The day I found out Ethan Sterling had a new mistress, I slapped her until her face was raw. I stripped her and threw her onto the street. In return, he personally broke my right hand, the hand I used to play the piano, and threw the divorce papers in my face. For the next two years, he protected her with his life, while I refused to let either of them go. Even when he promised to sign away every single penny of his fortune to get a clean divorce, I refused to swallow my pride. Until I caught them in bed together once again. He casually buckled his belt. And right in front of me, he shattered his own right hand with a heavy brass statue. He held his bloody hand up to my face. "Is this enough? If not, I can break the other one too." He lit a cigarette and continued in a cold, detached voice. "Chloe is pregnant." "She's in fragile health. This might be our only chance to have a child." "Your mother was a lunatic who committed murder the very day your stepmother got pregnant and replaced her." "You carry her blood, Scarlett. I'm not risking my child's life." He let out a bitter laugh. "Scarlett Vance, if you refuse to sign the divorce papers, fine. I'll stay tied to you. But you must promise me one thing: never hurt Chloe again. Deal?" I stood there, feeling like a pathetic clown frozen in place. Suddenly, the scar on my chest, the one I got from taking a knife for him years ago, began to ache violently, as if the wound had been ripped wide open. I clutched my chest. "I promise you." You want a divorce so badly? Fine. I'll give it to you.
"Since you've agreed, you should head back first. I want to stay and keep her company for a while." I froze. "What is it?" He turned back to look at me. "I'm going to be tied to you for the rest of my life anyway. Are you still not satisfied?" On the bed, Chloe Thorne looked at me with tear-filled, red eyes. "Scarlett, I'll never win against you in this lifetime." "Can't you just let us have this one tiny moment of peace?" Both of them stared at me. Their eyes were filled with sadness, longing, helplessness, and resentment. "Sure," I smiled. "Do whatever you want." Ethan froze, visibly caught off guard. I turned around and walked away without looking back. Ethan was a man of his word. He returned to our penthouse before midnight that night. His right hand was wrapped tightly in thick white gauze. He didn't look at me. But I was the one who stopped him. "Sign this." I placed the divorce papers on the table in front of him. He paused right before entering the bathroom. He looked at me, a flicker of shock crossing his face. "This is the first draft you sent me." "I only modified the property division clause." "I'm leaving with absolutely nothing." I placed the pen on top of the documents. He frowned. "Do you think throwing a tantrum like this will make me feel sorry for you?" I smiled. I flipped to the last page of the agreement. Right above his name. My signature was already written in clear, bold ink. "You don't have to worry. I've done everything required on my end." "The moment you sign, we can go to the lawyer's office first thing in the morning and finalize this." He stared at me, completely stunned. In the past, he was always the one who signed the papers, pressed his ink-stained thumbprints, and forced me to sign. His Adam's apple bobbed. "Are you sure about this?" I nodded. This time, a strange look of unease flashed in his eyes. "Can you really let me go?" I paused for a brief second. "Yes." He gripped the pen so tightly his knuckles turned white. A five-year marriage. And it was ending in such an ordinary, quiet way. "I'll split the assets fifty-fifty with you," he said. I shook my head. "Let's just leave it like this." "But..." "I don't want any connection with you anymore. Not even financial." He went stiff. He stared into my eyes for a long time, searching for something. But he never got the look he wanted. Using his left hand, he signed his name on the divorce papers. The moment he set the pen down, I snatched the papers back. "Thank you." "I wish you and Chloe a happy life together." My suitcase had been packed hours ago. I dragged it out of the bedroom. "Are you leaving right now?" "Yes." He glanced at the heavy rain pouring down the windowpane. "It's storming outside. You can stay one last night." "No need." I opened the front door. He opened his mouth, hesitating. "Scarlett." I stopped. "I'll drive you." Without waiting for my answer, he grabbed his car keys and walked out. I stood there holding my suitcase. I opened my mouth to refuse, but he had already disappeared into the elevator toward the garage. Whatever. A free ride wouldn't hurt. Our marriage had been ugly for so many years. Let's just consider this a final speck of dignity we could give each other. The driver arrived quickly. Ethan and I sat side by side in the back seat. I sat on his left. In the quiet cabin of the car, his uninjured left hand brushed against my right hand. I pulled away instantly. But he grabbed my wrist, tightening his grip. "Scarlett." He kept his eyes on the road ahead. "Do you really loathe me so much that you won't even let me touch you?" "We signed the papers, Ethan." I struggled to pull my hand back. But his grip only grew tighter. His throat cleared. "We don't have to get a divorce." I looked at him in sheer disbelief. Suddenly, the driver slammed on the brakes. "Mr. Sterling, look ahead..."
