My body reacted before my thoughts ever could.

I ran—straight into rain, into noise, into the blur of the city. Water streaked down my face as cars screamed past, horns blaring, lights smearing into color and chaos. My hair plastered itself to my neck, my clothes clung heavy with sweat and rain, my lungs burning as if they might split open.

When I reached the hospital room, I didn’t knock.

I shoved the door wide.

Ethan.

My baby.

He was curled small on the bed, too still, his hands wrapped thickly in layers of white bandages. He looked like my son—the boy who used to giggle whenever his fingers found piano keys—and at the same time, he looked unfamiliar, like someone pain had reshaped into a stranger.

I broke.

I fell against him, crushing him to my chest, sobs ripping out of me unchecked. My tears soaked into his hair as I clung to him.

“Ethan,” I whispered again and again. “Mama’s here. Mama didn’t leave. I’m right here, sweetheart.”

Everything rigid inside me dissolved the moment I felt his warmth.

The door creaked open.

A doctor stepped inside quietly.

“Your son sustained extensive trauma to his hands,” he said gently. “We intervened as quickly as possible. With advanced surgery and long-term rehabilitation, there is a chance for recovery. Movement can return.”

My voice came out thin. “W-will he still be able to play?” I asked. “The piano… that was everything to him.”

The doctor hesitated. “One day, perhaps. But not for a long time.”

I nodded, covering my mouth as silent sobs tore through me. All those circled dates on the calendar—competitions, recitals, small proud dreams—flashed through my head and bled into something fragile and uncertain.

The door opened again.

This time, it wasn’t quiet.

A man walked in with easy confidence, tall, smiling like he was fully aware of how dangerous he was. Two massive men flanked him like living walls.

“Vivienne,” he greeted casually, like we were meeting for drinks. “Name’s Gabriel Lambert. I work for Dimitri.”

The doctor disappeared so quickly it would’ve been funny under different circumstances.

Gabriel rested his elbow on the bed rail. “Dimitri took care of the people who hurt your son. Would you like to see what’s left of them?”

My stomach rolled. “No,” I breathed. “Please. I don’t want to see anything.”

He laughed softly. “Shame. It was… thorough. Dimitri ordered them executed and cut apart. They won’t be a problem ever again.” His gaze sharpened. “Curious who hired them?”

Ethan whimpered.

I tightened my arms around him and pressed his face into my chest, turning away from Gabriel completely. “I don’t care,” I said hoarsely. “I only want my child safe.”

Gabriel’s smile widened slightly. “Very well. Dimitri will be arriving in Europe soon. You have seven days to finalize your divorce. When that week ends, he’ll come for you himself.”

My throat trembled. “Thank you,” I whispered, because gratitude was the only thing left to give.

His eyes glittered with amusement as he leaned closer. “Don’t thank me, little dove. Dimitri doesn’t want gratitude. He wants possession. Your body. Your soul. Everything you refused him before.”

He straightened, winked like it was all a joke, and left with his men melting into the hallway behind him.

The room felt smaller once they were gone. Heavier. Ethan shifted, beginning to cry, and I rocked him gently, whispering comfort while the night pressed in like the walls were slowly closing.

---

I don’t remember falling asleep.

The buzz of my phone dragged me out of the dark hours later. Ethan’s small, bandaged hands rested against my chest. For a moment, I thought everything had been a nightmare.

Then I saw the screen.

Dominic.

My hand shook as I answered.

His voice exploded through the line. “Where the hell are you? Why aren’t you home? Do you think you can just vanish and humiliate me? You think I won’t deal with this?”

I looked down at Ethan—his fragile face, the way his lashes brushed his cheeks, his body swallowed by white sheets.

Without saying a word, I ended the call.

I shut the phone off completely.

The silence afterward was thick—but it felt like rebellion. For the first time, I chose quiet instead of his fury.

By morning, my body ached from the narrow bed. My clothes were stiff with dried sweat and rain. I smelled like fear and antiseptic. Ethan stirred, and I smoothed his hair, forcing a smile.

“Mama will be right back,” I murmured. “I’ll get us clean clothes. Then I’ll come back looking pretty for you.”

I stepped into the hallway.

The world spun instantly.

