Scarlett’s POV
Sitting in the taxi to another hospital -- the hospital where SHE is, to see him. I feel sick. Carsick, morning sick, or just...sick of this trip.
This is the trip I hate the most, and this is a trip I have been taking for ten years: she is always in the hospital, and he is always around her, even before our marriage.
That’s what happens when your crush loves your sister who has Willebrand, combined with a RH- blood type, no less.
Yes, the illness where one can’t heal from bleeding, with the blood type that only 0.3% of people have.
Even a small cut on a finger could be lethal to her. That’s why she is the spoiled treasure of the whole family, the untouchable, the miracle that gets everything she wants by just existing.
Me? Even my existence gets ignored.
My parents have only Ava in their eyes. My brother hates me as if I stole my health from Ava.
No, I just stole her man.
But they hated me even before that. Marrying Sebastian only let their hidden hatred out of the bag.
But I did steal, and I paid for it. I married him, and I got only five years of torment from him.
I thought loving him with all I have could amend for my sin, and I paid with all the love I can find in me. I thought it was my life a dream coming true when I married him, I guess I should have known when I spent our wedding night alone that...
...He will never be the little hero who saved me ten years ago. Not for me, never again.
[Sorry, I guess the plan is back on...after all. Are you still available?] I text Aurora. I feel bad that I just told her to cancel my flight when I was told it would be a one-ticket-for-two.
[For you? Always.]
I close my eyes. It’s decided then.
I can’t back out of it now. He won’t let me. He has been waiting for these divorce papers forever.
I just need to figure out what the baby means in this mess. Well, probably a question only I need to answer. He wouldn’t want anything to do with the baby, and Ava...
It would be tremendously kind of her if she would let the baby live. I’m sure if she asks for my abortion from him, he will happily oblige.
I take a moment after the crazy taxi’s bumpy ride to adjust my breath, letting the thin sweat on my forehead fade as I swallow down the nauseous lump dangling behind my tongue. I get car sick as easy as it is, and carrying a little thing in my womb is making it even harder.
I blame him. It’s definitely a he, bringing nothing but trouble for me, just like his father.
Then I laugh at myself for my childish thought.
A moment ago I was feeling only coldness and horror at the news of his existence, thinking it was just a tiny embryo growing in me that was too little to even show in the scan, a little thing that meant nothing but trouble for me.
But now, I’m already imagining teasing it for its most beautiful laugh in the world. Even before he was born, he was already bringing me joy.
I want to keep him.
That idea scares me. Even if I go through with the plan, could I really bring a baby into a world where he loses one of his parents even before he is born?
Tears swell my eyes at that thought and I can barely see. I blame the hormones.
Giving my tears time to dry, I drag my rubber limbs to Ava’s fifth-floor ward slowly. He is waiting for me inside, but not for the file I WANT to give him.
He wants the one that shatters my heart.
I thought I was ready. I thought he had ground my heart to shreds so tiny that I couldn’t find any love left in me. But it still hurts. And it’s even more impossible to do now, with the baby’s weight on the scale.
“Sebastian, I’m scared. It’s the worst feeling, waiting for the result...” Ava’s timid, girly voice hits me through the door, and I pause, “Hold meeee.”
One sentence from my dear sister, and I lost all my strength to enter. I know he would. He would hold her, with all the love in his heart.
I don’t know how much that love is, but I surely got none.
If I had doubts before this, I don’t now. The only fate for this marriage is to end. I’m here to deliver the divorce papers, I warn myself.
The baby...is just a surprise that won’t change anything.
Five years is long enough of a mistake. I don’t have too much left in me to maintain a marriage-for-one. He married me, but only on paper. His heart is her belongings. Always has been, and always will be.
Tonight I will be in another city, leaving the man I love to the woman he loves.
