I got up and ran to the study. I tore through drawers until I found the file bag my mom gave me on my wedding day.
And inside? Inside was a divorce agreement.
Already signed by Julius. I didn’t know how my parents pulled that off in a mafia family like his, but they did. The property split was fair. More than fair.
My hands were shaking, but I still signed my name like I’d been waiting my whole life to do it. Right then my phone rang. Julius’s name flashed on the screen.
His voice was weirdly careful. “Lara… you alright?”
I stared at the wall. “Should I not be?”
“Oh… good. Good, you're fine.” He let out a breath, pretending to be relieved. “Look, I was rough on you the other day. I lost my head when I saw Violet hurt.”
He sounded like he was trying to apologize without actually apologizing. It was almost funny.
“I went back to look for you,” he went on, “but you were already gone. So I thought you’re fine.”
“Do you need anything else?” I asked flatly.
That tone made him snap again, the real Julius showing through.
“I’m already apologizing! What else do you want?” His voice sharpened, that cold mafia bite slipping in. “And let’s not forget you were the one in the wrong. I’m calling to tell you Violet forgives you for pushing her. She even wants you at the auction tonight. She and my brothers are planning to buy baby gifts for you. But look at your attitude. Violet’s ten times softer than you.”
I let him talk. I didn’t say a word.
Noticing my silence, he softened again. “Alright, stop dragging this out. Violet’s leg is injured. I’m with her, taking care of her. I’ll send the driver for you later.”
He hung up.
A second later, my phone buzzed again.
Violet.
Violet: Lara, you better come. I prepared something big for you. You know, I like you right? Remember the photos of you with the three brothers? Nude photos. Your slut face. They’ll be the final auction item. No blur. Everyone will see everything.
Then she sent the photos. Dozens. My phone kept vibrating until I dropped it on the floor.
All the courage I had from signing the divorce… it vanished. Just dissolved into nothing.
I really thought losing the baby meant I could finally move on. But as long as Julius and his brothers Andrei and Jonas… and Violet still existed in my life, I’d never escape this nightmare.
My whole body started shaking. I fell to my knees and called my parents.
The moment I heard their gentle voices, all the walls in me cracked. When they asked how I was… I broke. I told them everything. Every ugly piece of it.
At the end, I begged through tears, “Dad, Mom… can I divorce him? I don’t want to stay with him anymore. Please.”
Their voices trembled too.
“Oh, sweetheart… you’ve suffered too much. We’re sending the driver right now. You’re coming home tonight. We’ll handle everything else. Just rest when you get here. Everything will be alright.”
Julius’s driver arrived first. I handed him the file bag.
“For him,” I said. Nothing more.
Then I got into my parents’ car and didn’t look back.
My phone kept ringing during the ride. Julius again and again. I pulled out the SIM card and threw it out the window.
—
Meanwhile at the auction, things were wrapping up. Julius kept checking the entrance, face getting darker each minute I didn’t walk in.
His assistant rushed over, holding the file bag.
“Sir,” he whispered, head low, “Mrs. Wattson said this is what she wanted delivered. She said you should keep it first… she’ll be here later.”
Hearing that, Julius actually smiled… soft, doting, the way he never smiled at me.
He opened the file bag slowly.
And when he saw what was inside… A divorce agreement with my signature and the tiny life of a baby inside a jar… the smile died on his face instantly.
At the same time, the auctioneer’s hammer slammed twice.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced,
“our final item of the night…”
