picture yet, but her instincts screamed it loud and clear. Something was rotten in Heather’s carefully curated sob story.

And honestly? She wasn’t even shocked.

There were women out there who’d fake a pregnancy to trap a man. Lie about a child just to win him back. Heather Nelson wouldn’t be the first—and she certainly wasn’t clever enough to be the last.

But if she thought Joanne would quietly step aside?

She picked the wrong woman.

Joanne didn’t know what Jeffrey had heard. Didn’t know how much of this mess he was aware of. Maybe he was in shock. Maybe he didn’t know if it was true. Maybe—just maybe—he was trying to figure out if he had a daughter out of nowhere.

But Joanne? She knew one thing for sure.

She wasn’t leaving.

Robert’s cruel little voice tried to echo in her head, but she shut it down before it gained traction. She trusted Jeffrey. He showed her how much he loved her. She was not going to doubt his love.

But another voice echoed in the deepest corner of her mind—Men do choose the mother of their child, don’t they? Isn’t Heather the mother of Jeffrey’s child?

Joanne’s hand unconsciously went to her belly. They’d been reckless. All the time. How come she didn’t get pregnant?

Bitterness rose in her throat but she swallowed it. She couldn’t spiral off now. No. She refused to.

Heather might’ve hoped Joanne would spiral, fall apart, back off. But this time?

Joanne was going to makeHeatherback off. And she’d enjoy every second of it.

She stood tall, shoulders squared, voice slicing through the tension like a blade.

"I have therightto know, Heather. I’m Jeffrey’s girlfriend. His future wife. If this fairytale you’re spinning has any truth to it, then I will need to know this child—wewill. Jeffrey deserves to be in her life. And if raising her is too much for you, trust me, we’ll take full custody. I love kids."

That wasn’t a bluff. It wasn’t some power move. It was truth—sharp and unapologetic.

Joanne had taken in abandoned children before. She’d bathed them, fed them, held them when they were too broken to speak. Loving a child wasn’t something that scared her. Especially not Jeffrey’s child.

Yes, it stung. Four years ago, while she’d been holding her broken heart, Jeffrey had been with Heather. Maybe creating a life with her. Maybe building a family that wasn’t supposed to be hers.

But that wasbefore. Before they trulykneweach other. Before they fell—reallyfell—in love.

It hurt. But she’d survived worse.

And she wasn’t going to be broken again.

Joanne met Heather’s eyes, gaze cool, smile sharp.

"I’m not going anywhere. And Jeffrey isnotgoing to marry you just because you wave a baby in his face."

Heather’s face contorted. Rage burned behind her mascara. "What do you think youare, huh?" she snarled, raising her hand for another slap.

But Joanne hadhadenough.

This time, she didn’t flinch. Didn’t wait.

She moved fast—quicker than Heather expected—catching her wrist mid-air. "You slap me again, Iwillpress charges. But don’t worry... I’ll let this one slide. Pity makes me generous."

Heather yanked her hand free, wild and panting with rage. "Jeffrey doesn’t love you! He still lovesme! If he loved you, he wouldn’t havetried to kill you—!"

*Slap*

The sound echoed like a whip crack.

Heather staggered back, her balance thrown, her expression stunned and dazed.

Joanne’s voice was ice. "Watch your mouth."

Heather regained her footing, her fury boiling over as she lunged—feral and reckless.

But before Joanne could retaliate, another hand clamped around her wrist.

Jeffrey.

She froze. So did Heather.

Joanne turned her head slowly to look at him.

He was holding her back—but gently. Like he wasn’t sure whether to protect her... or question her. His face was unreadable. His grip was firm, but not angry.

And Joanne?

She just lifted her chin.

No shame. No guilt. Just fire in her eyes and thunder in her chest.

Let the cards fall where they may.

Because this time?

She was fighting for herpride.

She was fighting for herlove.

Her prideandher love—Jeffrey.

And she wasn’t going to lose.

At least, that was what she thought.

Her heart lifted the moment she saw him.

Jeffrey.

The man who had defended her when no one else dared.

Who had stood by her, unwavering, when the world crumbled around her.

Who had saved her—again and again—just by showing up.

How could shenotfeel joy seeing him now?

But that joy...

Lasted all of three seconds.

"What are you even doing here, Jo?" he asked.

Not "Are you okay?"

Not "What happened?"

Not "I’ve got you."

Just that. Cold. Detached. Tired.

Then he did the unthinkable—he pushed her behind him.

But not like before, not the way a man shields the woman he loves.

No.

This time... it wasn’t protection.

It wasexclusion.

He wasn’t shielding her from Heather.

He was shielding Heather fromher.

Joanne felt the ground crack beneath her feet.

Like the entire axis of her world had shifted without warning.

Like lightning had struck her heart, and she couldn’t breathe.

Still, she clung to hope. Still, shetried.

"Jeffrey, I don’t think that baby is yours. Heather is—"

"Stay out of it, Jo."

The words cut clean. No yelling. No anger.

Just finality.

A crack in his voice, maybe—but the kind that saidhe’d made his choice.

Joanne stared at him. "Jeff?" she whispered, voice trembling under the weight of her disbelief.

Heather was screeching nonsense—something about love and betrayal, about Joanne being poison and Jeffrey wanting her dead.

Joanne barely heard it.

It didn’t matter.

The only voice she was listening for... was his.

She needed him to look at her.

To say it wasn’t true.

To tell her he lovedher—not Heather. That he wasn’t going back.

That they would face whatever this chaos wastogether.

That’s all she wanted.

Just his voice.

Just his hand reaching for hers.

But instead...

"You stay away from Heather. You stay out of it."

He didn’t shout.

He didn’t curse.

But Joanne shattered.

He chose her.

Not the woman who had stood by him when he had nothing.

Not the one who’d loved him without question.

Not the one who would’ve given her life for him, taken in his child without a blink, fought every battle by his side.

He choseHeather.

And Joanne...

She broke into a thousand silent pieces.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com