Still no sound from behind the door. Julian Shaw’s nerves were fraying, terrified Leia might do something irreversible. His legs turned to jelly as he sprinted downstairs to yank a heavy sledgehammer off the garage rack. Bursting back up to the door, he barked, "Open up now, or I’m breaking this down."

Silence answered him…

The thunder of the blows made Piper Cooper next door jump straight out of her skin.

Every heavy slam of the sledgehammer against the wood sent Leia Shaw’s panic spiking. Her vacant, glassy eyes suddenly snapped sharp with alertness. She pushed herself up slowly and wrenched the door open.

The door flew open out of nowhere. The sledgehammer was already arcing through the air.

Julian’s heart dropped straight into his stomach, panic blazing in his eyes.

Leia just stared coldly at the metal head that had swept inches from her skull, her gaze blank, unreadable.

Julian wrenched the sledgehammer back at the last second. It hit the floor with a heavy, deafening thud. A sharp, tearing pain twisted through his chest — it felt like something irreplaceable was slipping right through his fingers. If he’d been half a second slower, that hammer would have hit her.

Outside that door, he was a wreck of agony. Inside, she was still ice-cold calm.

He rushed in and crushed her to his chest.

His fear was still screaming through him, his heart hammering so hard he could feel it in his throat. One more inch. He’d almost lost her.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry — I almost hurt you, I’m so sorry…"

His repeated apologies pulled Leia slowly back to the surface. He held her so tight she could barely draw a breath.

Three words she hated more than anything in this world: I’m sorry. If you don’t want to be sorry, don’t do the things that hurt people. Don’t say the words that cut deep.

Her hands clenched so hard her knuckles whitened at her sides, her voice colder than ice, "Let me go."

He didn’t let go. He held her even tighter, confused by how far gone she was.

In that split second where he’d almost lost her, his heart had felt like it was being squeezed to dust — pain, panic, terror, all tangled together. All he could think was he never wanted to let go of her for the rest of his life.

When he didn’t release her, Leia shoved him away with every bit of strength she had left, "Didn’t you hear me? Let go."

"I’m not a damn puppet you can yank out whenever you want and toss aside when you’re done."

Her hysterical scream left Julian standing there, completely stunned, defeated.

Across from him, the woman’s eyes were bloodshot, her pale face almost see-through. She burned with fury like a wild tigress cornered.

Julian had had enough. He turned and slammed the bedroom door shut, his jaw tight, "How long are you gonna drag this out? I’m so tired of this."

She glanced at him once, ice in her glare, then turned away. Her voice was just as cold, "I’m tired too. So just leave. I need to rest."

"Leia, do you really have to cut me off like this?"

He stepped closer and grabbed her wrist. He knew her — a few soft words, a hug, and she’d always soften, relent.

But this time was nothing like before…

She ripped her hand out of his grip, screaming, "Don’t you touch me. You’re disgusting."

Disgusting.

That one word set Julian off.

He could put up with every mood swing, every outburst, every crazy thing she did — but he couldn’t stand being called disgusting.

"Are you done yet? You’re blowing this way out of proportion. This has to end."

Leia spun around, her eyes ice when they locked onto his, "If you can’t stand me, then leave. Give me some damn peace."

"I…" He didn’t get another word out.

"I know exactly what you’re gonna say."

"And I know what you’re worried about."

"But let me make this clear: Piper is out of this house by tomorrow morning."

Hearing her ultimatum, seeing that flat, unfeeling look on her face, Julian’s temper snapped, "She’s not leaving."

Leia’s hands clenched so hard her joints cracked, fighting the urge to scream and hit something. She spoke through gritted teeth, cold as death, "Fine. If she doesn’t leave by tomorrow morning, I will. Now get out."

With a deafening bang, the door slammed shut in his face.

Leia couldn’t hold it together any longer. She crumpled onto the bed, tears pouring down her cheeks, but she didn’t make a single sound.

After crying until her lungs ached, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Seeing "Mom" light up the screen made her heart skip. She swiped at her tears fast, forcing her voice steady before she answered.

She kept her tone even, "Mom, you’re still up?"

"Leia, I couldn’t sleep a wink tonight. I just have this bad feeling. Are you and Julian okay?"

"We’re fine, really. He’s just in the shower right now."

