His Student Sent Roses, I Sent Him to Prison

On Valentine's Day, my husband's student sent him roses, and I sent him to prison. My husband Julian Vane was promoted to professor. We didn't even have a wedding reception. Just signed the papers at the courthouse and called it done. But for this, he threw a party at our place to celebrate. Halfway through the evening, he pulled out a bouquet of roses his female grad student had given him and reached for the vase on the mantel. Without warning, I knocked the flowers from his hands, sent the vase crashing to the floor, and spoke into the stunned silence. "I want a divorce." Julian froze. Then fury flooded his face. "Seraphina, have you lost your mind? I'm putting flowers in a vase. Flowers from a student. What the hell is wrong with you?" His mother stepped forward immediately. "Julian just made professor. It's Valentine's Day. A student brought him flowers. So what? Are you really that insecure?" I looked at the scattered petals on the floor and said, word by word, "Yes. Because of these flowers. I want a divorce."

The room went dead silent. His father's face darkened. His mother's wine glass stopped halfway to her lips. My parents stared at me, completely lost. My mother recovered first and grabbed my wrist. "Sera, that's enough. This is Julian's night." Julian's expression shifted from shock to white-hot rage. His eyes burned with a fury that could incinerate me on the spot. "Say that again." I repeated it. Not loud, but clear enough to reach every person in the room. "I said I want a divorce." His mother slammed her glass on the side table and jabbed a finger in my face. "Have you completely lost it? Do you have any idea what tonight is supposed to be?" "Julian made professor. We're here to celebrate. And you're standing here making a scene. What the hell is your problem?" "My son works around the clock on his research. He can't even accept a bouquet of flowers?" I didn't look at her. My eyes stayed locked on Julian. His handsome face was twisted with outrage. "Over flowers? Seriously?" "Seraphina, are you really this insecure? I'm putting my student's flowers in a vase. That's all this is." My father cut in, his voice cold and hard. "Watch how you talk to my daughter." Julian shot him a look, took a breath, and forced his expression into something wounded and apologetic. He touched his mother's arm, then turned and faced my parents. "I'm sorry. I really am." "Seraphina's been under so much pressure at work. She's overwhelmed. Please don't hold this against her." "I'll talk to her." He reached for my arm. I stepped back. Julian's face softened into regret, his voice gentle now. "I'm sorry, babe. I've been so wrapped up in my promotion that I've been neglecting you. That's on me." "But they're just roses. You're reading too much into this. She's just a student." His older brother Dominic cut in, trying to smooth things over. "Sera, come on. This has to be a misunderstanding. Julian didn't mean anything by it. The girl gave him flowers. What was he supposed to do, throw them in the trash in front of her?" Dominic's wife Isabella nodded. "Seriously, Sera. I've met Sienna. Sweet girl. Very polite. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. Just let it go. Apologize to Julian and we can all move on." I looked around the room. My father and Julian's father stood with their arms crossed, frowning, silent. My mother's confusion had shifted into something else. She looked at me now with reproach. Classic Julian. A few careful sentences and suddenly I was the hysterical wife making a scene. I ignored his performance and pointed at the roses scattered across the floor. The scent was getting stronger. "You said these are just ordinary flowers. Right?" I stared into his eyes. "Then close every window and door in this room." "And stay here with me. Just you and me and these flowers. For one hour."

