David stepped back immediately, clearing his throat. "Oh... yeah."

"Yes," Andrea said, holding his arms before meeting my gaze "If you're hungry, baby, I can call the maids to prepare something for you."

I had no interest in whatever performance she was starting.

I simply walked out.

The next morning, I got ready for my first day at the company.

Elias was already in the car when I came out. I entered without a word.

The drive was painfully quiet. Elias didn't speak, not even once. I kept my gaze glued to the window, pretending I was comfortable with sharing the same space with him.

When we reached the company, he walked ahead, giving me no chance to slow down or look around. Straight into the boardroom.

Everyone stood immediately. A chorus of greetings followed. Elias took the CEO's seat at the center, and I sat on his right.

"I want to introduce Mara Lawson," he said firmly. "She'll be working alongside me here."

I noticed eyes shifting, some nodding politely, others whispering. I looked around until my gaze fell on her.

Purple dress. Sleek hair. Red lipstick too bold.

I recognized that face.

The face that kissed my husband.

Her smile was thin. Mocking.

I looked away before my anger swallowed the room.

The meeting dragged on which I didn't pay attention to. All I could think about was her, sitting there so comfortably, as if she hadn't played a role in destroying my marriage.

When it ended, Elias and I headed to the office. Our office suite was bright, modern, separated only by a glass wall.

Do I really have to share a space with him? How am I supposed to stay away like Clara warned me to?

He unscrewed a bottle of water, took a slow drink, and I stayed standing, waiting for whatever judgment he planned to deliver.

"This company is bleeding," he said finally. "I don't expect you to understand the details, but you'll do as you're told. Don't meddle. Don't interfere. And most importantly, don't embarrass the Lawson name."

I stared at him.

"So you've already decided I'm incapable of anything but destruction?"

His eyes met mine, sharp and cold. "Aren't you?"

The words stung. "You must really dislike me. Why so much hatred for someone you barely know?"

"Because my brother is dead," he raised his voice "and I don't know what part you played in it."

I froze.

What?

Does he...

Does he think I killed Philip?

"You're wrong," I forced out. "Even though I still can't remember everything from that day... one thing I know is that I loved Philip. I did not kill him."

He scoffed.

"You had enough reasons to end his life. And I regret..."

He stopped. Something shifted in his expression. Confusion? Annoyance? Maybe both. He dragged a hand through his hair and stepped closer, invading my space until I could feel the heat of him.

"Miss Lawson, what happened between us that night," he said, voice low "was a mistake. It will never happen again."

He won't win in humiliating me like this.

"What exactly happened that I supposedly can't remember?" I asked, steady and composed even though I was lying through my teeth. "Because from where I'm standing, you're the one who dragged me into this company. Now you're acting like I begged for it."

His eyes flickered in confusion. "You don't remember? Stop playing games with me."

I only stared back.

He stepped away slightly, still studying me like something wasn't adding up.

"Richard will brief you on your duties," he said finally. "You'll oversee Public Relations. You can leave."

I walked into my office and sat down, trying to steady my shaking hands.

His words replayed in my head, cutting deeper each time. My gaze fell on the iron nameplate engraved with my name.

If he suspects me...

Then why give me this position?

To watch me?

Either way, I wasn't going to let him break me.

The least I could do was prove myself.

I stood up and headed to the PR department.

Phones rang, laptops clicked, voices overlapped. They greeted me warmly, and for a moment, I admired how driven everyone looked, until my eyes landed on her.

She approached like she owned the entire floor. "Mara Lawson," she said, stopping in front of me. "We've already been informed that you'll be leading us."

"Yes," I replied calmly. "And I expect professionalism. We're here to work."

She smirked. "We've run this department for years. It isn't as simple as showing up. I doubt Philip would think you capable of handling this if he were alive. By the way, it's Vivian"

Her casual tone toward Philip made my stomach twist.

I tilted my head, matching her tone.