A gurney rushed past, wheels shrieking. Medics crowded around it. On top lay Asher—pale, clutching his stomach, crying in sharp, piercing sobs. Marina hovered beside him, shrill and frantic, screaming for help. Dominic followed, barking orders, panic twisting his face.

Then he saw me.

He broke away and seized my arm, fingers crushing bone.

“Vivienne!” His hand flew before I could react. The slap split across my face, blinding and hot.

“How dare you,” he snarled, grip tightening. “You ordered one of the maids to poison Asher’s food last night. Did you really think you could murder my son and escape punishment? You disgusting bitch.”

My cheek burned. My chest burned worse.

I swallowed the scream clawing up my throat. No denial left my lips—I knew it wouldn’t matter. Dominic had already decided what to believe.

Asher cried louder. “Dad… Dad!”

Dominic released me and ran after the gurney, chasing the child he adored. Over his shoulder, he threw one last sentence that sliced me open.

“We’re not done talking.”

Marina passed by moments later, her perfume thick and suffocating. Her lips curved ever so slightly.

Calm. Satisfied.

That was all the proof I needed.

She had done this. She had poisoned her own son—and pinned it on me.

I bit down hard and swallowed the sob trying to tear free. I kept walking, spine stiff, refusing to shatter where she could see.

I bought clean clothes from a nearby shop, hands shaking as I folded them into a bag. Then I turned back toward Ethan.

At the elevator, I pressed the button repeatedly, willing the doors to open. When they slid apart, relief flooded me—

Until someone stepped forward.

Marina.

She leaned against the doorway, blocking my path, her perfume sweet and poisonous.

“How’s little Ethan?” she asked lightly. “Dead yet?” She tilted her head. “I told those men to crush his fingers. That way my son could steal the piano spotlight. And when they were done, I ordered them to dump his body on the street like trash.”

“How dare you!”

The words tore themselves from my throat before I even realized, my palm connecting sharply with Marina’s painted cheek.

She screamed immediately, stumbling backward like I had shattered her delicate bones, clutching her face as though it were made of porcelain, her wails high and practiced. Every motion, every breath, every tremble was perfect, rehearsed to perfection.

Gasps swept through the crowd. Whispers erupted like wildfire.

“Did you see that?”

“Poor Marina!”

“Vivienne has completely lost it.”

“That’s Mr. Dominic’s wife—why is she striking her?”

All eyes dug into me, sharp and accusing, but I didn’t care. Not anymore.

“You think I haven’t seen through you?” I shouted, my voice raw and shaking with years of silent fury. “You slithered into my life, whispered lies into Dominic’s ear, poisoned his heart against me. You destroyed my family! And now—you tried to kill my son!” The words ripped from me, every syllable scorched with truth. “You can smear your face with tears and pretend to be fragile, but I know exactly what you are—a scheming, venomous snake!”

Marina’s sobs intensified, her head shaking as if she were the wronged angel. The crowd’s hearts softened for her, but I saw the poison beneath.

Then Dominic’s voice rolled like thunder behind me.

“Vivienne!”

I spun just in time to see his hand rise. The slap struck me with brutal force, knocking me backward.

He loomed over me, every inch the tyrant. “After trying to poison my son, you dare touch the woman I loved first? If it weren’t for that cursed arranged marriage, Marina would have been my wife!”

The murmurs of the onlookers grew louder, whispers slicing the air.

“She’s clearly unstable.”

“No wonder he never loved her.”

“I heard their child isn’t even his. She’s unfaithful.”

Marina’s sobbing made her appear delicate, innocent, adored. And there I was—the monster. Always the villain.

Tears blurred my vision, but I forced words past my lips. “Then divorce me! I’m done with this sham of a marriage. I don’t want to be your wife anymore!”

Dominic’s laugh was cold, venomous. “You’re pathetic, desperate, insane. First, you stage a fake kidnapping for attention, and now this pitiful display? You should win awards, Vivienne, for acting.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out papers, flinging them at my feet like garbage. “Here. Isn’t this what you’ve been begging for?”

I bent, trembling, to gather them. But before my hands could close around the sheets, he swooped down and snatched them away, a cruel smirk curling his lips.

