When Vanessa got home from the hospital, exhaustion hit her like a freight train.

She told one of the maids to prepare a gift box.

The maid smiled. "For Mr. Fabel?"

"Yeah. Our eighth anniversary's coming up."

Perfect timing.

Her flight to Italvia was booked for the same day. A clean break.

Once the maid left, Vanessa sat at the table and started filling the box. Her pregnancy test result went in first. Next, the termination papers. And finally, Cindy's pregnancy report.

She pictured him opening the box—watching the realization crash over him. Too bad she wouldn't be around to see the look on his face.

Later that night, Scott called at his usual time.

His voice dripped with fake warmth.

God, what a joke.

Then Vanessa heard it—Cindy's light, teasing voice in the background. She asked Scott what they should eat for dinner.

Silence stretched between them.

Vanessa didn't say a word.

Scott cleared his throat. "Uh, I had to rush out for a business meeting. Cindy... she's good at her job, so I brought her along."

Vanessa kept her voice even. "Oh, I know. She's capable. Otherwise, you wouldn't value her so much."

"I've got a video conference—I'll call you later," Scott blurted out, his voice tight with nerves. He hung up before she could say anything else.

Moments later, her phone buzzed with a DM.

From Cindy.

Vanessa had only accepted her friend request earlier that day.

The pic loaded fast.

Scott, dripping wet, towel hanging way too low.

The message? Pure venom.

[See that? Your man? Yeah, he just got done with me. Said he's tired of doing it with a stuck-up ice queen. Likes me soft. Real soft.]

Vanessa froze, nausea rolling in waves.

A year. Maybe longer. That's how long Scott had been crawling into Cindy's bed.

How many times had he swung by to pick Vanessa up from work, freshly showered after screwing Cindy?

Swallowing her disgust, Vanessa calmly replied to Cindy's message.

[Take it easy. Stress isn't good for that baby you're banking on.]

Send.

Then, silence. Just her, sitting on her bed.

She clicked on Cindy's profile and began scrolling.

And there it was—the whole affair laid out in selfies and captions.

[My hubby bought me this ring—love it so much!]

The photo? A flashy diamond ring.

Scott's comment underneath:

[Babe, as long as you're happy.]

Vanessa kept going.

[I was feeling down, so my hubby took me shopping. Let's see if he dares to upset me again next time!]

Scott's response?

[Honey, I'm sorry! Won't happen again!]

Another post caught Vanessa's eye.

[From now on, it's the three of us—feeling so blessed!]

Attached was a picture of Cindy's pregnancy checkup results.

Scott's comment?

[I've got you and the baby. Always. Love you, baby.]

Her stomach twisted so hard she thought she might throw up. But she didn't stop.

Another comment caught her eye—one from Scott's inner circle.

[Congrats! Scott, you better throw us a party soon!]

Everyone had known.

While she was stumbling around in the dark, thinking Scott was hers, all their friends had been in on the secret.

Those same friends who used to tease her about how lucky she was. How Scott couldn't stop talking about her.

Yeah. What a joke.

Looking back now, it was so obvious. She'd been blind—stupidly blind.

The two most recent posts on Cindy's profile were from that day.

The first? Their flight tickets and a shot from the plane cabin.

The second? A picture of two hands intertwined across a dinner table.

Vanessa knew that hand.

She'd held it more times than she could count.

Cindy's profile was full of photos like that—smiling, glowing, thriving.

All of it, courtesy of him.

Vanessa's life? A cruel joke.

She snapped into action.

Screenshots. Every post, every comment Scott left.

Printed.

And packed into the gift box.

The next day, Vanessa sold off all the jewelry, clothes, shoes, and handbags Scott had given her.

Every dollar went to charities for women and kids in need. His dirty money wasn't going to stick to her.

Over the next few days, Cindy's Bali pics kept popping up on social media. Sunsets, cocktails, poolside selfies—all with Scott's sickeningly sweet comments underneath.

Vanessa printed each one and slid them into the growing pile.

By day seven, Scott finally showed up.

She was halfway through dinner when the front door opened, and there he was. Just seeing him made her stomach turn.

He walked in with a shopping bag. Gifts. Seriously? He set it down on the table and leaned in for a kiss.

Vanessa turned her head.

Nope.

"Have you eaten? If not, sit down and eat first," she said, voice steady.

"No, I haven't. I came home specifically to eat with you."

Vanessa looked up at him. "You're so good to me."

The words dripped with sarcasm. But Scott? Clueless.

In his head, she was still that same sweet, docile Vanessa.

Too bad for him—he didn't realize that even the nicest people will bite when pushed too far.

Scott slid into the chair across from her, beaming. "Of course I am. Who else would I be good to? I promised to take care of you for life. Our anniversary's coming up. Where do you wanna go?"

"We'll see. Depends on how busy the hospital is."

Scott chuckled, his voice dripping with affection. "I've told you a hundred times—you don't need to work so hard. Quit already. I can take care of you."

Yeah, right. Vanessa was glad she'd never fallen for that trap. If she'd given up her job for him, she wouldn't have the guts to walk out now.

She tilted her head, playful but with an edge. "What if I quit, and one day you cheat on me? What would I do then?"

Boom. Direct hit.

