2

Violet’s POV 

Ivy’s reaction was immediate. 

Her eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth, horrified. “Violet, I know you don’t like me, but how could you turn my daughter against me?”

My eyes widened, “That’s not…”

“Violet!” Jason boomed, marching over. “How could you be so despicable? Only a monster turns a child against their own mother!”

The words were stuck in my throat so I just scoffed.

Seven years of marriage and that was what he thought of me? 

His eyes darkened. “If Ivy loses Belle because of you, I really won’t spare you!”

My hands curled into fists all over again. I had so many questions, and maybe I even wanted to lash out. 

Where was Ivy all these years? 

She never even called once and suddenly, she wanted to play mother? 

“Jason, it’s okay.” Ivy’s soft voice drifted toward me again. “I just want to spend some time with Belle, even if Violet has told her a lot of terrible things about me.”

She avoided my gaze, playing the role of the pitiful, wronged woman by the book. 

She reached past me and grabbed Belle’s wrist, pulling her up the stairs. 

“No, no, I want to go to mommy!”

“Great,” Ivy beamed. “I’m your mommy. Let’s go play, okay?”

Belle turned and twisted in her arms, her eyes glistening with tears as she reached for me with her other hand. 

Belle cried out as her feet scraped the stairs, and that was it. 

I rushed up the stairs. “Ivy, you’re hurting her! She's fragile. Please let her go.”

I had my back turned to Jason now; he had immersed himself in a busy call. 

Ivy shot me a smug grin. “Do you mean it? Should I really let her go?”

What did she mean by that? 

Belle cried again and I nodded. 

“Please let her go!”

Ivy grinned. “Fine then!”

“Belle!” I shrieked as Ivy released her, watching smugly as she rolled down the last four steps. 

I rushed down, a sob building at the back of my throat as I noticed her head was bleeding. 

“My baby,” I pulled her into my 

arms, holding her as she cried. 

I glared at Ivy. I’d tolerated everything but I wouldn’t tolerate this. 

“Ivy, you—“

“Belle! Oh no! You’re holding her head wrong!” Ivy suddenly cried and I turned to see Jason walking toward us. 

“Jason, it's all my fault. I just wanted to play with Belle but Violet asked me to leave her…” Her eyes met mine. “She snatched Belle and that’s how she fell.”

“Violet, my daughter is fragile, why are you hurting her?”

I stood, carrying Belle in my arms. “Jason, that’s not what—“

“I understand everything.”

He did? Really? 

“You’ve made Belle too dependent on you. You need to let her go, she has a real mother and she wants to be with her, why do you have a problem with that?”

It felt like someone was squeezing my heart but I spoke up anyway. 

“Jason, that's not what happened.” I explained, “Violet let go of Belle too quickly; I wasn’t even close enough to catch her and I never dragged her, I—“

“How many more lies will you cook up?” He sneered, running his hands through his hair. “So what are you trying to say…”

He pointed at Ivy, “That Ivy, Belle’s biological mother wants to hurt her? Can you hear how you sound right now?”

Even now, he was accusing me blindly. He chose to trust the words of his first love over his wife. 

Ivy let out a sob. “Let it be, Jason. It’s my fault.” She sobbed. “I came back too late.  Everything’s been taken away from me.”

“Belle, the past seven years,” she looked directly at him as she continued. “And even you.”

Jason’s eyes softened immediately as he approached her. “No, Ivy. Everything will always belong to you.”

“You’ll always be Belle’s mom, you’ll always belong here and you’ll,” he turned to me. “Always have a place with me.”

Then where did that leave me? 

My stomach twisted at the thought and I blinked away tears.

This entire time, did I really have no place in Jason’s heart? 

“Come, Ivy. You need to get some rest. You can meet Belle later,”

My breath hitched as he picked her up, walking away. 

Leaving me there like a clown at the circus no one wanted to watch.

Jason stopped at the fourth step and turned to me, “And this time, Violet.” His eyes hardened as he pointed at me. “Don’t you dare create problems for Ivy, or else!”

Or else what, Jason Ashford? 

Could he do more damage than he’d already done? 

I glanced down at Belle’s sleeping form — the poor girl had cried herself to sleep. 

While her father was catering to another woman. 

Not once had he looked at her. 

Whenever Ivory Bennet was in the room. Jason’s entire world shrank down to her. 

This entire time, I thought he was just struggling to love me, to bridge the gap and get closer. 

To move on from Ivory. 

But I was wrong, because Jason Ashford never wanted to move on from the start. 

With a heart heavier than my legs, I walked up the stairs to Belle’s room. 

I settled her in the bed and went to get the first aid kit. 

My hands were so shaky, I struggled to find the box. 

Jason’s words echoed in my head and  I shut my eyes for a moment, wiping my tears before rushing up the stairs to Belle. 

I treated her wounds quickly, pressing a kiss to her head as a shadow towered over me. 

I turned to see Jason standing at the door. 

He came to see me?

“Wake up early and get Belle dressed,” He threw a box at my feet. “I’m taking her out with Ivy tomorrow.”

My heart stopped, the entire room shrinking as a fond smile graced his lips.

“We’re going to rebuild our relationship and this time, you won’t stand in the way, right?”