Everyone in New York said Seraphina Blackwood was a rose armed with thorns, and that I was the only one for whom she’d ever retracted them. What they didn’t know was that being Seraphina’s husband meant accepting her harem. It meant becoming numb as she brought home man after man. It meant watching her fall for a charismatic new house manager, Leo, who then set about making rules for the entire Blackwood estate. He didn’t just cancel my credit cards, throw out my clothes, and take my car keys. He instituted a ten-dollar daily allowance for me and an 8 PM curfew. Even when the hospital called with a critical alert at 8:01 PM, he had the security guards block my path. “My mother is having a heart attack,” I explained, my voice tight with a patience I didn’t feel. “I have to get to the hospital. Now.” Leo was unmoved. “House rules, Ethan. No one leaves after eight. Not even if your mother is dying.” I trembled with a rage so profound it felt like a fever. I spun around, found Seraphina, and begged her to let me go. She regarded me with a cool indifference. “As long as you’re my husband, you can’t break Leo’s rules.” Staring at the woman I had loved for ten years, I felt like I was looking at a stranger. If that was the case, then this was a title I was more than ready to surrender. 1 The front door was a wall of impassive bodies in black suits. My legs felt weak, my hands shaking as I dialed the hospital’s number again. “Please, just start treatment. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” “But sir…” Before I could hear the rest, a hand slapped the phone from my grasp. It clattered across the marble floor. “House rules,” Leo chirped. “No shouting in the residence.” The phone lay shattered, its screen a spiderweb of blackness. I scooped up the dead pieces, my vision blurring with helpless tears. “Who are you putting on that long face for?” Leo pouted, turning as if to leave. “Is it because you’re not happy with my rules? If your husband doesn’t want me here, Seraphina, I can just go.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Seraphina murmured. She hooked an arm around his neck, planting soft kisses on his cheek. “My darling manager, who in this house would dare disobey you?” Her voice dropped, turning icy as her fingers clamped onto my chin, forcing my head up. “Ethan. Smile.” My mother’s face flashed in my mind. I couldn’t afford to provoke her. I stretched my lips into a grimace that felt more like a sob. “My mom is in critical condition, Seraphina. Please, just let me go see her.” My voice cracked. “She was in that car accident last year trying to protect you. You can’t just let her…” For a moment, something shifted in her eyes. A flicker of guilt. She looked at Leo, her tone careful. “My love, maybe just this once?” “No.” Leo twisted out of her embrace, crossing his arms as he plopped onto the sofa. “It’s a heart attack, not a death sentence. You’re overreacting.” He glared at her. “You promised me when you brought me here that everyone in this house would listen to me. Everyone.” His voice rose to a childish whine. “If you let him get away with this, you’re not sleeping in my bed tonight.” “Alright, alright.” Seraphina shook her head, a sigh of exasperated affection on her lips. She walked over and sat right on his lap, tickling his sides. Leo erupted in giggles, his eyes, full of triumphant malice, locking with mine over her shoulder. Bringing his lover into our home, allowing him to grind my dignity into the dust. I’d lost count of how many times I’d endured scenes like this. I could feel the pitying stares of the household staff, a wave of desperate powerlessness washing over me. I clenched my fists, the nails digging into my palms. I found my voice, and it was steadier than I expected. “Seraphina,” I said. “Let’s get a divorce.” If I wasn’t her husband, I could walk out that door. 2 The atmosphere in the living room dropped twenty degrees. You could hear a pin drop. Seraphina’s expression turned to ice. A cruel smirk touched her lips. “Are you kidding me, Ethan? You’re threatening me with a divorce?” Her voice was low, dangerous. “Where was all this backbone when your father was on his deathbed, begging my family to take you in?” An invisible hand seemed to close around my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs. The memories flooded back, sharp and unwelcome. My father was the Blackwoods’ driver. Ten years ago, when Seraphina’s father was ambushed, my dad took the bullet meant for him. Lying in a hospital bed, Mr. Blackwood asked him what he wanted. Anything. My father’s voice was a faint whisper. “Just… promise my son will always have a place… a home.” Back then, Seraphina and I were inseparable, childhood sweethearts. When she heard my dad had passed, she’d held me while I cried, her own tears soaking my shirt. “Don’t worry, Ethan,” she’d vowed. “I’ll take care of you for the rest of our lives. As long as I’m here, no one will ever hurt