The fire inside me was getting harder to contain. I locked my eyes on Dale. I needed an answer before this went any further.

"Dale, I'm curious. What exactly does Noreen have that I don't, for you to be this heartless?"

"Good in what way?" Mrs. Fleming laughed. "You really have the nerve to ask. Do you even know who Noreen is?"

"She's the daughter of the richest man in Cloudridge. She's the kind of person who can take Dale's career to the next level."

"What could you possibly offer compared to her? In six years, what have you ever done for Dale?"

"All you do at your age is fuss over your health routines. You're just some hick from the middle of nowhere. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were some kind of heiress."

The disgust in her eyes was undisguised. "Besides spending Dale's money, what else are you good for?"

Zoey chimed in right after. "My mom's blunt, but everything she said is true. You and Noreen aren't even in the same league."

I turned on Dale, fury rising in my voice. "Dale Fleming, who do you think got you where you are today?"

I was the one who brought in his first investor. I was the one who introduced his first client.

His company's very first project only happened because of me.

I personally wrote many of the critical proposals that came after.

Yes, I spent more time taking care of my health. I was trying to have a child. That was something I had to do.

But Dale's success didn't come from thin air. Setting aside everything I'd done behind the scenes, even the things I did openly were the key to the company's growth.

I stayed out of the spotlight to protect his pride, deliberately keeping my involvement in the company's management invisible.

Mrs. Fleming glared at me. "He got where he is through his own hard work. You think he owes it to you?"

"Renata, all this talk is just because you want to keep the baby." Dale finally spoke. He took the pills himself and held them out to me.

"I won't allow it. Take them."

I'd confirmed my pregnancy today. I was happy. I hadn't even planned to fight the divorce.

But they had trampled on my dignity, step by step. And now they wanted me to destroy my own child.

Enough.

I walked to the table and picked up my phone. I found our family group chat and typed out a message.

I'm pregnant. Dale and his mistress are forcing me to abort.