Vanished, Like His Loyalty

"I'll accept the hospital's offer. I leave for Italvia in two weeks."Vanessa Jahn stood by the window, pregnancy report in hand.On the other end of the call, Rob Lambert, the hospital director, sounded thrown. "Wait—what? After all this time? I've been trying to get you on board for years."She let out a humorless laugh. "Guess it finally felt like time for a change. Anyway, I've got a lot to wrap up before I go. We'll catch up later."She hung up. The ache in her heart lingered as she glanced back down at the report.Vanessa was an excellent OB-GYN—respected, award-winning, top of her field. She could've gone anywhere, climbed as high as she wanted. But instead? She stayed put, kept her schedule light, made room for her boyfriend, Scott Fabel.Three years ago, Rob pitched her this same transfer—an overseas assignment, big promotion, the whole deal. And she'd turned it down without a second thought.Long-distance with Scott? No way.Until today.Scott's secretary hadn't just

When Vanessa got home, she took a hot shower to shake off the cold, then started packing.She folded her clothes into a suitcase and booked an international courier to pick it up.A housemaid noticed and asked, "Ma'am, going on a business trip?""No." Vanessa wasn't about to share her plans with anyone tied to Scott. She offered a quick excuse. "Just sending old clothes to charity.""You're always so kind. Oh, I made you some rice pudding—Mr. Fabel called earlier. He asked me to make it. Said it's your favorite."Of course, he did.Vanessa let out a quiet, bitter laugh.Scott. The master juggler. Balancing her and Cindy like some twisted circus act. Even while doting on his pregnant mistress, he still found time to play the "perfect boyfriend" card. No wonder everyone thought he was such a catch.All those years of her support and sacrifices, reduced to nothing more than background noise in his carefully curated image. She finally saw him for what he was—a good actor.Her gaze

The next day, Vanessa sold off all the jewelry, clothes, shoes, and handbags Scott had given her.Every dollar went to charities for women and kids in need. His dirty money wasn't going to stick to her.Over the next few days, Cindy's Bali pics kept popping up on social media. Sunsets, cocktails, poolside selfies—all with Scott's sickeningly sweet comments underneath.Vanessa printed each one and slid them into the growing pile.By day seven, Scott finally showed up.She was halfway through dinner when the front door opened, and there he was. Just seeing him made her stomach turn.He walked in with a shopping bag. Gifts. Seriously? He set it down on the table and leaned in for a kiss.Vanessa turned her head.Nope."Have you eaten? If not, sit down and eat first," she said, voice steady."No, I haven't. I came home specifically to eat with you."Vanessa looked up at him. "You're so good to me."The words dripped with sarcasm. But Scott? Clueless.In his head, she was still

Vanessa shot Cindy a mocking smile.In her head, Cindy was just another pretty girl who could probably do better if she put her energy into, you know, actual work instead of drama. But hey, if you didn't respect yourself, who else would?Cindy caught the look and turned red with fury. Out of nowhere, she clutched her stomach and leaned against the doorframe, her voice all weak and shaky. "S-Scott, my stomach... it hurts..."Scott turned at once, panic flashing across his face. Without hesitation, he jumped up and rushed straight to her, leaving Vanessa behind.Vanessa just sat there watching as Scott scooped Cindy up and bolted to find a doctor. Cindy, despite looking like she was about to pass out, somehow found the energy to smirk at Vanessa like she'd just won.Vanessa sighed, motioning for a nurse to come over and remove her IV. The rest of the meds? Yeah, not worth it. She wasn't sticking around for this circus.As she stepped out of the hospital, her phone buzzed. Cindy, of

On the morning of their eighth anniversary, Scott had planned a romantic day on a cruise, down to every last detail.When Vanessa woke up, he leaned in and kissed her forehead softly. "Happy anniversary, babe."The bed was scattered with rose petals, and pastel-colored balloons floated around the room.Vanessa sat up, her face calm as Scott smiled at her, full of tenderness. "Let's get ready for the cruise. You're going to love it. There's a fireworks show tonight, and I'll even catch some fresh fish for you. You always love it when I cook what I catch, right?"She didn't respond. Tonight, she'd be boarding a plane—leaving him, their life, and their lies behind for good. After this, they'd have nothing tying them together.Just as they stepped out of the villa, Scott's phone buzzed.Vanessa watched as he glanced at the screen, his Adam's apple shifting—an unmistakable sign of suppressed desire.He shoved the phone back into his pocket, guilt flickering across his face. "Somethin