Later that night, Brielle kept to her promise. She stepped out of her apartment in a blue knee-length dress with her hair perfectly styled. She wore minimal makeup, good enough to hide the dullness in her eyes. When she got out of the building, ready to get into a taxi, a car honked loudly, calling her attention.She turned to see Professor James getting out of the car and walking towards her with a wide smile and a bouquet in his hands. He was dressed in a white corporate shirt and black trousers to match. She also noticed that he had gotten a fresh haircut.She sighed inwardly, her guilt resurfacing. She could only imagine how much she had been waiting for this dinner, seeing how enthusiastic he was about it.“Flowers for a beautiful woman.” He said, handing her the bouquet.Brielle blushed at his compliment, extending her hands to take the bouquet. “Thank you.” She said.He nodded, rubbing his hands together even though it did nothing to calm his nerves. He had been preparing for t
Later that night, Ethan returned home. Though he was sober, his head ached like he was drunk. Upon entering the house, an unfamiliar silence greeted him, one he had worked so hard to get rid of.As he collapsed on the sofa in the living room, he saw Mrs Rosa staring at him, a blend of pity and disappointment written all over her face.“I’m an idiot. An asshole. A fucking weak man. I know already, Rosa. You don’t have to tell me.” He chuckled sadly and sighed, looking at the ceiling like it held the answers he was looking for.Rosa shook her head and walked towards him. She sat beside him quietly and tapped his back. “You aren’t a weak man, Ethan. A fool, yes. But, definitely not a weak man.”Ethan laughed. Actually laughed.His head fell back and his shoulders shook. The sincerity in her tone cracked him up.“Damn, Rosa. I didn’t think you’d put it out like that.” He joked.Rosa shrugged. “You know me. We don’t sugarcoat anything over here.”Ethan’s laughter soon died down and the moo
THE NEXT DAYThe day had barely started, but Ethan already felt like it was dragging him under. He sat in his office, head heavy, staring at papers he wasn’t even reading. His mind was somewhere else, back at Brielle’s door, hearing nothing but silence after pounding and begging for her to let him in.That silence still cut through him.She didn’t just shut the door on him. She shut her heart, too.He could feel it. She wasn’t letting him back into her life this time around. Ethan leaned back in his chair, running his hand over his face. His chest was tight, like someone had tied a rope around it and kept pulling. He hadn’t slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Brielle crying, saw the pain in her eyes, and he knew he had put it there.A knock on the door pulled him out of his daze.He frowned and looked toward the door. His secretary hadn’t buzzed to announce anyone, so who—The door opened.And there she was.Scarlett.The woman who had ruined his life twice with her mere pre
Brielle stood in the middle of her apartment, her chest rising and falling like she had just run a marathon. The air around her felt thick, heavy with his scent. Everywhere she turned, Ethan’s shadow lingered. His watch on the table, his shoes by the door, his ties folded neatly in the drawer, every piece of him screamed at her.Her throat tightened. She couldn’t breathe in here…not like this.With trembling hands, she began to gather his belongings. Shirts from the closet, cufflinks from the nightstand, files he had left carelessly on the coffee table. Each item stabbed at her heart, but she refused to stop. Not this time.She shoved everything into boxes and bags, dragging them to the door. The pile grew until it nearly blocked the entrance. Her fingers hesitated when she picked up one of his shirts, the one he always wore when he came home late from work. She pressed it to her face for the briefest second, inhaling the familiar scent before shoving it away like it burned.By the t
A FEW HOURS LATERBrielle closed the file in her hands with a little more force than necessary, her fingers trembling as she pushed it aside. The session with Scarlett had drained her. Sitting across from that woman, watching her feign innocence while pretending to be a patient, was like swallowing poison with a smile. Every word Scarlett spoke was laced with sweet lies, and Brielle could feel the mocking glint hidden in her eyes.She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her heart refusing to calm down.“She’s here to play games. She’s here to ruin me. I won’t let her. I won’t let them win.” She whispered to herself.Brielle pressed her palm against her belly, as though the gesture could shield her child from the storm Scarlett carried with her presence.“Brielle?”Her head lifted at the sound of her name. Dr. Lorey stood at the doorway, her short dark hair perfectly in place, her white coat swaying lightly as she stepped inside.“Y
Vivian’s lips trembled as she clutched Brielle’s hands tighter. Her composure finally broke, tears spilling down her elegant face. She looked nothing like the composed woman she always was; she looked like a mother begging for mercy on behalf of her son.“Brielle,” her voice cracked, “I know… I know Ethan has wronged you. I know what he did last night has shattered something in you, but please… listen to me. You don’t know who Scarlett really is.”Brielle turned her face away, staring blankly at the curtains. Her heart still bled from the wound Ethan had torn into it. “I don’t care, Vivian,” she whispered. “Whatever she is or was, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that he kissed her. He let her touch him. And he didn’t push her away.”Vivian shook her head fiercely, gripping her hand even tighter. “No, no, Brielle. It matters. You must know the truth, because Scarlett is poison. She has always been poison.”Brielle’s chest rose and fell sharply, but she said nothing. Her silence gave