Chapter 8 - THE DAY LORRAINE MET THE MISTRESSOlivia took Chloe to Milwaukee for two nights to visit Dana.
Mark invited Vanessa to house.
Stupid.
Arrogant.
He believed Lorraine was away at charity luncheon.
She returned early.
Opened front door.
Heard laughter.
Found Vanessa barefoot in Olivia’s kitchen wearing Mark’s shirt.
Mark went white.
“Mom…”
Lorraine looked at Vanessa.
Then Mark.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Mark expected fury.
Instead Lorraine asked:
“Who are you?”
“Vanessa Langford.”
Something changed in Lorraine’s eyes.
Langford.
She recognized surname from Chicago society pages.
“You’re related to Langford Capital?”
Vanessa smiled.
“My uncle founded it.”
Not exactly a lie.
A distant uncle did.
Lorraine looked at her Mercedes outside.
Diamond bracelet.
Confidence.
Money.
Then at son.
“You need to be more careful.”
Mark stared.
“That’s it?”
“Do you love her?”
Vanessa looked away politely.
Mark whispered:
“I don’t know.”
Lorraine surprised both.
“Figure it out.”
That evening, after Vanessa left, Lorraine poured Mark wine.
“What about Olivia?”
Mark looked guilty.
“Mom.”
Lorraine’s voice became cool.
“You’ve been unhappy for years.”
“She gave up career for us.”
“She reminds you of it constantly.”
“She doesn’t.”
“She doesn’t have to.”
Mark looked at mother.
“You like Vanessa?”
Lorraine smiled.
“She understands your world.”
That was absurd.
Olivia had helped pay for his world.
But Lorraine preferred woman who looked like she came with one of her own.
Then Lorraine said something Mark should have rejected.
“You’re young.”
“You don’t have a biological child with Olivia.”
He flinched.
“Chloe—”
“Is not yours.”
“Mom.”
“I’m stating fact.”
Then:
“Divorce now is cleaner than later.”
Mark said nothing.
His silence gave permission.
By morning Lorraine had already imagined Vanessa at holidays.
A wealthy daughter-in-law.
A “proper” Whitfield grandchild someday.
May you like
Olivia had no idea her mother-in-law had met woman sleeping with her husband—
and decided she was an upgrade.
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