Scarlett’s POV“The bone marrow transplantation was three months ago, silly,” Sebastian’s chuckle follows her request out to the empty hallway.I put my hand on the doorknob, but I can’t seem to find the strength to turn it. I have seen how loving they are together, too many times for too long.As if torturing myself, I just freeze there, listening.“Today is just a regular checkup, and the result has been good every time before this, hmm?” Sebastian comforts.I could see his tender smile in my head as he coaxed the love of his life, his powerful palm patting her on the head like she was the most delicate flower in the world.That warmth and love are something I have had only once from him, and that one time I thought I touched the sun. For that one time of light I saw in my dark life, I threw myself to that sun, betting with everything I had.And just like the sun, he burnt me.No matter how much I loved him, no matter how much I did for him, I won’t ever get anything in return. Beca
Scarlett’s POVI put out the cigarette on the bin when her door opens.Sebastian frowns at me, remaining by the door, half of a hallway from me. He hates me smoking. He would glare at me, scold me, or like this -- standing far away with disgust on his face.It’s a gross habit, but a woman needs SOMETHING to let out the pain in her chest or she will burst. But then again, if his delicate Ava could afford such a habit, he would definitely join her instead.“So?” He puts one hand in his pocket, glaring at me when he finally walks over. He does that when he is impatient. As in, all the time with me.I gaze at his face, handsome and dominant, just like the day he found me in that forest. But at that time those eyes were clear like crystal, with sparkles like the Milky Way. Right now it’s pure darkness of hatred.He snaps his finger to get my attention.“Sorry...” I dart my eyes to the ground, pulling the divorce papers out. He reaches over, and in panic, I dodge.Instantly, disgust fills h
Scarlett’s POVAurora still took me to the airport. But she wouldn’t give me my ticket.Stuffed a cup of hot cocoa in my hands, she glares at me across McDonald’s tiny table like a fierce mom judging her truant kid.“I JUST found out today--” I start timidly and instantly she retorts--“Yeah, you said that!”It’s not like I planned any of this. I drop my eyes to my cocoa, can’t look at her. She’s mad, and I know why.She’s from a rich family. Beautiful, popular, two-meter-long legs, etc. But she wasn’t born rich. She watched her single mom work her ass off raising her, hating her irresponsible father her whole life, only to find out that he didn’t leave them, like what her mom told her. Her mom brought forward the breakup.She is seeing me doing exactly the same thing.“I won’t teach the baby to hate him...” I mumble, not dare look at the anger on her face. I know how much she has been through.“That’s not all!” Aurora shoots me a death stare, firing like a machine gun, “My mom lied t
Scarlett's POV“What was that?” Aurora blinks. My one-sentence phone call amazes her.I grip my phone, for the second time today, struggling with my plan. I just want to stop being hurt. Is it too much to ask? I close my eyes. A part of me wants to just grab the ticket and leave, letting the world burn behind me.But I can’t. If mom needs a blood transfusion, I need to be there. That’s what I’m in this family for. Their blood vessel.Please, lord, please tell me this phone call has nothing to do with my message to Sebastian.Between Mom really is injured, and Sebastian selling me out... I’m not sure which I hope is the situation.“I guess I’m not leaving today after all,” I let out a sigh, mumbling to Aurora, “I’m really sorry but...I need you to take me back.”“That’s great!” Aurora throws herself into me with genuine happiness in her voice, “That was him? What did he say? Is that always how you call each other?”With Mr. Fuller? Yes.My “dad”, never loved me. He had a deep flow of h
Sebastian’s POVI didn’t reply to Scar’s message. She would never leave. She just manipulates with threats like this.I might have spent too much time on Ava recently, and Scar is throwing a tantrum. She should understand that it’s a life on the line, even if that life belongs to the sister she hates.Not that I don’t understand Scar. I do. Being the healthy one, she is jealous of all the extra attention Ava is getting. That’s why she is the problem child. Always rebellious but proud, acting indifferent but begging for love. She is always looking for attention, with sour messages, tears, or a divorce.I didn’t think she would really give me a signed one. Think of the catastrophe if I dared to really go through with it.Surely enough, Scar came back.No longer with that half-empty suitcase either. I guess her show ends tonight.After all, today we got the best result on Ava’s blood platelet, almost reaching normal level. Today is the day Ava finally gets to live a normal life.“For a m
Scarlett's POVSitting on the cold floor, I realize I made my judgment too early.I thought my life used to be a living hell. How wrong was I. Though everyone treated me horribly, never did they lay a finger on me. After all, I was the precious blood vessel for the fragile Ava. They couldn’t afford to lose me.But not anymore.I palm my face, looking up slowly at the man I once called father, only to realize the coldness in his eyes: I’m still the blood vessel, just not “precious” anymore. I’m now a nice-to-have.After all, Ava is all but healed now.They won’t toss me away because I might still have value. What do they have to lose if I don’t get my chance of a normal life?For that slight “might”, I can’t have my freedom. I’m not allowed to leave the city and have my own life. They don’t care if my heart would be broken a million times every day here, seeing Sebastian with Ava. They don’t care that I might also need love, from somewhere, anywhere.And they can afford to physically hu
