After He Broke me, I became his pawn

Walking through the Harrington mansion with Vincent daughter in my arms, I felt so fulfilled, finally I will be treated as family.

Congratulations, Ava.”

Elena, my sister-in-law, greeted me with a soft smile spread across her face. The only one who treated me like family. We hugged each other briefly, I noticed she's pregnant.

“Thank you,” I muttered, already tired. I clutched my baby closer to my chest.

“Welcome home, dear baby,” my mother-in-law smiled widely, extending her hands toward me. It took me few seconds to realize she was asking for her grandchild, not me. My fingers tightened around my baby, I hesitated, before handing my baby over to her.

"Wow such a cutie", she cooed passionately

“Any names yet?” she asked.

“Yes, Arabella, I named her after my late mom,” I replied excitedly.

Her face contorted into a harsh lines,

“What’s that?” she scoffed.

“Is that even a name?

My chest tightened, I could feel myself shrinking,

Scarlet—she’s Scarlet Harrington,” she said dimissively.

“Mom,” I opened my mouth to protest but it came as a shaky whisper.

“It’s final. I named her Scarlet,”

' A befitting name for a princess", she said with finality. Her stern face softened into a fragile smile when my baby smiled at her.

I felt betrayed that my child was comfortable in the arms of people who hurt me the most.

I felt my temperature rising. Being left alone to fight for my life at the hospital, my child deserved to bear a name I chose for her. I swallowed the bile in my throat. My eyes glisten with tears , I glanced around the room. The one person who mattered to me was not here—my darling husband, Vincent.

“Well, well, well see who we’ve got here.” A deep voice broke into the room. Vincent walked down the staircase, swinging a large brown envelope in his hand. It's like the world pause for a moment. He was shirtless, sweat dripping down his biceps. He wore low-slung grey sweatpants. His hair was messy and parted.

Air left my lungs when woman in red nighties walk down the staircase. , the painful realization settled on me, that was Piper Jones, his ex lover and childhood sweetheart. She hug him from behind, and slide her slender arms into his.

My eyes widened in total shock, I looked at everyone in the room. They were not surprised, everyone knew except me.

They were having the time of their lives in my matrimonial bed while I groaned in pain, almost suffocated by the thick white walls of the hospital.

“Hi, Ava, Piper greeted,

My gaze met hers, the malicious gleam in her eyes cannot be hidden.

“Your baby looks so beautiful. She looks so much like his dad, Look at that nose,” Piper fawned over my baby, while Vincent stare at her with his dreamy eyes.

“I can’t wait for us to recreate this,” Vincent whispered, holding her hands tightly. His grey eyes met mine, something flashed across his face, his tender gaze was replaced with fury and hate.

“While you were in the hospital…” Vincent cleared his throat and turned to me. “I did a DNA test”,. He stared at my baby briefly and continued,

‘’Even though I would have preferred a son, luckily, she’s my child.”

I stare at them, utterly confused, What was going on? He thought I cheated? Is that why I was abandoned at the hospital? A thousand of questions ran through my mind. Vincent was the only man I knew.

“We’re getting a divorce, .” His words shook my entire world. I want to slap him across his face, I felt the urge to clamped my fingers against his flesh, but I hated, that a part of me melt under his burning gaze .

“But before that, I need answers on—”

He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Louis, our housekeeper, scurried from where he had been eavesdropping and opened it. To my surprise, two policemen stormed into our house.

“Mrs. Ava Harrington you’re under arrest for fraud and siphoning funds from De Harrington Corporation.

The pain exploded on me, my tongue glued to the root of my mouth.

Fraud?

No

No, they have to be kidding

I opened my mouth to talk, I needed to say something, anything to defend myself, but words refuse to come out. I turned to everyone for help—at least someone who could vouch for me. They all watch me fall apart while they did nothing. My mother-in-law stared back at me with a full glare; disgust was written all over her face.

“I knew it. I knew you were up to no good, Ava,” she spat.

“Please,” Elena’s voice came out shaky. “She’s a nursing mother. She just gave birth. Vincent…” She turned to my nonchalant husband.

“Let’s settle this as a family before outside interference. This might be a misunderstanding.”

“I want you out of my business, Elena,” Vincent glared at her, his voice tinged with irritation. I had never seen him this angry.

He tore the brown envelope he was holding and brought out a paper.

“This is your signature,” he flashed it in my face, “ your signatures all over the other documents.”

He picked up the remote. On the TV in the sitting room, CCTV footage of me sneaking in and out of the house with two strange men appeared on the screen.

“This is you and your minions planning my downfall. Unfortunately, I caught them, and they have already confessed to their crime.”

“wait wwhat—” Elena gasped wetly, covering her mouth in shock. To everyone in the room, I was guilty.

“What you fail to understand is that I leave no prisoners. I crush my enemies to powder, and you’re not excluded,” he leaned in closely, his hot breath fanning my face.

“In your next life, you will know better than to cross my lane _wifey.”

I snorted a disbelieving laugh, am I being prank? my body trembling with fear, but I tried to cover it up.

What are you talking about? I didn't do this” I managed to say.

“If you get to the station, you will understand better.”

My heart beat faster. I knew I was being set up, and I fell into my villain’s palm by requesting a loan from an illegal loan shark. The two men on the screen was the loan shark I borrowed money from. Could they set me up? But how do I prove my innocence?

Please hear me out, I rushed toward my mother-in-law. I was stopped by a hard push. My heart broke when I looked up at my husband. My sobs startled my baby, her shrill cry pierce through my body.

“This can't be happening, hear me out Vincent, it's not what you think “,

My eyes widened in horror as the click of handcuffs locked my wrist

“I’m not leaving here with out my baby!” I screamed, Vincent !! Listen to me, I cried out

His fiery eyes met mine.

“You’re not worthy to nurture my offspring Ava, piper is going to be a better mom Besides, you’re going to rot in jail.”

Move!! The policeman hollered,

With a heavy heart , I turned to cast my last glance, my eyes met the most heartbreaking scene: Piper Jones was fondling my baby’s brownish curly hair while she stay in my mother-in-law’s arms.

Not my baby, get your hands off her’’, !!! I cried out, but there's nothing I can do.

I was pushed like a criminal, barefooted, I had no choice than to comply

Piper mouth curled into an evil smirk, her eyes gleamed with malicious triumph. There’s a giant skeleton in her cupboard.