PART 2 — THE SEAT BESIDE HIS MOTHER
Adrian turned white.
Not pale.
Not nervous.
White.
The kind of white a man turns when every lie he has carefully stacked for six months suddenly walks through the front door wearing nude heels and carrying a baby gift.
Rachel spotted him immediately.
Her smile flickered.
Just once.
Then she looked at me.
I raised my hand and waved like we were old friends.
“Rachel! You made it!”
Every head near the entrance turned.
Adrian’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Rachel took two careful steps toward us, clutching the gold-handled gift bag like it contained evidence from a crime scene.
“Hi, Camila,” she said.
Her voice was sweeter than the frosting on the cupcakes.
I hugged her.
Yes.
I hugged my husband’s mistress.
And while my arms were around her, I whispered quietly enough that only she could hear:
“You look exactly like your pictures.”
Her entire body stiffened.
I pulled away smiling.
“Come on. I saved you a special seat.”
Adrian almost dropped his glass.
“Camila,” he said quickly. “Maybe Rachel should sit with the other people from the office.”
“Oh, nonsense.”
I took Rachel gently by the elbow.
“She’s practically family.”
Rachel’s face drained of color.
Adrian stared at me.
I smiled back.
He knew.
At that exact second, he knew I knew.
And watching that realization cross his face was better than anything I could have bought myself as a push present.
I led Rachel across the room.
Straight toward my mother-in-law.
Teresa was sitting at the main table, telling my aunt about how Adrian had been “such a loyal boy” his entire life.
Perfect timing.
“Teresa,” I said brightly, “I want you to meet someone very important from Adrian’s office.”
Rachel looked at me as if she wanted the floor to open beneath her.
“Rachel Salcedo.”
Teresa smiled warmly.
“Oh! One of Adrian’s coworkers?”
Rachel swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Sit, sit!”
Teresa patted the chair directly beside her.
I had placed the name card there myself.
RACHEL.
Written in elegant gold lettering.
Rachel stared at it.
Then she stared at me.
Then she looked at Adrian across the room.
He gave her the smallest shake of his head.
I pretended not to notice.
“Go ahead,” I said. “I thought you two would have plenty to talk about.”
Rachel sat.
I nearly applauded.
For the next twenty minutes, I experienced a level of peace that I can only describe as spiritual.
Teresa asked Rachel everything.
“How long have you worked with Adrian?”
“About two years.”
“Oh, wonderful! Then you must know him very well.”
Rachel nearly choked on her lemonade.
“Yes. Fairly well.”
“Does he talk about Camila at work?”
I bit into a chocolate-covered strawberry.
Rachel looked directly at me.
“All the time.”
Adrian suddenly appeared beside the table.
“Mom, why don’t you come meet some of my friends?”
Teresa waved him away.
“In a minute. I’m talking to your lovely coworker.”
Lovely.
If only she knew.
Adrian leaned toward me.
“We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Privately.”
I put a hand on my belly.
“Oh, Adrian, relax. This is our daughter’s baby shower. Enjoy yourself.”
His jaw tightened.
“You invited her.”
“Of course I did.”
“Why?”
I widened my eyes.
“She’s your coworker.”
He stared at me.
I stared back.
Neither of us blinked.
Finally, he whispered:
“How much do you know?”
I smiled.
“Enough to know Charles is a very attractive mechanic.”
The blood disappeared from his face again.
I walked away before he could respond.
Mariana was standing near the dessert table pretending to arrange napkins.
She had heard everything.
She leaned toward me.
“I would like it formally recorded that I have never been prouder to share DNA with anyone.”
“Wait.”
“For what?”
I looked toward the entrance.
“For the cupcakes and company policy violations.”
As if summoned by the sentence, Lauren Menchaca walked through the door.
She wore a navy suit and carried absolutely no gift.
Rachel saw her first.
The glass in her hand froze halfway to her mouth.
Adrian followed Rachel’s stare.
I watched his shoulders drop.
Lauren smiled politely.
“Camila.”
“Lauren! I’m so glad you came.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
I introduced her to my mother, my aunts, and Teresa.
When Teresa discovered Lauren was Adrian’s regional director, she became even more animated.
“Oh! You’re Adrian’s boss?”
“Indirectly,” Lauren said.
“My son works so hard.”
Lauren glanced at Adrian.
“I’ve recently learned just how much energy he’s been putting into certain workplace relationships.”
Mariana coughed into her drink.
I turned away so no one would see me smiling.
Adrian walked toward Lauren.
“Can we speak?”
“Not yet,” she said.
Two words.
That was all.
But Adrian looked like someone had just read him his rights.
The party continued.
People played the ridiculous baby-food guessing game.
My aunt cheated at diaper bingo.
My mother cried while opening a handmade blanket from my grandmother.
For several minutes, I almost forgot what I was planning.
Then Adrian stood up.
He tapped his fork against his glass.
“Everybody, could I have your attention?”
The room slowly quieted.
My stomach tightened.
This was the speech he had been bragging about.
