Vanessa’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her purse, forcing a brittle smile while surrounded by staff. “Thank you for your concern, but we’re not in any hurry.”
“Oh, really?” Joy shot back with a sly grin. “Well, even if you’re desperate for a baby, you might want to get legally married first!”
The color drained further from Vanessa’s face.
Satisfied, Joy picked up her gift from the attendant. “Well, I’ll head off now, Miss Shannon. Take your time choosing. And by the way, you really ought to keep Mr. Goodwin on a tighter leash—he keeps sniffing around his ex-wife, and honestly, it’s not helping anyone’s peace of mind.”
After Joy left, Vanessa’s chest rose and fell with barely contained anger.
Just then, an attendant approached with her wrapped package. Vanessa swallowed her feelings, took it, and hurried out.
Meanwhile, Joy slid into her car and couldn’t resist texting Eleanor: Ellie, just ran into Vanessa at the mall. Still as self-important as ever.
Eleanor was in her office, sifting through spreadsheets, and instantly replied with concern: You’re six months pregnant, Joy. Please be careful when you’re out and about.
Relax! You’ve been pregnant before; you know we aren’t made of glass.
Eleanor paused, breath catching—she’d said those exact words once herself.
Back when she was pregnant, Ian had insisted she stay home, avoid crowds, and skip shopping trips. She remembered pushing back against him, just like Joy was doing now.
Suddenly, Eleanor wondered if her last run-in with Vanessa had made things worse—had she said something that set her off? Without hesitating, she called Joy directly.
Joy answered right away. “Hey, superstar. What’s up?”
Eleanor’s voice was tight with worry. “Joy, did Vanessa say anything out of line to you?”



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