“You really thought I’d make it that easy?” he spat. “You will serve me another week before I sign this. Until then, you’re mine.”

He waved the papers like a leash, and then turned, sliding an arm around Marina’s shoulders. Together they walked away, and the world seemed to confirm it: she was the cherished wife, I was nothing beneath his feet.

The crowd’s eyes never left me—disgusted, condemning. My hands shook as I forced myself upright, legs weak, heart crushed.

I dragged myself down the hall until I reached my son’s room. The door closed behind me. My forehead pressed against the wood as sobs wracked me, chest aching from the force of it.

“Well then, Dominic,” I whispered through tears and trembling lips, a promise coated in blood and fire. “By this week, I will no longer be yours.”

---

Three days later, I finally brought Ethan home. He was still pale, fragile, weakened by trauma—but alive. If I could, I would have never set foot in that house again. But I had no choice. I needed my mother’s heirlooms, a few of Ethan’s things, and some personal belongings I couldn’t leave behind.

The door swung open, and my breath caught. Marina stood in the center of the living room, regal, untouchable. Asher sprawled across the couch, laughter spilling from him like he owned the world.

Ethan’s small voice quivered beside me. “Mama… why is Asher here?”

Before I could answer, Asher’s smug grin stretched across his face. “Because this is my house now. I’m the true son. You’re… just a bastard.”

Ethan recoiled, his hand tightening around mine. Anger flared inside me, hot and wild. I wanted to rip that arrogance from his lips, but Marina’s soft, poisonous voice stopped me.

“Asher, go to your room,” she said smoothly.

He sauntered upstairs, satisfaction in every step.

The maids passed, their eyes flickering to me but never meeting mine. Whispered words, sharp as knives, filled the hall.

“Everything’s been moved… Madam Vivienne’s belongings are now in the maid’s quarters.”

I swallowed hard, forcing my tears down. Marina pressed a hand to her chest, feigning concern.

“Oh, Vivienne… Dominic told me to stay here with Asher. I didn’t expect your things to be moved. Please, don’t misunderstand me.”

Honeyed words. Eyes laughing.

I clenched my jaw for Ethan’s sake. Taking his hand, I led him to the maid’s quarters.

Inside the cramped room, his resistance broke. He wept into my sleeve, small tears soaking my clothes.

“Mama… why does Papa treat us like strangers?”

I held him close, rocking him gently. “Don’t cry, baby. Soon, very soon, we’ll leave this place. You’ll never have to bow your head for anyone again.”

---

That night, the villa glowed with lights, music drifting from the dining hall. Dominic hosted another dinner for his business partners, and I was relegated to the far end of the table, an uninvited shadow in my own home.

Marina sat at his side, hand brushing his arm, claiming her place as if she were already queen. Her smile was serene, sweet, and the men at the table admired her like she was some untouchable goddess.

One of them glanced toward me. “And who is she?”

Dominic curled his lips into a smug grin, lazily swirling the wine in his glass.

“She’s only here because appearances demand it,” he said casually. “Marina has always been the woman in my heart. And this boy—Asher—is my rightful successor.”

Asher stepped forward with the ease of someone who had never been denied anything. He sat at the piano and let his fingers dance across the keys, confident and polished. The melody filled the dining hall, flawless and rehearsed. Applause erupted around the table.

Beside me, Ethan went completely still.

His eyes shimmered with tears as he stared at his bandaged hands, his fingers twitching faintly, as if the memory of pain still lived in them.

Marina inclined her head, her voice coated in syrupy sympathy.

“Oh, Ethan…” she sighed. “You can’t play anymore? How tragic. But really, that’s your mother’s fault—”

The fork slipped from my fingers and clanged loudly against the plate as I stood.

“Don’t you dare twist my child’s thoughts,” I snapped, my voice shaking with fury. “You’re the one who destroyed his hands. You hired those criminals just so your son could steal what belonged to mine!”

A sharp intake of breath rippled around the table.

Marina’s lips quivered as tears spilled down her cheeks. She turned to Dominic, clutching his arm, her voice breaking perfectly.

“Vivienne, why are you attacking me in front of Dominic’s partners? What have I ever done to deserve such cruelty?”

