Heidi’s back straightened, and I saw more fire in her in that moment than I’d seen all week. It was like my firecracker was back…and she was about to explode.
“You’re not even worth his time. You’re certainly not worth mine. The fact that you flew all the way out here because you were so desperate and thought you could get him back if you got me out of the way is really pathetic.” Heidi tilted her head and furrowed her brow. “I actually pity you.”
Miranda laughed. “I don’t need anyone’s pity.”
“You’re a sad little putt slut who snagged herself a pro golfer and now will do anything to keep him. He’s finally seen you for who you really are,” Heidi said. “And you can insult me all you like, but you’re never going to get him back. Not with your winning personality.”
“Fucking bitch,” Miranda croaked. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“She does,” I said. I placed my arm around Heidi’s shoulders and squared off against Miranda.
Miranda opened her mouth to respond, but my family stepped up on either side of me and Heidi. We were all facing her—Jensen, Austin, Morgan, Sutton, and even Patrick, Emery, and Julia. Us against her. I knew who I would place my bet on.
“You should go,” I said firmly. “You’re not wanted here.”
“Fuck all of you fucking Wrights. I’ll take the scandal to the press!”
Jensen shook his head. “I bought out your PI. I don’t think that will be happening.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t even that hard to track down when I knew what I was looking for,” Morgan said. She changed her tone of voice and grinned at Miranda. I knew she was enjoying herself. “So, you can go bye-bye now.”
Miranda’s eyes roamed between my family before landing back on me. “God, I am so glad that I got that abortion.”
My stomach dropped out of my body. My head felt dizzy, and I couldn’t seem to process what she had said. “You…what?”
“Yeah. You fucking thought I miscarried? No, I just didn’t want to have your fucking kid and have it grow up and be a Wright. So, I got rid of it,” Miranda spat at me.
The last year sped before my eyes. All the times I had defended her and catered to her and moved mountains for her comfort because of the miscarriage that I believed we were both mourning. Even when I’d wanted out, I’d been there for her through everything. Then she had done this without even telling me and lied about it for a year.
“Get the fuck out,” I said, pointing at the door. “Right now.”
Miranda opened her mouth to respond, but Jensen, Austin, and Patrick took over, acting as my own personal guards to escort her out of the building. I hoped this was the last time that I would ever see her. I’d wanted out for a long time, but I’d never fathomed the depths of her deceit.
Heidi put her hand on my back. She knew what that meant to me. She knew how much I had wanted a family and what I had sacrificed to try for one.
“Hey, that’s not your fault,” she said softly.
“She killed our unborn child.”
“I know,” she whispered. “And nothing could ever make that right.”
“She actually did it.”
“I know,” she repeated. Her hand ran circles around my back, trying to ease my pain. “But…but I’m here, Landon. If you need me.”
I saw the sincerity in her eyes. That she was still upset with me but couldn’t walk away from me when I’d found out something like this. I loved her even more for it.
“I can’t believe it.”
“I think it explains a lot about her behavior. The way she’s always acted so jealous and angry. When you first told me she had the miscarriage, I thought her actions were from guilt that she might not be able to have a child,” Heidi explained. “Now, I see it’s guilt because she got rid of the one you wanted and lied about it. The fact that she wielded the news like a weapon just showed how desperate she was. She wants to hurt you.”
“It worked,” I admitted.
“How could it not?” Heidi asked. “What she did was despicable. Going behind your back and lying and then making you cater to her for so long about something that wasn’t even true. She’s just crazy. Aren’t you a little glad a child isn’t involved?”
My eyes moved to Jensen, who was striding back toward us. He was proof enough that a divorce was bad when a child was involved. I nodded. I was glad. I didn’t want children with Miranda or to be shackled to her forever.
But I would never forgive her for terminating the one we could have had. The possibility. It felt like losing the baby all over again.
“God, what a bitch!” Morgan said. “I mean…phew! You picked a real winner, Landon.”
“Thanks, Morgan,” I said with an eye roll.
“She sure knows how to put on a show though. And, seriously, I wouldn’t take anything she said to heart.” She gave me a pointed look. “At this point, she would do anything to hurt you—lie, cheat, steal, hire a private investigator to get your girlfriend fired. You know, totally normal psychotic behavior.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Well, there’s one good thing that came out of all of this.”
“Yeah?” Heidi asked.
“You’re talking to me again.”
“Um…yes, that’s great,” Morgan said, “however, I have to say that the best part is that when Jensen escorted her out, he threatened her within an inch of her life. I’m pretty sure we’ll have the signed divorce paperwork by tomorrow.”
I took that first breath of relief at the thought. Even though Miranda had wrecked my life and slaughtered my heart with that last comment, it was going to be over soon. I could move on, and hopefully, I could do that with Heidi on my arm.
Morgan winked at Heidi and then disappeared toward the small stage at the front of the room. I turned to face Heidi, who was still staring at me with round blue eyes full of concern.
“You know that I am totally in love with you, right?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I think I noticed that.”
“I don’t want us to be apart. I don’t want what happened here or with our jobs to pull us apart. I’ll really quit this time, Heidi. I’ll get you your job back, and we’ll make this work. It’s not worth not having you.”
She waved me off. “Look, I didn’t want to break up with you. I want us to be together. That’s what I’ve wanted for so long. I just blamed you for everything. And, sure, it was Miranda’s fault, and we both could have been more careful, but we should have worked through this together. I’m sure that’s why Emery and Julia insisted I come here.”
“I would love to make this work as a team. I don’t want to go through life, wondering about what-ifs. I want you.”
I cupped her face in my hands and then gently pressed a kiss to her lips. She leaned into me, and I tasted sweet victory in that little movement. Heidi was mine.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention,” Jensen said from the stage. “I’m Jensen Wright, the CEO of Wright Construction, and I wanted to thank everyone for coming out tonight for our annual Charity Benefit. I hope you’re losing all of your money at the tables, so we can donate an enormous check to the Lubbock Children’s Hospital!”