Zoe, her mother-in-law, laughed soft and warm, "That’s good. You two get some rest, and while you’re young, get busy so I can be a grandma soon, okay?"

The mention of a grandchild shattered what little composure she’d scraped together. The tears she’d just choked down came rushing back, hotter than before.

After a long, shaky pause, she said, "Okay, I’ll work on that. You and Dad take care of yourselves, don’t stay up too late."

"Alright, I won’t bug you two any longer. There’s a big surprise waiting for you tomorrow!"

Before Leia could even ask what it was, Zoe hung up.

The ache in her chest just kept getting worse…

That night she lay awake until the sky turned pink, her heart hurting so bad she twisted and turned on the sheets, unable to get comfortable.

And Julian never came back to their room. He spent the whole night in the study.

…

The next day, at first crack of dawn, Zoe showed up grinning, arms loaded with groceries.

Mrs. Thomas, the housekeeper, opened the door for her. She’d gone home early the night before, so she had no idea what had gone down.

The whole Shaw house was dead quiet. None of the three had come downstairs yet.

"Good morning, ma’am! What’s got you in such a wonderful mood today?" Mrs. Thomas said, taking the grocery bags from her hands.

Zoe was practically glowing, "Of course I’m happy! I went to see that top specialist yesterday, he prescribed new medication. Said after three rounds, Leia’s guaranteed to get pregnant. I’m gonna be a grandma soon, haha!"

"That’s such wonderful news, ma’am! Mrs. Shaw is gonna be over the moon."

Zoe smiled as she walked in, then glanced around and frowned in surprise, "Mrs. Thomas, it’s already ten o’clock. Where is everyone?"

Mrs. Thomas glanced upstairs, then leaned in close to Zoe, lowering her voice, "Looks like Mr. and Mrs. Shaw had a fight. Mr. Shaw brought another woman home with him, and they haven’t come down yet."

"What?" Zoe gasped. Her cheerful face hardened instantly into rage. She demanded, "How dare Julian do this? Who is this woman?"

Mrs. Thomas whispered again, "Not sure, but they look real close."

"Unbelievable. Mrs. Thomas, you get started on lunch, I’m going up there to sort this out."

With that, Zoe headed straight for the stairs.

In the master suite, Piper was curled up on the sofa while Julian fussed over her injured foot. One face was dark and quiet, the other glowing with a bright smile.

Zoe was about to head straight to Julian and Leia’s room, but just as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard a door click open.

Leia stepped out. Her eyes were swollen from crying, her face deathly pale. The once bright, lively woman looked completely worn out. She was shocked to see her mother-in-law standing in the hall.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

Leia said, as she slipped her arm affectionately through Zoe’s.

Having lost her own parents when she was little, Leia grew up in an orphanage and had always craved a mother’s love. She loved Zoe like she was her own mom.

Zoe adored Leia right back. When Zoe was sick, Julian was swamped with work, and Leia took care of everything around the house and all of Zoe’s medical needs without a single complaint. She loved Zoe like family.

Leia was pure, kind, obedient — everything Zoe ever wanted in a daughter-in-law. The only flaw, if you could call it that, was she’d never been very good at small talk with strangers.

Zoe patted her hand, her voice soft, "I came to check on my girl. Look how thin you’ve gotten lately."

"You’re always so thoughtful, Mom. C’mon, let’s go downstairs."

"Wait," Zoe suddenly remembered, and nodded toward the empty guest room down the hall, "You slept here last night?"

Leia nodded quietly. Her best friend Sarah’s face immediately clouded with worry. “C’mon, tell me. Did that jerk hurt you?”

“No!”

“Oh please, look at yourself! You’re dead on your feet, and your eyes are all puffed up like you cried all night.”

“Leia, you’ve always been way too soft for your own good.”

“He brought another woman into this house, and you should’ve called me last night, the second it happened.”

Sarah’s words wrapped around Leia’s heart like a warm blanket, but she had no idea how to break the news that she and Julian were already on the brink of divorce. Sarah had a bad heart, and Leia was terrified this stress would be too much for her. So she just forced a small smile and said, “I’m fine, Sarah. Really.”

“Don’t worry, honey, I got your back.” Before Leia could even move to stop her, Sarah was already marching straight toward the master bedroom.

“Sarah, wait, don’t go…”

But it was already too late. Sarah was already at the end of the hallway. The door wasn’t latched all the way, and through the thin crack, she caught a scene that made her jaw drop.

“Julian… what do you think Leia’ll do when she walks in on us?” The soft, simpering, victimy voice was undeniably Piper’s.

Hearing that sickly sweet tone, Sarah could barely choke back her disgust. She knew this woman—Julian’s first love. Back when Piper got sick and crawled back into his life, Sarah had fought that relationship tooth and nail. When Julian finally let Leia in and married her, Sarah had been over the moon. She never thought this gold-digger would still be hanging around.

“Sarah!” Leia whispered sharply behind her.

“Shh!” Sarah waved a hand to silence her, not taking her eyes off the gap.

Julian sounded tired and dismissive as he answered, “She wouldn’t dare do a thing. If anyone’s leaving this house, it’s her.”

A sharp, stabbing pain shot straight through Leia’s chest, and Sarah’s temper blew right through the roof. She squeezed Leia’s hand so tight her knuckles whitened.

“Julian, you’re so good to me… Maybe we should just move out together!”

“I’m so scared of her, especially after last night. If I hadn’t ducked out of the way fast enough, who knows what she would’ve done to me…”

“Okay, baby, stop crying. Let’s get ready and go downstairs for breakfast.”

Julian tenderly wrapped Piper’s foot before kneeling down to slip her shoes on. That was the last straw for Sarah. This was obscene—Julian doting on another woman, right in Leia’s own home, and this whore had already taken over the master bedroom.

Thinking of Leia’s puffy red eyes and pale, exhausted face, Sarah’s anger boiled over completely.

*Bang!* She kicked the door hard enough to fling it wide open.

Piper jumped, scrambling to cling to Julian’s arm. Julian spun around, stunned—he never expected to see his mother and Leia standing in the doorway.

“Sarah? What are you doing here?” Julian asked, completely thrown off.

Sarah glared at him, ice in every line of her face. “If I hadn’t barged in, I never would’ve seen how low my own son has stooped.”

“Sarah…”

“Don’t you *dare* call me that. Tell me what this intruder is doing here,” she demanded. “Why are you on your knees tying her shoes? Why is she in your marital bed, with Leia still living in this house?”

Sarah’s finger jabbed sharply toward Piper, her gaze icy enough to freeze blood.

Watching her, Leia’s chest swelled with quiet admiration. Sarah was usually soft and kind as could be, but right now? She was an absolute force, protecting Leia like she was her own blood. Leia’s heart ached with gratitude.

Piper’s voice went even sweeter, more demure. “It’s been a long time, Mrs. Shaw.”

“Don’t you *dare* call me that. Pack your garbage and get out. We don’t let intruders or gold-digging frauds leech off my family’s money in this house.”

The words came out so sharp and unforgiving, even Leia was caught off guard.

Julian immediately stepped between them, positioning himself protectively in front of Piper. “Sarah, be reasonable. I brought Piper here. No one has the right to kick her out.”

He flicked a glare toward Leia, disappointment blazing clear in his eyes. He couldn’t believe she’d dragged his mother into this mess.

Sarah was absolutely livid. “You have a wife, and you bring another woman into our home? You’re *despicable*!”

“Sarah, stop calling her an intruder. It’s not as sordid as you’re making it out to be.”

“If it’s not sordid, then send her packing. Right now.”

“Today I’m making this clear: either that woman walks out that door, or Leia and I walk out right behind her. And if that happens, Julian? You are no son of mine. Your father and I will disown you. We’ll pretend we never had a son at all.”

Sarah left zero room for negotiation. Both Piper and Julian went dead silent, stunned into shock.

Tears pricked Leia’s eyes as she stood behind Sarah, completely overcome by this fierce protection. Sarah had always treated her like her own, loved her unconditionally, and now she was fighting for her harder than anyone ever had.

It just hurt that Leia wouldn’t be her daughter-in-law for much longer.

Julian’s handsome face was tight with fatigue, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, Piper cut him off.

“Mrs. Shaw, please don’t blame Julian. He loves you so much—your words are breaking his heart.”

“If you care that much about hurting him, then leave! This whole fake sympathetic act is pathetic.”

Sarah’s tone cut like a knife, and warmth bloomed back in Leia’s chest, the first real warmth she’d felt in days.

