Audrey POV:

Ethan' s footsteps stopped, a sudden, jarring halt. His face, which had been soft and content moments ago, hardened into a mask of displeasure. He looked down at me, his eyes narrowed. "What did you say, Audrey?" His voice was cold, clipped.

"My home," I repeated, a new strength in my voice. "Take me to my parents' house. I want to go home."

He squeezed me tighter, his grip painful. "Don't be ridiculous. This is your home. Our home. And what about our son? Who will take care of him if you run off to your parents'?" He tried to inject concern into his voice, but it sounded hollow, manipulative.

"I'm taking our son with me," I stated, my voice firm despite the weakness in my body.

His eyes flashed with something I couldn't quite decipher-panic? Anger? He didn't say another word, but his grip on me tightened even more. His pace quickened, carrying me swiftly towards the exit.

"Ethan! Where are you going?" Kendall' s voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the night. She was running after us. But he didn't even glance back. He just kept moving.

Suddenly, Kendall screamed, a piercing, theatrical sound. "Ethan! Watch out!" She darted into the busy street, directly into the path of an oncoming taxi.

Ethan, without a moment's hesitation, hurled me from his arms. My head slammed against the sharp edge of a stone planter, a searing pain exploding behind my eyes. Blood immediately gushed, warm and sticky, down my face. Before I could even register the pain, a speeding motorcycle, swerving to avoid Kendall, clipped me. I was sent flying, my body a ragdoll tossed through the air. A blinding flash of light, then searing pain in my leg.

Through the blurry, agonizing haze, I saw Ethan. He had caught Kendall. He held her tight in his arms, stroking her hair. "My love, are you hurt?" he murmured, his voice thick with concern. Kendall buried her face in his chest, sobbing melodramatically. "Oh, Ethan, I thought I was going to die! You saved me!"

He kissed her, a long, tender kiss, right there in the middle of the chaos he had created. He had thrown me away. Again. He had chosen her. Again.

The pain in my head, my leg, was eclipsed by the agony in my heart. My love for him, which had stubbornly clung to life, finally shriveled and died. It was a cold, hard death.

Darkness consumed me.

I woke up in a sterile white room, the rhythmic beeping of machines my only companion. I was in the ICU. Days had passed. My head throbbed, my right leg was encased in a heavy cast.

Ethan was slumped in a chair beside my bed, his head resting on his chest, feigning sleep. His face was pale, stubble darkening his jaw. He looked tired. A pang of something akin to pity, quickly suppressed, stirred within me.

I remembered him as a boy, so vibrant, so full of life. His eyes, always sparkling with mischief. Now, they were shadowed with something ugly, something I no longer recognized. His face, once so beautiful, now seemed distorted, almost monstrous.

A soft sob escaped my lips, a sound I hadn't intended to make. His head snapped up. He blinked, his eyes widening when he saw me. "Audrey! My God, you're awake!" He lunged forward, grabbing my hand. "Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?" His voice was frantic, laced with a performative concern.

"This is all your fault," he accused, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Your ridiculous demand to go to your parents' house. That's what caused this accident."

My heart, already dead, felt nothing but a cold void. He was blaming me. For his choice. For his betrayal.

"It was your mistress who caused it!" I choked out, my voice raw. "She threw herself into traffic!"

The mention of Kendall's name made his face snap shut. His eyes hardened. "Don't you dare speak about Kendall like that!" he spat, his voice laced with venom. "She was terrified! She's delicate! You're the one who's always so dramatic, so hysterical. She's been nothing but a sweetheart, a true professional. You need to learn from her, Audrey. She's graceful. You're just… a mess."

Tears streamed down my face, hot and furious. The injustice, the sheer audacity of his words, was suffocating.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, for God's sake, stop crying. Always crying. Kendall never cries. She handles her emotions. You should try it. Be like her. Dignified." He stood up, pacing the small room. "You know what? I'm going to release a statement. A public apology from you to Kendall. For accusing her, for being so… unkind."

My vision swam. My head throbbed. I couldn't breathe. My heart monitor shrieked, the red lights flashing wildly.

Ethan' s phone buzzed. He snatched it up, his face breaking into a wide smile. "Kendall, my love! Are you alright?" He walked out of the room, his voice fading as he spoke sweet nothings to her. "I'm coming. I'm on my way."

He left. I was alone. Again. The monitors shrieked louder. Nurses rushed in. The last thing I saw was the terrified faces of the medical staff before darkness consumed me once more. I was being rushed to the ER. No one was with me.

Audrey POV:

I spent nearly ten days in the hospital. Ethan never visited. Not once. My phone, once filled with his messages, remained silent. A heavy, suffocating silence.

