Fredric’s POV

Maybe tonight was the most unforgettable night I’ve ever shared with Mathilda.

I let out everything I’d been holding in—my regrets, my anger, even the small traces of tenderness I didn’t realize I still had left.

For the first time, I saw her clearly. Mathilda had never been at fault in this sham of a marriage. And one more thing struck me—she looked beautiful tonight.

The dress Grandma had given her fit perfectly, softening every harsh thought I’d ever had about her. All the negative things that once clouded my view of her vanished in an instant.

After Paula’s betrayal, being with Mathilda tonight made everything feel strangely… right.

I was honestly astonished. I never expected that the same woman I’d despised for so long would become the one person who could calm me down when I felt broken.

And as I sat beside her, I found myself thinking consciously about the child growing inside her—our child.

Maybe Paula’s betrayal had opened my eyes.

When I looked back on the thin