Chapter 5

Julian continued, "And I've finally realized I only ever cared for you like a little sister. What I feel for Nina… is real love. Let's get divorced. I'll make sure you're compensated."

I burst out laughing, tears streaming down my face.

After all those years together, sleeping in the same bed and planning our future together, he claimed he'd only ever seen me as a sister?

My gaze drifted to the nightstand, where a small fruit knife lay.

Then I looked at Nina, nestled in Julian's arms, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction as she openly taunted me with her gaze.

A wave of despair swept over me. If I was going down, I wanted to take her with me.

I snatched up the knife and lunged at Nina.

But Julian reacted instantly, pulling her into his arms and jerking her out of the way.

The sharp blade barely caught her arm, leaving only a thin, bloody scratch.

Julian was furious.

He handed every original sketch and draft from my studio that could prove my innocence over to Lucas. Then he hacked into my account and posted a public confession in my name, admitting that all my designs were stolen and apologizing to everyone for my "immature behavior".

He even tore up the original sketches for the matching rings I'd poured my heart and soul into designing for us, which I'd planned to surprise him with on our anniversary.

I fell to my knees, clutching his pant leg, begging desperately, with every last shred of my dignity gone. "Julian, I was wrong! I'll apologize to Nina! I'll get on my knees and beg her forgiveness! I'll leave the city, even the country! I don't want anything anymore! Just please, don't destroy my work! I'm begging you!"

But he didn't show the slightest hint of sympathy. Instead, he hired the best lawyers and had me sent to prison on charges of assault and defamation.

Every single day behind bars was torture.

I begged the prison guards to contact Julian for me. I pleaded for him to come see me, so I could explain everything.

But he never came. Not even once.

When I was finally released, I got into my beat-up car, desperate to get as far away as possible from the city that had taken everything from me.

But on my way to the airport, I lost control of the car and plunged straight into the freezing ocean.

I thought that was it. At last, my suffering would be over.

But fate wouldn't let me die.

The waves washed me ashore, and against all odds, I survived. I was left with scars all over my body and a heart that had long since gone numb.

…

"Godmother, please don't be upset," Nina said sweetly. "It's wonderful that Samantha's alive. "The past is the past. Today is supposed to be a happy occasion. Why don't we have her apologize to you both so we can put all this behind us and be a family again?"

Nina's voice pulled me back to the present.

A few guests were already discreetly pulling out their phones to record the scene.

I looked at the two people who were supposedly my parents and spoke with an eerie calm. "Happy 50th anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Reed."

Then I turned and walked away without looking back. They'd stopped wanting me as their daughter long ago. I was simply giving them what they wanted.

"Samantha! Samantha, wait!" Julian called out.

He hurried after me, following closely behind as he rambled on. "Samantha, I know nothing I say can change what happened, but I swear… I've spent every single day regretting what I did…"

By the time we reached my apartment, he was still talking.

I was about to take out my keys when I noticed two fresh, muddy suitcase-wheel tracks on my doormat in the dim hallway light.

My heart leaped with joy. I turned to Julian, making it clear that he needed to leave. "Mr. Hayes, my husband's back from his trip. If he sees some strange man following me home, he might get the wrong idea."