Scott panicked, scrambling to reassure her. "That won't happen, Vanessa. You have to believe me. It's only ever been you—I won't cheat. There won't be anyone else."

Vanessa believed him — partly.

Yeah, Scott loved her, in his own selfish way. But love hadn't stopped him from betraying her.

And that was the hardest part to accept. If he hadn't been so good to her at first, maybe this wouldn't sting so much.

And that's exactly why he couldn't know she was leaving. He wouldn't let her go.

Before she could respond, a maid stepped into the dining room.

"Mr. Fabel, Ms. Saun is here."

Scott's jaw tightened. Not exactly thrilled.

Vanessa? Totally unfazed. She casually told the maid to let Cindy in.

Cindy strutted in, rocking a barely-there slip dress. Her skin glowed.

"Mr. Fabel, Ms. Jahn," Cindy greeted, all fake politeness. "Sorry to interrupt. I just need your signature on some office documents... and we should go over a few things."

Vanessa smiled. "Go ahead. Don't mind me."

Cindy seethe with frustration.

She'd walked in, ready to spark a catfight. Maybe push Vanessa into an ugly scene so Scott would have no choice but to cut ties with her. But instead? Vanessa sat there, completely unbothered. Calm. In control

Scott stood. "Let's talk outside. I need to go over a few things with you."

"Sure."

As Cindy swayed toward the door, she shot Vanessa a smug look.

At the villa's entrance, Scott's frustration boiled over.

"What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to show up around her?"

Cindy's eyes filled with tears. She cradled her belly, playing the part. "I missed you... I don't want to be alone. You know I'm pregnant."

Before Scott could say more, Cindy looped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

At first, he stiffened, even tried to push her off.

But Cindy grabbed his hand, sliding it under her dress.

"I'm wearing your favorite stockings... Stay with me tonight, okay?"

That was it.

Scott's control snapped. He pinned her against a tree, claiming her with wild, desperate hunger.

Hidden in the shadows, Vanessa stood perfectly still, watching.

She wanted this moment burned into her mind. Only by searing the pain into her memory could she finally let him go for good.

A few minutes later, Scott returned. Vanessa kept eating as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry, something came up at work. I gotta go," he said, stopping by the table.

"Okay." Flat. Detached.

She glanced up — caught it. Flushed lips. Smudged guilt. That kiss burned in her mind like a bad memory on repeat.

Must be a thrill, sneaking around while she sat right here.

Scott was already halfway out the door when Vanessa calmly set down her fork.

She reached for the necklace he'd given her.

Straight to the trash.

***

With just days left before her move to Italvia, Vanessa headed back to the hospital to wrap up work and kill time.

That afternoon, she got assigned to cover at a different branch. As her shift wound down, she found herself blocked in by a group of angry, stick-wielding troublemakers.

Shouts echoed through the lobby, the air thick with tension as they stormed in, yelling at the staff.

Vanessa instinctively stepped in front of her younger colleague. A stick came down hard, smacking her head. Pain shot through her, and warm blood ran down her forehead, making the mob freeze in shock.

Security and a few male doctors wasted no time, dragging the troublemakers out.

"Dr. Jahn! Are you okay? You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine," Vanessa said, brushing them off, though her head pounded, and the edges of her vision blurred.

As a colleague guided her toward the treatment room, they rounded a corner—and ran straight into Scott and Cindy.

The lobby seemed to fall silent as they locked eyes.

Scott was holding Cindy's handbag, while Cindy, practically glued to his arm, beamed up at him.

But the moment Scott saw the blood streaking Vanessa's face, his expression shifted. He dropped Cindy's bag and rushed over.

Cindy stumbled, barely catching herself, and glared at Vanessa.

"Vanessa! What happened? Are you hurt?" Scott's voice was full of panic.

Exhausted and irritated, Vanessa shot him a cold glance. "It's nothing. Don't concern yourself."

Before he could push further, one of her colleagues jumped in, giving Scott a quick rundown of what had happened.

Vanessa had no energy for this. She brushed past him, ready to leave, but Scott moved faster. He scooped her up and carried her to the treatment room without even sparing Cindy a glance.

The doctor patched up Vanessa's wound quickly, but while she got her shot, Scott stayed glued to her side. Cindy hovered by the door, arms crossed, refusing to budge.

The air was thick with tension.

"You can go now. I'm fine," Vanessa said.

Scott shook his head. "You're hurt. How can I just leave?"

Vanessa gave him a faint and tilted her head toward the door. "Don't keep her waiting too long. Standing there must be exhausting."

Scott glanced over at Cindy, just as a doctor approached with a piece of paper.

"Miss, here's your report. Make sure to come back for your next prenatal checkup on time," the doctor said.

Cindy plastered on a fake, cheery smile, snatching the report. "Thank you! I won't miss it."

Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Scott's face drained of color as his eyes darted nervously toward Vanessa. "She broke up with her boyfriend and found out she's pregnant," he said quickly. "She wasn't feeling well, so as her boss, I brought her here. Don't misunderstand, Vanessa."

Vanessa couldn't help it—she laughed. A dry, humorless chuckle. Cindy's face paled in response.

"You're such a thoughtful boss. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were the father."

Scott forced a shaky smile. "Don't joke like that. I'm only interested in being the father of our child."

Cindy's expression twisted, her hand crumpling the report into a tight ball.