I finally fled, the mocking laughter of the crowd echoing in my ears.
My father’s scolding followed me like a shadow, his words searing into my mind.
“If you knew it would come to this, why did you act that way in the first place? Now, you care about dignity? It’s too late!”
Hiding in a corner of the hotel, I let the tears fall, the sobs silent but deep.
Sabrina appeared with a smug smile curling on her lips, her eyes brimming with mockery.
“Brielle, how does it feel to have everything taken from you by me?”
“Did you enjoy those five years in prison I gave you? All I had to do was shed a single tear, and your precious son switched your design for mine.”
“You didn’t even have to serve five years. Your dear husband was so worried about me suffering that he had the sentence stretched from two to three, then to five.”
“And your father, he publicly severed ties with you, making sure you wouldn’t dare fight back once you got out.”
For Sabrina’s sake, my family, my husband, and my child had all stood by and let me rot in hell for five long years.
Five years.
Five long years of endless beatings and humiliation dragged me from the clouds and into the mud, where anyone could trample me without hesitation.
When the realization hit me that it was all because of her, I couldn’t contain it anymore. I raised my hand, my fingers trembling with rage, ready to strike.
But before I could, Sabrina suddenly crumpled to the floor.
“Sister, I’m sorry! I’ll take off the crown right now!”
Then, before I could react, Wesley shoved me harshly to the ground. My forehead collided with the corner of a table, and a sharp pain exploded through my skull as blood began to drip down my cheek.
Reid rushed to Sabrina’s side, lifting her gently into his arms, his movements tender as if she were the one who had been hurt.
With tears in her eyes, she whimpered, “Reid, Sister got mad at me. I’ll just return the crown…”
But when Reid saw the blood staining my face, his eyes flickered with concern before hardening into ice.
“If it’s been given to you, then it’s yours. A convict like her isn’t worthy of touching such fine jewelry.”
“Brielle, now you’re making a fuss over a piece of jewelry? If anything happens to Sabrina, I’ll make sure you pay the price.”
“Did you hear me?!”
Wesley’s voice cracked through the air as he shouted, “You wicked woman! You don’t deserve to be my mom!”
Reid carried Sabrina in his arms, walking away without sparing even a glance in my direction.
Sabrina rested her head on his shoulder and turned, flashing me a victorious smile.
Watching them disappear, my heart turned to ice.
But thankfully, I had already received word from that person.
Soon, I would be leaving.
By the time I made it home, my body burned with fever, a wave of dizziness making everything feel unreal.
As soon as I walked through the door, my eyes landed on the overflowing trash can.
Inside were all the birthday gifts I had carefully made for him over the years.
Each year, I poured my heart into a handmade gift for Wesley. Even in prison, I had forced myself to create something for him.
A piece of fine jewelry, a fuzzy tiger plush, a hand-knitted sweater.
Now, regardless of their worth, every one of those gifts lay crumpled in the trash, discarded among dirty takeout boxes and crumpled cigarette packs.
When Wesley saw me, he turned away without a word and stormed off, slamming his bedroom door with a deafening bang.
I was too dizzy, too feverish, to care. All I wanted was to get to my room and lie down.
But as I reached my bedroom door, I noticed it wasn’t fully shut.
Through the small gap, I saw Sabrina clinging to Reid, his lips crashing into hers with a fierce urgency.
He couldn't wait to tear off her dress, and in the chaos, her crown was ripped from her head and tossed carelessly to the floor.
It landed in a heap, shattered and bent, the diamonds spilling out as if even they couldn’t bear to stay.
Under Reid’s gaze, Sabrina looked at me with a mocking smile.
Without warning, she bit down hard, causing Reid to groan in pain.
The long-suppressed desire between them burst forth, wild and frantic.
At that moment, I felt completely hollow, as though I no longer existed.
I slid weakly down the wall, sitting on the cold floor, helplessly listening to the sounds of their passion all through the night.
The next morning, Reid emerged from the room, stretching with satisfaction, but froze when he saw me sitting at the doorway.
“Brielle, why are you sitting here?”
“Sabrina was scared, so I stayed with her for a while.”
I couldn’t stop the cold laugh that escaped my lips. Even after everything, he could speak of it so lightly.
“Stayed with her for a while? You stayed with her all the way to her bed, didn’t you? Every inch of her.”
Reid’s face flushed, then twisted with anger.
“Stop being unreasonable!”
“You’re a convict; if I didn’t pity you, I’d have divorced you long ago!”
“Do you really think what I have with Sabrina is that serious?”
Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
Yes, he was the powerful CEO, and I was the convict no one could respect.
Seeing my silence, he assumed I’d accepted it, walking away with a carefree step.
After they left, I placed the divorce papers I had already prepared on the table.
Reid, I’ll give you what you want.
Without a glance back, I stepped into the Maybach waiting at the gate.
