The Don Waste My Child Chapter 05

The Don Waste My Child Chapter 05

Neither of our mothers knew about the miscarriage.

They’d been gently complaining—why were we so busy, why couldn’t they visit, why did Kane always have Ivy’s voice giggling in the background when they called.

Kane’s mother pouted. “I called him late the other night—I could hear that secretary in the room. You two need to take care of yourselves.”

I smiled. The words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat.

Kane spotted us first. We were at the same shopping center—Ivy and her parents on one end, my mother and his on the other. He crossed the floor in four long strides and pulled me aside.

“Ivy’s here. Her parents too. If they see us—it’s hard to explain.” His thumb found my earlobe, rubbing slow circles. Like that would fix anything. “Take my mom and your mom somewhere else? Hm?”

I stepped back. His hand fell. He tucked it into his pocket like it had never been reaching for me.

“I was going to wait. Let Ivy’s parents leave first, then deal with us.” I looked at him—his clean shirt, his easy posture, zero guilt on his face. “But I can’t wait another second.”

He didn’t understand what I was saying. The rejected hand annoyed him—he leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head. His lips landed on my cheek.

“Wait for what? I get it. Once they’re gone, I’ll make it up to you. Be good.”

I scrubbed my cheek with the back of my hand. Hard. Twice. Trying to scrape off whatever he left there.

“Kane. Don’t make this feel like an affair. It’s disgusting.”

“Mom!”

The mothers came out of the store. Their faces lit up.

“Kane! What are you doing here? I thought you said you were busy?”

He shifted—shoulders back, smile on. The Don mask. “Meeting a client, Mom.”

My fingers curled into my palm. After he promised boundaries—after he swore he’d keep distance from Ivy—we spent less time together, not more. Always at the office. Always busy. Ivy posted a photo once. In the corner—his hand. The same hand.

He pulled out a black card. Held it toward me like he was tipping a waitress. “Today’s shopping—all on me. For the three most important women in my life. My apology.”

The mothers laughed. Someone teased that I was the richest person in the family. Watching them smile, I swallowed the breath I couldn’t exhale.

Kane wanted me gone. He pushed the card toward me again.

Then—footsteps. Loud. Shaking the floor.

A hand grabbed my hair from behind and wrenched my head back. Rough hands. Working hands.

A slap. Full-force across my face.

My cheek swelled instantly—five finger marks. My eardrum rang like it had split.

Chaos. Ivy’s mother was being held back by strangers, still lunging toward me, spitting fury.

“I knew it! The moment you showed up at my daughter’s house, I knew what you were!”

“You homewrecker! Chasing him down at the mall, trying to get money out of him! Everyone—look! This woman—she’s a mistress! She tells people she’s his secretary—uses work as an excuse to show up at their house!”

“And today I catch her—taking his credit card! My daughter told me everything! This slut just had an abortion!”

Her voice filled the atrium. People stopped. Stared. Their eyes landed on me—curious, disgusted, certain.

My mother stood beside me, hands hovering, not daring to touch my wound. Tears streamed down her face.

“My daughter is not that kind of person!”

That only made Ivy’s mother louder.

“You two old whores—dressed up like that—the mother’s dirty so the daughter learned to be a slut—the whole family is rotten—”

Ivy shoved through the crowd. She dropped to her knees in front of her mother, hands shaking, face white. She tried to cover her mother’s mouth.

“Mom. Stop. Please stop.”