Chapter 1

ELIZABETH’S POV

My voice trembled as I stared at my husband, his face cold and unreadable, like a stranger. "You're divorcing me?" I asked, my words laced with desperation.

Ethan met my gaze for a fleeting moment before looking away. "It means exactly what it says," he said, his tone flat and detached. "I'm done."

The floor beneath me seemed to crack open, and my heart pounded in my chest. My breath came in uneven gasps. Divorce? Just like that? After everything we'd shared—the love, the vows, the years?

A bitter laugh scraped my throat. "You're joking," I whispered, but the divorce papers in his hand were painfully real.

Footsteps echoed behind me, and I turned, my vision blurred. "Mommy…" My voice cracked as I ran toward her, shoving the papers forward with trembling hands.

Mother cupped my face, her warmth a stark contrast to my frozen skin. "Katherine, what's wrong?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

I sucked in a shaky breath. "Look." The moment the words left my lips, the dam inside me broke, and tears soaked the document that marked the end of our marriage.

Mother snatched the papers from my trembling hands, her face mirroring my shock. "My goodness, Ethan… what is this?" Her voice quivered with disbelief, echoing the turmoil that ravaged my heart.

Mother's eyes scanned the papers, her expression transforming from concern to horror. She turned to Ethan, her voice sharp and demanding. "What do you think you're doing?"

Ethan remained still, his back to us, like a coward unwilling to face me. I felt a surge of anger and hurt.

"Elizabeth, what's happening?" Mother pressed, her grip on my arms tightening. But I couldn't answer. The lump in my throat was suffocating me, trapping my grief inside.

How did we get here? Just yesterday, Ethan had vanished without a word. And now, he was back—with divorce papers.

The silence between us was oppressive, until Ethan finally spoke, his voice quiet. "Mom."

The way he said it, so casually, so intimately, was like a punch to the gut. My breath hitched. She wasn't just his mother—she was mine too. From the moment I married Ethan, she had welcomed me as her own, filling the void left by my parents' deaths.

She had been my rock, my safe haven. And now, the son she raised—the man I loved—was destroying my world.

Mother's voice shattered the silence, sharp and raw. "What is the meaning of this?" For a moment, hope flickered inside me. Mother was on my side. She would stop this madness.

Ethan's sigh was followed by an unsettling calmness. "Calm down, Ma. We have everything now. No need to pretend anymore," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. His words sent a chill down my spine.

I froze, confusion etched on my face. What did he mean by "everything"? I turned to Mother, expecting to see outrage in her eyes, expecting her to defend me. But instead, her expression twisted into a smirk.

My stomach plummeted. No, this couldn't be right. I blinked rapidly, my pulse pounding in my ears. "What's going on?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

I glanced between Ethan and Mother, my mind racing for answers that seemed nonexistent. Ethan's smirk grew, a slow, cruel curve of his lips that sent ice down my spine.

Something inside me shattered. Mother's voice cut through the silence, eerily calm and detached. "Sign the papers," she said finally.

My lips parted, but no words emerged. I must have misheard her. I had to have misheard her. "What?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Sign the papers. Now," she yelled, her voice cold and detached. I flinched, recoiling from the woman who had once held me like a daughter. The warmth and kindness I had known were gone, replaced by a chilling indifference.

This couldn't be real. It was a nightmare, a cruel joke. Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled forward, grasping for Mother's shoulders. My fingers dug deep, as if holding onto her could somehow stop this chaos.

"Mother, what are you saying? How can you ask me to do this?" My voice cracked, raw and desperate. I was pleading, begging. But she didn't hesitate. She didn't soften.

She wrenched my hands off her, like I was nothing, like I was dirt beneath her feet. And then she turned away, leaving me shattered.

"You need to sign the papers and end this ridiculous marriage with my son," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. I staggered back, my legs unsteady. My stomach churned with disbelief and horror.

Ethan's smirk grew, his amusement palpable as he watched me unravel. A broken sob tore from my throat.

"Mother, how could you call my marriage stupid?" I choked out, my body trembling. She turned to me sharply, her eyes flashing with cruelty.

"Yes, stupid marriage," she spat. Her lips curled into a sneer. "Three years, Elizabeth. Three years. And you couldn't even give me a grandchild, you barren woman."

The words sliced through me like a blade, piercing my heart. I gasped, my chest heaving with pain. My world was crumbling, and I thought I might collapse under the weight of her cruelty.

The world around me spun out of control. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating me. I opened my mouth, but no sound emerged. And then, Ethan's laughter cut through the air, deep, mocking, and heartless.

My knees weakened, my chest tightening as if something inside me was crumbling. This couldn't be real. This wasn't happening.

Ethan tilted his head, amused. "What? Did you really think I loved you?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "God, you were so easy to fool."

My breath hitched. "But... we were married. For three years." My voice trembled. "You held me. You kissed me. You promised me forever."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "And you believed it." He let out another laugh. "I deserve an award for putting up with you this long."

My body shook with rage and hurt. My hands clenched into fists. "You... you used me," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Ethan's expression remained unfazed. "Obviously," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "And now that I have everything I need, you can sign the damn papers and get lost."

Tears streamed down my face as I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. My heart screamed at me to fight, to do something—but I was paralyzed, unable to move or speak.