But Kendall' s messages were a constant, tormenting stream. Ethan bought me a new diamond bracelet today. It' s gorgeous. He loves showering me with gifts. She sent photos, glittering and obnoxious. Then, the truly sickening blows. Videos. Clips of her and Ethan, intimate, laughing, utterly absorbed in each other. I deleted them as fast as they came, my thumb shaking. I wanted to block her, to erase her from my life completely.

Just as I was about to, another message popped up. Ethan' s planning something big. He' s getting your family to invest in a major project. He says it' ll secure your future. How sweet.

A cold dread gripped me. I knew Kendall. She was ambitious, but utterly clueless about finance. If she was involved in a major investment, it was a trap. A disaster waiting to happen. My family. My father. They would be ruined.

I frantically tried to call my father, but he wasn' t picking up. I called my mother instead. "Mom, please tell me Dad hasn't invested with Ethan yet."

My mother's voice, light and happy, floated through the phone. "Oh, darling, it's wonderful! Such a brilliant opportunity. Your father has already transferred the funds. Ethan is such a genius. He said it would solidify your inheritance, make sure you never have to worry about anything. He' s always looking out for you, our sweet boy."

My world tilted. My parents. They had worked their entire lives, building their company from nothing. Their fortune was modest compared to the Blakes, but it was hard-earned, built on integrity. They had poured everything into my future, into my stability with Ethan. Now, because of me, because of this monstrosity of a marriage, it was all at risk. The guilt was a physical ache.

I had to stop it. I would not let Ethan destroy my family.

Despite my still-broken leg, I discharged myself from the hospital. Leaning heavily on crutches, my body still weak, I made my way to Blake Enterprises.

"I need to see Ethan Blake," I told the receptionist, my voice trembling slightly.

She looked at me, a sneer playing on her lips. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Blake, but Mr. Blake is very busy. And he left specific instructions that you are not to be disturbed." Her tone was dismissive, contemptuous.

"I am his wife!" I shouted, a flash of my old fire returning. "I have every right to see him!"

She just scoffed. "And Ms. Johnston is his future. Her words are now part of our company's charter. You're effectively irrelevant here."

My heart hammered. Company charter? Kendall had that much power already? Panic set in. I tried calling Ethan, his assistants, anyone. All my calls went unanswered. I was shut out.

I failed. The contract was signed. My father' s money, my family' s future, was now in Ethan' s hands. And Kendall' s.

Just as I was struggling to accept defeat, the elevator doors opened. Ethan and Kendall emerged, side by side, radiating power and triumph. Kendall smirked at me, a silent victory dance in her eyes.

Ethan saw me, his expression darkening. "Audrey? What are you doing here? I thought you were still in the hospital." His tone was devoid of concern, only annoyance. He hadn't even known I was still there.

Then, my father appeared, walking towards the elevator, a broad smile on his face. He saw me, and his smile faltered. "Audrey! My darling, why are you so thin? Have you and Ethan been fighting?" His kind, worried eyes searched mine.

My father had a delicate heart. I couldn't tell him. Not now. Not when he was so happy, so proud of his "investment."

"Please, Ethan," I pleaded, my voice breaking, tears stinging my eyes. "Please. Don't let Kendall handle this project. Our family will be ruined. Please, protect my father. He' s put everything into this. Please, I beg you."

Ethan looked at me, his eyes cold and distant. "Audrey, don't be so petty. Kendall is brilliant. And she needs this experience more than your family needs a few extra pennies. She' s learning, growing. This is important." He then turned to Kendall, a soft smile on his face. "Isn't that right, my love?"

Kendall beamed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Of course, darling. I'm learning so much." She then leaned in close to me, her voice a low, vicious whisper. "Your family will lose everything, Audrey. Everything. And you have no one to blame but yourself."

A red mist descended. My family. My father. This venomous woman was going to destroy everything. I couldn't take it anymore. I lunged forward, grabbing at the contract in Kendall's hand.

"No!" I screamed, pulling with all my might.

Kendall shrieked, clinging to the document. We stumbled, losing our balance. The railing of the mezzanine, too flimsy to withstand our struggle, gave way.

We both tumbled over the edge.

I saw Ethan. His eyes, wide with horror. He reached out. Not for me. For Kendall. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back to safety. His hand, outstretched for a fleeting moment, passed right through me.

He chose her. Again.

The ground rushed up to meet me. A sickening crack. My right leg, already broken, twisted at an unnatural angle. The pain was blinding. Then, nothing. I blacked out.

Audrey POV:

The world slowly sharpened into focus. My head throbbed. My leg was in agony. I reached for my phone, my fingers fumbling. The screen lit up, a torrent of notifications. News alerts.

BREAKING: Blake Enterprises suffers massive losses due to junior analyst's disastrous investment!

FOX FAMILY BUSINESS IN RUINS! CEO suffers massive heart attack!

