[Vivienne]On my way to the precinct, I spill everything to Rosita. I tell her how we were drugged the previous night, the terror of nearly losing my eyes, and how it’s all courtesy of one of her clients, hellbent on making me pay the price for my non-existent actions.Rosita listens, her face growing more horrified with each detail. By the time I’m done, her hands are trembling, and she’s white as a sheet. “Vivienne… I had no idea. I’m so sorry. If I’d known—”“It’s not your fault, Ro,” I cut her off, trying to keep my voice steady. “You couldn’t have known that this client of yours would go this far.”“I know, but still. We at least need to do something about that club manager. How dare he drug us? If I see him, I’ll strangle him with my bare hands. He can’t just do that to women without repercussions.”I can’t agree more with her, but before I can reply, Marcus pulls the car over in front of the station, and we climb out.The detective is already there, waiting for us. He takes us
[Vivienne]I don’t know what to expect when I see Caden standing there, wearing his usual scowl, not saying anything, just staring. He must have come to the precinct for something absolutely important. Why else would he come himself when he has so many people—lawyers included—working for him, doing everything at his word?But surprisingly, he doesn’t look as shocked to see me, and that makes me wonder.Rosita stands right next to me, but he doesn’t even bat an eye at her. For a moment, no one says anything, and we don’t have to. Because just then, Detective Lopez appears next to us and greets my ex-husband.“Mr. Lawrence. Detective Lopez. We spoke on the phone?” He offers his hand to Caden.It’s only then that Caden blinks and shifts his dark eyes to the detective, nodding curtly. “Yes, we did. Can we talk somewhere more private?”“Of course, of course,” the detective says, flushing when Caden doesn’t even acknowledge the handshake. What a jerk! Had he always been this arrogant? Of co
[Caden]I’m sitting in what looks like a conference room, staring at the capped bottle of water in front of me. I check the time for the hundredth time and sigh.This is taking too long.How hard can it be for a detective like Lopez to convince Vivienne to drop the case?Maybe I was wrong to approach him myself. Perhaps I should have gone to one of his superiors. I could have surely saved myself from this awkward encounter with Vivienne.Just then, the glass door opens, and the sound of footsteps snaps me out of my thoughts. I look up to find Lopez grabbing a bottle of water, uncapping it, and gulping down the whole thing. He then pulls out a chair and sits down, placing his hands on the table.“I’m sorry, Mr. Lawrence, but—”“I’ve heard enough,” I tell him, and he looks surprised, suddenly speechless.I stand up, and that’s when he finds his voice again.“But you didn’t even… I didn’t even tell you… I don’t think you understand—”“I understand everything perfectly. I think it’s you w
[Vivienne]His lips on mine come out of nowhere.One minute, I’m trying to get the truth out of him, and the next, my back is being pressed against something hard, his ruthless fingers digging into my waist, and his mouth… his mouth is all over mine.I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate him right now.The fact that he thinks he can still use the same tactics to shut me up makes my blood boil. I’m so done with this man. So fucking done.“Get off me!” I push him hard—hard enough to peel his body off mine and shove him away. “What the hell is wrong with you? Is this how you handle all your conversations? Kissing people so you won’t have to hear the truth?”The look he gives me is one of confusion and something else I don’t want to analyze. He clears his throat and fixes his tie, as if that could somehow fix his entire asshole personality.Disgusted, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of here.Shit. This entire day has already bee
[Vivienne]I see it—the tiniest crack in his facade, the brief flash of uncertainty in his eyes. But just as quickly, it’s gone, replaced by that same cold, calculating look he always wears like a second skin.“You’re bluffing,” he says, though his voice lacks the conviction it usually has. “You wouldn’t walk away from this marriage as if it means nothing to you. Because it does. That’s the only reason I haven’t signed those divorce papers yet. Three years, Vivienne. We’ve been married for three years. And for a person like you—the emotional kind—that’s a long time, long enough to make it your whole life. That’s why you can’t walk away from this. Those divorce papers are a joke, and if you don’t stop bringing them up again and again, I swear to God, I will sign them, and you’ll be left with nothing but regrets. So enough with your bluff, already. You understand? Just drop this damn case and come back home. You’ve been gone for too long, and it has started to piss me off."I feel my hea
[Vivienne]The moment I’m out of Caden’s sight, I practically break down.My heart feels like it’s about to explode, and my eyes sting with whatever tears I have left for that man.Thankfully, I find a bathroom on the floor, and before I know it, I’m rushing toward it. I’ve barely cried my heart out when the sound of the door opening reaches my ears. I stiffen, quickly turning on the tap to wash my face.But the face that reflects in the mirror in front of me makes me cry even harder.“Oh, Viv!” Rosita comes running and hugs me from behind. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”I scoff out a sad chuckle. “Why are you sorry? You don’t even know what happened.”“Right,” she says. “But I know it wasn’t good, and that’s enough.”I try to pull myself together, but all my efforts are in vain. The tears keep coming, each one a release of the pain and frustration that’s been building up inside me for far too long.“I can’t believe he said those things to me,” I whisper, his voice, his words grating on
[Vivienne]I can’t help but crack a smile at Rosita’s bluntness. It’s exactly what I need right now.Sasha’s face pales a bit, but she quickly covers it up with a sneer.“And who the hell are you? Can’t you see we’re talking here? Go bark up someone else’s tree!”“Bark? Honey, I’ll do more than bark. You’re not worth my time, you cheap piece of trash,” Rosita snaps back, her voice laced with venom. “You think you’re hot shit? You’re nothing but a wannabe, a second-rate version of something you’ll never be. I can just tell by looking at your face how many hours it takes you to look like this, and that’s on a good day? Please. You’re a pathetic joke, darling. Why don’t we just admit it and move on?”Rosita’s remark surprises me a bit, but then I remember that I told her about Caden and Sasha’s affair and the efforts this woman puts in to look like the one woman Caden ever loved. I can’t help the snicker that escapes my lips. Perhaps after the hell of a day I’ve had, I’ve earned this mom