Adrian smiled at everyone, though I could see sweat forming near his hairline.
“I just want to say how grateful I am that all of you are here celebrating our little girl.”
People smiled.
Teresa clasped her hands proudly.
Adrian turned toward me.
“And especially Camila.”
I almost laughed.
“She’s been incredible throughout this pregnancy. Strong, patient, loving…”
Patient.
That part was definitely true.
“And I know I haven’t always been perfect—”
Rachel stared at the table.
Lauren crossed her arms.
Mariana slowly put down her cupcake.
“But everything I do is for my family.”
That was when I stood.
“Actually,” I said, “before you finish, I have something too.”
Silence.
Adrian looked at me.
“Camila.”
“It’ll only take a minute.”
Mariana handed me the pink folder.
The one with teddy bear stickers.
A few people laughed when they saw it.
They thought it was part of a game.
I walked to the front of the room.
“My husband is right about one thing.”
I looked around at our parents, siblings, cousins, friends and coworkers.
“Family matters.”
Adrian moved toward me.
“Camila, maybe we should—”
“No.”
The room changed.
Everybody heard it in my voice.
This wasn’t a game.
I opened the folder.
“When I imagined becoming a mother, I thought the hardest parts would be childbirth, sleepless nights and trying to figure out why babies need sixteen different kinds of bottles.”
A few nervous laughs.
“I didn’t expect to spend my seventh month of pregnancy discovering that my husband had been having an affair for six months.”
Nobody moved.
Teresa’s mouth fell open.
My mother gasped.
Someone near the back whispered:
“Oh my God.”
Adrian stepped toward me.
“Camila, stop.”
I looked at him.
“No. You had six months to stop.”
That silenced him.
I pulled out the first printed screenshot.
“I’d like to introduce everyone properly to Rachel Salcedo.”
Every eye turned toward her.
Rachel jumped to her feet.
“I should go.”
Teresa grabbed her arm.
Not violently.
Just instinctively.
“What is she talking about?”
Rachel looked at Adrian.
That was her mistake.
Because mothers notice everything when you look at their sons with fear.
Teresa slowly released her.
I continued.
“Rachel isn’t just Adrian’s coworker.”
“Camila,” Rachel said, her voice shaking. “Please.”
“Oh, now we’re using please?”
Adrian reached for the folder.
I stepped back.
Mariana immediately moved between us.
“Touch the evidence,” she said calmly, “and today becomes significantly more expensive for you.”
Adrian looked at her.
Then at Lauren.
Then at the fifty people watching him.
“I can explain.”
I nodded.
“Excellent. Explain this.”
I read from one of his messages.
“‘I’m going to fix everything soon, my queen.’”
Teresa covered her mouth.
I held up another page.
“Or this conversation where Rachel asks, ‘What about the baby?’”
My voice cracked slightly.
For the first time all day, the anger loosened enough for the pain underneath it to breathe.
I put one hand over Lucy.
“And my husband answered, ‘Don’t worry. I’m going to be with you. I just need time.’”
My mother started crying.
The room was so quiet I could hear the air conditioner humming.
Teresa stood.
She looked at Adrian.
“You said that?”
“Mom—”
“You said that about your pregnant wife?”
“It’s complicated.”
“No,” I said. “It’s actually remarkably simple.”
Rachel suddenly spoke.
“He told me the marriage was over.”
Everyone turned toward her.
Adrian closed his eyes.
There it was.
Mistress versus husband.
The bonus entertainment I hadn’t even planned.
Rachel’s voice grew louder.
“He told me you two hadn’t been happy for years.”
I stared at her.
“That’s interesting, because two weeks ago he asked me whether we should have a second baby after Lucy.”
Rachel turned toward Adrian.
“You told me you were sleeping in separate rooms.”
I laughed.
“Rachel, he snores into my ear every night.”
Adrian snapped:
“Enough!”
Lauren finally stepped forward.
“No, Adrian. I think there’s one more matter.”
His anger vanished.
Lauren looked from him to Rachel.
“Both of you need to report to Human Resources Monday morning at nine.”
Rachel’s face collapsed.
“Lauren—”
“We have reviewed the messages Camila provided. Some appear to involve communications during work hours, use of business travel, and potential reporting-policy violations.”
Adrian looked at me like I had stabbed him.
“You contacted my company?”
I stared at him.
“You brought your affair into your company.”
“You’re trying to destroy my career.”
“No, Adrian. I’m documenting what you did with it.”
Teresa sat down slowly.
She looked twenty years older.
Rachel grabbed her purse.
“I’m leaving.”
I nodded.
“You should probably take your gift.”
She stopped.
The gold gift bag was still sitting beside Teresa.
“No,” Rachel whispered. “Keep it.”
I walked over and looked inside.
A baby blanket.
Pink.
Embroidered with Lucy’s name.
Something about that nearly broke me.
This woman had helped my husband plan to leave me while I was pregnant, then bought my daughter a blanket.
I lifted it from the bag.
Rachel’s eyes filled with tears.
