Page 95 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

She was on her second bowl when Mattie entered the kitchen, quickly followed by Leo. “Ah,” he said, smiling. “You’re back. How did it go?”

“It was… enlightening,” she said miserably. “Whilst you’re over there, could you get me a can of Coke? And the rest of the packet of grated mozzarella?”

Grinning, he delivered her food. “You still wanting cheese?”

“Literally every chance I get. I can’t wait until Rhys comes back with the food. The thought of warm mozzarella makes me want to swoon.”

Mattie chuckled, pointing to the microwave next to her. “Why don’t you put the bowl in there for a few seconds? That’d soften this up.”

Her stomach grumbled its acquiescence. “Oh my god, Mattie, you’re a genius.” She pushed the bowl in, setting the timer for ten seconds. “Have you heard back from your interview yet?”

“I did actually.” His smile lit up the room. “I got the job.”

“Aah, well done!” she cried excitedly. “I’d give you a hug if I wasn’t all cheesy.” Trying her first handful of warmed mozzarella, she groaned. “Oh, this is so good. But when do you start? This is the one you really wanted, right?”

“Right,” Mattie slid onto a seat on the other side of the breakfast bar. “It’s an independent shop, and quite a lot of their stock is model trains as well asWarhammerstuff, but I’m excited.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

He smiled, giving her belly a quick glance. “Uncle Mattie can save up to get his niece a little model army of her own.” He glanced down, seeing Leo waiting patiently at her feet. Probably for some cheese. “Space Wolves, perhaps? After Leo?”

Kate caved and sprinkled some cheese on the floor. “I wouldn’t do that for just anyone, you know?” she assured the little dog. “I’m sure Leo will keep them in check. Won’t you, puppy?”

“He’s seven.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Kate picked Leo up—albeit with difficulty—his stubby front legs poking outwards. “You’ll still be the cutest little puppy even when you’re twice that age.”

A laugh of disbelief echoed through the kitchen. Both Mattie and Kate looked over to the doorway to find Sarah with her hands on her hips, one of them clasping a letter. “We’re having dinner in a minute.”

Kate scrunched her lips to one side, offering what had quickly become her only defence. “Baby needed cheese?”

Mattie had something else on his mind. “Is that Dad’s handwriting?”

“Err…” With a small sigh, Sarah placed the letter on the breakfast bar. “It is, yes. Dad and I are getting divorced, sweetheart. This is the first step.” She took Mattie’s hand, but Mattie pulled her into a hug.

“I’m sorry, Mum.”

Sarah’s shrug was that of a woman who had long since accepted her marriage was over. “Did you know they warned me about it after I was diagnosed?”

“Who? And warned you about what?” Kate asked.

“The Macmillan nurses who work in the cancer care team. They warned me about divorce. The fact that twenty percent of men whose wives are diagnosed with cancer divorce them.”

“Wait,” Kate abandoned her precious cheese. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Sarah gave a sad little laugh. “They even gave me a leaflet about it.”

As if getting diagnosed with cancer wasn’t bad enough…”What’s the rate of women divorcing husbands diagnosed with cancer?”

Sarah paused for a moment. “Something like two to three percent, the leaflet said. It’s awful when you think about it.”

Shaking her head, Kate looked away in anger. The situation had struck a nerve she didn’t know she had; she had cared for her father all those years and he’d abandoned her in a heartbeat. “I guessin sickness and in healthdoesn’t mean jack shit when it’s the men who have to care for the women instead of the other way around.” And here she was pushing away a man who was desperate to care for her. A man who, by all accounts, would love her and their baby to the ends of the earth.

“The meetings that I’ve been going to on Wednesdays, the cancer support meetings that Warren takes me to, myself and some of the women there have a little WhatsApp group and I’m not the only one it’s happened to. There’s about twenty of us in total, and four marriages have broken down so far.” Sarah clocked her jaw to the side. “Andy was apparently the quickest to ask for a divorce though. I didn’t even start chemo before he jumped ship. Literally.” Sarah looked to Mattie suddenly. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t be talking about your dad that way in front of you, I kn—”

“Yes, you should, Mum,” Mattie said forcefully. “Dad’s a coward, and I’m not a child. I know what he is. You don’t have to protect the name of a man who abandoned you when you needed him most. Besides,” he smiled, patting Kate’s shoulder, “we have a new family now.”

Kate positively beamed at the inclusion. “And we’re here for you. No matter what.”

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