Page 215 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 6
And just that tiny touch of warmth was like a dam breaking in my chest. A heavy sob fell from my mouth.
And then she hugged me. Even though we were practically strangers. She hugged me and she didn’t care that my tears soaked her shirt. Or that I was probably a psychopath that she’d let into her home. She just hugged me. Like we were old friends.
Liam started to squirm. I could tell my sobbing was waking him up.
“I’m so sorry,” I said and finally pulled back from her hug.
There were tears in her eyes too even though she didn’t even know what was wrong.
“My husband passed away recently.”
It was like she could feel my pain. Like she knew what it was like to lose someone. “What happened? I’m so sorry, don’t answer that. We don’t have to talk about it at all if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s okay. It was a…terrible accident.” But it wasn’t an accident. The only accident was that it wasn’t me behind the wheel of that car. And I still wasn’t sure I believed my father. Had it been a rival family? Or had it been him?
“I’m so sorry,” Penny said.
“Say something to distract me,” I said and forced a laugh.
“I almost lost my husband. And that seems so stupid to say because I didn’t and you…” her lips trembled. “I’m so sorry. This isn’t a very good distraction!”
“No, it’s okay. Tell me that story.” I said and wiped away my tears. This was probably the weirdest conversation ever had between two people that didn’t know each other. But she was making me feel better.
She wiped away her remaining tears too. “Well, my husband was married to a psychopath before he met me.”
I laughed. I’d had my fair share of psychos in my life. I was just glad Isabella was dead.
“She paid someone to shoot him on our wedding night.”
“No.”
“Three times. I didn’t think he was going to make it.”
God, I couldn’t even imagine that pain. To be robbed of happiness so soon. I’d gotten 15 years with Miller. And it wasn’t enough. But at least I’d had that. Fifteen years of happiness.
“And I found out I was pregnant with Scarlett while he was in a coma.”
I put my hand to my chest.
“And then his ex showed up at the hospital and tried to finish the job herself. If we didn’t have bodyguards, I don’t know if either of us would be alive right now. Or my daughter.” She looked down at Liam. “And I never would have gotten to have this little guy either.”
If I hadn’t had a bodyguard, I wouldn’t be alive either. Miller had fixed my heart. He’d given me Jacob. He’d given me the whole world. I blinked fast so I wouldn’t start crying again.
“If I hear the name Isabella, I still get all sweaty and panicky,” Penny said.
“The psycho’s name was Isabella?” I shook my head. “An Isabella ruined my life too.”
“What?”
“Yeah. She was insane. Back in high school, my Isabella…” I shook my head. “Poor wording. I never ever want to call her my Isabella.”
Penny laughed.
“But she tried to kill me. She had a whole plan and everything. She made it her sole purpose to ruin my life.”
“What the hell? In high school?”
I nodded. “Isabellas, man,” I said.
