Chapter 3

Evelyn's POV

My last shred of hope shattered into a million pieces.

"Ryan, please... just one more chance," I begged, my voice cracking. "I can prove my value. I can do more. If I leave, I have nowhere to go. This house... it’s the only place I have left."

I thought of my foster parents. A cold shiver ran down my spine. If I showed up on their doorstep, they wouldn't just turn me away, they would destroy me. My foster father had a temper that left scars, and he had only "sold" me into this marriage. Ryan didn’t love but at least gave me a home. To go back to my parents’ house meant I might not survive the night.

But Ryan didn't care. He stood there, tall and unmoving, watching me crumble as if he were watching a boring movie.

"Where you go is not my concern, Evelyn," he said. His voice was steady, chillingly calm. "I am marrying Daphne. To do that, I need you gone. It’s that simple."

He pushed the pen further toward me. The silence in the room was suffocating. With trembling fingers and a heart that felt like it had stopped beating, I signed the papers. The ink blurred as my tears hit the page.

"Can I... can I stay as a servant?" I blurted out, grabbing his sleeve in one last, pathetic act of desperation. "I don’t need a salary. I’ll live in the storage closet. I’ll clean, I’ll cook, I’ll do anything. Just don't throw me out into the street."

Ryan pulled his arm away, his expression turning from cold to disgusted.

"Absolutely not," he snapped. "You were my wife, Evelyn. Having my ex-wife working as a maid in my house would be a massive scandal for my family. Don't be ridiculous."

He stepped back, adjusting his cufflinks. "And let me be clear: when you leave, keep your mouth shut about our marriage. If I hear a single word of gossip, there will be consequences."

He checked his watch, his mind already moving on to his business trip. "I’m leaving for a business trip tomorrow morning. You have exactly twenty-four hours to pack. I expect you to be gone by the time I return."

He turned and walked away, his footsteps steady and rhythmic, leaving me alone in the middle of the dark living room. I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing until my throat burned.

The next morning, I began to pack. It didn't take long. After three years, I realized I owned almost nothing. Most of the clothes in the closet were bought by Ryan to maintain his image, not because they were mine.

However, I saw in the agreement that Ryan had left me a sum of money. It wasn't a fortune, but it was more than I had ever had. A wave of pathetic gratitude washed over me. At least with this, I wouldn't have to go back to my foster parents. I could find a small room somewhere. I could save my baby.

But my relief was short-lived.

The front door slammed open. I looked up, expecting a mover, but instead, I saw Daphne. She wasn't alone. Two massive, muscular men in black suits followed her, their faces like stone.

"What are you doing here?" I stammered, clutching my small suitcase.

Daphne walked toward me, a cruel, mocking sneer on her beautiful face. "Still trying to steal things on your way out, Evelyn? You really are a low-life."

"I'm not stealing! This is my stuff—"

"You don't deserve a single cent from this house," she hissed. She turned to the two men and nodded. "Get her."

Before I could scream, the two men lunged forward. They pinned me against the floor, their heavy hands bruising my arms. I struggled, kicking and crying out for help, but the servants had all been dismissed for the day.

Daphne pulled a small glass vial from her pocket. Her eyes were full of a dark, poisonous hatred.

"You actually thought you could have his child?" she whispered, leaning down so close I could smell her perfume. "You’re nothing but a placeholder. And a placeholder doesn't get to carry the heir."

"No... please!" I realized what was in the vial. It was aborticide. My blood ran cold. "Daphne, please! I’ll go! I’ll disappear! I’ll never tell him about the baby, I swear! Just let me go!"

"I don't take risks, Evelyn," Daphne said. She gripped my jaw, forcing my mouth open. "Besides, Ryan is the one who wanted this. He told me to make sure you left 'clean.'"

My heart stopped. Ryan's request? The man I loved wanted to kill his own child?

The sky seemed to fall on me. In my moment of shock, she poured the bitter liquid down my throat. I coughed and choked, but they held me down until every drop was gone.

A few minutes later, a searing, white-hot pain exploded in my abdomen. It felt like a thousand knives were twisting inside me. I curled into a ball, gasping for air, as the world began to turn gray.

"Throw her out," Daphne commanded, wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief. "Dump her in the alley. I don't want her blood on my carpets."