Chapter 1

Vivian's pov

I clutched the soft velvet box in my hands as I sat quietly in the back seat of the black sedan.

Inside the box was a leather journal filled with photos, movie tickets, and handwritten notes from the last three years. Today was my third wedding anniversary with Adrian, and I had spent weeks pulling this gift together just for him.

I looked out the window, expecting to see the warm lights of the quiet seaside diner Adrian had promised we would visit. Instead, the driver pulled up to the shiny glass entrance of Le Cachet, the most expensive and exclusive nightclub in the city.

The driver turned round to look at me, “Mr Lancaster is here.”

Before I could ask why Adrian had asked him to bring me here, my phone buzzed in my hand and Adrian’s name lit up the screen.

"Vivian, I can't make it tonight," Adrian said as soon as I picked up his call, his voice quick. "The company is in huge trouble. We are facing a massive financial crash, and I have to stay in an emergency board meeting all night to save us. Go home without me."

"Adrian, wait..." I started, but the line went dead.

As I stared at my phone, I could tell something was deeply wrong. I looked through the dark, tinted window of the car and froze.

Stepping out through the club's double glass doors was Adrian.

He didn't look tired at all, and he certainly wasn't in a boring boardroom meeting. He looked completely relaxed in his tailored suit, walking right beside him was Celeste Monroe, a famous rich heiress wearing a shiny champagne silk dress.

My jaw almost dropped to the floor of the car but I managed to keep my composure. Calmly, I opened the car door and stepped out into the freezing night air.

The rain immediately soaked my hair and dress, but I barely felt it. I walked quietly across the wet pavement, hiding behind a thick stone pillar near the club's lit patio.

Inside the bright room, I could see Adrian smiling at Celeste. The smile he gave her was even warmer than the room they were in.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a delicate, braided silver bracelet.

My breath caught in my throat the moment my eyes landed on the bracelet. My hand went straight to my mouth to hide a gasp.

That was the sacred blessing bracelet. I had spent eight long months traveling across three different countries, searching through old shops and villages just to find it for him.

It was a rare heirloom meant to symbolize endless love and protection. When I gave it to Adrian on our wedding night, he held my hands and promised he would never, ever take it off.

Now, I watched through the glass as Adrian gently took Celeste’s hand and fastened the silver bracelet smoothly around her wrist.

Celeste laughed, threw her arms around Adrian's neck, and hugged him tight.

Adrian didn't pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist, picked up a glass of golden champagne from a passing waiter, and raised it in a happy toast to celebrate with her.

They were celebrating while lying to me. I couldn't bear to watch them while my heart ripped apart.

Suddenly, a terrifying pain ripped through my lower stomach, it was so fast that it felt like a burning knife.

I stumbled backward, my back slamming hard against the icy stone pillar. I looked down in absolute horror as a wave of dark blood soaked through my dress and ran down my legs onto the wet sidewalk.

Something was horribly wrong with my baby. My body was going into sudden, dangerous shock.

"Help..." I whispered, but the heavy rain washed my voice away.

With shaking, bloody fingers, I managed to pull my phone out of my purse and dialed Adrian’s phone number.

When it began ringing, I clenched my lips tightly and pressed the phone to my ear

Through the clear glass window of the club, I could see everything happening inside. Adrian’s phone lit up on the table right next to his champagne glass. He stopped talking to Celeste, picked up the phone, and looked at the screen. He saw my name floating on the display and without a single drop of care on his face, he flipped the phone face down onto the table and ignored my call completely.

He picked up his glass, and clinked it against Celeste’s with a bright smile.

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Pain shot through my body again, making me bend forward, but I didn't let that hold me back from redialing his number.

But inside, Adrian reached over, hit the reject button without even looking, and went right back to talking to Celeste.

I called a third time, praying for a miracle, begging silently for my husband to care just a little bit about my life.

But he rejected the call again, sending me straight to voicemail.

The physical pain in my stomach became too much to bear. My knees buckled under my weight, and I collapsed hard onto the wet, freezing pavement.

The velvet box holding my anniversary journal fell from my hands, landing in a dirty puddle of rainwater and blood.

I lay on my side in the dark gutter, clutching my stomach, my chest heaving as I struggled to breathe.

Rain pounded down on my face, mixing with my heavy tears. Just a few feet away, behind the glass, my husband laughed and toasted to his exciting future with another woman while his wife was outside in the dark dying with his unborn baby girl on the street.

I tried to lift my hand to call out to Adrian one last time, but my fingers felt heavy like lead.

My breathing slowed down as the bright neon lights of the club began to blur and swirl together. "Please Adrian...help me..." I muttered in pain, my eyes giving into the darkness that crept onto the edges.

I couldn't fight it anymore, the pain grew worse, consuming me. My vision went completely black as I lay alone on the cold ground, clutching my baby, with no one coming to help me.