Later that night, just as I was trying to close my eyes and get some rest, the door burst open with a slam. Jameson stepped inside like he owned the air I breathed, tossing his designer suit and one of my old dresses onto the end of my hospital bed.
“I need these ironed,” he snapped. “Grandfather’s birthday is tomorrow. You’re coming with me.”
I didn’t respond.
He continued, voice sharp and cold, “You’ll explain what happened with the baby. You’ll tell him we’re going to try again. That we’ll give him a proper heir. He wants reassurance before he hands over the inheritance. So go there, smile, and fix what you broke.”
I looked at him, silent. Calm. A kind of numb I never used to be.
“Why not ask for a child from your precious Rose?” I said quietly.
Jameson’s jaw ticked. He turned slowly, eyes dark. “What now?” he barked. “Are you really bringing her up again? Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Diana. We’re past this. She’s not the problem—you are.”
But I knew better. I wasn’t guessing anymore. I’d overheard them once—Jameson and Rose—talking late one night when they thought I was asleep. I had crept halfway down the stairs, only to freeze at Rose’s sharp whisper.
“I told you I can’t have children, Jameson. Your grandfather will never approve of me.”
And Jameson had sighed, frustration laced with defeat. “I know. That’s why I married Diana. I need the heir. Once that’s done... once I have the inheritance... we can do whatever the hell we want.”
That was the real reason I was chosen. Not for love. For lineage. For profit. I was nothing more than a womb to them. A placeholder. A pawn.
And now, even the one thing they needed from me was gone. And now it was all broken.
Jameson stormed out of the room, muttering curses under his breath. I stood there for a long moment, staring at the clothes he threw at me. Then I quietly walked to the table, plugged in the iron, and smoothed out the wrinkles. One last time. Not for him.
For closure. For myself.
I ironed the suit and my dress. Folded them neatly. Then I packed my things. I moved like someone preparing to disappear. Slowly. Carefully. Quietly.
The next morning, Jameson left early with Rose.
“She wants to stop by the salon,” he said, brushing past me. “We’ll meet you there.”
Rose gave me that smug little smirk as she walked behind him in designer heels she couldn’t afford without my name.
“Don’t be late,” Jameson muttered. “And make sure to bring something for Grandfather. He likes thoughtful gifts. Unlike you.”
The door slammed shut behind them.
And that was that.
I stood there for a moment, listening to the silence of the empty house. Then I picked up my suitcase.
The limousine was waiting just outside. A man in a black suit opened the door for me. I nodded silently and climbed in. I didn’t look back.
As the vehicle pulled away, my phone vibrated in my lap. A message lit up the screen.
Grandfather: “Come home now, my dear. Let’s start with your therapy as soon as possible. I would never want to lose you again. I’m proud of you—for walking away.”
Tears blurred my vision, but they didn’t fall.
At the airport, I kept my head down, mask on, hat low. My boarding pass trembled in my hand, but my heart did not. For once, I wasn’t scared. Just done.
As I sat in the lounge, waiting for the gate to open, my phone vibrated.
A message from Jameson’s grandfather.
Where are you, Diana? I had a necklace delivered to the house this morning for you to wear. Did you receive it?
I frowned.
Necklace? I never saw one.
Then another message came in, this time from Jameson.
If Grandpa asks about the necklace, say you lost it. Rose is wearing it. She said it matches her dress better. And where are you? I forgot my necktie. Bring it.
He didn’t even bother pretending anymore.
Another message, a minute later:
Jameson: Also, make sure he’ll be happy with the gift or I’ll hurt you again for being useless!
That was it. My thumb hovered over the keyboard. For a second, I considered deleting the text, blocking the number, and moving on without a word.
But then I smiled.
No. He needed one last message.
One last goodbye.
I typed slowly. Carefully.
I imagined the moment Jameson’s grandfather would open the gift. A sleek black box tied in blood-red ribbon.
Inside: the divorce papers, signed and sealed. My wedding ring—no longer warm from my skin, but cold and final. And photos. Dozens of them. Candid shots of Rose and Jameson—kissing, tangled in sheets, whispering things they thought no one else would hear. Proof of betrayal, packaged with elegance.
“Don’t worry, I already sent the gift to your grandfather. Something he’ll be thrilled about. And I won’t be coming today. Or ever again. Goodbye, Jameson.”
I hit send. Blocked the number. Turned off the phone.
As the boarding call echoed through the terminal, I picked up my bag, stood tall, and walked toward the gate… as I was finally free.
