All Chapters of The Perfect Wife Walked Away: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

[Alice's POV] - 1044Consciousness didn’t return gently. It came back in jagged, painful shards, dragging me up from the abyss.The first thing I registered was the cold. It was biting, seeping through the fabric of my clothes and chilling the bone of my cheek where it pressed against the floor. The second was the noise — a deep, guttural shouting, echoing like thunder rolling through a canyon. And beneath it all, the smell. The overwhelming, suffocating scent of David’s signature cologne, mixed with the coppery tang of blood that was likely my own.I forced my eyes open. The world pitched violently to the left, a blur of beige walls and expensive artwork spinning out of control. I wasn’t standing anymore. I was on the floor, sprawled like a discarded doll, but I wasn’t alone.David was crouched beside me. His face, usually a mask of arrogant composure, was cracked. Cold panic leaked through the fissures. He hovered, his hands twitching as if he wanted to grab me but was afraid that I

[Alice's POV]The screen jolted, the image blurring into a chaotic swirl of color before stabilizing again as Lily repositioned the camera. She came into focus, her face filling the display, blocking out my daughter.She looked good — too good. It was insulting. She looked rested. Radiant. She was wearing a silk robe in a soft, pastel pink, her hair perfectly curled, her makeup impeccable. She looked like she was enjoying a spa day rather than intruding in a family’s domestic crisis.She smiled at the camera, a sweet, pitying smile that made my blood boil in my veins. It was the smile of a woman who knew she had already won. Knew she had hijacked a family and inserted herself into the role of mistress of the house. Comfortably replacing me."Alice," she said softly, her tone dripping with false concern. "Oh, Alice. You look terrible. Are you eating? You really need to look after yourself, you look so thin. You’re just wasting away.""Lily," I gritted out, my fingers tightening around

[Alice's POV]757 to 865The screen went blank.David must have hung up, or maybe the battery died, or maybe Lily just ended the call to savor her victory. But the image of my daughter — sad, resigned, accepting a false mother because she thought her real one had thrown her away — burned into my brain.I lowered my head. My heart felt numb. I felt hollowed out, scooped clean from the inside.Then I turned on him. “David Newcombe you dirty, low scum. You liar!” I cried. “You filthy liar!”He blinked and took a startled step back from me. “Are… are you alright?”“No, I’m not alright. You told me, you kept assuring me, that Lily had been confined to the old estate. No privileges, you said. No accounts, you said. As punishment for her cruel deception. And yet, here she is wearing my engagement ring and playing mother to my child. Turning Camilla against me to secure her newly won position in our house!”For a moment, his cheeks showed a faint blush. He dropped his gaze. Caught out in his

[Alice's POV]It was the same offer he’d made a thousand times. Safety in exchange for submission. A gilded cage."I don't need you to take care of me, David," I said. "I need you and your mistress to stay away from my daughter.""Your daughter?" He laughed, bitterly. "She’s my daughter too, Alice. And I’m not giving her up without a fight."I looked at him then — really looked at him. I saw the challenge in his eyes. He thought he held all the cards. He thought the money, the lawyers, the influence were enough to keep me in line.But he didn't know the full situation with the invasive tumor. He didn't know about the baby’s struggles, it’s battle for space, for life-giving nutrients. He didn't know that I had nothing left to lose."Fine," I said. "You want a fight? Let's make it interesting."David narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?""The bet," I said. "The one we made in the boardroom. Six months. R4310 in Phase III trials."David smirked. "I remember. You lose; you come

[David’s POV]"You can't be serious," Lily gasped. "We are a family. You promised me. You said you’d take care of me!" I heard the quiver in her voice."And I have," I said bitterly, unlocking the door to my suite. "You can live in the old estate. You have the credit cards. You can have staff to take care of your comfort. You will want for nothing. I’m not cutting you off, Lily. I’m not being cruel.""Emotionally, you’re starving me!" she cried. "You’re cold to me. You look right through me. I’m a ghost in my own home!""Then leave," I said, tossing my phone onto the bed. "Find someone else’s home to haunt."I loosened my tie, walking to the window. The city of Zurich sprawled out below me, a grid of lights and shadows. Alice was out there somewhere. With Adam.The thought made my blood boil. Why him? He’s already taken."You don't mean that," Lily’s voice came through the phone, small and pleading. "You’re just stressed. You’re confused. It’s Alice, isn't it? She’s confusing you. She