Chapter 0124

Hannah kicked off her heels with unnecessary force. Flopping onto the edge of the massive bed, she angrily ripped off her glittering chandelier earrings and tossed them aside. Her chest heaved, her fingers trembling as she attempted to undo her elaborate updo. She fumbled with the bobby pins, unable to concentrate. That damning image was seared into her mind: Noah and Zoe, swaying on the dance floor, her head tilted towards his, fingers tracing his neck, his hand splayed across her lower back.

A mirthless laugh escaped her, harsh and bitter in the stillness of the bedroom. Seeing them together was torture, but Noah’s idiotic words echoed endlessly in her mind: “Shouldn’t you only be interested in sex when you’re fertile?”

Her fingers curled into fists, nails digging into her palms. The humiliation, the sheer indignity, sent heat prickling her neck. Had he truly believed she was nothing more than a broodmare, to be utilized only during her ovulation window—all thanks to some moronic doctor?

She shuddered, wiping at her damp lashes. She desperately wished she could confront that doctor. A quick glance at her phone confirmed he’d recently taken a leave of absence. Her fists clenched tighter, her teeth grinding. How convenient. Disappearing just when she had a bone to pick with him.

A sharp rap at the door jolted her upright. “Go away,” she called without turning.

“Hannah,” Noah’s voice responded as the door creaked open. “We need to talk.”

Grinding her teeth, she glared over her shoulder. “Oh, so now you want to talk? Couldn’t be bothered earlier while you were whirling your ex around the dance floor?”

His expression clouded. She would have savored his hurt, had she not been so wounded herself.

“She just needed to discuss something,” he muttered, “about Drake and the Luna Queen.”

“Is that your excuse?” she scoffed, rising and facing him. “Don’t bother. I don’t want to hear it.”

His jaw tightened. “Would you just listen for one minute? This isn’t what you think.”

“Oh, isn’t it?” She folded her arms, her chin jutting out. Honestly, she barely cared about Zoe. It was the lies he’d allowed himself to believe—lies that had hurt her and their marriage for years. “Go on, then. Talk. But I’ll warn you, if any of this involves more bullshit pseudoscience about my arousal during ovulation—”

“Alright, alright,” he cut her off. “I know it was idiotic.”

He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he ran a hand over his face. For a fleeting moment, his egotistical mask slipped, revealing something akin to regret. That sliver of humanity twisted her heart.

“Look. I shouldn’t have blindly accepted the doctor’s words,” he admitted, meeting her gaze. “It seems he was… misinformed.”