The color drained from Julian's face. He stepped back. His left thumb started rubbing his index finger and his whole body went rigid. That was his tell. He always did that when he was hiding something. His voice came out unsteady. His eyes wouldn't stay still. "What are you... what's the point of that?" I smiled, bent down, picked up a single petal, and held it out to him. "You said these were just ordinary roses. Didn't you?" Julian turned his face away and pressed his lips into a tight line. He didn't answer. His mother saw his reaction and jumped up from the couch. She grabbed a dustpan and brush from the hallway and marched toward the mess. "For God's sake! She's ruined everything! I'll clean this up myself since some people can't handle seeing their husband get a little attention." My mother was shaking with anger. "What's that supposed to mean?" I squeezed her shoulder and snapped at Beatrice. "Don't touch them." She flinched and froze. I grabbed the dustpan from her and tossed it aside. Then I stepped forward and backed Julian against the wall, trapping him between me and the wreckage. "Nervous?" "You said there's nothing wrong with these flowers. So what are you scared of?" My questions made his eyes dart away. He couldn't look at me. His father set down his drink, his face cycling through shades of gray. He slapped the arm of his chair. "That's enough! All of you! What the hell is this? We're supposed to be celebrating!" "Everyone calm down. Anyone who can't keep it together can leave!" Then he shot me a look heavy with meaning. I knew. That last part was meant for me. Just then, the doorbell rang. Julian practically lunged for the door, moving so fast he nearly tripped. The door flew open. Standing in the doorway was the student he'd called sweet and innocent. Sienna Brooke. She wore a white sundress and carried a gift bag with a bottle of wine and some fancy chocolates. Clearly meant for his parents. When she saw the scene inside, her face went pale. Her eyes filled with tears and her voice trembled. "Professor... Mrs. Vane... what happened?" "Is this... is this because of the flowers I brought? Did I upset you?" "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought roses. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. The florist said they were popular so I just..." "I'm so sorry to intrude. I should go." She walked into the living room, set down the gift bag, and turned to leave. A three-second task stretched into three minutes. "Hold on." Beatrice rushed over and threw Julian a reproachful look. She took Sienna's hand and guided her to the couch, then shot me a venomous glare. "Sweetheart, this has nothing to do with you. Some people are just petty and can't stand seeing anyone else get a little attention." In that moment of fussing and positioning, I caught the look Sienna threw me. Challenge. Triumph. I didn't acknowledge her. I simply said, "Get out." Julian stared at me in disbelief. His fists clenched. Veins stood out on his hands. "Seraphina! What exactly has she done wrong?" "She apologized for the roses! She's twenty years old. She's sweet and innocent. The florist recommended them. Why the hell are you taking this out on her?" "I'm warning you. Stop projecting your sick paranoia onto this girl." Beatrice stepped in front of Sienna like a shield. "I'd like to see you try. No one is kicking her out." She turned on me with full force. "Seraphina, you've been married to my son for five years. You haven't given us a single grandchild. And now you're treating a guest in this house like this." "All you do is lock yourself in that lab of yours, walking around like you've forgotten you're even a woman. You can't even do the one thing women are supposed to do. Marrying you was the biggest mistake this family ever made." "I always said there's something wrong with women who can't have children. Bitter to the core. Can't stand seeing anyone younger or prettier getting a little attention."

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" My father snapped. He stepped forward and put himself between us, glaring at Beatrice. "Your son Julian got down on his knees and begged me to let him marry my daughter." "And this is how your family treats her?" Alaric picked up his drink, perfectly composed. "Let's not get carried away, Arthur. What she said was out of line, but she's just upset." "This is between the women. We shouldn't get in the middle of it." One sentence. That's all it took to wave off his wife's attack as women's business. My father's chest heaved. I held him back and turned to Sienna. "You brought these flowers. You're telling me you don't know what's in them?" She blinked those big innocent eyes and played the wounded lamb. "Mrs. Vane, I don't understand. I bought them at a flower shop." "If you think something's wrong with them, I can call the shop right now and ask." She reached for her phone, making a production of it. I watched her performance with cold eyes. A few careful sentences and she'd wiped her hands clean, shifted the blame to the florist, painted me as paranoid to Julian, and positioned herself as the victim. Textbook manipulation. Sure enough, Julian stopped her and shot me a glare. "You're being paranoid. She doesn't have to prove anything to you." He walked up to me, grabbed my shoulders, and shook me. "Seraphina, are you done? You've embarrassed this entire family!" "Embarrassed?" I shoved his hands away. "You spent the whole night at your grad student's place helping her with her thesis. That wasn't embarrassing?" "That was work!" Julian roared. While we faced off, my mother slapped me. Her eyes were red with tears and full of disappointment. "Seraphina, is this what I raised you to be? Have you no shame? Apologize to Sienna. Now." My cheek burned. My whole body went cold. My mother hadn't even asked why. She'd taken their side and slapped me. Through the blur of tears I saw the smug satisfaction on Julian's face. He even raised an eyebrow. Behind Beatrice, Sienna's hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes went wide with practiced innocence. But deep down I saw it. Victory. Mockery. He thought he'd won. In his little script, I was supposed to be isolated, abandoned, defeated. Julian stood in front of me with a sneer. "Ready to admit you were wrong?" He jerked his chin toward Sienna and spoke in a tone that allowed no argument. "Get on your knees and apologize. Tell her you're unstable and you made false accusations. Do that, and we'll pretend tonight never happened." "Who the hell is going to make her kneel?" My father roared and pulled me behind him. But my mother grabbed his arm, sobbing. "Haven't you made enough of a scene? What's wrong with her apologizing?" "You want a divorce over something like this? You want the whole family to be a laughingstock?" I looked at my father, his eyes bloodshot from defending me. I looked at Julian and Sienna, basking in their victory. I gently moved my father's hand aside. Took a breath. Nodded. "Fine." I paused, then gave them what they wanted to hear. "I'll kneel. I'll apologize." The room went dead silent. Julian's expression froze. He hadn't expected me to fold. His voice softened, coaxing. "Sera, let's stop this. Let's just go back to the way things were. Okay?"

Watch? https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/2026061940kra2U9iD ? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "Novelix" app ? search for "ni071628", and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix