Now that Theo and I have talked, and we’re giving each other some space, I need to resolve the other cause of anxiety in my life.

My family and the company.

After our talk in the car in Yarmouth, Theo and I have taken a break from … being the couple we were pretending to be. I’m pretty sure he went back to Nantucket to pick up some work, although I’ve gotten a text here or there asking how I’m feeling and how the baby is. He granted my wish for space, and it’s given me time to think in peace.

I love him; I know that. I want him to be in our child’s life; I know that.

But … I’m scared. I’m scared about what might happen to our baby, and what that will do to us if we have a loss that enormous again. There is so much fear in every scenario right now; I have a history of miscarriage, and it’s never off the table until the baby is born. I’m also fearful about how we handle … everything together. I’d been so sure about our relationship before all of the hardship, and that confidence was rattled.

Could we make it through tough times? Could our love power us through the things that broke us before?

I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure, and until I was, I couldn’t give Theo an answer one way or the other.

And then there was the part about being a Weston. For almost six months now, I’ve done exactly as he’s asked. I’ve put on a charade when it came to my marriage. I’ve kept my head down at work and spent long hours in the office. Every charity dinner and event he’s requested I be at, I’ve been there.

It’s time for him to give me my rightful position.

“Father.” I nod a greeting as I walked into his office.

He occupied almost the entire top floor of the Weston headquarters on the highway leading into the Cape. The office was massive, a pure show of power and wealth with its sleek wood furniture, white walls and scattered gold paperweights and pens strategically placed.

“Imogen, yes come in. I’ve been meeting to schedule a meeting with you, so I was glad when my assistant told me you’d requested one.”

Oh, he’d been meaning to? Yeah, right, he’d been avoiding me and my questions like the plague. Especially after I sent him a strongly worded email about his behavior with the divorce papers. Yes, an email, because he’d literally left the country after he’d caused the whole mess. The man wasn’t powerful; he was a child with a hammer.

“Yes. We need to discuss the terms of my promotion. The duties I’ll take on in the new role, the compensation, the stock benefits and in what capacity I’ll be able to interact with the board.”

I don’t sit, wanting to appear stronger than he is sitting behind his desk. So instead, he rises, chuckling.

“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, there are a lot of details to iron out.”

“So iron them out. I’ve done what you requested for more than five months, and I’m more than capable and ready to step into a director position. This is happening, now.”

My father seems a bit taken back by my demands but recovers quickly. “Okay, okay, calm down. Women, always so flappable.”

I want to scream, but it would only encourage him. In that moment, I sent a silent thank you to Theo for being the kind of man who had absolutely no prejudices against women. He respected me, unlike a lot of the men or boys I knew growing up. The whole brand of sexism that my father and his cronies bred was getting awful tiring.

He continues. “You’ve attended all of the events I’ve asked, and we’ve managed to avert the crisis of having those divorce papers served.”

No thanks to you, I want to say. But I don’t. “Yes, it’s all cleaned up.

“Good. And now that you’ve proven your loyalty, I will accept you back into the inner workings of the company. It’s been a long time coming, the end of your fling with that … townie.”

My father sniffs, the word townie rolling off of his tongue like a curse. Like it pains him to affront his upper class sensibilities by saying it.

The loyalty I still have to Theo stirs inside of me. Or maybe it’s our baby, swimming around in my stomach like a little guppy. “That townie was my husband. It wasn’t a fling, we shared a marriage. I’m not sure what you don’t understand about that.”

A flit of his hand dismisses my objection. “Nevertheless, it’s over now. The divorce papers have been drawn, all that’s left is to sign them. And then you can take your rightful place. Plus, I … heard you’ve been spending time with Kieran.”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up. “Who told you that?”

“No matter. I’m just glad you’ve finally come to your senses.” He picks up a paper on his desk.

“What are you talking about? Kieran and I are just friends. As we’ve always been.”

“Sometimes, Imogen, I wish you would just toe the family line. Maybe, you’d see that marriage isn’t some flighty love affair. Marriage is a contract, for the betterment of two people. And in this case, two families. As a condition of your reinstatement at the company, you will finally fulfill the joining of our two families.”

My hands shake as I take in his impassive expression. “You lied.”

“Stop being so emotional, Imogen.”

But now the words are tumbling out of my mouth as rage swamps me. “You lied. This whole time, my playing your game wasn’t to have me take over in the role I was always supposed to have. No … it was to get me out of the marriage you never wanted me in and into the one that was convenient for you! This is disgusting. I’m not some bargaining chip for you to sell and trade. I’m your daughter, I’m a powerful woman. And guess what? I won’t do this. I am not marrying Kieran. I am not marrying anyone for you.”

“You will do this, Imogen, or you will not take over as director.” He sighs, looking bored with my embarrassing display of anger.

Everything I’ve worked for, my entire life really as a Weston, is about to pulled out from under me. My hard work and tenacity never matters to him … no, he held it all over my head so that I’d gain him more of an empire through marriage.

My voice gets low and steely. “Keep your position. I wouldn’t marry anyone because my father told me too. And guess what? Kieran wouldn’t want me even if there was a romantic interest there. Not when I’m carrying my husband’s child.”

Throwing the news of my pregnancy in my father’s smug, dignified face has got to be the best form of revenge and cathartic release I’ve ever experienced.

My entire life, I’ve always done what he and my mother have wanted. I’ve never strayed, aside from marrying for love, and even then I conformed Theo and I’s happiness into a form that my parents could tolerate. I’d always put the Weston name and their approval before anything else.

But now I was done.

“You … uh …” Morgan Weston was floundering and speechless for the first time in my life, and I couldn’t hide my glee.

I rubbed my stomach, my heart blooming with love for the tiny miracle inside. “Keep your position, Father. I don’t want it.”

For the first time ever, I’d truly disappointed my parents. I was walking out on being a Weston. I didn’t fully know what that meant, but it felt so good that I didn’t care.

There was a weight lifting from my shoulders, one I hadn’t even realized had been oppressing me my entire life.

I might lose my fortune. I might lose the Weston family. But it dawned on me as I strode to my car that … I didn’t mind.

None of that mattered. What I had left did, and I was going to make it.