you.” Promises, scattered like ashes on the wind. Seraphina, you’re the one hurting me the most. Watching her coo at the man in her lap, I felt a pain so sharp it was like a physical blow. I forced down the acidic burn of grief in my throat. When I remained silent, she stroked my hair as if I were a pet. “Until the papers are signed, you’re my husband. And that’s that.” I knew what that meant. As long as she refused, no lawyer in New York would dare process our divorce. There was only one way. I braced myself and made a run for the door. Crack. The sting of the slap exploded across my cheek, my head snapping to the side. “I told you,” Leo said, his voice sing-song, as his men intercepted me. “No one breaks the rules.” Seeing his smug, triumphant face, something inside me finally broke. I lunged, grabbing the collar of his silk shirt. “Who the hell do you think you are? If anything happens to my mother, I swear to God I will end you.” I tightened my grip on his throat, but before I could do anything more, a brutal kick from Seraphina sent me flying. My head slammed against the corner of the coffee table. Pain bloomed behind my eyes, and the world tilted, threatening to go black. “Take him to the wine cellar,” Seraphina’s voice echoed from a great distance. “Let him think about what he’s done.” Hands dragged me like a sack of garbage down the stairs and threw me into the cold, damp dark. No matter how hard I pounded on the heavy oak door, no one answered. I slid down to the floor, defeated. The image of my mother, frail and struggling for breath in a hospital bed, finally shattered my control. The sobs came, ragged and torn from my chest. Knock, knock, knock. A soft tapping at the door. Through the small, barred window, a hand appeared. “Mr. Ethan,” a gentle voice whispered. “You must eat something.” It was Maria, our housekeeper. She’d known me since I was a boy, loved me like her own son. “Maria, please,” I begged, my voice hoarse. “You have to let me out. I have to get to the hospital.” “Sir, I can’t,” she whispered back, her voice thick with regret. She pulled up her sleeve, and even in the dim light, I could see the faint, crisscrossing lines of old scars on her arm. A warning. “…Thank you,” I choked out. I wouldn’t put her in jeopardy. I slumped back to the floor, staring at the dry roll and bottle of water she’d left. Ever since Leo arrived, my food budget was ten dollars a day. This had become my staple meal. Meanwhile, he had Seraphina taking him to Michelin-star restaurants every night. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. The husband of New York’s wealthiest woman, living worse than a stray dog on the street. 3 I didn’t sleep. The moment they let me out the next morning, I raced to the hospital, my mind a frantic blur of anxiety. My mother was lying in bed, her breathing shallow and labored. Tears streamed down my face as I stumbled to her side, taking her hand. “Mom, I’m here. I’m so sorry.” “Mr. Hayes, you’re finally here.” Her doctor entered the room, his expression grave. “We managed to stabilize her last night, but her condition has worsened. She needs surgery.” “Then do it! Whatever it takes!” The doctor sighed, shaking his head. “The funds in your account have been frozen. The hospital can’t proceed without payment. We need at least two hundred thousand dollars to begin.” The words hit me like a physical blow. The world went fuzzy at the edges. Seraphina had cut off my mother’s medical funding. All for this sick game with Leo. My mother tugged weakly at my sleeve, her eyes pleading. “Son, don’t… don’t go begging her for me.” I shook my head, my tears falling onto her hand. “You’re all I have left, Mom. I’m going to get you through this. I promise.” My vision was so blurred I didn’t see the tears welling in her own eyes, or the lingering, loving way she watched me as I ran from the room. I burst back into the house to find Seraphina coaxing Leo to eat his breakfast. The table was a decadent battlefield of food. Freshly squeezed juices, artisanal breads, soy milk for him, an entire filet mignon with a side of caviar. The stark contrast, the image of my dying mother, sent a surge of pure rage through me. “Seraphina!” I stormed toward them. “Why did you stop my mother’s medical payments?” She looked up, genuinely surprised. “What are you talking about? I never…” “I did,” Leo said, wiping his mouth with a linen napkin. He looked at me, his eyes dripping with arrogance. “Your daily discretionary spending is ten dollars, Ethan. If your mother needs medical care, perhaps you should go out and earn the money yourself.” I was shaking. I turned to Seraphina, my voice a strangled whisper. “You’re just going to let him do this?” “Leo…” she began, a hint of protest in her voice. “Maybe…” He cut her off before she could finish. “Are you going to coddle him again?” He shot to his feet, the chair screeching against the floor. “You promised me! You said the whole