The Doormat Wife’s Ultimate Glow-Up novel Chapter 7

Reese’s phone started buzzing out of nowhere, the screen lighting up with a number she didn’t recognize.

She picked up. Silence.

Just as she wondered if it was a prank, a sharp, almost mocking huff came through.

Her heart stuttered. She blurted, “Sir?”

There was a pause. Then Dominic’s voice came on, low and rushed, like he was trying to get the words out before he changed his mind. “Even if Iron Financial turns you down, I can give you another shot to come back.”

He spoke so quickly that Reese had to piece the words together in her head. She thought he was just pushing her to land the Iron Financial deal.

Even though she knew it’d be tough, just getting a call from Dominic was enough to make her pulse race.

She glanced at the two people walking ahead, squared her shoulders, and said firmly, “Don’t worry, Professor. I’ll do everything I can to get Iron Financial on board.”

Dominic didn’t answer right away. Then he let out another cold snort and muttered, “Whatever,” before hanging up.

Reese tucked her phone away, about to head inside, when a series of loud pops echoed overhead.

Fireworks exploded across the night sky.

Gold and red lights burst open, scattering like thousands of tiny diamonds on dark velvet, their glittery tails slicing through the silence.

“So pretty!”

Someone nearby let out a little gasp.

“Whose proposal is it this time, you think?”

“Probably Mr. Ratcliff.”

“I heard the guy’s in love with the girl from the Meyer family. She just made headlines for some breakthrough in AI. It was all over the news.”

“This must be for her, then!”

Reese tilted her head back as firework after firework painted the sky in color.

“Reese!”

She turned at the sound of her name.

Tara and Zach were standing not far away, and with them was Aunt Rosie, who Reese hadn’t seen in forever.

“Aunt Rosie!”

Reese hurried over to greet them.

“What took you so long? Are you mad that Zach didn’t stick up for you back there?” Tara asked, eyeing her.

Reese shook her head. “What? No way.”

“In families like the Ratcliffs, the more kids the better.”

Reese’s hand drifted to her stomach. Not that long ago, there had been a baby here—but it hadn’t been hers.

Rosie kept going. “Sebastian’s a catch, you know. You need to make sure you hold on to him.

“Our family would be nowhere without the Ratcliffs’ help all these years.

“And now that Tara’s back and working here, you and Sebastian will be even more important to the family.”

Reese shot her aunt a sidelong glance.

She’d already called the hospital. The results of the surrogacy investigation would be out in three days. Once she had them, she’d give them straight to her lawyer—just in case.

She’d also had her lawyer draft the divorce papers.

Reese still hoped she and Sebastian could talk things out. Her family depended on his company, after all.

If she could get the settlement she wanted and leave on good terms, she had no interest in making things ugly.

But if Sebastian refused, she was ready to take him to court with the surrogacy evidence.

Either way, she was ending this marriage, and she would get what was fair.

With her mind made up, Reese realized she didn’t have anything left to fear.