The Don Forgot My Blueberries, I Was Done With Him

After my prenatal checkup, the doctor told me to eat more fruit. I was craving the blueberries from the shop near the family office. The shop got them straight from the farm. They were the freshest around. So I texted my husband, Colton Caruso, and asked him to pick some up on his way home. I waited at the estate. By the time Colton got home, it was dark. He was empty-handed and went straight to his study to work. Later, he came into the bedroom and found me lying in bed, watching him. Only then did he remember. He smiled. "I've been swamped, and it slipped my mind. You saw me come home and go straight back to family business." I nodded and didn't push it. He took off his jacket, and a diamond brooch fell out of the pocket. I recognized the jeweler's work. "Beth said she loved this one. Her birthday's coming up, so I had it made ahead of time and picked it up while I was there." Beth Caruso was his adopted sister. The fruit shop was right next door to that jeweler's. Not even ten steps. He didn't take them. The thought left me feeling drained. He came over, put his arms around me, and kissed my forehead. "Tomorrow. I'll get them, I promise." I let out a breath and pushed him away. "Don't bother. Not tomorrow, not ever. I want a divorce." Chapter 1 My voice was perfectly calm. I stood to get the documents from the drawer. Colton stiffened as he watched me. He caught my wrist. "What is this? You're doing this because I didn't bring you blueberries?" "Yes. Because you didn't bring me blueberries." I looked at him, my expression blank. Colton's growing anger was frightening. He started to speak, then stopped. When he looked at me again, he seemed frustrated and at a loss. "I told you. I've been busy. "I'll make a special trip tomorrow, all right? I know being pregnant has made you moody and irritable. "Lucky for you, I know you well enough not to hold it against you." He reached for me again, trying to smooth it over. I gave a cold laugh. My chest hurt, and I pushed him away. Colton did know me. He'd forgotten things that mattered to me before. But he remembered every little thing Beth mentioned in passing. A few years earlier, before our wedding, I'd asked him to pick up the diamond ring. He forgot the ring, but he remembered to go out of his way to pick up Beth's dress. I made a scene, sobbing and shouting that I was moving out of the estate. He wearily accused me of being childish. How could I be jealous of Beth, of all people? He tried to soothe me for a while, then left on business. But early the next morning, he went to get the ring and kept trying to make it up to me. So I let it go. After I pushed him away, I opened the closet and started packing. Colton's hand froze in midair. Anger spread across his face. "Do you really have to do this?! I told you I'd buy them tomorrow!" His voice rose a little. I was about to answer when I caught sight of Beth in the doorway. I had no idea how long she'd been standing there. As soon as she realized I'd seen her, Beth hurried in and took my hand. Her eyes reddened. "It's all my fault," she said, sounding hurt. "Monica, please don't get a divorce. I'll buy you blueberries tomorrow. "It's all my fault. Colton was only trying to celebrate my birthday. If I'd known, I wouldn't have celebrated at all. Then he wouldn't have been distracted, and he could have focused on what you wanted." And then she started to cry. Colton frowned and looked at me. I kept my face blank, but my disgust showed through. He pulled Beth behind him and started in on me. "That's enough, Monica. She gets one birthday a year. Do you have to upset her right now? "Take the night to calm down." He sounded a little impatient. Then he took Beth's hand and led her out of the bedroom. He didn't sleep in our room that night. After they left, I stood there for a moment without moving. He was throwing her birthday party at the estate, so she'd moved in a month in advance. From the day she arrived, every meal was built around her favorite foods. Colton would even come home early from the family office to get the ingredients ready. But when I wanted him to cook fish for me, he'd put it off for days. Beth liked a sweet, heavy rose perfume, so he had the staff spray it in every corner of the house. Strong scents made me feel sick. Now that I was pregnant, that perfume made me want to throw up. But Colton only said, "Let it go. She gets one birthday a year. "I'll buy you nose plugs tomorrow. Wear them and you won't smell a thing. "Once the party is over, she'll move back out. Then you can have the house however you want it." So I let that go too and spent most of my time in the bedroom. Whenever Beth was involved, he put her first. Every time. That night, I didn't sleep. I lay there with a sharp ache in my chest, replaying our entire relationship in my head. When I got up the next morning, Colton was already back with fresh blueberries. He'd washed them himself and put them on a plate. He'd also made me a blueberry cake. He smiled at me as if nothing had happened. "Baby, I really was busy yesterday. That's the only reason it slipped my mind. "See? I dropped everything to get them for you first thing today. Please stop being angry with me." I looked at him in silence and felt a wave of disgust. He held a blueberry to my mouth. "Try one. If you don't like them, I'll drive out to the farm and pick them myself." Before I could answer, Beth came down the stairs in a red dress and heels. Her makeup was done, and she wore a radiant smile. She walked straight