I was in love with Ethan Black, a brilliant man with big dreams. I gave him my twenties, my body, my loyalty. I worked three jobs while he chased his startup dreams. And when he finally made it, he became a stranger. Then I found out he got another woman pregnant, the same woman who dumped him in college when his family lost everything. That nearly destroyed me. But I stayed. I told myself love was worth it. But nothing could prepare me for the day he left our four-year-old daughter home alone… to go see her. And our little girl died. I buried my child and with her, the woman I used to be. Now, I live for one thing only: Revenge. He took everything from me. Now I’ll take everything from him. He doesn’t know it yet… but I’m not the same woman he left behind. And by the time I’m done, he’ll wish he never met me.
Lihat lebih banyakLAUREN'S POV
I knew today would fall apart but hearing it from my daughter made it worse. “Mommy, do you think Daddy forgot again?” That question hit me harder than I thought it would. I looked up from the sink, where I’d been rinsing off Elena’s cereal bowl. Her voice was soft, like she already knew the answer but wanted to hear something else. Anything else. I dried my hands on the dish towel and walked into the living room. There she was, sitting on the edge of the couch in her pink dress, the same one she’d picked out two weeks ago just for today. Her legs dangled above the floor, her shiny black shoes tapping gently against the couch. “No, baby,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Daddy’s just… running a little late, that’s all. He said he’d be here before five, remember?” She looked up at the wall clock. It was already quarter past six. “He said that last year too,” she mumbled, eyes drifting toward the window. “And he never came.” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. She remembered. I didn’t have the heart to lie to her, but I also didn’t want to crush whatever little hope she was holding on to. “Elena,” I crouched down beside her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I know he missed last year, but he promised he’d make it up this time. Maybe something came up at work. Grown-up stuff can be really… complicated sometimes.” She didn’t answer. Just kept staring out the window like she was waiting for a miracle to pull into the driveway. I stood up and rubbed my palms down my jeans, trying to stay calm. Inside, I was burning. Not just from today but from everything. Every missed birthday. Every forgotten school event. Every night Elena asked me where he was and I had to pretend like I knew. I reached for my phone and dialed Ethan's number but he wasn't picking up. The clock struck 6:30pm and I already knew Ethan would come home late. Elena's face was already pale and she looked tired from sitting at the exact position for so long. There was no need for her to keep on waiting for her father who couldn't keep his promise. “Rosa,” I called out. The maid poked her head from the hallway. "Yes ma'am." "Can you help Elena change into her nightwear, please?” Elena’s face dropped, but she didn’t fight it. She just slid off the couch and followed Rosa upstairs quietly, dragging her feet as she went. I sat down, staring at the empty doorway. The silence in the house felt heavier than usual. I picked up my phone and checked the time again. 6:47 PM. Still no text. No call. Nothing. I sent him a quick message: “Ethan, where are you? Elena waited all day. You promised.” Still no response. The hours passed slowly. I sat on the couch, scrolling through the same old photos on my phone, the ones where we actually looked like a family. Back when Ethan used to smile for real. Back when he used to come home early. Back when he looked at me like I was more than just… background noise. At 8:20 PM, Rosa came back downstairs. “She’s asleep, ma’am. Didn’t touch her glass of milk.” I nodded. “Thanks, Rosa. You can go rest.” I climbed the stairs slowly, peeking into Elena’s room. She was curled up in bed, still in her dress. I was sure she refused to take them off. Her arms wrapped around that old teddy bear Ethan gave her when she was a baby one of the few things he actually showed up for. I walked over and gently pulled the blanket over her. She didn’t even stir. “Happy birthday, baby,” I whispered, kissing her forehead. “I’m so sorry.” Back downstairs, I waited. The clock ticked past 9, then 10, then 11. I didn’t even realize how late it was until the numbers turned to 12:00. I almost didn’t hear the front door click open. I shot up, my heart racing. It was him. Ethan stepped inside like nothing had happened. Coat in one hand, phone in the other. He didn’t even look surprised to see me still awake. “Where the hell have you been?” I said, voice high but shaking. I can't remember the last time I raised my voice at him but right now I didn't care how high my voice was. He blinked. “I told you, I had a lot going on at the company lately." “Don’t.” I held up my hand. “Don’t you dare say that again.” He sighed, like I was the one being unreasonable. “Lauren, I had a long day, alright? I’m tired, and I really don’t want to do this right now.” “No. You don’t get to walk in here and act like nothing happened. Your daughter sat in that living room all dressed up, waiting for you. She kept staring at the clock like you were going to burst through that door with balloons and hugs. And you never came.” Something flickered across his face maybe guilt, maybe just discomfort. But I saw it. I knew that look. He forgot. Again. Just like last year. “She told you every morning for the last two weeks that today was her birthday. She counted down on the fridge calendar. She talked about it nonstop.” “I was busy, Lauren.” “Busy with what? That you couldn't pick my call or reply to my messages? You run your own business Ethan. You set your schedule. You could’ve made time if you wanted to. One day. One damn day for your daughter.” He looked away, jaw tight. “I’m not doing this.” He turned to walk past me, but I reached out and grabbed his arm and he quickly turned. There was a faint scent of something sweet and unfamiliar — not his and definitely not mine. That’s when I saw it. A faint pink