CHAPTER 176: FIXING BROKEN THINGS
James was silent for so long that Raymond began to wonder if the line had disconnected.
"Hello? Son, are you still there?"
That was when James blinked out of his thoughts, finally remembering they were still on a call.
"I've heard everything you said, Dad," he replied, voice low but steady. "For what it's worth… Diana is still my wife. And she's carrying my children. I can't just send her back and have you people take over that responsibility. Even if you won't mind, what kind of father would that make me?"
He paused, jaw clenched. "I planned to be better than the man who raised me. Better than the one who abandoned me. And that starts by taking care of my pregnant wife."
Raymond was quiet for a moment, then gave a soft nod from his end of the line.
"You've spoken well, son. That alone is enough. The fact that you're still willing to protect and care for her, despite everything… means more than you know. I believe with time, you'll find it in your heart to forgive her too. Take care of yourself, James. And… thank you."
"You too, Dad."
James ended the call with a click, staring at the phone for a few seconds. He was about to fling it across the room when it buzzed again.
He cursed under his breath. If this is one more damn call to beg on Diana's behalf…
He answered it with zero patience.
"Yes, Jared. What is it?"
His brother's voice was laced with urgency.
"Bro… have you seen the news? There's a lot of controversy online about you and Diana's marriage. Some are calling her a man snatcher, a money-grubber who climbed her way into your bed for status. It's getting filthy."
James rubbed a hand over his face, his silence like a growing storm.
Jared continued, "People are questioning why you would even marry someone like that. To make it worse, details about Diana and the girls are surfacing too. Private photos, info, someone's leaking things. You know what that means, right? Every enemy we've ever had now knows who your wife is. And if her private life keeps getting exposed like this, they'll use her against you. They'll destroy her. She's become your easiest target."
James exhaled shakily, his fist clenching around the phone.
"And you, Jared," he said, voice deadly calm, "what exactly have you been doing while these rumors circulated?"
There was a beat of silence.
"I'm sorry, bro. I'll get on it right away."
He didn't wait for a reply. James ended the call.
Next, he dialed Jerry.
"Jerry, are you handling this?"
"Yes, James. I'm on it. Our wives got dragged into it too. I'm already working to wipe every trace off the internet. By the time I'm done, the only memory they'll have will be in their heads. Luckily, not too many people saw it yet."
"You have one hour," James said coldly. Then ended the call.
His phone rang again. Angelo this time.
"Sir, do we need to release an official statement about all this?" Angelo asked.
"I'll get back to you on that. I'm heading into the office now."
"Understood. And boss, this didn't affect our stock prices, in case you're wondering."
"Not at all?" James asked.
"No sir. If anything, people are sympathizing with you. It's just your wife's image that took the hit."
"I'll call you back, Angelo."
With that, James ended the call, took a slow breath, then stepped out of the study.
He went into their room, expecting to find her there, but it was empty.
With a sigh, James headed to the bathroom. He showered quickly, changed into a fresh shirt and slacks, and made his way downstairs. The silence in the house was thick, almost suffocating.
He found her in the living room.
Diana sat curled on the couch, holding a steaming cup of tea. The moment she saw him, she straightened and stood, suddenly alert.
"You're up," she said softly, trying to smile. "I made breakfast."
James didn't say a word.
He walked past her without a glance, headed straight to the dining table, poured himself a cup of tea, picked up his bag and left.
No second glance. No response. Not even a flicker of emotion.
Diana stood frozen, her eyes stinging. Then slowly, she sank into the chair beside her, the tea trembling in her hand. Who was she even kidding?
She knew this wasn't going to be easy. But nothing could've prepared her for the cold silence that cut deeper than any words.
She had promised herself she wouldn't cry again.
But damn these pregnancy hormones…
The tears came anyway.
That morning, she'd woken up to a flood of calls from her friends, all panicked about the media frenzy. She opened her phone and saw it all, the headlines, the lies, the twisted versions of what happened at the party. Her name was everywhere. So were her friends. And it wasn't pretty.
Maybe I deserve this, she'd thought numbly.
Then her mother called. To scream. To scold. To berate her mercilessly for her actions at the party.
Even her father had refused to speak to her.
Everyone was disappointed.
Everyone… except Grandma. Phoebe. And Rebecca, of all people.
They were the only ones who stood by her. Who offered her comfort. But even that hadn't been enough to keep her from breaking.
It was all too much, too much for one person to bear.
And now, she sat in the silence James left behind, sobbing quietly, wondering how she would fix what she had broken.
Nicodemus walked into the room just as Diana's soft sobs filled the quiet space. His heart twisted.
Yesterday, when they returned home with his boss unconscious in the backseat, Nicodemus had sensed that something must have gone terribly wrong between the couple. And from the looks of it, his lady boss had been the cause of it all. But that didn't mean she should be punished like this, no, not like this. No matter what she did.
He had seen the headlines. The online comments. The brutal criticism from the world outside.
But he knew the truth.
His Lady Boss was nothing like the names they called her.
"Ma'am... is there anything I can get you?" he asked softly, approaching her with gentle eyes.
Diana turned her teary eyes to meet him and gave a weak shake of her head. "No, Uncle Nick, it's fine. I'll handle myself. Just pack the food back into the kitchen."
Nicodemus gave a slight bow, eyes full of pity, and did as he was told, then quietly left her alone.
Diana rose and walked upstairs, her legs feeling heavier with every step. As soon as she reached the room, she collapsed on the bed and picked up crying from where she had left off.
She didn't even go to work.
Valerie had called earlier, telling her not to bother coming in. The paparazzi were stationed in front of the building, waiting to pounce, to take a pound of flesh from her the moment she showed her face.
The investors she had partnered with, especially the ones James helped her attract after elevating the company had been calling non-stop. Her messages were filled with harsh words and threats.
She had no one to talk to.
And even when James left this morning... he hadn't even noticed the swelling on her face.
That broke her completely.
Under the weight of it all, Diana switched off her phone and buried herself under the sheets, crying herself to sleep.
Night had already fallen when she woke again. Her body burned with heat, and as she reached up to feel her forehead, she realized her temperature had shot through the roof. She blinked groggily and looked around.
There was no sign of James. None of his things. It was like he'd completely removed himself from her space.
Diana tried to sit up, but she was weak from exhaustion, hunger, crying... and pregnancy. Still, she forced herself to her feet and staggered toward the door. Her vision blurred as she descended the stairs, and in her dazed state, she missed a step.
Her scream caught in her throat as she slipped.
On instinct, she curled her body, clutching her hands tightly around her stomach as she tumbled.
She rolled down the stairs, her body hitting each step with a sickening thud until.....
Darkness.
She lost consciousness before her body hit the floor.