"If Philip trusted you so much, Vivian, the department wouldn't be in the state I found it today. Don't project your insecurities on me."

Her eyes widened-offended, furious-and I walked away before she could speak.

By evening, I finally arrived home, exhausted and emotionally drained. After freshening up, a knock came on my door.

"Come in," I said.

Margaret entered, carrying a tray. "Mrs. Lawson... I brought dinner for you."

"I didn't order anything," I said, stepping forward, then a sharp pain shot through my stomach.

She rushed to me. "Should I call someone? Are you okay Ma?"

"No. I'm fine," I said quickly. "Just... leave it there."

She hesitated, concern etched on her face, but obeyed.

I tried eating, but the pain wouldn't let me. Eventually, I lay down, letting sleep drag me under.

"Why... Did you think I wouldn't know?"

The voice dragged me out of sleep and into the nightmare I'd been running from.

I opened my eyes to find myself standing in Philip's study, the same room he died in. The same dream again. The same haunting replay... but this time, it didn't stop where it usually did. It went further.

Across the room, I saw me.

My other self-drunk, angry, shattered.

Philip stepped toward her, his voice breaking. "Mara... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out this way."

I leaned forward, desperate to hear more, but the sound blurred, like the dream was muting the truth on purpose. My other self stumbled back, face twisted with hurt. Philip reached for her.

And she pushed him.

Hard.

His head slammed against the edge of the table with a sickening thud.

I jolted awake, gasping, drenched in sweat.

The dream was different this time. Sharper. More violent.

Did I kill him?

Did I really push Philip that night?

Could I have ended his life without remembering?

Maybe that's why everything is blank.

Maybe my mind is hiding something I'm not ready to face.

By dawn, my eyes burned from staying awake after the nightmare.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Philip's head hitting the table. I saw my own hands pushing him. Whether it was really my memory or madness, I couldn't tell.

I dressed slowly, still thinking of it. I needed to work myself out in the company to forget the thoughts.

Outside, the driver opened the car door for me. I slid in, waiting for Elias to join.

He didn't.

After a few seconds, I leaned forward. "Where's Elias?"

"He left very early this morning, ma'am."

I sat back, unsettled. What business did he have before sunrise?

The ride to Lawson Corporation was quiet, but my mind never was. I kept replaying the dream, the push, the possibility... the fear.

When I reached the office floor, my steps slowed.

Elias's voice drifted from his office.

His door was slightly open.

"Traces of arsenic poisoning were found in my brother's system. There should be something you can do."

My blood turned cold.

Arsenic.

He's investigating Philip's death?

I stepped closer to hear more.

"I want his medical report file" he continued. "i need it soon. so get it ready."

I forced myself to walk past as if I hadn't heard anything, but the sudden sharp pain tore through my abdomen again. This time, worse.

I tried to keep walking.

Another cramp hit, violent and sudden.

My knees wobbled. I fumbled for the pill Clara prescribed, pulling one out with trembling fingers, but my vision blurred

and everything went blank.

I woke up to white lights and cold air.

I was in the hospital.

My head felt heavy, but the pain had finally eased.

A nurse approached. "You're awake. How do you feel now, Miss?"

I sat up, touching my head.

"I'm... better," I whispered, though the weakness in my voice betrayed me. "Wh... who brought me here?"

"The doctor asked to speak with him," she said. "I can direct you to the doctor's office if you're fit to walk."

"I'm okay now. Thank you."

I pushed myself up, legs shaky, and followed her down the hall. When I pushed the doctor's door open. I froze.

Elias was inside.

Sitting.

His eyes locked onto me instantly.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Mrs. Lawson, you may join us."

I sat beside Elias.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

"I'm okay now."

He turned to Elias.

"It seems your wife is stable now."

My eyes widened, but he continued, "She needs more rest. I'll prescribe additional medication."

I felt a wave of embarrassment. I wanted to correct him, we weren't married, but no words came out. Elias said nothing either.

