4

VIVIAN’S POV

“This next slide shows the quarterly growth projections…” I suddenly faltered, my words catching in my throat as I prepared to transition to the final slide.

Something was off. 

The numbers didn’t match the data I had meticulously prepared. 

How could that happen? A chill ran down my spine. This meeting was crucial. I can only force myself to keep going, hoping no one else would notice. 

“Excuse me,” Eve’s voice suddenly cut through the room, “But aren’t those numbers wrong?” She announced loudly, her tone dripping with malice. 

When she whispered to me yesterday, I never believed that Nate could give her an acute position in the company until I saw Eve in the same boardroom with me. But that wasn’t the most pressing issue right now.

Heads turned, and a murmur spread through the room. My heart raced as the board members’ eyes fixated on the screen.

“What is the meaning of this, Nate? Do you allow substandard employees to deliver presentations with incorrect data and then admit their incompetence outright? Is this some kind of joke?” one board member demanded, his voice heavy with accusation.

Panic surged within me as I fumbled through the color-coded folders, “This is not my data, let me jus—” 

“What are you searching for, Hun? Evidence of your failure or just your sense of bearing?” Eve’s voice was sharp and mocking. 

“This is nonsense!” another board member barked.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Nate stepped, his voice cold and calm, immediately commanding attention. Everyone turned to him silently. “I apologize for this unexpected issue. We will take a short break to resolve the data discrepancy and ensure you have the correct information.”

“Let’s have drinks and refresh, everything is on me” 

Nate finished with a fake cherry attitude, saving the day but making no eye contact with me at all. 

Then a new form of dread settled in my soul.

“In my office. Now,” he said it so slowly, pinning me with the weight of his cold glare.

I trailed behind him, the tension thick in the air, whispers swirling in the wake of our failed presentation. 

I'm sure I prepared the right data and double-checked everything before today’s presentation. The data must have been changed, but how?

Nate ushered me into his office, locking the door behind us with a sharp click. I stood before him, head bowed, feeling the weight of his disappointment like a physical blow.

“You were supposed to handle this, Vivian, you let me down,” his bitter voice cut deeper as I struggled to maintain composure.

“I don’t know how it happened,” I answered, my mind in confusion. “I never make mistakes and you know this.'' 

Nate dragged his tie, exposing the tip of his chest as he began to pace.

“And even if I did, it wouldn't be something this careless,” I said, my voice gathering as my mind circled on all the events that led to the presentation, suddenly I gasped.

Wait a second! Could it be… 

“I was framed! Nate,” Recalling the details yesterday, and Eve’s strange attitude in the meeting, something became more clear, “Do you remember yesterday Eve came to the office? Then I found my bag open…”

“Enough.” Nate’s voice boomed, cutting through my explanation. 

“Can’t you stop being that conceited? Are you not tired of refusing to accept the consequences of your own actions? Blaming others for your own ill-preparedness is pathetic. You failed, Vivian. Own it.” 

I flinched, a coldness spread in my chest.

“You think I did this? On purpose?” I asked in anger, lacing my words. 

“The evidence speaks more, don't you think?” he replied, pouring himself a drink and I scoffed in anger. 

This was totally him! 

“Well I didn’t see any evidence! ” I shot back, my voice bold and unmasking my anger at his obvious betrayal. How could he not believe me! 

A knock sounded interrupted the tense silence between us. 

Ethan walked in. I struggled to hold back tears as he looked at me.

Nate’s brow furrowed as he addressed his step-brother, “What are you doing here?”

“My staff informed me the meeting's in limbo. Why is there so much tension?”

“You should see how she made that silly mistake, Ethan,” Nate scoffed.

Ignoring the heated glares that Nate and I passed across each other, Ethan interjected, “Let’s not jump to conclusions brother. I found this on my way,” he said,  

It’s a broken CCTV camera. I recognized it as the one positioned close to my secretary desk and I wasn’t anywhere close to my desk today because of the presentation!

“I think something went wrong, Nate,” Ethan said carefullyI arched an eyebrow at Nate, silently challenging him. Even Ethan could see the connection!

But instead of acknowledging this new evidence, Nate took a long swig of his drink, his eyes darting between Ethan and me.