The chair screeched as Dominic shoved it back and stood, rage blazing in his eyes.

“How dare you humiliate Marina in front of my guests!” he bellowed.

Before I could react, his hand fisted in my hair. Pain exploded across my scalp as he dragged me downward, forcing me onto my knees against the icy marble floor.

Ethan screamed.

“Papa, stop! Please don’t hurt Mama!”

Dominic turned his head slowly, his voice dropping into something cold and vicious.

“Be quiet,” he said. “If you don’t shut your mouth, I’ll throw you to the snakes.”

My heart froze.

Ethan went deathly pale, his small body trembling as he pressed into me. Snakes had always terrified him—ever since Asher shoved a python into his schoolbag and it bit his arm. I remembered the blood, his screams, and Dominic brushing it off, calling him weak. He had never once protected him.

Now Ethan buried his face against me, shaking so violently it felt like my chest was being torn open.

At first, Dominic’s business partners shifted awkwardly. Then one of them laughed. Another joined in. Soon the room was filled with cruel amusement.

“The jealous wife really doesn’t know her place.”

“Dominic, you need to train her better.”

Marina hid behind Dominic’s arm, clutching his sleeve like a frightened dove.

“Please,” she murmured softly. “Don’t punish her too harshly. It’s my fault… she’s just envious.”

Her false mercy only fed his rage.

His palm struck my face again. The sting was blinding, my ears ringing.

“Apologize to Marina. Now.”

I shook my head weakly. “I didn’t—”

“Do it!” he roared. “Or your son loses everything. No doctors. No education. No food. Let him rot alongside you.”

I went still.

Across the room, Asher continued pounding the piano keys, his grin identical to his mother’s—triumphant. The maids kept their heads lowered, pity flickering in their eyes, but none of them dared step forward.

Ethan trembled beside me.

For him—and only for him—I sank lower until my forehead nearly touched the floor. Tears slid down my cheeks as I whispered,

“I’m sorry, Marina.”

Laughter erupted. Glasses clinked.

“At least she knows obedience,” one man sneered.

Marina dabbed at her eyes and approached, smiling sweetly. She patted my head like I was a stray animal.

“It’s alright,” she said gently. “Vivienne is simply unwell with jealousy. I forgive her.”

The men praised her generosity, every word slicing into me.

“What a compassionate woman.”

“So gracious.”

Ethan’s small voice pierced through the noise.

“Don’t talk about my mama like that! She’s not sick!”

Dominic’s expression darkened instantly. He snapped his fingers.

“Take that bastard away before he embarrasses me further.”

The maids hesitated, then gently pried Ethan from my arms. He screamed, clawing at me, but they dragged him away while I remained on the floor, shaking, my heart splitting apart.

Dominic lifted his glass with satisfaction.

“This is why discipline keeps women obedient.”

The men laughed. One leaned back, smirking.

“Lock her in the basement until she learns manners.”

Dominic chuckled.

“That’s not a bad idea.”

I stayed silent. If I spoke, it would only get worse.

When the guests finally left, the villa fell into an eerie quiet. My cheek throbbed. My hair was still tangled from his grip. As I walked down the hall, Marina stepped into my path, her perfume suffocating.

She leaned close, her whisper sharp.

“Did you hear them laugh at you? Even Dominic doesn’t see you as a wife anymore. Soon you’ll be nothing but a servant. Or maybe he’ll toss you and your bastard into the streets.”

Her eyes gleamed.

“Asher will replace Ethan in everything. Music. Legacy. Even affection.”

I couldn’t respond. My throat felt shredded, my heart hollowed out.

That night, in the cramped maid’s quarters, I lay beside Ethan. His breathing was uneven, his tiny fists clenched even in sleep.

I pressed my hand over my mouth and cried silently, choking on every sob. But somewhere deep inside, something ignited. Dominic would never protect us. Marina would never stop until Ethan was erased.

In the darkness, I whispered,

“One day… they’ll regret all of this.”

Then my phone lit up.

A name flashed on the screen.

Dimitri Ambramov.

“Hello?” I whispered.

His voice came through low and unwavering, sharp as steel.

“The seven days are nearly over, Vivienne. Prepare yourself. I’m coming to Europe to claim what belongs to me.”