Part 2My Husband Ignored My Call While I Miscarried His Legacy

“Hello, Gideon?” Vivienne’s voice was the sound of a silk ribbon unwinding. “I’m having tea with Mia and the others. Callum saw a new remote-control drone he wants, but my account is a little low…”

“How much? I’ll send it now.”

Gideon’s voice, muffled but clearly audible through the speaker, was gentle. Alarmingly gentle.

“Twelve hundred is plenty, thank you, Gideon.”

“Sent.”

She hung up and smiled at me. “Your turn, Mia.”

The room went quiet. All eyes were on me.

I took a deep breath, and pressed Gideon’s speed dial.

BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—

The waiting felt endless.

One ring, two rings, three rings… until it went straight to voicemail.

He hadn’t answered.

Mrs. Thorne tried to smooth things over. “He must be busy, Mia. Try again?”

I dialed a second time.

It rang only twice this time before being deliberately hung up. Click.

My face burned. The humiliation was a physical thing, spreading from my cheeks to my neck.

I set the phone down and managed a brittle smile. “He must be in a meeting.”

“If my husband hung up on me, he’d be sleeping on the uncomfortable guest room air mattress for a month,” Mrs. Davies joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Vivienne softly stroked Callum’s hair, then spoke. “Tell you what, I’ll call him back. I’ll say I’m doing it for you, Mia.”

She picked up her phone, dialed, and put it on speaker.

This time, the phone connected instantly.