Piper couldn’t keep up her sweet act anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes as she leaned into the victim role. “Mrs. Shaw, I know you don’t like me, but I really do love Julian. I beg you to let us be together. If that’s not enough, I’ll kneel right here and beg you.”

Leia wasn’t surprised by the performance. She knew Piper too well by now—meek and heartbroken in front of an audience, cunning and ruthless behind closed doors.

When Piper started to sink to her knees, Sarah just crossed her arms and watched, cold as ice. “Go ahead and kneel. Kneel until I’m satisfied.”

“Sarah, that’s too far!” Julian protested, catching Piper before her knees hit the floor. “Alright, that’s enough. I’ll take you to my other apartment. We’ll sort this out later.”

Piper, still letting tears roll down her cheeks, nodded and let him lead her out.

Sarah smirked after them. “Don’t you forget, Julian—everything you have came from your father and me. Don’t think you can use our money to keep your little mistress.”

“Everything in this house belongs to Leia. Unless she says otherwise, you don’t have a single spot here that’s yours.”

The bold declaration left Leia stunned, her eyes going wide. This went even further than she’d expected.

Furious, Julian glared at Leia as he pulled Piper past her. “Leia, this is what you wanted, isn’t it? You got your way, you drove her out.”

“You really disappoint me. All that kindness and innocence you used to have? It’s gone.”

“Ridiculous.”

When Julian walked off with Piper, Leia couldn’t hold her composure any longer. She staggered so hard she would’ve completely collapsed if Sarah hadn’t caught her. The ache in her chest twisted like a sharp blade, squeezing the air right out of her lungs in this suffocating room. She bolted for the balcony, gasping for fresh cool air, fighting desperately to hold back her tears. I won’t cry, she silently ordered herself. I can’t cry. I can’t let Mom worry. Shoving the tears down her throat, she pulled a wobbly, strained smile onto her face.

One look at Leia’s face and Sarah’s chest ached with sympathy. She hurried over to prop her up. "Honey, are you okay? Don’t scare me like this!"

"I’m fine, Mom," Leia answered. "I just got winded for a second. I’m better now."

Sarah kept rubbing slow, soothing circles on her back, her own heart throbbing. "You know this is their fault, not yours. Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was? Holding all this in just made you hurt more, baby."

"If you’d told me, I never would’ve let them treat you like this."

"You’re too good to me, Mom," Leia said, wrapping her tight in a hug and resting her head on her shoulder.

Sarah stroked her hair, a messy tangle of anger and sorrow churning in her chest. Julian was a total idiot to throw away someone as amazing as Leia for that manipulative little gold-digger.

After about a minute, Leia said something that left Sarah completely stunned. "Mom, Julian and I are getting divorced."

Sarah snapped straight, grabbing Leia by the shoulders, her eyes blowing wide with shock. "You… you really want a divorce?"

"Mom, please stay calm," Leia begged. "Julian doesn’t love me. He never stopped loving Piper. Dragging this out is just pointless. It’s better for both of us to walk away. I just… I just want him to be happy."

Tears burned Sarah’s eyes. She turned away and swiped them fast, too choked up to speak. Divorce? Over her dead body, she’d never accept that.

"Mom, please say you’ll support me," Leia pleaded.

"No way, Leia," Sarah said firmly. "Don’t you worry. I’m gonna get that other woman out of the picture for good, and Julian will come back to you. Trust me, okay?"

Sarah’s eyes blazed with determination. She didn’t have much time left in this world, but she was going to see Leia and Julian happy together with their own little family before she went. That was her dying wish.

"Mom…"

"Alright, let’s drop this for now," Sarah said, changing the subject fast. "I came over to make you something nice to eat. After dinner, we’ll head to the hospital for your check-up, okay?"

"Okay," Leia agreed, a bittersweet small smile tugging at her lips as she led her mom downstairs.

…

In the car, Julian and Piper sat in the back while Thomas, Julian’s assistant, drove. The air was thick enough to cut with a knife, oppressive dead silence hanging over everything. Julian had his eyes closed, trying to force his body to relax, while Piper stared at him, a giddy little triumph fizzing in her chest. He’d finally chosen her over Leia. Even with Sarah’s little interruption, which was totally meaningless anyway, it felt so good.