When we were done, I followed Elias out.

He didn't look at me.

He didn't speak.

Not in the hallway.

Not in the elevator.

Not even in the car.

The ride back to the Lawson mansion was suffocating. I kept forcing myself to say thank you, but the words stuck to my throat.

Finally, when the car stopped, I whispered, "Thank you... for taking me to the hospital."

He said nothing.

The car drove off before I could close the door.

"So rude," I muttered. "He could've nodded at least."

I sighed and headed to my room.

But when I entered, I froze.

David was inside.

"What are you doing here?"

He flinched and turned toward me.

"Mara..."

"What are you doing in my room?"

He stepped forward, closing the space between us, and I instinctively moved back, but he caught my face and kissed me. For a few seconds, shock rooted me in place before I pushed him off.

"David, stop." I shoved him away, wiping my lips, "What are you doing?"

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Mara, please"

"If we're caught together..." I began, but he cut in.

"I miss you, Mara."

My entire body went still. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't even process his words.

"This isn't the time," I said quietly. "And you shouldn't be in my room. Please leave."

"Just hear me out, Mara," he tried, stepping forward again, but froze when I backed away.

"Leave my room," I warned, final and firm.

He obeyed at last.

The moment he stepped out, I exhaled shakily. He shouldn't be doing this. He's engaged. I'm married.

Dinner arrived before I had even recovered from everything that happened earlier. I kept my gaze fixed on my plate, refusing to look in David's direction.

I heard Camille talk "Elias," she said brightly, "I thought about something. Maybe you can put David somewhere in the company. He'll soon be family or he's already family. He can start at the company with you, maybe you can help him".

God, no. The last thing I needed was David hovering around the company after what happened in my room.

Camille kept rambling on, but Elias remained silent. When I risked a glance at him, he was already staring at me-intensely. My pulse jumped. I quickly lowered my eyes again.

Once Camille finished, Elias placed his cutlery down with a harsh clatter that echoed through the dining room. Everyone instantly went quiet.

His gaze never left me.

"Mara," he said, and a chill ran down my spine. "Tell everyone why you lied about your miscarriage and hid your abortion."

Camille and Andrea both gasped.

"Wait– abortion?" Andrea repeated, voice full of disgust.

Before I could even breathe, something smacked lightly against my cheek and dropped onto my plate.

My medical report.

My whole body went cold. How did he even get it? I told Clara to keep it hidden.

Camille grabbed the paper from the table, scanned through it, and her expression shifted immediately-anger, disappointment, accusation.

My throat felt tight, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

Every pair of eyes in the room was on me.

Without another word, Elias pushed back his chair and walked upstairs without another word.

I sat there, frozen, unable to explain, unable to defend myself, unable to form a single word.

Tears gathered in my eyes.

Why here?

Why like this?

In front of everyone?

"An abortion?... So all this time, you pretended it was a miscarriage?" Andrea snapped, grabbing the papers as if she needed proof. She folded her arms, chin lifted high in disgust.

"You owe this family an explanation," she added sharply. "A real one."

Camille didn't say a word.

She simply stood, turned, and went upstairs.

Her silence killed me more than her words ever could.

"And I bet Philip had no idea about this," Andrea continued. "After everything this family did for you. Such an ungrateful brat."

She hissed the words and stormed out.

It was hard to process what had just happened.

Harder to move.

Hardest to breathe.

David was the only one still at the table.

He didn't say anything.

He just stood and left.

Margaret and the other maids quietly cleared the plates, glancing at me with pity I didn't want.

I sat there until the table was completely empty.

When I finally reached my room, I closed the door... and slid down against it, collapsing on the floor.

I cried so hard it felt like something inside me was breaking all over again.

Maybe it's better how I had married Philip instead of Elias.

What happened to confronting me about it first.

Not one single person asked how I was doing.

Not one person asked why I made that decision.