And suddenly, strangely, I wasn’t angry at her.
Not in the same way.
I was angry, yes.
But she wasn’t the person who had stood before my family and promised to love me.
She wasn’t the person who had rubbed lotion on my stomach while texting someone else.
She wasn’t the person who had heard Lucy’s heartbeat for the first time and then gone to the Hamptons with another woman.
So I folded the blanket.
“I’ll donate it.”
Rachel flinched.
Then she walked out.
Adrian followed her.
Teresa shot to her feet.
“Adrian!”
He stopped.
His mother looked at him with tears streaming down her face.
“If you walk out that door after that woman right now, don’t bother pretending you’re confused about what you’ve chosen.”
Adrian froze.
Rachel kept walking.
For three long seconds, he stood between us.
His mistress outside.
His pregnant wife behind him.
His mother watching.
His boss watching.
His family watching.
Then Adrian turned back toward me.
“Camila, please. We can fix this.”
I stared at him.
That was the first moment all day when I almost cried.
Not because I wanted him back.
Because I remembered the version of him I had loved.
The man who brought me soup when I was sick.
The man who cried when I walked down the aisle.
The man who held the pregnancy test in his shaking hands and whispered:
“We’re having a baby.”
For one stupid second, I wanted that man to still exist.
Then my daughter kicked.
Hard.
And I remembered.
That man hadn’t disappeared.
He had made choices.
Over and over again.
For six months.
I closed the pink folder.
“There is no ‘we’ to fix today.”
His eyes filled.
“Camila—”
“You’ll hear from my attorney.”
He looked toward Mariana.
She smiled.
“Hi.”
Adrian sank into a chair.
I thought that would be the end of the baby shower.
It wasn’t.
My mother wiped her tears, clapped her hands and announced:
“Well, the cake is already paid for.”
Half the room laughed.
The tension cracked.
My aunt turned the music back on.
Someone handed me sparkling cider.
Teresa walked over and wrapped both arms around me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I believed her.
For the rest of the evening, nobody mentioned Adrian.
We opened gifts.
We took pictures.
We ate cake.
We celebrated Lucy.
And for the first time since finding those messages, I understood something important.
Adrian’s betrayal had occupied every corner of my mind for two weeks.
But this day had never belonged to him.
It belonged to my daughter.
So I refused to let him steal it.
At eight thirty, I walked outside with my mother and Mariana carrying the last of the gifts.
Adrian was waiting beside our car.
His tie was loose.
His eyes were red.
“Can we please talk at home?”
I stared at him.
“You’re not coming home tonight.”
“What?”
“I packed a suitcase for you this morning.”
His expression changed.
“You planned all of this.”
“Yes.”
“Where am I supposed to go?”
I shrugged.
“Ask Charles Mechanic.”
Mariana actually snorted.
I handed Adrian the spare key to his mother’s apartment.
Teresa had given it to me ten minutes earlier.
“She said you can sleep on her couch.”
His face twisted.
“You embarrassed me in front of everyone.”
I stepped closer.
“And you humiliated me in private for six months.”
“That was different.”
“No. It was simply quieter.”
He looked away.
Then his face hardened.
“You think this is going to be easy? Divorce? A newborn? Raising her alone?”
There it was.
Not remorse.
Not yet.
Fear disguised as a threat.
I looked at him carefully.
“I would rather raise my daughter in one peaceful home than teach her that marriage means tolerating betrayal.”
Adrian said nothing.
I got into my mother’s car.
As we pulled away, I watched him growing smaller in the side mirror.
I expected to feel devastated.
Instead, I felt something else.
Terrified.
Exhausted.
Heartbroken.
But free.
At least, I thought I was.
Because at 6:14 the next morning, my phone rang.
It was Lauren.
I almost ignored it.
Then I remembered she was Adrian’s boss and answered.
“Hello?”
“Camila.”
Her voice sounded different.
Gone was the dry humor.
Gone was the calm executive tone.
“I’m sorry to call this early.”
I sat up in bed.
“What happened?”
“There’s something you need to know.”
My stomach tightened.
“About Adrian?”
“Yes.”
I heard papers moving on her side of the call.
“After I left the shower, I reviewed several things from the internal investigation.”
I gripped the phone.
“And?”
Lauren hesitated.
“Camila, the affair may not be the biggest thing your husband has been hiding from you.”
I stopped breathing.
“What does that mean?”
“There are financial records connected to Adrian that contain your name.”
My hand instinctively moved to my belly.
“What kind of financial records?”
Another pause.
Then Lauren said the words that turned my revenge into something much more serious.
“Records involving money that appears to have been transferred through accounts you may not know exist.”
I stared into the darkness of my bedroom.
“How much money?”
Lauren answered.
And suddenly, exposing my husband’s mistress at my baby shower felt like the smallest problem in my life.
Because whatever Adrian had been doing…
He hadn’t only betrayed our marriage.
He had been using my name to do it.
And according to Lauren, the first transfer had been made three days after I discovered I was pregnant……….
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3…
