Chapter 2

Just then, Victor stepped outside as well. He froze when he saw Serene standing there.

Before anyone could speak, Serene shoved Elara aside. Elara stumbled back, barely keeping her balance.

“Baby, what is this lowlife doing here?” Serene snapped, her voice sharp with disgust.

Victor sighed deeply. He reached for Serene’s arms, holding her gently. “Why are you here?” he asked, confused. “And how do you know her?”

Serene yanked her hands away from his grip. Then she turned and looked straight at Elara, who stood frozen, completely speechless.

“Yes, I do know her,” Serene said coldly. “She is my stupid sister.”

Victor was stunned. His mind reeled with questions. How had he ended up caught between two sisters? And why had Elara told him she had no relatives at all?

Then Serene turned back to him, her eyes burning with suspicion, and asked sharply, “Then what is she doing here?”

“Well…” Victor said at last, the words heavy and unwilling as they left his mouth. “She is my ex-wife.”

The word ex struck Elara like a fresh wound. Hearing him say it out loud, in front of her step sister, his first love made the pain bloom all over again.

“Woow,” Serene said slowly, disbelief twisting into rage. Then, without warning, she lunged at Elara, grabbing a fistful of her hair. “How dare you try to take what’s mine!”

Victor rushed forward and pulled them apart. “Enough!” he snapped.

Elara stood trembling, terror written all over her face. This wasn’t the first time Serene had beaten her.

“Go to your room,” Victor said sharply, frustration burning through his voice.

Elara didn’t hesitate. She ran, tears threatening to spill as she disappeared from sight.

Victor turned back to Serene. “What was that?” he demanded.

Serene stayed quiet, her chest rising with barely contained anger.

“And why did you come here before she left?” Victor continued.

“Well, I thought she was long gone,” Serene replied bitterly. “So I decided to come see you. And when is she leaving? I thought you two divorced already.”

“Yes, we did,” Victor said. “And she will leave in her car when she’s more prepared.”

Serene’s eyes widened. “You even bought her a car?”

“Yes,” he replied, irritation creeping into his tone. “That’s her car. She has been my wife, Serene. But now… we are going to be together soon, okay?”

Serene nodded.

“Okay… now please leave, Serene,” Victor said gently. “I’ll call you and explain everything later. But for now, please go home, okay?”

Serene nodded, then said he should go back into the house first she needed a moment to cool down before leaving.

Victor went inside.

Left alone outside, Serene’s anger finally spilled over. She kicked the trash can hard, sending it clattering. As it tipped, something caught her eye a cake box lying near the mess.

She stepped closer.

Then she saw it.

The pregnancy test.

A love note .

Her breath hitched. What’s this? she thought. She remembered seeing Elara standing near that spot earlier.

Her face twisted with fury. “Is she pregnant… for him?” she snapped under her breath.

Rage burned through her veins. How dare she?

Her lips curled into a cold, dangerous smile. But we are definitely going to see about that, she thought darkly. You’re going to pay for messing with what belongs to me.

When Victor stepped into the house, his feet heavy. His first instinct was to go to Elara’s room, to knock and ask how she was, but guilt wrapped tightly around his chest.

“Oh God,” he sighed, rubbing his face. I’ll talk to her early in the morning.

In Elara’s room, everything was chaos.

She packed her clothes in a hurry, tears pouring down her face, blurring her vision. One dress after another went into the bag, her hands shaking. She hadn’t planned to leave that night not like this. But now the urge to go was overwhelming. Serene had changed everything. The pain had become unbearable.

She grabbed her bags and carried them outside, loading them into her car.

She didn’t glance back at Victor’s house.

Without hesitation, she started the engine and drove off, refusing to look back. She had no idea what she was going to do with her life now, no plan, no destination but she knew one thing for certain.

She had to leave.

She left carrying Victor’s child something he knew about yet now she was going to raise the baby alone.

The memories haunted her as she drove. The way Serene had embarrassed her in front of Victor. The way Victor had called her ex-wife without a single hesitation. Each thought made her heart sink deeper, the pain tightening around her chest.

She was so buried in those thoughts that she forgot she was driving.

Suddenly, headlights flashed before her another car speeding straight toward her. Panic surged. She slammed her foot on the brakes, but they didn’t respond.

“No… no!” she cried, trying again. Nothing worked.

It was late, the road dark and empty. The car swerved wildly, lost control, and then

It plunged off the bridge.

Elara felt the sickening drop before everything crashed into cold, roaring water. Her car sank fast, the sound of rushing water filling her ears.

It was a huge accident.

Inside the car, she fought desperately, struggling to free herself as the water rose. Her hands trembled as she tried to undo the seat belt but it jammed. The oxygen thinned, her chest burned, panic choking her.

Her strength faded.

The world grew dim.

And suddenly… she collapsed.

But suddenly, a voice cut through the darkness.

“Ma’am… are you okay? Can you hear me?” a man asked urgently.

Her eyelids fluttered. I thought I had died, she thought weakly. Did I survive?

She struggled to open her eyes as the voices around her grew clearer. Then, all at once, her body convulsed and she vomited out water, coughing violently.

She was alive.

Elara realized she was lying on an expensive yacht, her clothes drenched, her entire body trembling from cold and shock.

“Are you okay?” an elderly man asked, kneeling beside her. A younger man stood close behind him, watching with concern.

“What’s your name?” the elderly man continued gently, trying to understand who she was trying to find a place to begin.

For a brief moment, she hesitated. She was divorced now. That name no longer belonged to her.

“Elara Blake M,” she said softly, using her father’s name instead.

The elderly man stiffened.

Shock flickered across his face as if she had just spoken the name of someone he knew all too well.