over, hooked her arm through Colton's, and cooed, "You promised you'd get even for me today. You didn't forget, did you?" Colton frowned, then ruffled her hair indulgently. "Of course not." I pushed his hand away from my mouth. "I don't want them." My voice was cold. Irritation flickered across his face, but he held it back. "I'll leave them out. Eat them when you feel like it. "A few people won money from her at the casino yesterday. I'm taking her back to win it back and make things right. You rest at home. I'll bring you a present." Then the two of them started for the door. I asked, "Aren't winning and losing both part of gambling? She lost. How is that unfair? She lost the money herself. Why do you have to win it back for her? Chapter 2 "And weren't you supposed to take me shopping for the baby today?" We'd planned to go last week. But last week he took Beth out for French food and forgot the whole thing. I waited for him to come get me. I waited the entire day. Then he came home with Beth on his arm. He spent two days making it up to me and swore he'd take me today. But today he had forgotten again. Colton froze for a moment, then remembered. He was about to speak when Beth cut him off. She sounded small and hurt. "Monica, I know you don't like me, but he's only trying to protect me. I won't go. They can push me around. It doesn't matter." And she started to cry. Colton looked at me with a hint of distaste. "What is wrong with you, Monica? Beth may be adopted, but she's been part of this family for years. I'm her brother. If someone pushes her around at a casino, they're taking me on too. "Monica, you're my Donna. You should be backing me up on this!" He was livid. My chest tightened with frustration as I looked at him and tried to answer. Before I could get a word out, Beth took his hand. "Colton, it's all my fault," she said in a wounded voice. "I shouldn't have asked you to stand up for me. If I'd known it would upset Monica, I never would have brought it up. "Let people push me around out there. I don't mind being treated badly." Her voice broke before she finished, and the tears started again. She kept her head down as heavy teardrops splashed onto the back of her hand. Colton watched her, then glared at me. He scoffed. "You've really let me down. Beth, we're leaving." He took Beth's hand and led her away. Everything in me went cold. He didn't even look back. I thought about the day I found out I was pregnant. I'd dropped the test in the trash, and when he saw it, he threw his arms around me and cried. He told me our first child would be his family's heir. He still kept that pregnancy test in his drawer. I hadn't expected this. He had kept the test, but he was no longer the man I'd known. As soon as they were gone, I called my lawyer, Daniel Mercer, and asked him to draw up divorce papers. Then I accepted the offer to become head designer at a jewelry design house in New York. Before Colton, I had owned my own jewelry studio. After we married, his family's business took over my life. He had just taken over as Don. To help him secure the family's position, I set my own work aside and helped him run and expand the business. There was no time left for the studio, so I closed it. Now I was going to reclaim the career I had given up. Daniel soon had the papers ready. On the way to pick them up, I scrolled through my feed in the car and saw a photo Beth had posted. It was the two of them at the casino, leaning into each other. Both of them were grinning. Someone had commented, "Your boyfriend is gorgeous." Beth had replied, "Sadly, not quite yet. Waiting for my chance." My heart sank as I read it. I was about to block her account when the car ahead of us hit ours. My driver jerked the wheel, and my phone slid into the gap beside the seat. I was thrown hard against the door. A sharp pain tore through my abdomen. Before I could make sense of it, I felt warm fluid leaking out of me. I tried to cry out, but the pain left me unable to make a sound. Through the haze, I saw two familiar figures get out of the car that had hit us. Colton stood in front of the car, and our eyes met. Shock flickered in his eyes. "Monica!" He shouted my name in panic. "It's all right, you're going to be fine! I'm taking you to the hospital right now." Beth looked at me and apologized over and over. "It's all my fault. You're hurt because of me. I never should have been feeding him while he was driving." My vision blurred, and my gaze fell on Colton's neck. There was an unmistakable hickey there. Something twisted in my chest. I looked at Beth. She had one too. Then I caught the smell of liquor. They had been drinking. Images of the two of them being intimate flooded my mind, but I was in too much pain to speak. Colton pushed me back into the car, hauled my driver out, and got behind the wheel himself. "Monica, hold on. I'm getting you to a hospital. I'm not going to let anything happen to you!" Chapter 3 Beth got into the passenger seat and turned around to comfort me. "It's all right. Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you." The car sped off. He kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, looking worried. I was thrown around in the back seat, shaking, blood running down my thighs. He headed for the nearest hospital. We were nearly there. I kept my teeth clenched. At the traffic light, Beth grabbed his wrist. "Go to the other hospital! The one on the north side. There's a top specialist there. He can save the baby." "No..." My voice was growing weaker. I wouldn't last that long. The hospital on the north side was an hour's drive away. Beth went on. "I'll call the doctor now and make sure she gets treated as soon as we arrive." Then she turned back to me. "Don't worry. He's going to save your baby!" I struggled to speak through the pain. Colton paused for a few seconds and glanced back at me. "How are you doing?" Beth urged him on. "Hurry up! It's the only way to save her baby! Don't waste time!" Colton hesitated, then hit the gas and turned the wheel. The words I had been trying to say died in my throat. The pain in my lower belly was unbearable, and the bleeding kept getting worse. My eyelids grew heavy, and I passed out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The room smelled like disinfectant. Colton sat beside my bed with his head bowed, exhaustion written on his face. His eyes lit up when he saw I was awake. "You're awake, Monica. "Does anything hurt? Thank God you're all right." His eyes reddened as he spoke. Before he could finish, Beth dropped to her knees beside my bed, took my hand, and pleaded through her tears. "I'm sorry, Monica. Please don't blame Colton. "We were only trying to do right by you. We wanted to save your baby. "It all happened so fast. The baby couldn't be saved, but you're all right, and the two of you can have another one." My heart seized up. I opened my mouth. "The baby's gone?" Colton lowered his head. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. Don't blame Beth." She stepped in front of him and cried harder. "No! It was my fault! Blame me! "Hitting your car was an accident. Neither of us meant for it to happen." Watching the two of them cover for each other, I could have laughed. "You two killed my baby!" The words scraped out of my throat. "I saw what you were doing. Don't stand here pretending to cry for me. My baby is gone. You're happy now, aren't you, Beth?!" I yanked my hand out of hers. "Who do you think you're fooling? "I'm telling you both right now, I will make you pay for this!" Colton's face darkened. "I know you're grieving. So am I. But it was an accident." "Get out!" I threw a pillow at them. "I'll bury you two cheating bastards with my child!" He turned aside, and the pillow hit Beth in the face. She yelped and covered her forehead. "Please don't be angry." His voice turned cold. "I've told you it was an accident. Why does everything you say have to be so ugly? "It's not as if you can't get pregnant again. Why do you have to attack everyone? Why are you so vicious?!" I closed my eyes in despair. Beth was sobbing too hard to speak. Colton led her out of the room, worried only about her. Later, a doctor came in to change my dressings. A nurse shook her head regretfully. "Feeling any better? If you'd come in sooner, we could have saved the baby. "Stay positive so your body can heal. Don't get worked up." Then she went out. My bones ached, and every breath brought back the scene of the crash. I took out my phone and contacted Daniel. The divorce papers were ready and clearly spelled out my share of the family property. When I finished, I found that my hospital room door was locked. Colton had stationed guards outside my room. He knew me. He knew my threats weren't empty. Afraid I would hurt Beth, he had posted guards to watch me. He'd turned my hospital room into a prison. I tried the handle. Someone unlocked the door from the other side. Beth stood in the doorway, smirking. Chapter 4 She came in and locked the door behind her. She looked around the room. "Are you feeling better? It's a shame about the baby, but never mind. When I have children, you can treat them as your own." I went still, and my nails cut into my palms. She went on. "I came to apologize." "I don't want to look at you." My voice was flat. Beth only smiled. "I know losing the baby hurts. I don't blame you for yelling at me today. It's all my fault for getting too close to Colton. "He'd been drinking at the casino. He couldn't stop himself. He held me and kissed me too hard. Luckily we came to our senses in time. "But he still couldn't control himself in the car. He couldn't keep his hands off me. That's how the crash happened. I'm sorry you lost the baby." She was apologizing, but every word was meant to hurt me. My throat tightened, and my hands shook. At the sight of her smile, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. Then I grabbed the cup beside me, ready to bring it down on her head. She screamed. Colton rushed in at the sound of her scream. The worry on his face turned to anger the moment he saw us. Beth caught hold of him, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't blame Monica. I shouldn't have come. She's upset because she just lost the baby. I only wanted to check on her. I shouldn't have come at all." Colton shoved me. "What exactly do you think you're doing?! "She came here because she cares about you. You can be angry, but this has nothing to do with her! Why are you always going after her?! "And you actually hit her! I could never bring myself to hurt her!" Colton was livid. Beth shook her head, crying. "Don't be like this, Colton. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come in. If I hadn't, she wouldn't be angry." Colton's face softened with concern for her. "It's all right. It isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself." I watched the two of them, my face going blank. My chest still ached, but I wasn't going to cry again. Colton only had eyes for Beth. Nothing I felt mattered to him. "Get out!" I shouted at both of them. Looking at them made me sick. Colton looked at me without a word, then took her hand and left. At the door, he said, "You'll stay here for now. Once Beth's party at the estate is over, I'll send someone to bring you home." The door banged shut. The room fell silent. I leaned on the table for support, drained and empty. After a while, I pulled myself together and changed my clothes. With the guards gone, I managed to walk out of the room. I didn't go back to the estate. I went to the family office. The code to the safe there was my birthday. I entered it and took out the confidential files. I sorted through the files and packed them up. They laid out the family's operations and plans for the future. They also contained financial records and details of the networks behind the illegal operations. By the time I finished, the sun was coming up. I called a car and went back to the estate for my things. When I got home, Beth was trying on her gown. All dressed up, she gave a twirl in the living room and was about to sit on Colton's lap. She stopped when she saw me open the door. I looked at them, then froze as my gaze fell on Beth's neck. My heart skipped a beat. She was wearing the diamond necklace my mother had left me. It was reserved for the matriarch of my family. Chapter 5 My mother had given it to me before she died, and I'd kept it locked in a safe ever since. I couldn't bring myself to wear it, even on special occasions. My heart was pounding. Colton spoke first, surprised. "What are you doing back here?" I didn't answer. I fought to control my anger as I walked straight up to Beth and pulled the necklace off her neck. "This is mine." Beth flinched, her eyes reddening as if I'd wronged her. Colton jumped to his feet, his face tense with anger. "What do you think you're doing?!" "Nothing. My mother left this to me." My voice was flat. I checked the necklace. Its sliding clasp had come undone, so it hadn't broken when I pulled it off. Beth frowned and shouted, "Colton gave that to me. "Give it back." She reached for it. I turned away from her hand and gave her a cold look. "What right does he have to give away something of mine? Go ask him for it." I started for the stairs. Colton looked ashamed and embarrassed. He stepped into my path. "Her party is tomorrow. She gets one birthday a year. You're the older one here. Would it kill you to give a little? "That necklace goes with her gown. Just let her wear it so she makes a good impression. She's borrowing it, not keeping it. "I'll buy you a few new ones later, all right?" He said it as if it were perfectly reasonable. I clenched my fists and felt the blood drain from my face. Beth took his arm again, playing the martyr. "If she won't lend it to me, forget it. I don't mind being embarrassed. I'm just worried people will think this family doesn't own a single decent necklace..." Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice caught. Colton looked angrier still. "Monica, do you have to be like this?! It's just a necklace!" He raised his voice until his accusations echoed through the hall. I ignored him and turned to leave. As I brushed past Beth, she suddenly went down with a scream. She lunged at me, hooking her fingers around the necklace. It slipped out of my hand and hit the floor. The stones scattered everywhere. I stared at them, my chest tightening. "Isn't that your most precious possession, Monica? I guess you hate me so much you'd rather break it than let me wear it..." Her wounded look made me sick. I raised my hand to hit her. Colton's eyes went dark. He stepped in front of Beth and caught my wrist. "Monica! What are you doing?! You dropped it yourself!" I jerked my wrist free and slapped him without a word. Then I pulled Beth toward me and slapped her too. She screamed. I didn't look at either of them. I crouched down and picked the stones up off the floor. Colton held a hand to his cheek, his jaw clenched. "Have you lost your mind?!" I put the stones in my pocket and took out the divorce papers. "I'm divorcing you," I said quietly. I turned and left without bothering to pack a thing. There was nothing in that house I needed. As I walked out through the estate gates, Beth was still crying. "My face is going to be ruined. What am I going to do? My party is tomorrow! "How am I supposed to face anyone like this?!" She had her head buried against his chest. He soothed her even as he shouted after me. "Where are you going?! Monica! Come back and apologize to Beth!" I didn't answer, and I didn't look back. Nobody came after me. I found the wrecked car, removed the dashcam, and put its memory card in my phone. I sat in the airport terminal and made a list of everything I'd need day to day. Then I called the design house and sent it over. I asked them to have everything ready for me. I watched the entire video on the card. Colton and Beth were all over each other in the car, their faces flushed, their movements relaxed from the alcohol. I sent the video to a hacker and paid well to have it played at the party the next day, in front of every guest. Then I paid Daniel a substantial fee to handle the divorce for me. I also sent the family's confidential files to Colton's rivals. A message from Colton came in. "That's enough! Stop throwing a tantrum. Come back and apologize to Beth, and I'll pretend none of this happened." I read it and blocked him. I hadn't taken any luggage, so he assumed I was just sulking. He was sure I'd come back to the estate sooner or later. I got on the plane and left that city for good. And the surprise I'd left for the two of them was already on its way.