The flashing lights of cameras still haunted me even hours later. Every headline had my name carved into it like a warning label—Homewrecker. Jealous First Wife. Bitter Ex.
And Lavinia knew exactly how to play the part at the press conference. She held her baby bump like it was some fragile crown. She spoke through her tears with the poise of someone trained in manipulation.
“She bullied me,” she told the sea of microphones. “Erin never accepted me, never accepted that Trevor’s heart was mine. I’m carrying his child, yet she made me feel unsafe—unwanted—just because I was his first love.”
First love. The words sliced deeper than I wanted to admit. Rage bait, exactly what the world craved. The audience gasped, social media flared alive, and by sundown, I was trending. Not because of who I was, but because of who I was painted to be.
I didn’t fight back.
The court had already granted the divorce. Legally, I was no one to Trevor anymore. And now, publicly, I was a villainess who dared to exist in the shadow of his mistress-turned-wife. So then, I booked my flight that night.
A one-way ticket.
No return.
No hesitation.
The airport was hushed at dawn. I wheeled my small luggage, wearing oversized sunglasses to shield my swollen eyes. I clutched the passport and boarding pass as though it was the last rope keeping me sane. Henry had begged me to stay, to fight. But I couldn’t hold it anymore. I was done being a punching bag for both Trevor’s betrayal and Lavinia’s cruelty.
I moved quietly, ignoring the stares from strangers who perhaps recognized me from the news.
When I reached the waiting area, my phone buzzed continuously with simultaneous messages.
Trevor: Where are you?
Trevor: Erin, answer me.
Trevor: For once, do the right thing. Apologize to Lavinia publicly. Make this right!
My chest ached, not from longing, but from the finality of it. He wanted me to bend my knees once more to the woman who stole everything.
I stared at the screen until my reflection blurred. Then I powered it off, walked to the nearest trash bin, and dropped it inside without a second thought.
But the SIM card—I slipped it out, pressing it between my fingers. When the plane ascended, I let the small chip fall from my grasp. It tumbled against the window before disappearing into nothingness, like every promise Trevor ever made me.
“You don't deserve my love, Trevor. I’m leaving you for good.” I whispered, wiping the tears in my eyes.
Just when I thought everything was in favor of me... the plane went on a drastic turbulence. And then came a loud crash! In a snap, everything exploded in my very eyes...
