The Wind We Once Held

My father's illegitimate son, Julian Boyle, bullied me throughout my adolescence. When Vivian Cross learned what he had done, she ignored years of cooperation between our families and handed Julian over to Roxanne Pierce, the most notorious older woman in Grayhaven's private social circle. At night, Vivian made me listen to Julian's screams while I bit into her arm to release the terror I had carried for years. "Do not be afraid. I will always stand behind you." Eight years later, Julian delivered our son to that same woman, leaving the boy critically injured. I went mad searching for Vivian, only to find her outside the office she had always forbidden me to enter, tangled with Julian. Julian knelt at her feet. "Vivian, my brother will come demanding answers. Are you going to send me away again?" Vivian tipped her head back, her breath unsteady. "Our son has only suffered a minor injury. If Adrian harms you by an inch, I will return it to him a hundredfold." I could not watch another second. My hands shook as I took out my phone. On our wedding day, she had sworn that if she ever betrayed me, she would spend the rest of her life paying for it. Then so be it, Vivian. From this moment forward, neither of us would know peace.