I was frozen, trapped in the ruins of the life I thought I knew. Ethan's mother laughed, a cold, mirthless sound that shredded what was left of my heart. Her amusement was a cruel mockery, a heartless dismissal of my pain.

Something inside me snapped. Without thinking, I lifted my hand and slapped Ethan across the face. Hard. The sound echoed through the room like a crack of thunder.

"How could you?" I screamed, my voice shattering under the weight of my agony. Ethan's face twisted with rage, his jaw clenched, and his eyes blazed with fury.

Before I could react, his hand swung through the air, striking me with a force that sent me stumbling. The sharp sting spread across my cheek like wildfire, leaving me gasping for breath.

I barely had time to steady myself before Ethan's mother grabbed my arm, her nails sinking into my skin like talons. "You witch! How dare you hit my son!" she shrieked, her voice a venomous hiss.

Another slap followed, my head snapping to the side as pain exploded through me. But she wasn't done. With shocking force, she shoved me to the ground, sending me crashing onto the cold, hard floor.

I hit the cold floor, my body trembling, my heart shattering into a million pieces. The divorce papers landed on my chest before sliding onto the floor, a harsh reminder of my reality.

"Sign them and get out of my son's house. Now!" Ethan's mother spat, her voice like a blade, each word slicing into me with precision.

I couldn't move. My face burned from the slaps, my mind spiraling out of control. This was real. This was happening. With trembling fingers, I reached for the pen, my vision blurring.

My hands shook so badly that my signature came out jagged, almost unreadable. But I did it. I signed away my marriage, my heart, my soul.

The moment I lifted the pen, Ethan's mother snatched the papers from my hands, a smirk of victory spreading across her lips. "Finally, I'm free!" Ethan's voice rang through the room, filled with relief and happiness.

My chest tightened, a vice-like grip squeezing the air out of me. Had he been waiting for this? Had he been counting the days until he could throw me away like trash?

Ethan's voice cut through my thoughts, casual and detached. "Oh, and Ma, I'll tell you about my new job soon. But first, we need to get rid of this leech completely."

My heart stopped. The words hung in the air, a cruel reminder that I was nothing to him. Nothing but a burden to be eliminated.

Leech. The word echoed in my mind, a harsh reminder that I was nothing to them. Not a wife, not family, not even a person. Just something to be discarded.

"Get out of our house," Ethan's mother ordered, her voice cold and detached.

I snapped my head up, my eyes wide with shock. "What? This is my parents' house!" My voice cracked as I stepped back, panic rising like a tidal wave.

Ethan scoffed, his expression twisted in contempt. "Not anymore."

He walked away, only to return seconds later, shoving another set of papers into my hands. My hands shook as I flipped through them, my heart sinking with each passing page.

My breath caught, my stomach twisting into knots. No. This couldn't be happening. The house, the properties, everything... all under his name.

I looked at him, my vision blurry with tears. "What? How could you do this to me? After everything I did for you and your mother!" I screamed, my voice hoarse with emotion.

Ethan smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, please. Spare us the sob story. Get out."

I shook my head violently, my mind reeling with shock and anger. "No. I won't. This is my parents' house. I won't leave!"

That was my final mistake. Ethan's mother's eyes flashed with fury, her face twisted in a snarl. Before I could react, she grabbed my wrist, her grip like a vice.

"Let go of me!" I cried, struggling to break free. But she didn't listen.

She dragged me toward the door with terrifying strength, her grip unyielding. I fought, I begged, but she didn't care. Then, she shoved me outside, and I fell, my knees scraping against the hard stone.

Pain shot through my legs, but nothing hurt more than the ache in my chest. I looked up at her, my breath shaky. "Please..." But her eyes were cold, unforgiving.

"Don't you dare try to come back here," she spat. "There is no place for you in my house." Her house. Not mine. The door slammed shut in my face, leaving me with nothing.

——

I walked through the cold, empty streets, hugging myself to stay warm. My legs ached, but I had nowhere to go. As I passed a group of men, the strong smell of cigarettes filled the air. I kept my head down, hoping they wouldn't notice me.

But then, a voice shouted, "Hey! Stop right there!" My heart stopped. I didn't think—I ran. "Get her!" Their footsteps thundered behind me, and I knew I had to keep running.

I spotted a nightclub entrance up ahead, the neon lights flickering like a beacon. I rushed inside, the smell of alcohol and sweat hitting me like a wall. The bass of the music vibrated through my chest as I looked back, seeing my pursuers scanning the crowd.

I needed to disappear. I pushed through the dance floor, my eyes searching for a place to hide. Then, I saw the staircase leading to the upper level. Maybe there are rooms, I thought. Maybe I can hide.

I rushed up the stairs, gripping the railing for support. My legs were shaking, my heart racing. Then, I heard the voices below, "Check the upstairs rooms!" My blood ran cold. They were coming.

I scanned the hallway desperately, my eyes locking onto an unlocked door. Without thinking, I slipped inside and locked it behind me. My back pressed against the door as I gasped for air. My body trembled.

For a moment, I thought I was safe. Then, I felt it—breathing, close, too close. I stiffened, my heart racing. The lights flickered on, and I turned around, my head spinning.

That's when I saw him—a shirtless man, standing just a few feet away. His dark eyes, heavy with alcohol, locked onto me. He frowned, his voice low and rough. "Who the hell are you?" I couldn't speak, couldn't move. What have I just walked into?