After that day, Quentin gradually left my life.

He was all-in with Rainee, only texting late at night with a half-hearted [how are you?].

I ignored him, so the messages stopped.

Then I hit three months.

Ran into Quentin's sister, Cecilia Palmer, at the hospital.

Cecilia looked stunned, then snatched my report like it burned her.

"You're cheating on Quentin? Pregnant with some random guy's baby?"

I blinked. "This baby's Quentin's. I didn't cheat."

She just laughed, sharp and cold. "Still lying? You look all sweet, but you're trash underneath. Got knocked up and now you're trying to scam your way into our family?"

Yeah, I knew she didn't like me.

But I didn't think she'd come at me like that.

No filter. Just pure hate.

A crowd started forming.

Whispers. Pointing.

I bit my lip till it bled, chest tight like I couldn't breathe.

Tried to leave. Over and over.

But Cecilia blocked me every time.

I finally snapped. "What do you want? I told you, this baby's Quentin's. Call him if you don't believe me."

She scoffed. "Cut the act. Rainee's the one having Quentin's baby. He's with her right now.

"You think if this kid was his, he'd leave you here alone? You cheated and got pregnant. Now get ready—our family doesn't let trash like you walk away clean."

She waved her hand.

Bodyguards showed up like it was all planned.

Heart pounding, I grabbed my phone.

Didn't even get to dial—

Smack.

Her slap lit my cheek on fire, my phone hit the floor.

She yanked my hair, eyes icy. "Still think Quentin's coming for you? Keep dreaming."

Next thing I knew, I was shoved into her car.

Headed straight for the Palmer estate.

***

Quentin and Rainee were chilling in the living room—he was feeding her cream soup like some doting husband. She looked smug, glowing.

I looked wrecked. Hair everywhere, blood at my lip, clothes wrinkled and stained.

Cecilia marched in, full-on triumphant. "Quentin, she cheated on you. Knocked up with someone else's kid. I caught her red-handed."

I lifted my head, lips pale, cheek still burning.

I thought he'd say something. Anything.

But he didn't even glance my way.

His voice was cold. "Lock her in the attic. No one opens that door unless I say so."

That was it. My heart just... snapped.

I stared at him one last time.

No begging. No hope left.

Then I was in the attic, locked up like I was nothing.

Night fell. Rats scratched in the corners.

One of them waddled right up to me.

Then—creak.

The attic door started to open.

The rat bolted.

Rainee's smug face popped into the doorway.

No one else around, so she dropped the sweet act and went full venom.

"Look at you now. I told you Quentin was mine. But you? You actually thought you could steal him? Marry him? Please. You were just his side project."

That grin lit a fire in me.

I grabbed something off the floor—launched it at her.

She screamed and hit the ground.

Then I saw it. A rat.

Footsteps thundered upstairs. Quentin and Cecilia stormed in.

Rainee was on the floor, clutching her stomach, sobbing like she was dying.

"Quentin! My belly—what if something happened to the baby? I was just being nice, offering Vivienne food, and she threw a rat at me!"

She turned up the waterworks, sobbing louder, milking it.

And just like that, they all believed her.

Cecilia looked like she was about to lunge, but Quentin held her back.

His eyes—pure ice.

"I can't believe you, Vivienne," he said. "I let you stay here so it'd be easier to take care of you, but clearly, you can't be under the same roof as Rainee."

I shut my eyes, drained. The hopelessness was crushing.

"Live together? Please. Everyone thinks Rainee's carrying your kid and I'm just the girl who 'CHEATED' and got knocked up. Why would I belong here?"

His jaw tightened. Annoyed but trying to keep it together.

"Just... focus on your pregnancy, okay? Keep the baby safe. Stop picking fights with Rainee."

I didn't say a word. Just let out a cold, bitter laugh.

He snapped. Slammed the door.

"You're staying in the attic. Maybe some time alone will help you think. I'll have food brought up."

***

I was stuck in that gross, airless attic for days—rats included.

Rainee stopped picking fights, probably because Quentin warned her.

But a month in, she walked by, and she made sure to say loud enough for me to hear, “Quentin’s taking me to my check-up tomorrow!”

That night, I played it cool. When Quentin dropped off my food, I said, "It's been a month. The baby needs tests."

He smiled, like I was finally the version of me he wanted.

"If you'd been like this earlier, things wouldn't have been so hard. Don't worry—I'll take you tomorrow."

He didn't.

He went with Rainee.

I got stuck with Cecilia, who barely looked up from her phone the whole ride.

At the hospital, she didn’t even catch when I asked about ending the pregnancy.

The doctor helped me go through with it.

Quentin showed up late. Rainee was already done.

"Where's Vivienne? She's still not out?"

He pushed open the door—froze.

Blood-soaked sheets. Tissue on the floor.

His face went gray. Lips shaking.

"V-Vivienne, what did you do?"