Three days later, I dragged my broken, empty body back to the penthouse we shared.
When I pushed open the heavy oak door, the warm air of the apartment hit me. It smelled of expensive coffee and fresh lilies.
Vaughn was sitting on the velvet sofa in the living room, dressed in a crisp, tailored shirt, scrolling through his tablet.
When he heard the door, he didn't even look up.
"Where have you been?" His voice was laced with cold impatience. "You disappeared for three days. You didn't even show up to Jade's recovery brunch this morning."
"My parents are dead," I said, my voice so calm it felt foreign even to me. "And our baby is dead."
Vaughn’s fingers finally stopped moving on the screen.
"Carmela, enough." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if I were a toddler throwing a tantrum. "I heard about the accident on the highway. It was a tragedy. But playing the martyr and disappearing to punish me is childish."
A wave of ridiculousness rushed through me.
Childish?
"I called you sixty times," I said evenly. "While I was trapped in the wreckage, bleeding out our child. You declined every single one."
Vaughn’s face tightened for a moment, but he quickly recovered his righteous posture.
"I was dealing with a medical emergency! Jade was going into anaphylactic shock. Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"A medical emergency?" I let out a short, hollow laugh. "I saw the flight logs, Vaughn. I saw her chart. She had a minor rash. You grounded the city's only rescue chopper to bring her a basic antihistamine."
"And because of that, my parents froze to death. Our baby died."
Vaughn stood up, his expression turning completely dark.
"Are you seriously blaming Jade for a freak blizzard?" His voice rose, echoing off the high ceilings. "You're unbelievable! You've always been jealous of her, but to use a tragic accident to attack my sister? You're acting like a hysterical, narrow-minded woman!"
He looked at me with utter disappointment.
"I thought you would come home and seek comfort. Instead, you're just looking for someone to blame. Take some time to calm down. I don't have the patience for this today."
He turned and walked toward his study, shutting the door firmly behind him.
The last shred of hope that he might feel an ounce of guilt shattered completely.
I turned and walked slowly toward the kitchen to get a glass of water. My throat was burning.
But the moment I stepped past the marble island, I froze on the spot.
Jade was sitting on the floor, wearing a pristine silk slip dress. In her lap was a new, fluffy designer puppy.
She was pouring gourmet dog food into a bowl.
My breath hitched, and a loud ringing filled my ears.
It wasn't just any bowl.
It was the custom-engraved silver basin my father had spent months crafting by hand in his small workshop.
He had polished every curve, carefully carving the words 'For our little angel' into the rim.
It was his heirloom gift for my unborn baby.
And now, Jade was letting a dog eat out of it.
"Why is my father's gift being used to feed a dog?" My voice scraped out of my throat.
Jade jumped slightly, then looked up. When she saw me, the sweet, innocent smile she always wore around Vaughn didn't appear.
Instead, she slowly stood up, brushing off her silk dress. She looked at my flat stomach, and a faint, mocking smirk touched her lips.
"Oh, Carmela. You're back." She nudged the silver bowl with her perfectly pedicured toe. "Vaughn gave it to me. He said since you wouldn't be needing baby things anymore, it would be perfect for little Coco."
The blood in my body went completely cold.
I just stared at her. "You knew."
"Of course I knew."
My fingers dug into my palms until my nails pierced the skin.
"I saw the news about the pile-up on the highway," Jade whispered, her eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction. "I knew you were trapped out there in the snow."
She tilted her head, her smile widening.
"So, I ate a strawberry."
The air in my lungs vanished.
"I wanted to see what would happen," she continued, her voice light and airy. "I wanted to test who he would choose if it came down to life or death. His pregnant wife, or me."
"And he chose me, Carmela. He will always choose me."
In that moment, something inside me finally snapped.
The heavy, numb calm that had kept me standing shattered.
I didn't think. I didn't hesitate.
I raised my hand and slapped her across the face.
The sound was sharp and loud, echoing violently against the marble walls.
Jade stumbled back, crying out in shock, her hand flying to her reddening cheek. Tears spilled from her eyes instantly, as if on command.
"Carmela! What are you doing?!"
The study door flew open.
Vaughn rushed in. He didn't ask what happened. He didn't look at my trembling hands or my pale face.
He lunged forward and shoved me hard.
My back slammed violently against the edge of the marble counter.
A blinding, white-hot pain ripped through my abdomen as my fresh surgical stitches tore open. I gasped, sliding down the cabinets, my hand instinctively clutching my stomach. Warm blood began to seep through my clothes.
Vaughn didn't even glance at me. He was already pulling Jade into his arms, checking her face with frantic, gentle care.
"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" he asked softly.
Jade buried her face in his chest, sobbing pitifully. "I was just feeding the puppy... I don't know why she hit me, Vaughn. I'm so scared."
Vaughn’s face darkened completely.
He turned his head to look down at me, his eyes filled with absolute disgust and cold fury.
"I tolerated your silent tantrums," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "But if you're going to act like a violent lunatic and attack my family, I won't hold back."
He stepped toward me, his shadow looming over my bleeding body.
"Keep this up, Carmela, and I'll have you committed to a psych ward and locked away for good."
