The first thing I felt was pain — a sharp sting across my face, followed by the sound of something breaking inside me. Stephen had just slapped me.
He had never done that before. Not once in all our years together. He used to be gentle, patient — the man who held my hand during long drives, who brought me coffee every morning, who kissed my forehead before work.
We used to laugh about small things, dream about the future, talk about names for the children we’d have. I used to think his touch meant safety, that his voice meant love. But now, that same hand that once wiped my tears was the one that caused them.
“What did you just say?” he shouted, his voice full of anger. “Divorce me? You think you can just walk away like that? You know my family doesn’t agree to divorce!”
I blinked hard, my cheek burning. “Stephen—”
He stepped closer, his jaw tight, his breath hot with rage. “Is this about you wanting freedom? So you can flirt behind my back? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”
I frowned, confused. “What? Me? Flirting?”
He scoffed bitterly. “Yes! You’re cheating on me, Charlotte!”
I stared at him, disbelief washing over me. “Where did you even get that from?”
“Layla told me,” he said flatly.
For a moment, I couldn’t even breathe. Then a small, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Of course she did.”
He glared at me. “Don’t laugh. You think this is funny?”
I stepped back, shaking my head. “So that’s what this is. You’d rather believe her than me.” I reached for my ring finger and slid off my wedding ring, holding it up between us. “Fine. Go ahead. Believe her. Think whatever you want.”
I threw the ring on the floor. The metal clinked against the tiles and rolled away.
Stephen’s eyes darkened. His hand moved before I could react. Another slap — harder, angrier.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” he yelled. “Who is that damn guy, huh? Who is he?”
“There’s no one!” I shouted back, tears spilling. “You’re insane!”
He didn’t listen. His hands grabbed my arms, shaking me roughly. Pain shot through my shoulders. “You think you can make a fool out of me? You think you can embarrass me in front of my family?”
“Stephen, stop—”
But he didn’t. His rage blinded him. His grip tightened, his words sharper with every breath.
And then—
“Stephen!”
Layla’s voice cut through the room as she rushed in, her heels clicking fast against the floor. She grabbed his arm, pulling him away from me. “What are you doing? Why are you hurting her?”
Her voice trembled — a performance, one she had perfected.
I stumbled back, clutching my arm. My breath came out uneven. “Why?” I said hoarsely. “You should know, Layla. You told him I was cheating when I wasn’t.”
Layla blinked, looking between us. “What? Wait—this is a misunderstanding!” she said, her tone full of fake shock. “I just said you were close with that client! I didn’t mean—Stephen, you misunderstood me—”
“Liar!” I screamed, lunging toward her. My hand tangled in her perfect hair, yanking it hard. “You wanted this! You wanted him to hate me!”
Layla cried out, grabbing my wrist. “Let go of me!”
Stephen tried to pull us apart, shouting both our names. But by then, it was chaos — shouting, struggling, the sound of things falling to the floor.
Layla pushed me, and I pushed back harder. Her nails scratched my face, and in a flash of anger, I slapped her.
“You ruined everything!” I yelled. “You took everything from me—”
“Stop it!” Stephen barked. “Both of you!”
But neither of us listened. Years of buried hatred spilled out — every lie, every betrayal, every fake smile we’d shared.
And then I heard a small, trembling voice.
“Mommy Charlotte, stop!”
My heart froze.
Jackson.
He stood near the doorway, his eyes wide with fear. “You’re bad!” he cried. “You’re always shouting! I hate you!”
“Jackson—” I tried to reach out to him.
He ran forward, trying to push between us. “Leave Mommy Layla alone!”
Everything happened so fast. His small hands shoved at me — not strong enough to hurt, but enough to throw me off balance.
My foot caught the edge of the carpet. My heel slipped.
For a second, the world tilted.
I reached out — for the wall, for the railing, for anything — but my hand met air.
And then I fell.
The sharp pain of metal against my back, the rush of air, the heavy thud that echoed through the hall. The last thing I heard before everything went dark was Jackson’s tiny voice, trembling but full of hate.
“You deserved it,” he whispered. “Bad!”
The sound tore through me more deeply than the fall ever could.
And then — nothing.
Only silence.
When I opened my eyes again, the room was dim. My head throbbed. The world felt heavy, muffled, like I was waking from a long nightmare.
But it wasn’t over.
Someone was standing beside me. I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. Then I felt it—a pair of hands pressing hard against my neck.
Layla.
Her face hovered above mine, her expression twisted with rage. “You should’ve stayed down,” she hissed, her grip tightening. “You can’t keep ruining everything. Stephen and I deserve to be happy!”
I gasped, my hands flying to hers, trying to push her away. “Layla—stop—”
But she only pressed harder, her nails digging into my skin. “If you won’t leave,” she whispered, her voice low and trembling, “then I’ll make you leave. For good.”
Panic surged through me. I kicked, clawed, fought with every ounce of strength left in my body. My vision blurred, spots of light flashing across my eyes.
And then—
“Hey!”
The door burst open.
Layla froze, her grip loosening just enough for me to gasp for air. A tall man rushed in, his expression dark with shock and anger. In one swift motion, he pulled Layla off me and pushed her aside.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” his voice boomed.
Layla stumbled, her face pale. “She—she tried to attack me!” she stammered.
“Don’t lie.” His voice was sharp, commanding. “I saw what you were doing.”
I blinked through the haze, trying to focus on the man’s face. My vision was still spinning, but something about him felt familiar — the strong jaw, the steady eyes, the faint scar near his temple.
“Flynn?” I croaked.
Wait, he’s my mother’s best friend’s son, and rival to Stephen now.
