“Other women manage to bounce back quickly, so you could at least try harder because presentation is everything,” he responded as if my pain were an inconvenience.

He checked his watch and added that I should stay out of sight during the event because he could not afford distractions while building his reputation.

I watched him leave the room without another glance, and I held one of the babies close while whispering comfort that I also needed.

“You are safe, both of you are safe,” I murmured softly while rocking him gently.

Later, during the gala at the Grand Aurora Hotel, the ballroom shimmered with wealth and ambition while conversations floated like currency between powerful people.

Brandon moved confidently through the crowd shaking hands and smiling for attention, while I remained near the edge managing the stroller and soothing quiet cries as instructed.

At one point, Ethan, one of the twins, spit up on my shoulder, leaving a dark stain on the silk that made my stomach drop with embarrassment and fatigue.

Brandon noticed immediately and crossed the room with controlled anger, pulling me aside the moment we were out of sight.

“What is wrong with you, I told you to keep things under control tonight,” he hissed with frustration.

“He is a baby, and accidents happen no matter how careful I am,” I said quietly.

“You look terrible, and you are humiliating me in front of people who matter,” he snapped as his eyes focused on the stain.

“Go home because I cannot have you seen like this, and you are becoming a liability to everything I am building,” he added without hesitation.

Something inside me settled into a calm decision, not shattered but resolved, as if a door had quietly closed forever.

“All right, I will leave,” I said softly before turning away.

I did not look back as I stepped into the cool night air again, this time without any hesitation or doubt.

From the presidential suite upstairs, I placed the twins into their cribs and ordered a simple meal while the noise of the gala faded into the distance.

Then I began dismantling the illusion Brandon had built around himself, starting with financial accounts that froze instantly under my authority.

Company access disappeared next, followed by vehicle permissions and every asset connected to structures he never bothered to understand.