At the right front of the car. Chloe was standing in the middle of a puddle, wearing a white dress. She had no umbrella. She wasn't even wearing shoes. Her eyes were red as she stared at our car. The hand gripping my wrist let go instantly. Ethan threw the car door open. I watched him wrap his coat around Chloe's shivering shoulders. His lips moved, but his voice was completely swallowed by the sound of the torrential rain. Chloe sobbed and threw herself into his arms, her shoulders shaking violently. Then, Ethan helped her over to my side of the car. He opened the door. He looked down at me coldly. "Scarlett, get out." Chloe's eyes were rimmed with red. She leaned softly against his chest, looking at me. As if to assert her dominance, she snuggled deeper into his warmth. "Didn't you hear me?" Ethan repeated, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature. "I said, get out of the car." The driver helped me take my suitcase out of the trunk. I stood in the pouring rain, holding the handle of my bag. The driver turned around. "Mr. Sterling, should we leave Miss Vance an umbre..." Before he could finish the word "umbrella," Ethan had already climbed into the back seat, holding Chloe in his arms. "Drive." He carefully wiped the rain off Chloe's face. I didn't know if he even heard the driver's question. The car sped away. The muddy water splashed by the tires soaked the hem of my dress. It was sticky. It clung to my calves, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Whenever Chloe appeared, his eyes would only ever be on her. I had learned this lesson the hard way two years ago. He was no longer the Ethan Sterling who once fought side-by-side with me, the man who was willing to die for me. I looked up, letting the cold rain pelt my face. And I laughed. The divorce was finalized the next morning at the lawyer's office. Ethan was in a rush the entire time. The moment we got the stamped papers, he couldn't wait to leave. "Chloe is sick. I won't be able to drive you back." He didn't look back. And he didn't wait for my response. He just vanished. But it didn't matter. Where I was going next had nothing to do with him anyway. At 3:00 PM. I stood punctually at the entrance of the clinic. The doctor sighed repeatedly as she looked at my chart. "Are you absolutely sure you want to abort this baby?" "You've suffered so many physical traumas over the years, leaving you with severe complications. It will be incredibly difficult for you to get pregnant again in the future." "I am sure," I replied quietly. "Does Mr. Sterling know about this?" "He doesn't." The doctor glanced at me, giving another long sigh. She turned to prepare for the procedure. "You shouldn't be too angry with Mr. Sterling." "Five years ago, if Miss Thorne hadn't taken that knife for him, Mr. Sterling would have died long ago." I raised my head, my heart stopping. "Chloe Thorne took a knife for Ethan?" "Yes." The doctor wrote on her clipboard without looking up. "It happened across the ocean. The hitmen sent by his rivals wanted him dead. Mr. Sterling was already unconscious. Thank god Miss Thorne was there." "Mr. Sterling is only doing all this to repay his debt of gratitude." I slowly placed my hand over my chest. "What's wrong, Miss Vance? Is your chest hurting?" I smiled and shook my head. "During your physical exam, I noticed a massive, through-and-through scar right over your heart. Are you sure you're okay?" I shook my head again. "I'm fine." "It's an old wound." A day ago, I might have rushed to Ethan to tell him the truth. I would have forced him to kick Chloe out of his life. But now? I no longer had the energy to fight him over love or hate. In three days. I would board a flight out of the country. For the rest of my life, I would never have anything to do with Ethan Sterling again. As I was packing all my travel documents, I realized Ethan's passport was still in my bag. Back then, to keep him bound to me, I had forced him to hand over his passport. I kept it right next to mine. Wherever he went, I had to follow. Now, it was time to give it back.
Sterling Group Headquarters. The security code to Ethan's private office floor hadn't been changed yet. I entered the code and pushed the door open. The first person I saw was Chloe. She was holding a freshly brewed cup of coffee for Ethan. The moment she saw me, she let out a sharp shriek. The hot coffee spilled all over her designer dress. The massive mahogany desk was right behind her. She backed up until she had nowhere to go, staring at me with sheer terror. "Scarlett... Miss Vance, what are you doing here?" It was always like this. Every single time she ran into me, she would put on this terrified, innocent act. In the past, I would have grabbed her arm and snarled at her to stop acting. But now, I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. "Give this to him." I reached into my bag and walked toward her. Suddenly, she grabbed her head and crouched down, screaming. "No! Please don't hurt me!" "Don't pull my hair! Don't rip my clothes off! Don't throw me onto the street again!" "I won't try to steal Ethan from you anymore!" "I beg you, Miss Vance!" Before I could even react, hurried footsteps rushed in from behind. A hand grabbed my arm and shoved me violently. My knees slammed hard against the marble floor. For a moment, the pain was so sharp I couldn't even stand up. Ethan stood tall, shielding Chloe behind his back like a protective wall. "What do you think you're doing!" Chloe sobbed behind him, weakly clutching the fabric of his suit jacket. "Haven't you traumatized Chloe enough? Are you trying to hurt her in my office now!" Ethan glared at me. His eyes looked as if he were staring at a deadly enemy. Chloe began to tremble right on cue. "Don't... please don't let her hurt me..." I let out a soft laugh. "Stop