Rocco’s face tightened, his jaw clenched, ready to respond. But just as he opened his mouth, his phone buzzed with two new messages. Without a second thought, he unlocked it and glanced at the screen. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the message content.
The screen displayed a photo of Avery, clad in lingerie, holding a positive pregnancy test, with a message beneath it. [If you don’t come see me, I’ll get rid of it.]
In the past, whenever Rocco’s family had tormented me, he’d been the first to stand up for me, fiercely protecting me from their cruelty. But now, as his mother and sister spent the last ten minutes belittling me, Rocco didn’t utter a single word. He simply sat there, silent.
Shielding the phone from my view, Rocco stared at the message for what felt like an eternity. When he finally looked at me, his eyes were filled with apology.
“Valerie, my boss just called. He needs me to present a report at the office.”
He had no idea that I was his boss, and he hadn’t submitted a report to me in ages.
“Go ahead,” I replied, my voice calm and steady. “Work is important.”
He stood up without a word, taking the handbag with him as he left.