Chapter 5: My marriage ended

The image refused to leave my mind.

No matter how hard I tried, I kept seeing it.

David kissing Charlotte.

His hands on her face.

The tenderness in his eyes.

The way Charlotte smiled at him.

I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my knees tightly as tears streamed down my face.

How had everything changed so quickly?

How had the man who once promised me forever become a stranger?

My phone suddenly rang.

I looked at the screen.

New York Central Hospital.

Immediately, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Is this Miss Vivian Hart?"

"Yes."

The doctor's voice sounded urgent.

"Your aunt, Beatrice, was brought into the hospital this morning. She suffered a severe heart attack."

My entire body froze.

"What?"

"She is stable for now, but she needs emergency surgery."

The room spun around me.

Beatrice was all I had left.

After losing my parents, she had become my mother, my guardian, and my family.

"How much is the surgery?" I asked shakily in the doctor's office.

There was a brief silence.

"Approximately three hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

My breath caught.

"$350,000?"

"Yes. We need the payment authorization as soon as possible."

My hand trembled.

"I'll find a way."

The call ended.

Without wasting another second, I rushed home.

I needed to speak to David.

He would help.

At least, that was what I believed.

As I approached his father's study, voices drifted through the partially opened door.

I stopped.

Scarlett Blackstone.

Henry Blackstone.

Charlotte.

David.

And a lawyer.

My heart skipped.

Then I heard Scarlett speak.

"Now that Charlotte is carrying the family's heir, there's no reason to keep Vivian around."

I froze.

My blood ran cold.

Henry sighed.

"The divorce should be handled quietly."

The lawyer answered.

"The papers are already prepared."

I felt my knees weaken.

Divorce?

Then Charlotte spoke softly.

"What if Vivian refuses?"

Scarlett laughed.

"Refuses? What exactly does she have left to refuse?"

My chest tightened painfully.

Then David spoke.

The man I had loved for years.

"We'll make her understand."

That was it.

Something inside me shattered.

I pushed the door open.

Everyone turned toward me.

The room fell silent.

I looked at each one of them.

Then my eyes settled on David.

Tears filled my eyes.

"So this is it?"

Nobody spoke.

I laughed bitterly.

"This is how it ends?"

"Vivian..." David started.

"No!"

My voice cracked.

"You don't get to explain."

The room became deathly silent.

I pointed at David.

"Do you remember our college days?"

His jaw tightened.

"Do you remember all the promises you made to me?"

Scarlett frowned.

Henry looked confused.

I wiped my tears.

"Do you remember the first baby?"

David's face immediately darkened.

My voice trembled.

"The baby you told me to abort because we were too young."

Nobody moved.

"The second one."

"The third one."

"The fourth one."

Henry's eyes widened.

Scarlett looked shocked.

I laughed through my tears.

"Four babies."

I pressed a hand against my chest.

"Four babies because I trusted you."

"Vivian..." David whispered.

"You promised me a future."

"You promised we would have children after marriage."

"You promised to love me forever."

My voice broke completely.

"And now look at me."

I looked toward Scarlett and Henry.

"Do you know why I can't have children?"

Neither of them answered.

"The repeated abortions damaged my womb."

The room went silent.

Completely silent.

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I lost my chance to become a mother because I loved your son."

Scarlett looked away.

Henry lowered his head.

I looked back at David.

"Was it worth it?"

David couldn't answer.

For the first time, he looked ashamed.

But his guilt no longer mattered.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Without another word, I turned around and left.

The moment I entered my room, I broke down.

I cried until my chest hurt.

I cried until I had no tears left.

Hours later, the door opened.

David walked in.

For several moments, neither of us spoke.

Then he placed a file on the table.

I already knew what it was.

The divorce papers.

"Vivian."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

"The situation has changed."

I laughed bitterly.

"The situation?"

He avoided my eyes.

"Charlotte is carrying my child."

The words felt like knives.

Then he pushed the papers toward me.

"I need you to sign them."

I stared at him.

"And if I don't?"

His silence lasted several seconds.

Then he finally spoke.

"You can stay."

I frowned.

"What?"

"You can remain in the family."

My heart sank.

Then he delivered the final blow.

"As my first wife."

The room spun.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

He wanted me to stay and watch him build a life with Charlotte.

Watch another woman become everything I once was.

I looked at the papers.

Then at him.

Then back at the papers.

Slowly, I picked up the pen.

My hand trembled.

A tear dropped onto the page.

Then I signed.

David watched silently.

When I finished, I placed the papers on the table.

The marriage was over.

Just like that.

An hour later, I zipped up my suitcase.

There was nothing left for me here.

No love.

No family.

No future.

Outside, rain poured heavily from the sky.

Thunder echoed across the city.

Ignoring the storm, I walked out of the mansion.

Nobody stopped me.

Not David.

Not Scarlett.

Not Henry.

Nobody.

The rain soaked my clothes within minutes.

But I kept walking.

My heart felt empty.

My body felt numb.

I didn't know where I was going.

I only knew I couldn't stay.

Eventually, my legs gave out.

The world blurred.

My suitcase slipped from my hand.

Then I collapsed onto the roadside.

Darkness swallowed me.

Several minutes later, a convoy of luxury black vehicles sped through the storm.

The lead vehicle suddenly slowed.

One of the drivers pointed ahead.

"Sir, there's someone on the road."

Inside the vehicle, a powerful billionaire businessman looked through the rain-covered window.

His sharp eyes landed on the unconscious woman lying in the storm.

Immediately, he gave an order.

"Stop the car."

The convoy came to a halt.

Bodyguards rushed out into the rain.

Moments later, one of them returned.

"Sir."

The billionaire frowned.

"What is it?"

The bodyguard glanced toward the unconscious woman.

Then back at his boss.

"It's a woman."

The billionaire looked outside once more.

For some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Finally, he spoke.

"Take her to the hospital."

As the bodyguards lifted Vivian into one of the vehicles, the billionaire continued watching her silently.

Neither of them knew it yet.

But that rainy night was about to change both of their lives forever.