The Warmest Winter✓

Fifty-two

"Liam, I'm going to the ladies room," I whisper in Liam's ear.

He's been stuck in some business conversations with Malik and the other three guys since forever, and I think I'm done with this party.

"Okay. When you come back we'll go home right away," Liam returns with a soft, tired smile.

"Sure. Can you hold my cellphone?" I hand it to him and walk away.

After jostling past a few guests, I finally manage to find the restroom with the help of one of the waiters. However, returning home and settling some scores with my husband is the only thing occupying my mind, fearful of the next hours of my life.

Maybe I should just quit thinking of it and let fate decide. Well, at least for now, right? A sigh of uneasiness leaves my chest as I stop at the bathroom entrance to let some ladies pass. It's a small hallway bathed with rich golden light from the refined ceiling.

"You've lost him, now get over it! You keep making a fool out of yourself and it's pathetic! Until when will you learn that, Monique?" A familiar voice yells from the bathroom and I stop moving.

It's Scarlet.

"Until I lose nothing! You hear me?" Monique retorts icily. "Mon Diew, Scarlet! I'm not like you, can't you see it? I can't sit around and watch my man getting married to some tramp from God-knows-where! No, no one takes what's rightfully mine!"

"Yours? Don't make me laugh! You don't even love him, Monique, for God's sake!" Scarlet laughs briefly, and a short silence follows. "Or do you?" she asks, her tone surprised.

I hold my breath, standing beside the door, not sure if I should go in or not. But I think they're talking about Malik.

"You think I'm a monster, don't you?" Monique snaps.

"Can you blame me?" Scarlet answers.

"Hell, you should be the last person to condemn me, Scarlet!" Monique barks, her French accent severe. "You, of all people, shouldn't even open your mouth to lecture me!"

"Oh? And why? Just because you're my friend I shouldn't tell you when you're stooping too low?" Scarlet recoils.

"What did you say? Stooping too low?" Monique booms into a scandalous laugh. "Coming from someone who got herself pregnant just to keep the man who's now married, that's very magnificent, darling, don't you think!"

I freeze. What?

"I didn't get myself pregnant to keep him! You're being very rude right now and I'm not standing here listening to your stupidity!"

"Oh, so now you're going to feed me the same crap that it was a mistake and you didn't plan to be knocked out?"

My heart is thumping violently against my chest. Horrified, my hand drops from the door handle I've been holding recklessly.

Pregnant? Did I hear that correctly?

I'm stupefied, too shocked to move, and then the door suddenly bursts open, and Scarlet, angrily, appears before my eyes.

"Why are you running away?" Monique shouts as she stalks her friend, only to hold her horses upon finding me standing right before them.

My gaze is fixed on Scarlet. We're mutually startled, eyes wide open.

"Just great," Monique mutters, her voice full of contempt.

I don't know how to react, so I just stand like a statue while dropping my gaze around Scarlet's stomach. I can't see anything as she holds her large wallet to her midsection.