Page 86 of The Fiancé Hoax

I fought back the tears. I couldn't believe this was happening. “I'm sorry, Cooper.”

“I know. Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you tonight.”

Before I could say goodbye, he hung up.

Defeated, I set my phone on the sales counter and returned to my chair at my sewing machine.

I didn't know what had changed between Cooper and me, but something had. It wasn't just Drew seeing my empty ring finger. It wasn't only because I was working long hours. It was more than that.

Cooper had withdrawn, turned colder. And I wanted more than anything to return to the closeness we shared before.

But instead of getting closer, I’d driven a bigger wedge between us. I had screwed everything up.

Not only was he furious with me, but I might have cost him the custody case. If this Drew guy took a picture of my hand without an engagement ring, it might be enough to sway the judge. Especially since Judge Graves was already looking for a reason to grant custody to Gen.

If Gen's attorney could make a convincing argument that we faked the engagement… Well, Cooper would be right. Everything would be lost.

All because of me.

I buried my face in my hands and let a sob rack my body. The front door was locked, and no one looking in through the front windows could see me where I was sitting.

I gave up my strong front for the moment. Finally, I let the tears flow.

Twenty minutes later, I'd cried all the tears that had built up inside me for two weeks. I went to the bathroom to clean up the eye makeup that had run down my cheeks. I looked in the mirror.

“It's going to be okay,” I said to my reflection. “Everything's not lost yet.”

But I wasn't sure I believed my own words.

In the front of the store, I unlocked the door in case a customer appeared. Then I returned to my design space.

I had planned to design and sew two more pieces today. Taking a clearing breath, I sat at my sketch book, my pencil poised against the white page.

I stared at that white page for a long time. Nothing was coming to me.

Was it really possible for Cooper to lose his custody case because I wasn't wearing my ring?

Yes, it was possible. It might be the final piece of evidence in the case Gen's attorney was mounting against Cooper.

My stomach twisted in knots. Cooper couldn't lose custody of his daughters. That was unthinkable.

Eva and Lily mattered most in all of this. And Cooper losing custody would hurt them the worst.

They had all but given up on having a relationship with their mother. Even at ages six and eight, they knew she wasn't a good influence in their lives.

My heart went out to them. I had been fortunate to have a loving mother who was always there for me. I couldn't imagine if Mom had been cold, heartless, and aloof. If she had never made an effort to be part of my life. Never shown any interest in my achievements or who I was as a kid.

Well, I could sort of imagine it. Because my father had been like that.

But my mother had made up for the cold way my dad treated me. And Eva and Lily had Cooper, who I was sure was the best dad in the world.

They couldn't be torn from the only loving parent they had. It would be a disaster for the girls to move in with Gen.

And it would destroy Cooper to lose his daughters. They were the light of his life. I shuddered to think who he would become if they were ripped from his care.

Gen would disappear with them. He would rarely be able to see the girls, if at all.

It would crush his spirit.