Trash Husband, I'm the Top novel Chapter 6

The moment Aurora brought up their three-year arrangement, it was clear she meant divorce.

“You’ll have more children. You just need to stay strong.” Daniel pressed his lips together, his head bowed. He was grieving too, losing the baby, even if it had been an accident.

“I will have children someday, but their father won’t be you.” The words slipped out before Aurora could stop herself.

“Daniel, Eleanor’s back in the country. If you want to marry her... I’m happy to step aside.”

“There’s nothing between Eleanor and me.” The softness at the corners of Daniel’s mouth faded quickly, leaving a flat calm.

Aurora didn’t want to argue about this. The truth was, Daniel and Eleanor hadn’t done anything scandalous. Still, she couldn’t bear her own husband orbiting another woman, especially after they’d just lost their child and he seemed so unaffected.

Maybe men never really understood—the baby hadn’t been growing inside him, so he could never know that strange, miraculous connection. He couldn’t possibly grasp the kind of pain that feels like someone’s carving your bones out, so of course it was easy for him to dismiss it all with a simple, “You’ll have more children.”

“I never said you two were guilty of anything. I just know Eleanor is the woman you’ve always loved. She’s back; now’s your chance to patch things up.” Aurora had come to terms with it. If her husband wanted to care for someone else, she could let him go.

“I told you—there is nothing between Eleanor and me.” Daniel’s eyes cooled. He hesitated, then said, “I know losing the baby was devastating for you. But Eleanor had nothing to do with it.”

From the corner of the room, Eleanor stifled a cough, her eyes growing red and glassy. Her chest tightened painfully.

“Aurora—”

“I’m pregnant, remember?” Aurora cut him off, her gaze steady and laced with sarcasm. “You ignored my calls because you didn’t want me interrupting you two. In fact, you turned your phone to silent, didn’t you?” She spelled out every detail, her voice icy.

She didn’t want to expose him like this, but Daniel’s repeated defense of Eleanor’s innocence grated on her nerves.

Daniel fell silent, his mouth a firm line. Aurora’s guess was close to the truth. When he’d seen her name flashing on his phone, he’d assumed she was just looking for another way to start a fight, and so he’d muted it. Now, regret crept in.

Around six, her phone rang insistently.

It was her friend, Una Lawson.

She answered, “Una?”

Una’s voice was a low whisper. “Aurora, why didn’t you come to the Perfumery Congress?”

Aurora bolted upright, pain shooting through her body. After a moment, she remembered her current state and gave a bitter laugh. “Something came up. I can’t make it.”

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then Una spoke again, her tone edged with urgency. “Your husband’s here, Aurora. With Eleanor. They’re arm in arm, looking awfully cozy. And her dress—never mind, I’ll just send you a picture.”