4|In-laws

Naomi's POV

I stepped into my heels at the front door as I checked my emails on my

phone.

I'd been busy this morning trying to redecorate the house to my mother-in-

Law's favorite color, that ridiculous shade of sage green.

I didn't have to.

My in-laws weren't fussy at all.

In fact, I hit the jackpot.

They were even nicer than my own parents.

They were extremely influential in the country too.

Not only was my father-in-law the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, but my

mother-in-law was a former federal judge.

She's retired now, but still very influential.

People respected them.

I continued to scroll through my inbox as I brushed a nonexistent wrinkle

from my dress.

Before I even saw him, I felt the familiar tension that he always came with.

Nate stood beside me, close enough that our shoulders nearly touched.

He didn't say anything.

Instead, he grabbed his car key and walked out the door.

I rolled my eyes before grabbing mine and storming out.

He was already reversing down the driveway by the time I stepped out.

I didn't care.

We had done this multiple times to each other.

There's no purpose in waiting anyway.

I hopped in my car and went on my separate way.

…

There was a knock on my office door before I looked to see Kate standing

outside.

I quickly swallowed down the bitterness down my throat before motioning to

her to come inside.

Nate might have been an ass, but he gives good advice.

She was my best friend after all.

“Hey,” she said as she opened the door, giving me a pitiful look like everyone

else.

I quickly looked away and faced the blank screen in front of me. “Hey.”

“I just wanted you to know that I wasn't expecting them to pick me,” she said.

“You obviously worked so hard-”

“Kate stop,” I sighed. “You earned it, so take it. Congrats.”

She looked down.

“I'm really sorry about your baby too,” she added. “I wanted to say

something, but you just seemed so closed off these past couple of months.”

I let out a slow breath and forced a smile. “Yeah, well. Grief doesn't exactly

make you the best company.”

She nodded, fidgeting with the strap of her bag. “I didn't mean to make

things worse, Nae.”

“You didn't,” I said flatly. “But thanks.”

The silence between us stretched, thick and awkward.

She gave me a small nod and stepped back. “Okay… I'll see you at the

meeting.”

I didn't respond, but I watched her walk away.

Once she was gone, I finally allowed my shoulders to fall.

God, it was so much easier to hate her than to befriend her.

I sighed as I got up and made my way to the meeting.

When I got to the conference room and ignored all the pitiful glances, I took

my seat at the far end of the table.

I glanced at the partner's seat Kate was sitting at.

I used to call it mine.

Her eyes locked with mine, and she offered me a soft smile, but I didn't return

it.

Not today.

Not while I was still crying in the bathroom every lunch break.

Not while I was forgetting how Eden looked.

Not while Nate and I barely remembered how to be in the same room

without tearing each other apart.

I blurred out everyone before Russell finally entered and started the meeting.

…

“Ah, Naomi!” Nate's stepmom exclaimed as she looked around the house.

“You've outdone yourself!”

I smiled, feeling satisfied about her reaction.

“How are you holding up, kid?” My father-in-law asked as he tapped my

shoulder.

I shrugged. “Going through the motions.”

“Hopefully, this'll cheer you up,” he smiled as he handed me a box of

chocolate.

“Thanks, Ray,” I smiled before his wife handed me a cake with pink frosting.

“We had lunch with your parents yesterday, and they wanted you to have

this,” she smiled.

“Thanks, Jackie,” I continued to smile as I led them further into the house.

The door quickly opened before Nate appeared with a scowl on his face.

He began to walk past us like the ass he was, but his father quickly held him

back.

“Don't you see us?” He asked.

“Welcome,” he drily said. “Have dinner without me. There's a case I need to

work on.”

“No, we'll have dinner together now,” his father insisted. “Naomi worked

hard on the meal your mother and I-”

“She's not my mother,” Nate snapped.

“Nate,” I glared at him as his parents watched him in shock.

“This woman raised you, and you still have the heart to say she's not your

mother?” His father asked in disbelief. “She's more of a mother than yours

ever was.”

Nate's whole body stiffened before his eyes locked with his father's.

“Can we please not do this?” Jackie asked, trying to avoid conflict. “Let's just

eat dinner.”

“Sounds good, honey,” Ray replied before they went to the table.

“Hey, could you try to tone it down a bit?” I whispered to him. “They traveled

all the way here to see if we're okay.”

His jaw flexed as he looked away and joined them at the table.

I sighed, praying that this was the only hiccup for the night.

I walked over and took my seat beside him, plastering a polite smile on my

face.

Jackie handed me a bowl of salad, her signature bracelets clinking as she

moved. “I have to say again that you've really outdone yourself, Naomi.

Everything is just wow.”

“I hope that you two have started working on the second baby,” Ray said as

He opened the red wine.

Nate stiffened beside me as he silently stared at his plate.

I turned my attention back to his dad and smiled. “Not yet, sir.”

“While what happened to Eden was unfortunate,” he began as he poured

wine into our glasses. “You two are lawyers. You know how the trial and error

process is.”

When he reached Nate, he immediately turned down his glass.

Ray sighed. “Still not drinking?”

“Nope,” was all he said before shoving food into his mouth.

Ray nodded. “I'm proud of you, kid. You've come a long way.”

He turned to me. “The both of you.”

I forced a smile before reaching for my glass and chugging it down in one go.

They all watched me, shocked.

Even Nate.

“You two aren't really doing good, are you?” Jackie frowned.

“It's okay,” I smiled. “All couples go through rough patches, and this is ours.”

I feel like a hypocrite for saying this a day after asking Nate for a divorce.

“You two need to work things out,” Ray instructed. “Remember, all eyes will

be on you during next month's campaign, especially that idiot Abuzo.”

Abuzo was his competitor who would do anything to win against him.

I nodded. “Do you need any legal help during next month's campaign, Ray?”

“You know I will,” he smiled. “My team is already in contact with your

assistant.”

His smile faded a little when his eyes landed on Nate, who had gone quiet.

“Nathaniel,” he suddenly said, but Nate didn't move a muscle. “Let's have a

chat.”

I turned to Nate, who had been in his world.

“Nate,” I simply said as I tapped his shoulder.

He turned to me looking so confused, and my heart ached for him.

I just wanted to see him happy again.

“Your dad wants to talk to you,” I explained, and he turned to Ray, who

motioned for him to follow behind him.

When the two left, Jackie immediately hugged me. “You're doing great,

honey.”

…

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