Every time she thought of Leia’s wet, heartbroken eyes, a jolt of pure joy shot through her. Slowly, she let her hand brush over Julian’s thigh, inching it up toward his arm. She felt his whole body go rigid, caught the tiny flutter of his eyelashes against his cheek.

Suddenly, Julian’s eyes flew open, locking on her wandering hand. He knew exactly what she was doing—blatant, in-your-face seduction. Far from flattered, he just felt annoyed. "Don’t. I’m tired," he said sharply.

His words doused her cold instantly. She pulled her hand back, a flash of anger sparking in her eyes before she hid it fast. She turned to him, her voice soft as silk. "Julian, where are we going now?"

"We’re stopping at Grand Estates. For now you’ll stay at a hotel—we can’t go back to the apartment."

"My mom’s threats are no joke."

"Oh," she answered flatly, sitting up straight, her whole good mood ruined.

Suddenly the car hit a deep pothole hard, jolting Piper right into Julian’s chest with a little shriek of surprise. His heart skipped a beat when he instinctively caught her, and he shot Thomas a deadly glare.

"Watch the damn road," Julian growled, his voice ice cold.

Thomas broke out in a cold sweat, staring at their compromising position through the rearview mirror. "I’m sorry, Mr. Shaw. I didn’t see it. I’ll be more careful, I swear."

Julian’s expression softened just a fraction. And Piper preened, certain that little accident proved he still cared about her.

…

At the dining table, Leia stared at the bowl of herbal stew Sarah had made her, overwhelmed. It was so much—a whole big bowl, just for her. Mrs. Taylor, their housekeeper, hurried over to encourage her. "Mrs. Shaw, your mom went through hell to track this down for you. They say it’s good for helping with pregnancy symptoms."

"Really?" Leia replied, a faint frown pulling at her brow. When Mrs. Taylor headed back to the kitchen for more plates, Leia snuck fast to the bathroom and poured the whole stew down the drain. After all, if there was even a chance she was pregnant, she couldn’t risk taking random herbal garbage blindly.

When she sat back down at the table, she pulled a dramatic teary face right as Sarah joined her. Seeing Leia’s over-the-top expression, Sarah chuckled. "You drank it, didn’t you?"

"Yeah, Mom. It was so bitter it felt like torture."

Sarah laughed. "Don’t worry, I’ve got candy for you."

With that, she went to grab a handful of pieces from the jar. Right there on top, Leia spotted the mint candy Julian had bought her once, and her chest went tight. He’s probably with her right now…

…

After dinner, Leia drove Sarah to the oncology hospital. They checked in and joined the queue, waiting for their turn. The line for the doctor stretched all the way down the hall.

Sarah craned her neck to peek ahead, then turned to Leia all excited. "Dr. Kent is back from overseas this year! He’s one of the top cancer research specialists in the country, and he’s only here for a few months. You can’t get an appointment with him no matter how much money you throw at them."

Leia smiled. "He sounds really impressive."

"Not just impressive—he’s handsome as hell, just as good-looking as that rat Julian, and carries himself like a true gentleman. Even this old lady can’t help but swoon. Shame I don’t have an extra daughter to set him up with!"

Leia laughed. "Now you’ve got me curious just how stunning this doctor must be."

After what felt like forever waiting, it was finally their turn. Leia never expected the doctor seeing her mom would be him—the young, heart-striking Dr. Alex Kent. He was just as cold and meticulous as she remembered, completely focused on nothing but his work.

A few young women hung around nearby, sneaking admiring glances before one worked up the courage to step forward. "Dr. Kent, I like you. Could we…?"

Without looking up, Dr. Kent answered coolly, "If you’re not a patient, please leave. You’re wasting other people’s time."

"Dr. Kent, can I take you out to dinner?"

"Sorry, I don’t eat out. Leave," he answered stiffly.

"Dr. Kent, we just want to be friends."

"I’m not interested in making friends," he stated icily.

His bluntness was enough to send the girls scurrying away in tears, and even Leia had to hand it to him—he didn’t sugarcoat a damn thing. Being that hot really did let you get away with anything, even breaking the most beautiful girls’ hearts without an apology.

After the girls left, it was Sarah’s turn, and Leia followed her in. Even with how strikingly beautiful Leia was, Dr. Kent’s eyes only flickered over her for half a second before snapping right back to Sarah.

"What seems to be the problem?"