But the end was inevitable. This much she knew. And though the entire thing stunk, what might hurt the worst was that she felt like she was losing a new home.
Amatbah had grown on her. She’d found a real place for herself here. Maybe she could make something work out so that she could stay. Once he decided that he’d stick with his buffoon ways, she could continue living here in her own wing of the palace, hammer out custodial rights, with their baby needing to only make trips from one side of the palace to the other to spend time with each parent.
The idea was half ludicrous, half worst nightmare.
Because if she stayed in Amatbah, she wanted Amad along with it.
Vanessa hauled herself to the royal tents early the following Monday. It was the start of a busy work week, and her planner was full of to-do lists for the maternity line. Calla didn’t show up on time, though, and as the hours dragged by, Vanessa got more and more nervous. Just when she was about to launch a search party for her missing friend, Calla breezed in, a big smile on her face.
“There you are!” Vanessa exhaled with relief. “I thought you were going to call in sick or something.”
“Oh, no. Of course not!” Calla clutched a folder in her arms, heading for her work space. “I had a meeting with Amad, and it went long.”
Vanessa froze at the mention of her husband’s name. “Oh?”
Calla nodded, sending her a breezy smile. “Yep.”
“And…how did that go?” She hated that she was so curious. She wanted Calla to spill every last detail. How did he look? What had he said? Did he ask about her? Did he seem like he even cared that they hadn’t slept in the same bed or exchanged words in four days? Was he crying himself to sleep too?
“Great. I have news for you. You’re going to Switzerland.”
She blinked rapidly, the pivot distracting her from the fact that Calla had given zero details about Amad. “I am?”
“I spoke with Marie Frechard this morning because she had some production questions about the line. She wants the brand ambassador to arrive tomorrow with the full product line…and to sign the contract.” Calla’s smile kicked up a notch. “And that’s obviously you.”
Vanessa’s heart started racing. “Are you serious?”
“Of course! Honey, you’ve had your hands in the project since the beginning. The maternity line is yours, as far as I’m concerned.”
“But…you’re coming with me, right?”
Calla shook her head. “I can’t. There’s too much to take care of back here. But you’ll be fine. I promise.”
Vanessa wrung her hands, suddenly desperate to call Amad. She wanted him to know that this was happening. Maybe he could play the role of estranged moral support husband for the duration of the trip.
Calla must have noticed the doubt flooding Vanessa because she added, “You’re the one who snagged Marie in the first place, remember?” Calla squeezed the sides of Vanessa’s arms. “You’re going to be fine. This is basically in the bag. She just wants to see the line, on you, and then you’ll sign the contract. It should be fairly straightforward.”
Vanessa nodded vehemently. “Okay. Yeah. Fairly straightforward.”
“Piece of cake,” Calla added.
“The biggest, most decadent piece of cake,” Vanessa affirmed.
Calla giggled, tapping Vanessa’s nose. “Perfect. So you’re leaving tomorrow.”
Vanessa’s life turned into a blur as she started hyper-prepping for the last-minute schedule change. She packed her bags, unpacked them, then re-packed them with the same things. She planned for nearly fifteen outfits, though she’d only be in Switzerland for two days. It was physically impossible to wear them all. She just needed to be prepared.
Because she wasn’t going to screw this up. Calla depended on her. The whole tribe was depending on her. And since Amad’s confession the other day, she now knew the entirety of the country depended on her.
Well, she wasn’t about to let them down. She spent the whole of her private flight with a permanent smile on her face, one single thought rolling through her head on repeat: How did I make it here? A business woman in her own right, on her way to Switzerland to show off the new maternity line she helped conceive. All while pregnant. And with killer style.
The meeting was set for first thing the following morning. The night before, she’d sent Amad a single kissy face emoji. An olive branch. After so much time without hearing from him, she had no idea what to expect. She was cycling through uncertainty and despair and hopefulness by the minute. He’d written back with a heart emoji.
It was something, at least.
Still, throughout the past several days of being on her own and getting lost in the business side of things, she’d had plenty of time for her mind to run rampant in the background. She’d been able to pinpoint what it was that bothered her the most. What it was that she needed.
And the revelation was a little bit unsettling.