Chapter 0003

Aria’s POV

“Get out of my way!” Liam’s voice thundered through the room, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at me.

I stood frozen, unable to move, the words stinging like a slap. But before I could even register what was happening, he scooped up Sophia in his arms and stormed past me, heading for the door, his steps echoing loudly in the silence of the room.

Sophia clung to Liam, her face buried in his chest, as I followed them out of the house.

I didn’t know what I was doing, only that I needed to know if what she’d said was true—if she was really pregnant.

I had to find out for myself, no matter what.

At the hospital, the atmosphere was tense. I watched from a distance as the doctors and nurses rushed Sophia into an emergency room.

Time seemed to stretch as I waited, my heart pounding in my chest. I kept my eyes on the door, wondering what would happen next, what news would come out of this nightmare.

After what felt like hours, a doctor finally emerged. He gave Liam a brief nod. “The baby’s safe.”

Relief washed over Liam’s face as he thanked the doctor. Only then did his gaze shift– as if just noticing me standing awkwardly in the hallway. His expression turned cold, his eyes narrowing with disdain.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, his voice low and filled with accusation.

“I…” I struggled to find the words, but before I could say anything, he cut me off.

“You’re insane,” Liam hissed. “Plotting to make Sophia miscarry? How could you be so heartless?”

Sophia, now lying in the hospital bed, looked up with tears in her eyes. “She… she threatened me, Liam. Said she would use the baby against me.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Is this really what he thought of me?

My fists clenched at my sides as I stared at him.

“Whose child is it?” I asked, my voice trembling with the effort to stay calm.

Liam’s eyes flashed with anger. “It’s none of your business,” he said icily. “I don’t want to see you right now. Get out.”

His words hit me like a blow, but I refused to back down. “Liam, I need to know the truth—”

“Get out!” he repeated, louder this time, his face twisting with fury. “And if you even think of contacting paparazzi, know that I will make your life hell, Aria.”

My chest tightened with pain, but I couldn’t stay there any longer. I turned and fled down the hallway, my vision blurring with unshed tears.

As I pushed through the hospital doors, I nearly collided with Liam’s assistant, who had just arrived, his expression troubled.

“Aria, wait,” he said, reaching out to steady me. “I… I’m sorry about all this.”

I shook my head, barely able to process his words.

“When did she come back?” He was the only one I knew I could trust to tell me the truth.

“Two months ago,” the assistant admitted shamefully, glancing away. “Liam didn’t want you to know.”

Two months.

My mind reeled as I remembered how Liam had started staying out late, making excuses about work. The night I’d found that lipstick stain on his collar—it had all started around then.

My heart ached with the realization, but I clung to a shred of hope. Maybe there was some explanation, some way to salvage what was left of our marriage. I had to know for sure.

I turned back into the hospital, ignoring the curious glances from the staff as I made my way to Sophia’s room.

My hand trembled as I reached for the door handle, hesitating for just a moment before pushing it open just a crack– enough not to be noticed.

Inside, I saw them together. Sophia was leaning against Liam, who was gently stroking her hair, his expression soft and full of concern.

The sight of them together sent a wave of nausea through me, but it was Liam’s next words that truly shattered me.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured to Sophia, “This is my son, I will take care of him.”

I felt my heart break in that moment, the weight of his betrayal crushing me from the inside out.

The marriage I had fought so hard to maintain for three years was over. There was no going back.

Liam’s POV

After three grueling days in the hospital, I brought Sophia home. I noticed quickly that the house was eerily quiet, the usual warmth and life sucked out of it.

Something felt wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. The atmosphere felt different, heavier, almost like a storm was brewing inside these walls.

“Aria?” I called out instinctively as we stepped inside, not thinking much of it.

Silence greeted me. A cold knot of unease formed in my stomach, but I shook it off. She was probably just sulking, as per usual.

I walked through the house, looking for her. It wasn’t until I reached the bedroom that I realized what was off.

All of Aria’s belongings were gone. Her clothes, her books, even the little trinkets she’d collected over the years—everything was missing.

I frowned, dialing her number. The call went straight to voicemail. I tried again, with the same result.

My heart sank as I realized what this meant. She had blocked me.

Turning back to the living room, something on the dining table caught my eye. A stack of papers, neatly arranged, with a pen lying beside them.

I walked over and picked them up, skimming the first page.

Divorce Agreement.

I felt a flicker of irritation, dismissing the document as one of her dramatic stunts.

She’d done this before, threatening to leave when things got rough– holding everything over my head. But she never followed through.

Still, something about the scene felt different. I tossed the papers back on the table, noticing the glint of metal beside them.

Her wedding ring.

My breath hitched as I picked it up, turning it over in my hand.

Despite all of the falsities of our marriage, Aria had never taken that ring off in the time we’d been together. Not once.

A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Could she really mean it this time? Could she really want a divorce?

I shook my head, refusing to believe it. This was just another one of her games. She would come back, and things would go back to normal. They always did.

But as I stood there, staring at the ring in my hand, doubt began to creep in. What if this time was different? What if she really was done?

I pulled out my phone, leaving her a voicemail.

“Aria, stop this crap and come home.” Something made my words catch in my throat. “You’re still my wife.” There was more emotion in my voice than I’d meant.

I hung up, my eyes lingering on the empty house around me. But the silence was heavy, almost oppressive.

And for the first time, I felt a twinge of fear that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t coming back.