acting, Miss Thorne. True PTSD doesn't look like this." Chloe froze. Ethan's brows furrowed deeply. "What right do you have to say that?" "Oh, I have every right." I smiled up at him. After taking a blade straight through my chest to save him, I was dragged away by his rivals and tortured for three days and three nights. I was the one who developed severe PTSD. I didn't have the energy to scream. I couldn't even cry. I could only curl up in a dark corner. I was terrified of the light, terrified of people, and terrified of any sound. Even the mere sound of a doctor opening the door would make me shake uncontrollably. Whenever I thought of what they did to me, I would lose my mind. True trauma didn't look like a pretty, fragile girl crying beautifully for sympathy. But to this day, I never had the courage to tell Ethan any of this. "Enough!" Ethan interrupted me coldly. "You've never experienced trauma in your life. What gives you the right to say Chloe is faking it!" "Scarlett, I promised to stay with you for the rest of my life!" "You were the one who demanded a divorce!" "Why are you stalking us now? What do you want!" My hand reached back into my purse. "What are you doing!" In a flash, Ethan pulled a sleek black gun from his holster and pointed it directly at the space between my eyebrows. I held up his passport, extending it toward him. He froze. The gun slowly lowered. He snatched the passport from my hand. "You're free now." I turned around to leave. Suddenly, my vision went pitch black, and my body swayed. A strong hand firmly grabbed my arm, keeping me steady. Ethan stared at me, his eyes dark. "Why is your face so pale?" I shoved his hand away. "It's nothing." I walked down to the lobby of the Sterling building. As I was waiting for my ride, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. "Scarlett!" Ethan was slightly out of breath. I turned around. "Are you leaving the country?" "Yes." His Adam's apple bobbed. "Have a safe flight." I nodded. "About today... I'm sorry." "Okay." "If you ever need help in the future... I'm still here." "Thank you." A cab pulled up in front of me. I got in and didn't look back. My flight was scheduled for that very night. But just as I was about to leave my apartment, the front door was violently kicked open. Before I could breathe, Ethan's hand clamped around my throat, slamming me hard against the wall. "Chloe's baby is dead."
His eyes were bloodshot. The hand clutching my throat was shaking with rage. "Didn't you say you wanted a divorce? Didn't you want to be free?" "I told you I would stay with you forever if you wanted! I compromised, didn't I?" "Why did you lie to me while secretly hiring someone to push Chloe down the stairs!" My fingernails dug into his left hand, scratching him until he bled. But he didn't loosen his grip even a fraction. "That was her only chance to have a baby!" "That was our only child, Scarlett!" "Why... why did you do it?!" His hand tightened brutally. My lips instantly turned blue from the lack of oxygen. "I... I didn't..." With a violent swing, he threw me to the side. I crashed heavily onto the floor. Suddenly, a wave of intense heat washed over me. I scrambled up and looked out the window. "Ethan! What are you doing!" Outside the villa, towering flames were devouring the building. I instinctively tried to run toward the exit. But he grabbed my wrist, pulling me back with terrifying strength. "Scarlett, you destroyed her only hope of living." "So don't even think about living either." A pair of heavy steel handcuffs clicked. One loop bound my right wrist; the other bound his left. He smiled at me, his eyes wild and empty. "Let's go down to hell together to beg for her forgiveness." "Ethan!" I thrashed against the handcuffs, the metal slicing into my skin and leaving bloody trails. "Let me go! Chloe is lying to you!" "I was the one who took that knife for you!" I ripped my collar open, forcing him to look at the thick, jagged scar over my heart. Amidst the flickering flames, he only laughed. "Even now, you're trying to steal Chloe's credit?" "Scarlett, I never realized you were such a cowardly, deceitful liar." The tongue of fire licked into the room, burning my arm. I tried to pull him toward the door like a madwoman, trying to drag both of us out of this deathtrap. But he held me back with dead weight. "Let go! Ethan! Let me go! Ahhh!" A sickening crack echoed in the room. Ethan had twisted my right wrist past its limit, dislocating it completely. My entire body went limp, and I collapsed against the window sill. In the ten years we had known each other, we had been pushed into dead ends before. But back then, we always did everything we could to make sure the other survived. Now, for another woman, he wanted me to burn to ash in this dead zone. I couldn't breathe. My lungs felt like they were on fire. "Ethan... I... I really can't breathe..." My body slid down the wall. Suddenly, Ethan's phone vibrated in his pocket. The call was automatically connected to his Bluetooth earpiece. A panicked voice rushed through: "Mr. Sterling! We just ran the background check on the overseas attack. The person who took the knife for you wasn't Miss Thorne! She was still in the country at that time!" Ethan's breath hitched. He yanked the handcuffs, trying to pull me up. But I used the last bit of my strength to push him away. I stood on the edge of the window, my right hand covered in blood. I had forced my dislocated hand through the steel cuff, ripping my own flesh and skin to pieces. "Scarlett!" Ethan's eyes widened in sheer horror. The window shattered. Sparks clinging to my clothes, I plunged straight down into the deep, dark ocean beneath the villa cliff. Splash. "Scarlett."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "469216", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster