The price was steep. I paid with my body and my unborn child. But it was better than rotting by Evan's side, wasting my life as a glorified prisoner.
From this moment on, he would never see me bow again. He had lost the power to make me admit defeat.
Watching the oxygen return to my flushing face, Evan finally faltered. His grip loosened. He turned away, unable to meet the cold emptiness in my eyes.
He spoke only one sentence, his voice low and devoid of warmth.
"Alice, you brought this on yourself."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "That we've reached this point today... it's all your own making."
His gaze was obscured by the shadow of his lashes, impossible to read. Yet his coldness triggered memories I thought I'd buried.
Years ago, Catherine had despised me for my poverty. She would vent her rage on me with her cane or her sharp tongue. Back then, Evan always stood in front of me. He was my shield.
We had weathered so many storms to be together. I remembered how he used to hold me, his voice filled with a tenderness that now seemed like a hallucination.
"Alice, I'll cherish you forever. I'll protect you and give you all the warmth and happiness you deserve."
How could we have known back then? How could we have predicted that one day, Evan would hate me to the bone? A single misunderstanding had become a chasm we could no longer cross.
But the past is like smoke—it scatters with the slightest breeze.
When I looked up again, Evan was gone. He left me nothing but an empty room.
Night deepened, suffocating the house in silence. I sat on the edge of the bed, sleep eluding me until dawn.
At noon the next day, Catherine delivered the divorce certificate, just as promised. She remained true to her cruel word regarding the settlement. The cash, the jewelry, the accessories—everything stayed. Aside from the clothes on my back, she left me with nothing.
While Mr. Porter inventoried the items to ensure I took nothing of value, the television began broadcasting the latest gossip involving the Delgado heir.
Evan was hosting a pool party at the hillside villa.
On the screen, bikini-clad women danced around him, a scene of utter decadence. Bonnie smiled brightly at the camera, her voice dripping with malice.