Not one person cared.

Was I a wicked mother...

for choosing my life over my baby's?

I hated my life.

I hated that it had become this.

I cried and cried until Clara's call interrupted the sound of my sobs.

"Mara, what happened? My assistant told me you were brought into the hospital, are you okay?"

I couldn't reply.

"Were you careful with the report? I would've attended to you myself, I was out when..."

Still nothing from me.

"Mara? Are you crying? Mara? Did something happen?"

"Everyone knows, Clara... everyone knows about the abortion."

My voice trembled and broke.

"Somehow Elias found out and...he humiliated me in front of everyone. I'm confused, Clara... I'm so confused..."

I kept rambling, not giving her space to talk.

"My life is a mess. If I had died in Philip's place... would things be different?"

"Mara! Stop that!! Don't say that again!" she snapped.

She exhaled. "Look..."

But I hung up.

I didn't want comfort.

Or pity.

Or anything.

I cried on the floor until sleep dragged me under.

When I woke up, my eyes ached. Swollen. Hot.

I didn't want to see anyone.

But the thought of seeing Elias in the office twisted my stomach painfully.

I skipped breakfast to avoid the family... but hunger eventually won.

I waited until the house was quiet before going downstairs to make food.

I thought the kitchen would be empty.

But Andrea was there, slicing fruit-likely for David.

I ignored her completely and went to the cupboard.

She moved closer hitting me her shoulder.

Trying to provoke me.

I kept my back turned.

"The audacity to eat," she sneered. "Shouldn't you be starving? Or begging every one of us for forgiveness? Including Philip?"

I stayed silent.

"Oh, don't pretend you don't hear me!" she snapped. "You can't just run away after last night. Not after humiliating yourself like that."

I turned slowly, finally meeting her gaze.

"And you can't just look for trouble every chance you get, Andrea."

My voice was calm. Too calm.

"If I were you, I'd focus on my fiancé. Now leave me alone."

Her face twisted with rage.

"I blame Mother for still letting you stay here," she spat, grabbing her smoothie and storming out.

I exhaled shakily, my hands trembling.

At least she was gone.

Later, I went to the company.

My heart felt heavy the entire ride.

I stood quietly in the elevator, trying to steady my breathing.

Then the doors opened on another floor-

And David walked in.

My heart stuttered.

I forced myself not to look at him.

Not to remember the kiss.

Silence stretched before he finally spoke.

"About yesterday..." He paused as if debating whether to continue. "Are you okay?"

I didn't answer.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he said softly.

"You don't need to be," I cut in.

"I hate that you're being treated this way, Mara. I..."

"My problems shouldn't bother you, David."

My voice was flat. Final.

"You have a fiancée and a wedding to plan. That should be your priority. I'll handle mine."

The elevator dinged.

"Please stay away," I added before stepping out.

When I reached Elias's floor, I saw him calmly working through papers, as if he hadn't just destroyed me the night before.

Anger flared hot beneath my skin.

I barged into his office.

He looked up, his face instantly darkening. "What are you doing in my office?"

"As if blaming me for Philip's death wasn't enough," I snapped, "you humiliated me in front of everyone."

He leaned back, jaw ticking. "There's nothing to discuss about this"

"There's everything to discuss!" I stepped forward. "You could've confronted me privately, but no. You decided to tell the whole family."

He slammed his palm on the desk.

"Don't twist this. You lied."

"I didn't lie," I hissed. "I lost my baby."

"No." His voice thundered. "You let everyone believe you miscarried, but the truth is you aborted the Lawson heir, probably because you didn't love my brother."

My breath caught.

"That's not what happened."

"Then explain it!" he snapped. "Explain why the report says so. Explain why you hid it. Explain why you acted like a criminal behind the family's back."

"Because it wasn't anyone's business!" I shouted. "No one in that house cares about me. Suddenly you all care?"

"It was my brother's child," Elias said, voice low and dangerous. "You stripped him of the right to know."