Ethan pressed on, “Nate, Vivi has no reason to intentionally sabotage the presentation. All of this was set up.” 

Nate brought his glass heavily against his glass table, startling me.

“I know what you’re implying” he snarled, “Saying she was framed or that Eve had something to do with it or was even near you is a stupid thing to even say!”

Seriously? 

“You failed, Vivian. Own it instead of blaming innocent people or grasping at coincidences,” Nate spat.

Ethan frowned, “You don’t have to say that Nate.”

“No I don’t. Do you know what else I don’t need?” Nate’s eyes narrowed as he turned to me, a cold smile playing on his lips.

“Your presence, Vivian”

“Your duties will be transferred to a temp for a month. Now get out.” 

My eyes widened at his judgement.I looked up sharply, but the icy indifference in his eyes crushed my remaining pride. All of a sudden, I feel nothing to say. 

Even faced with the truth, Nate, my own husband, still chose Eve.

As I turned to leave, Eve stood at the door, a knowing smirk twisting her features. The final, cruel punctuation to my humiliation.

I moved quickly away from his office and cleared my desk, angry tears stinging my eyes as I moved to the garage where I planned to drive home.

I struggled for deep breaths but the more I tried to take in air, the more my stomach hurt and soon the pain intensified.

I was a few paces away from my car but my body knew something was wrong, my skin was suddenly clammy and pale, the pain was tearing through me and fast.

My breaths were ragged now and in a split minute i knew i wouldn't be able to drive, I needed help! I mustered up strength and dug my hand into my bag to find my phone quickly, I called Tracy but her phone went straight to voicemail “ I need you, pleas—” my voice cut as the pain cut through me again, the phone falling on the ground and a pained groan escaping my lips as i bent over, my bag falling to the ground files spreading out in chaos as strange hands suddenly touched my shoulders.

“Vivian! Are you ok?” worry etched on Ethan’s face.

I opened my mouth to lie but the next wave of pain knocked the breath out of my lungs, “Ethan, I —” i was about to speak when suddenly i felt something trail down my legs and my eyes caught the trail.

Ethan gasped in horror as he followed my line of sight to find that i was bleeding, the air was knocked out of me as he suddenly swinged me over his hands, carrying me like a bride.

I tried to clutch onto his neck for support but i had no more strength, the world spun and I blacked out.

I woke up later to find Ethan and the doctor in my hospital room. I tried to sit up, drawing their immediate attention as the doctor came towards me and helped me sit up.

“Nothing to worry about, Mrs Stuart. I told your husband that you and the baby were fine” the doctor said and my eyes widened with shock, the doctor nodded her head and left the room and an unwanted wave of shame washed over me as Ethan came close to me.

I gave a small laugh “She thought you were Nate, sorry about that” i said, trying to feel less of the shame that was viciously tearing through me.

“Has he always been an asshole, to you?” Ethan asked me ignoring my early joke , a lie trying to form in my mind but he placed a hand on mine, letting it rest there.

“Why are you still with him?” he asked me, surprising me and I snatched my hand away from him.

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. "You can't tell him, Ethan. This baby is mine." I whispered, my eyes pleading with him to keep my secret.

“Wait,” he started looking confused “Nate doesn't know?” he asked and i suddenly realized that i had released a can of worms, he stood up abruptly refusing to meet my eyes as i swallowed huge lumps of saliva.

My silence made him scoff —

“Why doesn't he know, Vivian?” he turned around and looked at me square in the face, my mouth was dry and i was at a loss for words. What was I supposed to say? Even though he was my brother in law, I was still under contract.

“Does he hit you?” he suddenly asked, his eyes wide with shock and anger lacing his voice, my eyes widened and I shook my head trying to stop whatever this was but Ethan was pacing now, a trait I was realising he shared with his brother.

“I swear it, Vivian, if he put you in this hospital, I am going to make Nate Pay.” he growl through gritted teeth and a crash followed, making our heads turn in shock.

Tracy stood at the doorway, her phone on the floor and her hands trembling. Her eyes were wide and glazed, taking in the scene before her. "“Nate…did this?” she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and anger.

Ethan turned to face her, his expression a storm of emotions while my heart beat twice as fast, he opened his lips to speak and everything happened in slow motion and I knew that this was the moment, my carefully curated world of lies came undone.