house listens to me now! If your husband can just override my rules whenever he wants, then what am I even doing here? I’m leaving!” Seraphina immediately grabbed his arm. “Okay, okay, you’re right. I’m sorry. We’ll do it your way.” I stared at them, a chasm opening in my chest. This was the woman I had loved for a decade. My mother and I were nothing more than props in the game she played to appease her latest conquest. My eyes swept over the feast on the table. A wild, desperate laugh bubbled up from my throat. “You preach austerity to us, Leo, but look at you. If I’m not mistaken, that suit you’re wearing is a runway piece. It costs more than a car.” He sniffed, completely unbothered. “The rules are for the Blackwood family. I’m not a Blackwood.” “Do you have any idea how hard people work for a living? The water you drink, the food you waste in one meal, could feed a family for a month.” I saw the custom-tailored suit, the diamond pin on his lapel, and the rage boiled over. I lunged, my hands closing around his throat. The next thing I knew, my head snapped back, my cheek burning. Seraphina had hit me with all her strength, knocking me to the ground. She was already fussing over Leo, gently rubbing his neck where my fingers had been. She looked down at me, her face a mask of fury. “I told you, Ethan. No one is allowed to hurt Leo.” Leo, rubbing his neck theatrically, sneered. “You want money? Go earn it.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me out to the car. “Tonight,” he said with a malicious grin, “I’m giving you special permission to come home after eight.” 4 He took me to an exclusive lounge in SoHo, a playground for the city’s trust-fund kids. Seeing my pale, drawn face, Leo’s grin widened. “A little self-reliance will do you good. Go on. Pour some drinks, shine some shoes. You might earn a few tips.” He pushed me forward. “When you’ve got the two hundred grand, you can go save your mommy.” Before I could resist, his guards shoved me into the main hall. For my mother, I swallowed my pride. I knelt on the plush carpet, the humiliation a burning stone in my gut, and began shining shoes. A polished leather loafer tipped my chin up. A wad of hundred-dollar bills slapped against my already swelling cheek. “Well, well. Isn’t this Seraphina Blackwood’s husband? How the mighty have fallen.” “Pathetic. Can’t even keep his own wife interested. Guess you can put a crow in a palace, but it’s still just a crow.” “You guys haven’t seen her new boy toy. I heard last week she bought out an entire charity auction for him. Just to see him smile. Dropped ten million without blinking…” Every word was a poisoned dart, piercing my heart. My mother’s life wasn’t even worth a fraction of that to her. I moved numbly from one sneering heir to the next, my body aching, but the pile of bills grew with agonizing slowness. I was nowhere near two hundred thousand. Black spots danced in my vision. I was about to pass out. Then, a familiar pair of designer shoes stopped in front of me. “Still working hard for your dying mom?” Leo crouched down, patting my cheek condescendingly. “You know, you’ve been such a good sport, I think I’ll put on a little show for you. I think you’ll really like it.” I didn’t understand. He produced a small, ornate box. He opened it, took a pinch of grayish-white powder, and tossed it into the air. “We’ll call this one… ‘Confetti.’” A cold, terrible premonition crawled up my spine. I clutched my chest, a dull ache starting to throb there. “Leo… what is that?” He feigned a gasp, his eyes dancing with mirth. “Oh, my. I thought you two were so close. Don’t you even recognize your own mother’s ashes?” He laughed. “So pretty, isn’t it? Like fireworks.” He grabbed another handful and blew it into my face. The fine dust filled my lungs, and I broke into a violent coughing fit. “You should thank me,” he cooed. “I’ve arranged a little mother-son reunion for you.” My world narrowed to a single point of roaring terror. I fumbled for my phone, my fingers clumsy and shaking, and dialed the hospital. Every ring felt like an eternity. My vision swam with tears, blurring everything into meaningless shapes. When someone finally answered, my voice was a broken, unrecognizable thing. “The doctor… my mother… where is she?” There was a pause on the other end. “Mr. Hayes? Your mother was cremated this morning.” The voice was hesitant, professional. “She passed away last night from cardiac arrest. We tried calling you and Ms. Blackwood, but no one answered. Finally, Ms. Blackwood’s personal assistant took the call.” The voice continued, but I could barely hear it over the blood rushing in my ears. “He told us to proceed with the cremation as quickly as possible.” I stared at the box in Leo’s hand, a wave of nausea and grief so immense it threatened to drown me. A metallic taste filled my mouth. That box… it was really my mother. Leo met my gaze, his smile splitting his face. “You and your mother are both such fools. All I did was show her a little video of you on your knees, shining shoes for strangers. The old woman just… popped. Heart gave out right then and there.” He giggled. “Honestly, it’s better this way. You two can be together in hell.” “Leo,” I screamed, a sound torn from the deepest part of my soul. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!” The grief was a tidal wave, and I was lost in it. I launched myself at him, my fist connecting with his jaw in a satisfying crunch of bone. If what he said was true… I couldn’t even imagine my mother’s final moments, seeing that video, her heart breaking for me… “Seraphina, help! He’s trying to kill me!” Leo shrieked. A second later, a powerful kick sent me sprawling. I rolled, my head cracking against a table leg. The room spun violently. “Ethan, have you lost your mind?!” Seraphina’s voice, sharp with fury. 5 Seraphina helped Leo to his feet, cradling him as if he were a priceless treasure. When she turned to me, her face was twisted with disgust. “Leo was being kind. He came here to bring you the money for the hospital fees, and this is how you repay him?” The world went silent. Colors faded. All I could see was the small box, now lying on its side, half its precious contents spilled on the carpet. I stumbled toward it, my only thought to gather what was left. Before I could reach it, Seraphina’s foot shot out, kicking the box across the room. “What is this filthy thing?” Leo, feigning innocence, just shook his head. “I have no idea. Maybe it’s some trash he picked up off the street.” Seraphina’s eyes narrowed at me, her contempt a physical thing. “Look at you, Ethan. Do you have any idea how pathetic you look? You’re supposed to be the husband of the most powerful woman in this city.” As I watched, horrified, she walked over to the trash can and emptied the rest of the ashes into it. She then smashed the beautiful wooden box on the floor, where it splintered into a dozen pieces. The sound shattered the last piece of my heart. I fell to my knees, staring at her through a waterfall of tears. A laugh, ragged and broken, escaped my lips. “You say I don’t look like your husband?” My voice rose to a scream. “And you? Do you look anything like a wife? Like a daughter-in-law?” She looked momentarily stunned, shocked by my outburst. I scrambled on the floor, trying desperately to scoop up the scattered ashes. But my tears fell, mixing with the dust, turning it into a gray paste that stuck to my fingers. I couldn’t save her. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I wept. “I’m so, so sorry…” “Ethan.” Seraphina took a step toward me, a flicker of concern on her face. “GET AWAY FROM ME!” I shoved her back with all my strength. “I hate you! Don’t you dare touch me! I hate you!” She stumbled, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Seraphina, are you okay?” Leo rushed to her side. He pointed a shaking finger at me. “You see? He’s ungrateful! After everything the Blackwood family has given him! Without you, he’d be nothing!” “Nothing?” I cradled the splintered remains of the box, a crazed grin spreading across my face. A grin of pure, unadulterated despair. This life of constant fear, of being unable to even protect my own mother… I was done. I was so, so done. “What are you laughing at? You think I’m wrong?” Leo’s voice was shrill. “Fine. Let me show you what your life was supposed to be.” He yanked me to my feet. Seraphina, looking lost and confused, followed us out to the car. We drove for what felt like an hour, ending up on a desolate, forgotten street in the outer boroughs. The stench of garbage and urine filled the air. Men with hollow eyes and dirty clothes stared out from shadowy alleyways, their gazes hungry. “See that?” Leo sneered, shoving me out of the car. “This is where you belong. Without the Blackwoods, you’d be just like them.” He slammed the door. “You can stay here for three days. Get a real taste of what it’s like to earn a living.” Seraphina frowned. “Leo, this place… it’s too much.” “What, you feel sorry for your husband now?” he mocked. She sighed, her expression softening as she looked at me through the window. “Ethan. I’ll send someone to pick you up in three days.” I met her eyes, my own gaze cold and empty. “Seraphina. Promise me you won’t let anything happen to Maria.” She looked startled for a second, then nodded slowly. The Maybach sped away, leaving me in a cloud of dust. Before the dust even settled, the figures from the alley swarmed me, pushing me to the ground. They tore at my clothes, their hands grabbing for anything that might be valuable. Fists rained down on my face and body. My arms were pinned. I couldn’t move. I thought of my mother. Of her ashes in a trash can. And for the first time, I welcomed the darkness. I closed my eyes, and I gave up. A second later, a warm spray spattered across my face.
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