Sebastian’s POVThere are broken shards everywhere on the floor. I dare not put down Ava. Her blood platelet might have reached a normal level now, but no one dares to test if the monster that’s been haunting her is still lurking nearby.The last time Ava needed blood from Scar was because of a paper cut, literally. One that Scar caused no less.“...Please?” Scar mumbles when she walks over to me, not looking at me.“I can’t put her down, you know why.”Scar snorts coldly, finally looking up from under her messy hair. Jack must have slapped her really hard, to mess up her hair like that, as well as leaving a scarlet red palm print on her cheek.“Excuse me,” Scar says with a clear but cold tone that I’m not familiar with, “coming through.”I stopped Ava by the door.I frown, hating the sarcasm in Scar’s eyes. She knows why I misunderstood and she is mocking me for it. Every time I even just stood close to Ava she would come up and break us apart.“Where are you going?!” Jack yells behi
Sebastian’s POVI know how sensitive Ava is about her condition. To beg the sister she doesn’t like to save her life, over and over again. That’s why when Scar used that to force my hand, Ava started having real hatred in her eyes toward Scar.“Of course you can say that,” Scar spats at Ava viciously, “you can take the high road all you want, because your army will tie me to the table and drain my blood for you if they need to.”“Scarlett Fuller!” I warn her, and Ava raises her hand again. I dodge to the side so Ava can’t reach Scar, but Scar catches Ava’s arm at the same time. It all happens so fast, and Ava bursts into a painful shout. I have to push Scar away.Scar falls to the ground, her hand pressed on a sharp shard. I see.I didn’t even use too much force. I did push her, but the fall was mostly her way of making me feel bad. I want to put Ava down, but she wouldn’t care about the shards in the room and she would definitely hurt herself.“I’m sorry,” I can only apologize with w
Sebastian’s POVI didn’t think Scar would agree to see me.She shut down herself ever since the trial, wouldn’t talk to anyone. Johnny Vanderbilt, Damian…even Lilith. Prison became her protecting shell and she is hiding from the world.But when I required to see her, she agreed to the visit.I pulled myself out of all the mess, showered for the day as if going on my pilgrimage. I had to submit everything on my before a tight security check. The emptiness inside the prison walls lowered the temperature 4 to 5 degrees than outside. So did the dead flat faces of the guards.I followed them going deeper and deeper into this hell, failing to imagine Scar’s feelings when she walked thought this knowing she wasn’t coming back out.A chill ran down my spine when that thoughts hit me.“20 minutes,” The guard warns coldly before she pulls open the heavy iron door. A loud beep bursts out as the red light on the top right corner of the door suddenly goes off at her movement.Scar is already sitt
Sebastian’s POVI had a million things to do, but I couldn’t leave the courthouse. Not when Scar was on trial.I thought it would take an eternity, but it ended before I realized it.And it didn’t end well.It felt like I barely settled down on the bench outside the court before Damian came out. Almost as if he forgot something and he just came out for a quick grab. Before I could even ask, he shook his head.How could he lose? He said he was confident! Even just going in there to wave a surrender would have taken longer!“What happened?!”“She...” Choakingly, Damian tried to squeeze some words out, “She pled guilty...”“Then what was the point of you being there?! We need to make an appeal--”“We can’t. It’s going to be a criminal charge, and there is little room to turn this around...” Damian stops talking, looking at a man striding toward us, and his look changes from surprise to fear, “Dad...”Johnny Vanderbilt. King of the Vanderbilt Empire, which he built with Scar’s mom. It’s a
Sebastian’s POVIf Scar stopped loving me when she brought up divorce, she hates me now.When she looks at me, there is not even hatred or anger in her eyes. There was nothing. She doesn’t see me, but just a stranger who she wishes the worst on. I can read those wishes. I don’t mind if she hates me. I don’t even mind if she tries to get revenge on me. I do deserve that.But she won’t. She is not here anymore. When I’m not forcing her to talk, it’s like she is already beyond this world.I should spend more time with her. I should have been there for her when Ava came, but I...“Sebastian...I told you, you don’t have to come to the court,” Damian is surprised to see me, “When is the last time that you got some real sleep?”Two or three days ago? I don’t have time, literally.I have been dealing with the baby, Scar’s assulting charge, AND investigation of the robbery. I believe Scar, but her story is hard to prove. If it was Ava, then it IS my fault. I gave Ava the code once, for which r