[Vivienne]I glance down at the file she’s shoved into my chest, finally realizing that he might have actually done it.After holding back for so long, he finally signed the papers.I wonder, though: is it because I left him no other choice, or because he really is glad to see me go?I shake my head. It doesn’t matter anymore.If the papers in my hand are actually signed, nothing else matters.With a deep breath, I pull the file open, scanning the contents.The legal jargon is a blur, but the bold, unmistakable signature at the bottom is clear.Caden and I are officially done.The finality of it hits hard, but there’s a strange sense of relief mixed with the pain.Rosita’s hand on my shoulder pulls me back to reality. “You okay?”I nod, though my eyes are still fixed on the document. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just… processing.”Sasha looks like she’s about to burst with smug satisfaction. “Now that that’s out of the way, I should get going. Caden and I have a fancy dinner planned to celebrate.
[Sasha]I can’t believe I’m back here.After everything this family has done to ignore me, to ensure I never received a single penny from them, I’m still here, hoping for some help.Never in my life did I think I’d be in a position where I’d have to beg for my next meal. But here I am, and it’s the only option I have left. After selling the company and using half of the money to pay off the loan shark, and the other half to cover Dad’s hospital bills and pay the overdue salaries of employees we’d kept waiting for years, it wasn’t surprising that I was left with absolutely nothing.It doesn’t help that my idiot brother, Arthur, is nowhere to be found. Ever since he was released from the hospital and learned what I had to do to get rid of the jerk he borrowed from, he’s completely disappeared.Damn it. If I see him next time, I swear to God, I’m going to kill him.“How long is this going to take?” I ask, standing up from the couch as I spot one of the maids of the Lawrence residence pas
[Vivienne]“Where are you? You were supposed to be here hours ago,” I say over the phone, carefully walking down the stairs per the doctor’s instructions during my last visit.“On my way, I swear. Just got caught up in a call and couldn’t put it off,” Rosita says huffing, and not at all sounding as if she’s in a car.I reach the end of the stairs, frowning. “Have you even left? Please be honest with me.”“Of course,” she says as a matter of fact, but then right after a moment, she blurts out. “Actually, no.”Before I even respond to that, she rushes to explain. “Before you get mad, just hear me out. I swear I was leaving, I was almost ready to leave the house, get into my car, and reach you, but then…then someone came over and it seemed like urgent. And I could have told you all about that but…but…but…”“Hey, hey, hey,” I laugh. “Calm down, Ro. You’re making me sound like some tyrannical friend or something. It’s fine, really. The only reason I asked you to come over is because you sa
[Caden]Since our last meeting at the courthouse, I decided to keep my distance from Vivienne.A few weeks have passed now, and I think it’s enough time and space she might have needed to get used to the new reality of our lives—the kind of reality where she sees me around more often. The kind of reality where she allows me to be there for her and our child.“Excuse me, sir,” Betty Adams—my assistant—pulls me out of my thoughts.I look up to find her standing at the door. “The meeting starts in five.”The meeting. Of course. My last task of the day. After this, I’ll be free to visit Vivienne.Speaking of which—I get up from my chair, reaching for my suit jacket. “Did you find Vivienne’s new address?”I hear footsteps behind me. “About that…”When it feels like she’s going to leave it at that, I turn around, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“I mean, I tried, sir.”She must be out of her mind. “Well, clearly, you haven’t tried hard enough.”“But, sir—”“Leave it.”I walk past
[Vivienne]I can’t believe he’s here.But why?“Hey,” I manage, even though his unexpected appearance has completely thrown me off. “Long time no see.”“You don’t say,” he replies, placing the glass of water on the table in front of me when I make no move to take it. I might have zoned out for a second there. “So, how have you been? And may I just add—you’re a very hard person to find.”I smile faintly. That’s exactly what I’ve been aiming for since moving to my grandparents’ home in the hills. “Maybe that’s the point. I like my life quieter these days, away from all the chaos.”“I get it,” he says with a soft chuckle, his expression neither offended nor prying. “For a while, I thought it was me who chased you away, you know—with all those talks about faking an engagement and everything.”Oh. Right. I almost forgot about that. The proposal he made—the arrangement he thought would make his mother happy.Too bad I had far more pressing problems to deal with at the time.“Trust me, it wa
[Vivienne]“Are you sure you want to attend this event?” Harvey asks as I walk into my walk-in wardrobe, trying to pick an appropriate evening gown for the night.“Of course, I’m sure. I wouldn’t have asked you to accompany me if I wasn’t,” I shrug, leaning towards a stunning black dress but quickly getting distracted by a shimmery white gown with a sexy slit.“That, I understand. But considering your health…”“I’m fine, Harvey,” I roll my eyes. It’s been two months since that night when I rushed myself to the hospital after spotting blood on my sheets. “According to my doctor, I’m well past the risk phase, and I can start getting back to my daily routine.”“But still,” he says, sounding as if he still has doubts.Look, I know he cares. He’s my big brother, after all. I’ve known about his possessiveness for a very long time. But the reason I don’t want to spend my days sitting like a duck at home is that I’ve started to get terribly bored.Besides, tonight’s event is kind of special.
