It felt as though someone had driven a needle straight into my heart.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Weren't you the one who said over the phone that Vanessa is your wife and Ethan James is your son?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Then why are you standing here acting like you're the victim?"
Adrian wouldn't look at me.
He turned his face away, his expression uncomfortably guilty.
"Vivian, it was an emergency," he said quietly. "Everyone at that private hospital knows who Mrs. Sterling is. If they found out the truth, they might not have given James the blood. I didn't have any other option."
No other option?
My chest tightened painfully.
My eyes stung.
I wanted to tell him that there was no truth to any of this, that our marriage wasn't simply a title or a formality, that I had been his wife for years.
But somehow, the words refused to come out.
Then he looked at me again.
His expression had already returned to that calm, reasonable look he always wore.
"So this is really about Vanessa, isn't it?" he said evenly. "You're jealous because you think I care more about her than I do about you. You're letting your feelings get in the way, and now you're using our daughter to compete with her."
I stared at him.
I actually couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"That's ridiculous," I said. "You honestly think I'd ever do something like that?"
"Oh, come on, Genn." He sighed impatiently. "She has a son and you have a daughter, so now you're creating problems because you feel insecure. Just admit it."
He didn't even let me finish speaking.
His phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the screen.
"Stay home and think about what you've been doing," he said. "And don't go to the company today."
Then he simply turned around and left.
I stood there trembling.
I was furious.
I was shaking so badly I could barely breathe.
The marriage certificate I had with him was fake.
Because of that, I couldn't legally touch Vanessa.
I couldn't protect anything.
Nothing in this house was truly safe from her.
Nothing that belonged to me.
I sat down and reviewed my shares again.
I needed to transfer everything as quietly as possible.
I couldn't let Vanessa get even the smallest piece of what belonged to me.
I had barely begun when my phone rang.
The moment I answered, my assistant sounded panicked.
"Miss Vivian, you need to come home immediately."
I stood up.
"What happened?"
"The woman who claims she's Mr. Sterling's assistant just came in with a child. She said Mr. Sterling personally allowed her inside. We tried to stop her, but we couldn't."
Vanessa.
My hand tightened around the phone.
I didn't think.
I didn't ask another question.
I grabbed my keys and drove home as though my life depended on it.
The nanny was pacing anxiously when I arrived.
The second she saw me, she looked like she was about to cry.
"Miss, I really tried to stop them," she said shakily. "But Mr. Sterling called himself and told us to let them in."
I hurried past her.
Then I froze.
Ethan James was sprawled on the floor.
He had dumped an entire container of colorful glass marbles and was rolling them across the carpet.
The moment he saw me, he pointed at me and shouted, "Mommy! Look! The bad lady who stole my blood is back!"
I looked up.
Vanessa was standing beside Charlotte's crib.
One hand hovered near my daughter's cheek.
She was smiling.
As though she had done absolutely nothing wrong.
I rushed toward her and shoved her away from the crib.
She stumbled backward.
Then she smiled.
Not angrily.
Not surprised.
Just smug.
Cold.
"Let's make something very clear, Vivian," she said slowly. "Adrian and I are legally married. You're nothing more than the hidden mistress. This house belongs to us. If I want you gone, I can throw you out whenever I please."
Every word stabbed me.
I gripped the edge of the crib so hard my fingers turned white.
My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth.
"I stopped wanting your trash of a husband a long time ago," I said coldly. "I'm done with him. But until I leave, you need to get out. Otherwise, I'll call the media and expose everything you've done."
Vanessa's face immediately reddened.
The veins in her neck stood out.
"Who do you think you are?" she screamed. "You don't get to talk to me like that! The law is on my side, not yours. You're the one who should leave! You're insane!"
I looked at her calmly.
"The law?" I repeated with a faint laugh. "Even if I walk away right now, I still have both the Sterling and Ashford families behind me."
I looked her up and down.
"And you? You're a former nanny who seduced her employer and now hides behind a piece of paper while calling yourself his wife."
I smiled coldly.
"Do you really think that marriage certificate makes you important? Adrian wouldn't dare introduce you publicly, would he? The two of you hide in the shadows because that's the only place you belong."
"Shut up!"
Her eyes filled with hatred.
She raised her hand and slapped me.
The sound echoed through the room.
My cheek burned instantly.
I didn't even blink.
I slapped her back.
Harder.
I wanted her to feel every bit of my anger.
Besides, the security cameras in the living room would record everything.
Then I heard it.
A tiny, strange whimper.
I froze.
The sound came from the crib.
My heart stopped.
I turned around.
Then I saw it.
Ethan James had shoved something into Charlotte's mouth.
A glass marble.
"Charlotte!"
I practically threw myself toward the crib.
I scooped her into my arms and patted her back frantically.
My hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"Spit it out, sweetheart. Come on. Mommy's right here. It's okay. You're okay."
The front door suddenly flew open.
Adrian stormed into the room.
His expression immediately darkened.
"What are you doing to our daughter?"
Vanessa instantly ran to his side.
Her voice became soft and frightened.
"You're finally back." She clung to his arm. "Don't worry. James only wanted to play with the baby using his marbles. He didn't mean any harm. Vivian is overreacting."
Overreacting?
I was desperately trying to open Charlotte's mouth.
"It's okay, baby," I said through my tears. "Mommy's here. You're safe. You're okay."
Adrian suddenly pulled Charlotte out of my arms.
"Have you lost your mind?" he shouted. "You're going to hurt her if you keep doing this!"
Something inside me snapped.
I slapped him.
Hard.
The sound rang throughout the room.
"You think you get to lecture me?" I screamed. "Look at what your little bastard just did to my daughter!"
At that exact moment, Charlotte coughed violently.
Then she vomited.
A glass marble rolled onto the carpet with a heavy sound.
Her tiny face turned bright red as she cried.
My heart broke.
I pointed at the marble with shaking hands.
"Do you see that?" I shouted, my eyes burning with tears. "Your precious little bastard shoved marbles into your newborn daughter's mouth!"
I looked directly at him.
"Are you blind?"
Then I looked at Ethan.
"And what kind of monster teaches a six-year-old child to hate an infant?"