lip stain on the collar of his white shirt. Lipstick. I stared at it. The world around me dimmed for a second, the silence roaring in my eyes. “Who is she?” I asked, barely above a whisper.LAUREN'S POV We walked toward the couch and slowly sank into the cushions. My legs felt heavier than usual, and even though I tried to appear calm, my mind was buzzing like a swarm of restless bees. Tessa sat beside me with her arms crossed tightly against her chest, her brows furrowed in that way she always did whenever she was about to interrogate me. She looked less like my best friend at that moment and more like a mother waiting to scold a reckless child. “Where were you last night?” Tessa finally asked, her tone sharp and filled with curiosity. It wasn’t an innocent question, it carried weight, expectation, and the promise of judgment. I rolled my eyes and tried to ease the tension, though deep down, I was dreading this exact conversation. “Relax, I’ll explain that too,” I said with a forced calmness. My voice wavered slightly, betraying me. “I don’t know if you remember this, but you got completely drunk last night and stumbled straight to the dance floor.” I pushed forward
LAUREN'S POV “Now tell me, do you have any questions?” he asked, rolling a silver pen over his knuckles with an ease that spoke of long practice. About his business life? No. About what happened yesterday? Yes. But I couldn’t ask that now. Not here, not with the sharp fluorescent lights humming above me and his calculating eyes fixed on my face. I just shook my head lightly and pressed my lips together. Best to keep my mouth shut. “Does that mean I’m hired? If so, when do I start work?” I asked finally, trying to keep my tone neutral, almost casual “Tomorrow,” he said, setting the pen down with a quiet click. “You can use today to get yourself prepared — iron your clothes properly and take care of your hair a little better than this.” His gaze lingered on my hair for a fraction too long, and his voice, though calm, felt like a slap. My breath caught. I closed my eyes for half a second, not wanting to show the heat that was rushing up my cheeks in embarrassment. My fingers twitch
LAUREN'S POV “You want me to purposely refuse you this job opportunity without even getting to know if you’re fit for the job because you think I might take revenge on you for how you spoke to me last night?” he asked, his voice firm and steady, while leaning back in his chair like he had all the time in the world. His eyes locked on me, sharp but unreadable, and that casual confidence in his tone made me shift uncomfortably in my seat. “I don’t think so, I know so,” I replied, refusing to break eye contact. My words came out harsher than I intended, but my chest was already tightening with nerves. His lips curved into the faintest smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You speak like you’ve known me forever when we only just met yesterday. And I’m not as childish as you think. I’m disciplined, Lauren. I know how to separate my personal life from my business life. I don’t mix them, no matter what. So I wouldn’t take any sort of weird revenge you think I would. Relax.” He re
LAUREN'S POV “Miss. Lauren, I'll like to introduce you to the CEO of Hale Industries, Roman Hale,” the manager said. And immediately, my heart dropped. I couldn’t even hide the disappointed look on my face. My lips parted slightly, and I felt my throat go dry as if all the moisture had been drained out of me in one sharp pull. It would have been easier, so much easier if he had been anyone else. If he were just the IT guy, the one fixing wires in the back office. If he were a coworker, another person hustling day to day. At least then I could tuck away what happened between us into a box labeled “mistake” and shove it into some dusty corner of my memory. But this? This was far worse than anything I had braced myself for. I should have seen the signs last night. The bodyguards, the special VIP treatment, the way the staff at the club seemed to recognize him instantly, it all screamed power. Status. Untouchable wealth. My instincts had whispered that he wasn’t just some random guy
LAUREN'S POV I sat there, completely frozen, my mouth hanging wide open as my eyes locked onto someone I never imagined I would see again. My heart gave a startled thump, my breath catching in my throat. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating. It was him. The man from last night. Every detail of him stood out as if my memory had sharpened under a spotlight — the sharp line of his jaw, the confident arch of his brow, and that infuriatingly smug expression he carried like a second skin. He was walking calmly, purposefully, heading straight toward the desk in front of me as if the entire entire thing belonged to him. But how? How in the world had he found me here? I hadn’t told him where I would be this morning. And even if by some strange coincidence this wasn’t about me, then what was he doing here of all places? Why was he dressed in a suit, looking like he’d just stepped out of some high-profile business magazine? My thoughts spiraled rapidly. Could it be that he had also
LAUREN'S POV “I’ve divorced him,” I whispered to myself as though saying it aloud could make it feel more real, more justified. “I’ve divorced him. I don’t owe him anything anymore.” But that excuse felt paper-thin. It was all still so new, the reality of being separated, of living without Ethan by my side. My life felt like an empty house I was still trying to walk through without bumping into walls. “Stop thinking about Ethan in every sentence,” I muttered with a forced laugh. The sound was hollow in the quiet car. That was something Tessa would have told me if she were sitting beside me now, rolling her eyes and teasing me for being so dramatic. But she wasn’t here. It was just me, my thoughts, and the echo of last night. Would Elena be okay with what I did? Her name brushed across my mind like a whisper, and my chest tightened. She always believed in me, always thought I was stronger than this. I wanted to be the woman she could look up to, not the one drowning in regrets.
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