I stared at him.

He stared back like I was the lowest thing alive.

"He would've known," I whispered, voice cracking, "if he actually cared."

Elias shot up from his chair so fast it scraped the floor.

He came around the desk, stopping inches from me.

"Don't speak about Philip like that."

"Why?" I whispered, tears filling my eyes. "Philip treated me like a mistake he had to clean up."

"You still should have told him," Elias said tightly. "He deserved that much."

"You're no different from him," I said. "I regret marrying into this family. And believe me, I'm glad I never bore his child. It would've been worse."

"Mara!" he barked. "Watch your mouth."

"No," I breathed. "I won't."

His breathing grew harsher.

His stare burned into me.

"You came here to provoke me," he said slowly.

"You act like you know everything," I whispered, wiping tears. "But you don't. You don't know what happened. You don't know what I went through. You don't know what your family did to me. You don't care to ask at all."

He opened his mouth

Nothing came out.

"You shouldn't care," I continued bitterly. "Because to you, I'm the outsider who married your brother. The problem you inherited."

His jaw tightened.

He didn't deny it.

"Do you know what hurts the most?" I whispered. "The way you look at me like I disgust you. Like I'm filth. Like I'm something the rain should wash off the Lawson name. Nobody looks at me like a human. Nobody did while you were abroad."

He looked away-

Just for a second.

But it was enough.

"I'm the one suffering in the family," I whispered, voice trembling. "Not Philip. And... I loved him. At some point, I thought our baby would make him love me."

My chest shook.

"I don't blame him. Our marriage wasn't a love story. A mistake happened, and I left my ex to marry him to save your family from scandal. I knew I was just a tool. But the least he could've done was treat me like I existed. His silence towards me was worse."

I broke completely.

I couldn't hold it anymore.

I turned and ran out of his office.

Work wasn't for me today.

I headed to the staff restroom, splashing water on my face.

My reflection looked like a ghost-pale, eyes red and swollen.

I was done crying for the Lawsons.

Done.

"Rough morning, Mara?" Vivian sneered as she came out from one of the restroom.

I walked toward her until her back hit the wall. She froze.

"The next time you see me," I said quietly, "address me properly."

I left without another word.

Back home, I retreated to my room and stayed there until nightfall.

I wasn't hungry.

I didn't want food.

A knock at my door startled me.

I ignored it.

Another knock came.

I forced myself to the door and flung it open. Elias stood there.

I frowned and tried to close it, but he stepped inside, stumbling slightly.

The moment he passed me, I smelled it.

Whiskey.

Has he been drinking?

I quickly shut the door behind us to avoid getting caught.

"I've been looking for you," he said.

"No," he corrected softly, "I've been thinking about you."

"No-no, it's the alcohol talking," I said quickly. "I need to get you out of here before someone sees..."

"You're beautiful," he interrupted.

My heart stopped.

"You're beautiful," he said again, voice lower. "I'm so jealous... Philip married the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

That was... strange.

Coming from him.

His tie hung loose, his eyes dark.

The scent of whiskey surrounded him as he leaned closer.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured, his breath brushing my skin.

"You're drunk," I whispered, unable to look away as my heart pounded violently.

He smiled faintly.

His gaze moved slowly over my face...

into my eyes...

down to my lips.

"Drunk," he whispered, his thumb grazing the corner of my mouth,

"but not blind. You want this as much as I do."

My breath caught.

"Say something," he murmured, his forehead nearly touching mine. "Anything."

"Elias..." I breathed, the sound more a plea than a warning.

He cupped my face and kissed me.

The second kiss since the one-night stand.

He kissed me like he was starved

And I kissed him back.

"Mara..." he whispered against my skin, voice breaking, "please don't stop."

I didn't want to stop either.

But then-

The door swung open.

I gasped, pushing Elias back slightly, turning toward the doorway.

David stood there.

Frozen.