The elevator doors slid open with a sharp ding, and before I could even glance up from my paperwork, my father stormed into the office. His footsteps were heavy, reverberating across the marble floors with an authority that made the room feel smaller.
My assistant trailed behind him, pale and anxious. “Ma’am, I—I tried to stop him—”
“It’s alright,” I said quickly, though a tight knot formed in my stomach.
My father’s glare landed on me immediately. “What is this I’m hearing?” His voice cut like ice. “You’re filing for divorce? Vivienne, where did this come from? Are you out of your mind?”
I rose slowly, adjusting my blazer, letting my posture declare my resolve. “No, Father. I’m finally sane.”
A tense pause filled the room, heavy and suffocating. His expression darkened, thunderclouds gathering behind his eyes. “You know our family doesn’t tolerate divorce,” he said, voice rising. “You’re making a spectacle of yourself. Do you even understand how this will damage our reputation?”
I pressed my jaw tight. “So cheating is acceptable?”
His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
I bit my lip, steadying my shaking voice. “I asked—do you condone cheating? Because that’s exactly what your perfect son-in-law has been doing. With my stepsister.”
The room seemed to drop in temperature. His gaze pinned me like I’d just spat on the family name. Then he exhaled sharply, his words soft yet sharp as a knife. “You sound just like your mother.”
The sting hit me like a slap before I could even speak.
The sound of the comment echoed through the office. My assistant gasped quietly just outside the door, but I didn’t move. I didn’t call her in. I stayed rooted, hand pressed to my cheek, my eyes burning with unshed tears.
Memories surged. I was a child again, perched near the staircase, watching him leave our house in the dead of night. Back then, I didn’t understand the woman he visited was Seraphine’s mother. I didn’t grasp why my mother remained silent, her pain hidden behind forced smiles and endless work papers.
Years later, when Seraphine came into our lives, presented as my “stepsister,” I had thought I was gaining family. She had been sweet then—laughing, calling me “sister,” helping me choose outfits, sharing secrets, braiding my hair for school. Everyone adored her, and I did too. I never realized that behind her warmth, she had been quietly learning how to take everything that belonged to me.
She was a mirror of my father’s betrayal.
“Dad,” I said, voice cracking, “do you even hear yourself? You did this to Mom. You left her for your mistress, and now you’re defending Adrian and Seraphine as if it’s normal—”
His hand slammed down on my desk with a force that made me flinch.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he spat. “Didn’t I give you Adrian because you wanted him? You begged me to approve that marriage! And now this nonsense?”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Because I was a fool!”
He leaned in, voice rising. “If I had known, I would have given him to Seraphine instead. At least she’s grateful. She knows how to handle him—and the company. You see, the merger is happening soon, and you—”
“Then give him to her,” I interrupted, cutting him off sharply. “They’ve already been cheating on me anyway.”
His eyes widened in shock. “What?”
I reached into my bag, pulling out a sealed envelope, placing it decisively on the desk between us. “Proof. The DNA test. Elias isn’t my son.”
He glanced at the envelope but didn’t touch it. His jaw tightened, his expression unreadable.
“I told you,” I continued, voice steady despite the tears, “you chose Adrian because I loved him. But maybe Seraphine is the daughter you actually raised to perfection. Maybe she deserves him more—because she’s just like you.”
He froze, mouth opening, no words escaping. Silence weighed heavy in the room.
Before he could respond, I turned and walked out, my face burning, my back straight. I didn’t look back.
Hours later, my phone rang again. It was Adrian’s mother.
“Vivienne, darling,” she said warmly, her voice always gentle and kind. “We’re having a small birthday dinner for my husband tonight. I’d love for you and Elias to come.”
For a moment, I wanted to refuse. I didn’t want to see Adrian. I didn’t want to see any of them. But she had always treated me with kindness—the only person in that household who had ever made me feel like family.
So I agreed.
That evening, I arrived in a white dress, my hair neatly tied. I smiled when people greeted me, laughed politely at their small talk, and acted as though my life wasn’t crumbling. Adrian stood beside me, hand on my back, playing the role of the perfect husband.
We looked enviably happy, the kind of couple people admired.
But beneath the façade, his grip tightened, too tight, possessive.
“Come with me,” he whispered, teeth clenched.
He pulled me toward the balcony, away from prying eyes. The mask slipped.
“What’s wrong with you?” he hissed, voice low but seething. “Why are you acting so… strange tonight?”
I gave him a cold, measured look. “Strange?”
He stepped closer, jaw taut. “Did you tell your father something? Why was the merger postponed? You know how critical that deal is!”
I tilted my head, a faint, quiet smile on my lips. “Perhaps because of Elias,” I said softly. “Maybe your family doesn’t want stress while your son is sick.”
His eyes darkened. “Don’t play games with me, Vivienne.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I’m not. Maybe I just don’t care anymore.”
Disbelief flickered across his face. “You don’t care?” he repeated, slower now. “Is that why you were smiling at that man earlier? The one from the board? People noticed, you know.”
I smirked lightly. “Ah, that one?” I leaned closer, voice dropping. “I suppose so.”
His hand twitched. Anger flared in his gaze. “You’ve really lost it,” he muttered. “After everything, you think you can just ruin what we’ve built?”
“What you’ve built?” I corrected sharply. “Adrian, you built lies. All I ever did was believe them.”
He opened his mouth, but I cut him off.
I looked him straight in the eyes, my smile steady and cold. “Maybe we should just divorce.”
