The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 422

Nikita scoffed. "At my age, with my health, you want to put this old lady to work?"

"I just don't want you sitting around overthinking things! You don't need to worry about Winona anymore. She's gorgeous, has a great job, and makes good money. Men will be lining up to date her. Anyone who ends up with our Winona is hitting the jackpot. Yulen Locke didn't appreciate her, and he'll be kicking himself for the rest of his life."

Though still a little grumpy, Nikita had to admit her daughter made sense. Winona and Yulen had never actually signed a marriage license, which meant they were merely broken up, not divorced. Without the stigma of a failed marriage, there was no reason she couldn't find a great match down the line.

Fine, she would let it go. Whatever happens, happens.

*

When she got home, Winona went straight for a shower.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she saw a text from Stefan: *I'll come over as soon as I finish this virtual meeting.*

Winona replied with a quick *Okay*, then grabbed some milk from the fridge to warm up.

Sipping her mug of warm milk, she scrolled through her social media feed. Suddenly, she paused on a post from a coworker who was close to Tallulah Shipley.

Tallulah had gone into premature labor the night before and delivered a five-pound baby boy. Both mother and son were safe.

In the past, seeing this would have triggered a wave of bitter resentment. Now, she felt absolutely nothing.

The Locke family, and especially Yulen, must be over the moon. Tallulah had finally gotten exactly what she wanted.

Dismissing the thought, Winona opened her laptop to review some files.

An hour later, Stefan let himself in.

He had already showered and was dressed in dark loungewear. The open collar revealed the crisp, defined lines of his chest. Winona found herself staring; she loved his face and his physique.

Women, she mused, could be just as visually driven as men.

Every time she melted into one of his kisses, she would catch herself wondering: *If Stefan wasn't the billionaire heir of the Goddard family—if he was just a regular, working-class guy—would I still want to be with him?*

The answer was an undeniable yes. Between his striking looks, his perfect build, and his impeccable gentlemanly charm, she would choose him in a heartbeat.

By the time she reached the hospital, the pain was unbearable. A severe hemorrhage followed, dragging her right to the edge of death before she finally delivered her son.

Now, she lay in bed, too weak to move an inch. The trauma of the birth had left her deeply scarred; she never wanted to go through it again.

Yulen was currently away on business in Giltburg City. Blythe was still locked up in a jail cell. The Locke family had swooped in, cooed over the baby, and promptly left her behind without a second thought.

Surrounded by the suffocating silence of the room, with only a snoring night nanny for company, Tallulah was in agony. The scene she had envisioned—the Lockes waiting on her hand and foot in gratitude for bearing them a son—had shattered.

She had been discarded like a used rag. Alone, she stared at the ceiling until dawn broke.

It wasn't until the next morning that Yulen finally arrived.

He went to see his son first, then carefully carried the newborn into Tallulah's room.

She looked ghastly. Yulen had never seen her so pale and hollowed out; he almost didn't recognize her.