Semua Bab Married Twice, Loved Once : Bab 141 - Bab 150

Vivienne’s room was dim, curtains half-drawn against the afternoon sun. Her phone glowed in her hand as she scrolled mindlessly, thumb moving without really seeing anything.Her name still trended. Not loudly anymore. But quietly. Like a bruise that hadn’t healed.The door creaked open.“Vivienne?” her mother’s voice was gentle. Careful. “My dear… how are you doing?”Vivienne didn’t look up.Her mother stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “You’ve been very quiet these past few days. You’re not even arguing with anyone anymore.” She tried to smile. “That’s when I know something is wrong.”Still nothing.Her mother walked closer and sat beside her on the bed, reaching out to touch her arm. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”Vivienne finally lifted her eyes.They were dry. Too dry.“I’m going through a lot,” she said flatly.Her mother sighed softly, brushing Vivienne’s hair back the way she used to when she was a child. “Is this because of all that noise on the internet?” she asked.

9:00 AM. Carter Group Headquarters.Vivienne stepped out of the elevator and onto the executive floor. Usually, this was her runway the place where she walked with her head high, the rhythmic click-clack of her heels signaling productivity and power.Today, the hallway felt like a gauntlet.Every head turned. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Eyes darted away, then back again, filled not with the usual fear or respect, but with something far worse: amusement.She saw a junior analyst whisper to a secretary. She saw a board member quickly lock his phone screen as she passed.They know about the company, she told herself, tightening her grip on her handbag. They know about Dad’s debt. Just keep walking. Ignore them.She reached for the handle of her office door when her phone buzzed in her palm.She froze. It wasn’t a call. It was a WhatsApp message.Sender: UnknownMessage Type: View Once VideoHer heart hammered against her ribs. Against her better judgment, her thumb hovered over t

The television was muted, but the captions kept scrolling.LEAKED VIDEO ROCKS CARTER FAMILYCORPORATE HEIRESS AT CENTER OF SCANDALMr. Carter stood near the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring out at the city like it had personally betrayed him.Aria stood a few steps behind him, her arms folded tight across her chest.“Dad,” she said quietly, breaking the silence. “The video is everywhere. This isn’t just gossip blogs anymore. It’s mainstream news.”He didn’t turn.“I know,” he said flatly. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since dawn.”“So… what are we going to do?” Aria asked. “Because pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t working.”He exhaled sharply and finally turned around, his face hard.“There is nothing to do,” he said. “Vivienne has disgraced this family. Publicly. Permanently.”Mrs. Carter, seated on the couch, shot to her feet. “Richard, please—don’t say it like that. She’s still our daughter. She’s hurting.”“Hurting?” he snapped, spinning toward her. “Please don’t

The rain was deafening, a relentless drumbeat against the asphalt of the bridge.Aria dropped the umbrella. It tumbled away in the wind, cartwheeling across the road, useless. She didn’t care. She ran the last few steps, grabbing Vivienne by the arm just as she swayed dangerously close to the edge.“Vivienne! Stop!” Aria screamed, her voice tearing through the storm.Vivienne turned, her face a mask of ruined mascara and despair. She looked small. Broken. The fierce, untouchable executive was gone, replaced by a shivering girl who had lost everything.“Aria?” Vivienne choked out. “Go away. You shouldn’t be here. I’m toxic. Dad said… Dad said I’m dead to him.”“He didn’t mean it,” Aria lied, pulling Vivienne away from the railing and into a crushing embrace. “He’s just angry. He loves you. We all love you.”Vivienne collapsed into her sister’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She clung to Aria’s cardigan, her body shaking with cold and grief.“I ruined it,” Vivienne wailed against Aria’s

12:45 AM. St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Island.The waiting room smelled of antiseptic, floor wax, and cold, recycled air. It was a smell Aria knew she would never forget.She sat on a hard plastic chair, huddled under Damian’s trench coat. Her clothes were still damp, sticking uncomfortably to her skin, but she refused to go home. She couldn’t leave. Not until she knew the outcome.Damian stood by the vending machine, speaking in hushed tones to Max, likely managing the press storm that was gathering outside the hospital gates. The double doors at the entrance flew open.Mr. and Mrs. Carter burst in.They looked nothing like the New York elite. Mrs. Carter was wearing a silk robe over her pajamas, her feet in house slippers, her face devoid of makeup and streaked with fresh tears. Mr. Carter trailed behind her, his usually impeccable posture collapsed, looking like a man walking to his own execution.“Where is she?” Mrs. Carter screamed, her voice echoing in the quiet room. “Where is