The tension in the room was palpable as Herschel and Jacqueline processed my words. It was no surprise, yet the air was thick with unease.,

"Sweetie, we've heard the whole story, and it's not on you. That rascal Conrad is to blame. I already gave him an earful and told him to come home and apologize to you.

" Before I could even speak, Jacqueline had launched into a tirade against Conrad., Her actions, though, seemed to be a plea for me not to voice the uncomfortable truth they dreaded to hear., Ever the more rational, Herschel cut Jacqueline off,

"Let's hear what Felicia has to say.

", Jacqueline's grip on my hand tightened, her eyes imploring me to reconsider, mirroring her earlier words., I lowered my gaze, attempting to shield myself from their influence,

"Herschel, Jacqueline, sorry, but Conrad and I, we've broken up.

", The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the tightening grip of Jacqueline's hand around mine.,

"Why?

" Herschel's voice was deep and forceful., I knew I must give a reason compelling enough to stop their objections, or the conversation would circle endlessly. Telling them Conrad and I weren't suitable for each other would serve no purpose., So, I chose to be honest.

"It's because of Haley. Conrad's attention to her was excessive, far beyond what he offered me, his fiancée.

", Jacqueline pulled my hand closer to her as she asked,

"What has he done? For that woman to keep chasing after my son, what's going on?

", Herschel's expression darkened.

"Felicia, we're not fully aware of what he did outside. Tell us, and we will take care of it.

", Were they unaware? Rumors had reached their ears, yet they hadn't inquired further. Could it be so?, Knowing Herschel as I did, ignorance was implausible., Conrad might be running the Wagner Group, but Herschel built it from the ground up. Though Herschel relinquished operational control to Conrad, many decisions still required his approval. He was the true puppet master, informed of every move within the company., Conrad's scandal with a widow was the talk of the company, impossible for Herschel to miss. He was playing dumb, waiting for me to break the silence., So, I laid it all out.

"Conrad gave Haley access to his credit card, moved her into the house meant for us, and even let her buy his favorite bed linens. Worst of all, he's been sneaking around to accompany her, even to her prenatal appointments.

", My close friend, Fanny, had disclosed this to me., Conrad cleverly didn't use Fanny's hospital for Haley's prenatal checks, opting for a fancy private clinic in Seabreeze City. Unbeknownst to him, Fanny was a consultant there and witnessed everything., She withheld the information initially, not wanting to add to my distress after what she thought was my marriage to Conrad. It wasn't until I had decided to confront the Wagner family that she revealed everything, adding another grievance to Conrad's list.,

"Is that so? The nerve!

" Herschel slammed his fist on the table, visibly enraged., It was a rare sight. Herschel's usually calm demeanor had given way to fury, and even though his anger wasn't toward me, I couldn't help but tremble., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.