197Scarlett’s POVBecause of my special condition, the police didn’t take me in, but just kept me under tight surveillance with two officers guarding my hospital ward.Ava is not happy about it.She wanted me to be charged with attempted murder. Actually, I think she wanted me on the chair the next day.To be honest? I wish I could be charged with successful murder. I’m not living anymore. I’m just surviving, for a revenge that I see no hope of getting. I wasn’t trying to kill her when I lost control and hurt her with the fruit knife. If I wasn’t irritated into that and actually had my right mind, I wouldn’t have missed.I wanted her dead.In that sense, they SHOULD lock me up.“Scar…? Scar…”It took me a moment to realize that Sebastian is talking to me.He has been coming to visit me every day, ever since I stabbed his Ava. Surprising. He hadn’t got time for me after I almost died with out child, but he is free to shed crocodile tears now. I turn to look at him, silently.I think
Scarlett’s POVTheir wedding.Ava just did her hair. In a slit dress showing her curve, and a pair of heels high into the cloud, Ava does look astonishing. I guess realizing your dream does that. I was also this glittering when I had my own, the dream wedding that I thought would start my happy ever after.She is happy. I hate that.She finally got what she wanted. She always, gets what she wants, no matter the price. Because Daddy would pay her bill. She lured me into the woods, stole my white knight and turned him black, lived off my blood, and standing on the dead body of my baby, she finally crawled onto the sacred altar.Not only is she not paying for it, she even has him as her witness. He is the witness for the murderer of his own child!How stupid and pathetic was I to think that such a dog of Ava could ever love me?“I see you are still not in handcuffs though,” I sigh, “it doesn’t sound like he is doing his job right.”“He will never hurt me!” Ava gloats with a proud smirk,
Scarlett's POV“Is it true?” I ask Sebastian.He avoids my question: “I will look into this, I promise!”In that second all sound fade away. I can’t hear anything and I don’t see any one. No one but the man who I loved for over a decade. The man who saved me once, who said that he loved me and wanted another chance with me. The man who was telling me how excited he was about the baby he gave me.“Are you going to be the witness for her alibi?” I ask him, my voice shaking. Anger and disbelief turned my voice into a restrained whisper, “She, MURDERED, our child! And you are telling me you are taking HER side? Really? Sebastian Knight?!”“I’m not taking her side--”“It, was, her!” I burst out, glaring into his eyes, “The alarm system didn’t go off when she barged into our house; she didn’t steal anything valuable and she went straight to me! And do you know why she could do all this? Because you fucking let her! Did you really not know that I was pregnant? Were you trying to get close to
Scarlett’s POVMy belly is empty. The first thing I feel when my mind wakes up, is the horrifying emptiness.Not just my belly. My whole body is emptied by the long, dark dream that trapped me.Sebastian was in it. So was Ava, Jack Fuller, Anna Fuller, Damian Vanderbilt... They tangled into the shadow that wrapped me up so tightly that I couldn’t breath. But I couldn’t die in my dream, so I could only suffocate over and over, like buried alive in my coffin, watching my life passing by in front of my eyes. Literally. In my dream I wasn’t Scarlett, I was a specter watching the little Scarlett suffering through all the lies, the harm, the pain, and blood, all the way till the kid lured her into the dark woods, passing that, and then the crashed car.It wasn’t a dream. It was all real. It was my memory. I couldn’t remember anything from the car crash, but I did witness it. And in this deep dream, I saw my own memory. I keep my eyes closed, trying to savor the dream that’s fading fast. Eff
Sebastian’s POVScott left alone.Vanderbilt covers his face, ignoring me completely as he waits in desperation. So do Scar’s two friends. I would have stayed anyway if that could help, but I know where I’m needed more--I have to go and see Ava.If a whole blood bank wasn’t enough, then one man’s donation would hardly be. I have always worried about Ava’s condition, but we had Scar to count on whenever Ava needed blood, so I have never thought that the healthy, strong woman would one day lie in the emergency room, waiting for the rare blood to save her life.And the only one who can help, is her sister who we just had a falling out with.I knew it would be hard to get Ava to help, but I didn’t know it would be this hard.“What are you even doing here?!” Jack Fuller guards the door, grunting at me. He has been barking at me for five minutes. He is not keeping his voice low, and we both know that Ava heard all of it in there.He is showing me her attitude: she doesn’t want to see me.“
Sebastian’s POVScarlett was hurt.The security system company found her after the alarm was triggered. But there was no sign of intrusion -- even the alarm was triggered because a lamp was thrown through the window, from inside. Apparently, Scar cut her wrist and fell off the stairs.She was taken to the hospital when Miller got there, the same hospital Ava was in no less. All he saw was the pool of blood by the stairs. I couldn’t bear hearing his report over the phone, but I dared not to miss anything either.The walk from Ava’s ward to the emergency building was the longest hell I had to go through, and I would rather die a thousand times just to turn back time.“Where is she?!” I demand Miller the moment I get there, only to notice that he isn’t the only one waiting by the emergency room.Lilith Grey, Aurora Dawson. All made it before I did. Even...Damian Vanderbilt.The girls hus together, trying to comfort each other. The man sits there on the bench with a sullen look, spouting