Cut My Liver, Cut You Out

After half a month at the rehab center, I was finally starting to heal. Harvey called me once at the start, then ghosted.As the day to meet Mom got closer, I forced myself to go home and pack.The second I opened the door, though, I walked right into a party. Harvey and his friends froze like I'd just crashed the world's most awkward surprise. Harvey's face twisted, unsure, but he stepped forward, frowning."Leah, why didn't you answer when I tried to contact you?"My eyes landed on the girl behind him—Vivi Baldwin. Long hair, white dress, perfect little soulmate vibe. When she caught me staring, Harvey rubbed his nose like a guilty kid."Vivi came back earlier than expected," he mumbled. "Since I just had surgery, I didn't wanna make a big deal out of it. Just a small welcome party. You're not seriously gonna throw a fit over something this trivial, right?"I clenched my shirt. Five years with Harvey, and Vivi had always been a shadow between us. Just hearing her name was enoug

Everyone just froze, eyes locked on the explosion. Harvey's binoculars hit the floor with a dull thud.Without thinking, he launched himself off the second-floor balcony, crashing to the ground and rolling to his feet. Banged up but unfazed, he bolted toward the burning car.One of his friends tried to grab him, but Harvey decked him and broke free. By the time he reached the crash site, a crowd had already formed.A doctor's voice cut through the murmurs. "She didn't make it. Collision and gas tank explosion—either one would've killed her."Even if we'd gotten here faster, it wouldn't have mattered. Her body's completely burned. Even if she'd survived, she wouldn't have made it without pain."We'll need the family to ID the remains."Harvey tore through the crowd, eyes wild. "I'm her family! Doctor, please—don't give up! I'll pay anything, just save her!"Then he saw it—my body.The crash had ripped me in half, burnt chunks of flesh scattered like trash on the ground.Harvey

With Mom taking care of me, I bounced back fast. Before long, I was working by her side as an assistant. Once I got the hang of things, I decided to start from the bottom and work my way up.Within a year, I built a team and delivered impressive results. Turns out the domestic market was craving our products. Spending so much time around Harvey actually paid off—I knew enough about the company's resources to land a few deals.As our domestic market grew, partnership offers started rolling in—even from Seinfeld Corp.Mom's reaction was ice-cold when she heard. Sure, teaming up with them would be good for business, but after everything I'd been through, she couldn't just brush it off for profit.Right as she was about to turn them down, I stopped her."It's fine. Working with Seinfeld Corp will help us expand. Harvey usually doesn't deal with operations, anyway. I'm not letting personal stuff mess up a good opportunity."She hesitated but finally agreed. I led the team back home an

After that day, Mom got worried about me and insisted we skip the country for a while.Back in college, I was all about literature. With Mom forcing me to ditch work, I spent my days in the garden, writing stories. My style got sharper, and everything I'd been through gave my words this raw, emotional punch. Once published, they blew up with praise.I figured that was it—Harvey and I were done for good. But then one day, my phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number.It was Harvey's mother, Beatrice.She never liked me. From the moment Harvey and I started dating, she made it obvious. I still remember our third Christmas together—Harvey brought me home for the holidays, and she looked like she'd swallowed a lemon. Right in front of the staff, she ordered me to pour her tea.The teapot was one of Harvey's prized collectibles—tiny, fragile, and way too hot. Still clueless about his revenge plan, I grabbed it barehanded and burned myself, a blister popping up instantly. In my pa