Chapter 5: The Shocking Revelation

"How could I have been so blind?" I muttered to myself, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the letter from Elias that had thrown my world into disarray once again.

My thoughts were a jumbled mess, like pieces of a puzzle that I couldn’t quite piece together. The revelation of my pregnancy had already turned my life upside down, but now, it was more than that. Now, I had to grapple with the fact that I might have been wrong about everything—about Elias, about the betrayal, about everything.

I hadn’t expected to feel anything when the letter arrived. After all, what could he say now? How could he make up for all the years of lies, the pain, the humiliation? But there was something in his words that had unsettled me. She was framed. That was all he’d said about me. Yet, in those two words, I could feel the weight of something larger, something I hadn’t been able to see before.

What if Elias was telling the truth? What if he’d been deceived too?

The thought was terrifying. It meant everything I believed in had been wrong.

I reached for the envelope again, pulling out the carefully folded letter. His handwriting was neat and urgent. But there was something else I could feel through the paper—guilt, regret. But guilt couldn’t undo the past. Guilt couldn’t bring back the years I’d lost.

The doorbell rang, slicing through the silence of my thoughts. I wasn’t expecting anyone, but I dragged myself off the bed and walked to the door.

When I opened it, I was met with a face I hadn't seen in years.

"Jenna," I said, my voice shaky.

She stood there, her expression unreadable, but there was a glint in her eyes. "Victoria, I need to talk to you. I’ve found something... something I think you need to see."

My heart skipped a beat, my instinct telling me that whatever she had to say would change everything.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice suddenly tight.

She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, her gaze moving quickly around the apartment before resting on me. "You’re not going to believe this," she said, taking a deep breath. "But I think I know who really set you up."

My blood ran cold. "What are you talking about? How would you—"

"Just listen to me," Jenna interrupted, holding up her hands. "I’ve been looking into the Westbrook finances for the past few weeks. Elias hasn’t been the only one in the dark about what happened with the company. Someone had a hand in orchestrating everything, and it wasn’t just a business partner."

My mind raced. Elias had mentioned that there was someone close to him who had betrayed me, but I had dismissed it. Could it really have been someone else?

"What are you trying to say, Jenna?" I asked, my voice shaking.

She walked over to the small table where I kept my old files and pulled out a folder, handing it to me. "I’ve dug up something, Victoria. Something that links Selene to everything that happened."

Selene. My stomach twisted at the name. I had always known there was something off about her, but I’d never suspected her to be behind something so diabolical.

I opened the folder, my hands trembling as I scanned the documents inside. Financial records, memos, emails—everything pointed to the same conclusion. Selene had been pulling the strings from the very beginning. She’d manipulated everything. The company’s finances had been embezzled, the blame had been shifted to me, and I had lost everything—my reputation, my marriage, my life.

I stared at the papers in disbelief. "How... how is this possible?"

Jenna leaned in closer, her voice low. "I know it’s hard to believe, but everything points to her, Victoria. She wanted you gone—out of the picture. And she’s been playing Elias like a puppet the whole time."

I felt the ground shift beneath me, my mind struggling to catch up with the weight of the revelation. All those years of blaming Elias, of thinking he had betrayed me, had been a lie. He had been the victim too, just as much as I had.

But even as I processed the shock, another wave of uncertainty hit me. Could I ever trust him again?

I closed the folder, my hands now cold and stiff. "I don’t know what to believe anymore, Jenna. Everything I thought I knew about Elias, about Selene—it's all... a lie."

She placed a hand on my shoulder, her grip firm, and comforting. "I know it’s a lot to take in. But you have to see this for what it is. Selene set you up, and Elias was just as much a victim as you. Now, it’s up to you what happens next."

I shook my head, the tears finally coming. "I don’t know if I can forgive him, Jenna. After everything we’ve been through... I don’t even know if I can trust him anymore."

"You have to decide what’s best for you," she said softly. "But don’t decide out of anger or fear. You have the power now. You know the truth."

I wiped away the tears, taking a deep breath. The truth. It was a word that had never felt so heavy. But now that I knew, what was I supposed to do with it?

"Victoria," Jenna added, her voice gentle but urgent. "There’s one more thing you need to know. Selene’s not just playing games with the company. She’s playing with your future. The baby you're carrying? It might be the key to everything."

I stared at her, trying to absorb her words. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," Jenna said. "Selene wants the Westbrook empire. She’s been working behind the scenes for years to take control. And now... with your pregnancy, she might see it as her way to solidify her position. Your child might be the one thing she can use to claim the power she’s been after."

The air in the room grew thick, the realization settling heavily on me. My child—the one connection I still had to Elias—might also be the key to everything unraveling. It was a terrifying thought.

Suddenly, my phone rang, breaking the silence. I looked at the caller ID and froze.

It was Elias.

I stared at the screen, unsure whether I should answer. But something in me—some flicker of hope—made me press the button.

"Victoria," Elias said on the other end, his voice tight, urgent. "We need to talk. You’re not going to believe what I’ve uncovered.”