[Sasha]“What the hell is this place?” Dad fumes, glancing around the cramped, one-room apartment I brought him to straight from the hospital.“It’s…” I glance around myself, wrinkling my nose at the awful smell wafting in from the nearby window. “…something.”“Sasha,” Mom calls out, drawing my attention. Her voice holds a mix of confusion and concern. “What is this? Why aren’t we home?”“Mom, there’s something you should know,” I begin, feeling beads of sweat forming on my forehead and trickling down my back. I turn to Dad, bracing myself. “Remember the loan Arthur took from that loan shark?”“Of course, I do. How could I forget the biggest disappointment of my life?” he huffs, walking over to the old, sagging couch in the corner. He pauses before sitting down, noticing the thick layer of dust covering it, and chooses to stand instead. “What I don’t understand is—what are we doing here? Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? I need rest. I need to be home. And this place is far from i
[Caden]“Congratulations, Mr. Lawrence. You got what you wanted.” My advocate—Atlas Norman—extends his hand for a handshake. “Despite my better judgment, of course.”I return the handshake, albeit a little reluctantly. “You say that as if I ruined your fun.”“Well, you did. Especially since I enjoy a good challenge. But either way, my client’s satisfaction is what matters most. So, I’m glad I could be of service.”I have a strong urge to roll my eyes but manage to keep my composure. “Thanks for your efforts.”“All my pleasure. Now that the restraining order has been lifted, you need to be very careful with how you conduct yourself, Mr. Lawrence. As the judge mentioned, all eyes will be on you, and if you mistreat your ex-wife or the unborn child in any way, the order could be reinstated. From this point on, it’s about walking on eggshells. I hope you’ll remember that.”Of course, I do. That’s all I can think about—how not to screw this up.I might not have been the best husband a woma
[Vivienne]I answer the call—it’s Elijah.“Hey,” I say, watching Theo get up and resume pacing back and forth across the room.“Hey. How are you now?”“Much better. In fact, I’m just waiting for my discharge papers.”“That’s good to hear, Vivienne. I’ll come by to visit as soon as I can.”“Sure.” But something about his tone feels off. “Is everything okay? You sound… serious.”Elijah exhales, his tone growing heavier. “I won’t lie to you. I just got word from your ex-husband’s attorney.”The mention of Caden makes my throat go dry. Why is he suddenly everywhere today? Why can’t he just leave me alone?I shake my head, trying to dispel the rising anxiety. “What the hell is he up to now?”“Nothing good, if I’m being honest.”“Just tell me already.”“They’re preparing to file a motion to contest the restraining order.”“He’s doing what?” Did I just hear that right? Is Caden out of his mind? Why would he fight something he never cared about in the first place? What’s his goal here? A sudde
[Vivienne]“Ms. Sinclair?”I snap back into focus, realizing I’ve zoned out again.Damn it. Why am I thinking about him again? What is there to even think about? He broke my heart, shattered my life, and yet, here I am—wondering what else I could’ve said, what more I could’ve done, just to get some reaction out of him.I shake my head, trying to pull myself out of this vicious spiral. It’s the same toxic loop I always fell into when we were married—constantly questioning myself. What could I have done differently? What could I have said better? Anything that might’ve made him stay a little longer, look at me with more than passing interest, spend more than just a fleeting part of his day with me. Anything that might’ve made him care for me like a real husband, like someone who actually loved his wife.But no. I can’t let myself fall back into that labyrinth of false hope and endless what-ifs. Not again.Taking a steadying breath, I force a smile for the doctor, doing my best to seem c