Chapter 3

Heather’s POV

For a second… just one second… I thought I had fooled them.

I smiled and played it normal.

Pretending like nothing had happened.

But the way Vivianne was looking at me now..

It was obvious she knew or maybe.. she suspected.

Damn it.

I forced myself to stay calm. If I panicked now, I would be dead.

Literally.

I forced a small, confused smile onto my face.

“Hear what?” I asked.

My voice sounded steady but Vivianne’s expression didn't change, only her voice did.

“Don’t fucking play dumb with me, you piece of shit!”

The sudden venom in her voice made me flinch.

Adrian grabbed her wrist immediately.

“Viv..” he said under his breath, tension in his voice. “What if she didn’t hear anything?”

For a split second, hope flickered in me.

But Vivianne yanked her hand out of his grip like she was disgusted.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said coldly. “We might as well tell her because she’s not leaving here alive anyway.”

My heart stopped.

Fear hit me so hard it felt physical..

This was it, we were no more pretending.

If I wanted even the smallest chance to survive, I needed information.

I needed them talking.

I needed to understand what the hell was happening.

I straightened slightly despite the pain, forcing strength into my voice.

“Fine,” I said.

Their eyes snapped back to me.

“I heard you,” I continued, my chest rising and falling unevenly. “I heard everything.”

I swallowed hard.

“I heard you call my son yours,” I said, my voice tightening. “My son, Vivianne. Not yours.”

For a moment, I expected anger, denial or at least anything justifiable..

Instead..

Vivianne cracked up into a feat of laughter.

Not the soft and amused kind..

It sounded loud and cruel. It echoed in the room and sent chills down my spine.

“God! You are so. Fucking.. Dumb,” she said, shaking her head. “Honestly, I almost feel insulted we picked you.”

My brows pulled together, confusion mixing with fear.

“What are you talking about..”

“All we had to do,” she cut in, stepping closer, “was to fake one little infertility test and tell you that you couldn’t get pregnant naturally.”

My breath hitched.

“And you?” she continued, smirking. “You became so desperate to keep my husband by your side that you agreed to anything.”

Everything in me froze.

“…your husband?” I repeated slowly.

Vivianne’s smile widened.

“You really believed I was his Sister?” she said, almost pitying. “God, Heather… you’re more pathetic than I thought.”

My head snapped toward Adrian.

“Adrian…” I whispered. “What is she talking about?”

He didn’t answer nor did he even look at me.

His gaze dropped to the floor. And that’s when it clicked..

“You…” My voice cracked. “You were married to her this whole time?”

A suffocating silence followed.

“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling now. “Why would you do this to me?”

Adrian finally looked up.

There was a subtle glimpse of guilt in his eyes. He finally opened his mouth.. but Vivianne beat him to it.

“Oh please,” she scoffed. “Adrian was never married you.”

My world tilted.

“What…?”

“Well.. Your marriage was never filed,” she said smoothly. “So Legally? You were nothing.”

The words hit harder than anything else.

Two years… Two years of my life..

Everything I’ve known all these while were all lies..

I took a shaky step back, my body barely holding me up.

“No…” I whispered.

“And.. that prenup you signed?” She threw in casually “was actually a surrogacy form!” Her smile widened.

My head spun aggressively..

Why?

Why me?

What did I ever do to deserve this?

Vivianne tilted her head, watching me like I was entertainment.

“You see,” she continued casually, “Adrian loves me. Very much.”

Her fingers brushed his arm possessively.

“And I love him too but I wasn’t about to ruin THIS body by carrying a child.”

My stomach turned.

“So,” she went on, smiling, “he came up with a solution. You.”

I felt sick instantly.

“You were perfect,” she added. “No family. No background. No one to question anything.”

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

“So we made you believe your eggs were taken,” she said. “That you were getting IVF with them.”

She laughed again.

My heart shattered all over again.

“The baby you carried?” she said, her voice dropping slightly. “Belongs to me and Adrian.”

A deafening silence filled the room.

I let out a hollow, broken laugh.

“So for two years…” I said slowly, my voice barely holding, “you both strung me along like some kind of chess piece?”

Vivianne didn’t answer but her smile said everything.

Adrian, on the other hand… just looked away like he couldn’t bear to look at me.

But I didn’t care anymore. The only thing that mattered now was my child.

Blood or not, he was mine. I carried him, I felt him, I brought him into this world.. and I wasn’t leaving him behind.

Not even if it killed me.

I straightened slowly, ignoring the pain screaming through my body.

One hand curled into fists while the other shot up pointing at Vivianne.

“Listen carefully,” I said, my voice low but firm.

They both looked at me.

“I would rather die than let you have my child.”

Vivianne’s smile faltered slightly.

“He is mine,” I continued. “And I will take him and leave this place.”

My gaze hardened.

“And if you dare try to stop me…” I said quietly, “I will fucking kill you.”

Silence sat between us.. I could almost hear that cricket sound amidst my heavy breathing..

Then..

Vivianne smiled “Okay.”

I blinked “What?”

She stepped aside casually.

“Go,” she said lightly. “Didn’t you just say you were leaving?”

Confusion hit me instantly.

I glanced at Adrian, He looked just as surprised as I was.

This… was way too easy.

But I didn’t have the luxury to question it.

This was my chance and I had to take it.

Now!

Before they changed their minds.

I turned and forced my body forward, each step painful but driven by desperation.

I reached the door and grabbed the handle, i pulled it open… And froze.

Two hefty men stood unmoving outside.

Blocking the way completely.

My heart dropped.

Slowly… Very slowly.. I turned back.

Vivianne was laughing, a mocking sound

“You really thought,” she said between laughs, “that for a second… I’d let you take my child?”

My stomach twisted violently.

My eyes followed her hand which was raised slightly above her head and that’s when I saw it.

The syringe in her hand.

My blood ran cold.