My stomach dropped. I scrolled further. Ethan' s face stared back at me from a headline. Ethan Blake downplays losses: "A minor setback. Business as usual."

My vision swam, dark spots dancing before my eyes. My father. My mother. I saw dozens of missed calls from my mother. Tears, hot and fresh, streamed down my face. My poor mother. She' d led such a sheltered life, always so happy, so trusting. Now, because of me, because of this monstrosity of a marriage, it was all at risk. The guilt was a physical ache.

I hit the call-back button, my hand shaking uncontrollably.

"Audrey! Oh, my God, Audrey!" My mother's voice was a ragged sob. "The money... it's all gone. The company is bankrupt. We have nothing left. Your father... he collapsed. He's in the ICU. They don't know if he'll make it."

She didn't blame me. Not once. She just cried, heartbroken, about the mountain of debt, about the potential of losing everything.

"It's okay, Mom," I whispered, my voice thick with unshed tears. "I'll fix it. I promise. I'll take care of everything."

I hung up, a cold, fierce resolve settling in my soul. I was done. Done with being a victim.

I left the hospital that day, my right leg now in a new, heavier cast, forcing me into a wheelchair. I arrived at the "home" Ethan and I shared. It was cold, silent. Lifeless.

"Ethan hasn't been back since you left, ma'am," Maria, the nanny, told me softly. "He hasn't even called about the baby."

I managed a bitter smile. He truly didn' t care. Not about me. Not about our son.

I wheeled myself to my son's nursery. He was asleep, his innocent face a beacon of hope in my desolate world. I scooped him up, holding him close, burying my face in his soft hair. His scent was the only warmth, the only comfort.

I called Ethan. "Ethan," I said, my voice flat. "My family is ruined. My father is in the ICU. Please, can you give us some time to repay the investment?"

His voice was dismissive. "Audrey, I told you, I'm busy. Kendall needs me. And besides, business is business. Your father made his choice."

I sent him a picture of our son, sleeping peacefully in my arms. "Please," I begged, "for your son. He needs his grandfather."

His reply came instantly. Don't use our son as a pawn, Audrey. And I already told Kendall I would back her fully. Business ethics, you know.

He was a stone. Cold, unyielding. My last tear, a single, solitary drop, rolled down my cheek. It was the last one I would ever shed for him. He was no longer my husband. He was an obstacle. An enemy.

I picked up my phone, my heart pounding with a new purpose. I dialed a number I hadn't called in three years. Jackson. It's Audrey. I need your help. Remember your offer?

Over the next few days, I moved with a focused calm. I packed what little was truly mine, mostly my son' s things. I systematically went through the house, collecting every gift Ethan had ever given me. The diamond necklace, the designer clothes, the expensive watches. I boxed them up, addressed them to his office, and arranged for them to be delivered.

Then, I gathered every photograph, every card, every memento of our life together. I built a small bonfire in the backyard, watching as the flames consumed our shared past. The smoke curled into the twilight sky, carrying away the last vestiges of my shattered dreams.

The house became an empty shell, stripped bare of my presence. No trace of me, or my son, remained.

Days later, Ethan finally came home. His face was drawn, tired. He looked surprised to see me, standing by the open front door, a small bag slung over my shoulder, my son in my arms.

"Audrey? What are you doing?" His voice was wary, confused.

"Just going to my parents' for a bit," I said, my voice calm, emotionless. "They need me. You know, with everything that happened with the investment."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Right. Well, try not to cause any more drama. I have a huge meeting tomorrow. And don't worry about the money. I won't press your father for repayment. Not yet, anyway." He grabbed a few suits from the closet, stuffing them into a duffel bag. "See? I'm not that bad. I always take care of you, Audrey."

He hadn't changed. He was still the same narcissistic monster, incapable of seeing beyond himself, still trying to manipulate me. But this time, his words held no power.

I watched him go, my heart a flat line in my chest. No anger. No pain. Just a chilling indifference. The ghost of Ethan Blake, the man I once loved, had truly vanished.

I walked back into the empty house. Underneath my son' s crib, I pulled out a small, waterproof pouch. Inside were two documents. My divorce certificate, finalized quietly and legally thanks to Jackson. And another document. A confidential medical report. Ethan Blake' s fertility diagnosis. Extremely low. His son, our son, was his only biological heir.

A cold, mirthless smile touched my lips. He had no idea what he had lost. His legacy, gone.

I pushed open the door. A sleek black car, a luxury sedan I recognized from my college days, waited silently at the curb. The door opened. Jackson Shepherd, charismatic, handsome, stepped out. He looked at me, his eyes filled with warmth and understanding.

"Ready, Audrey?" he asked, his voice soft, gentle.

I nodded, my grip tightening on my son. "Ready, Jackson. Take us home."