1 Five years into my marriage, I did something incredibly stupid. I sent Sebastian Thorne’s precious little bird packing, shipping her out of the country in the desperate hope that he’d finally come back to me. He didn't say a word when he found out. Instead, he bankrupted my family in an instant. Forced my father to his knees. My mother’s hair seemed to turn gray overnight from the shock. And now, here he was, standing before me, his face a thundercloud, ready to make me pay. “Maddie,” he sneered, “I suppose I was too good to you. Let you forget your place.” His voice dropped to a venomous whisper. “Now, it's your turn to learn what it feels like to wish you were dead.” … After he spat those words, I finally lifted my head to look at him. We’d been in love for four years, married for five. We had given each other the best years of our youth. I never imagined it would come to this. My hand instinctively went to my belly, where our child had been growing for nearly three months. But it was as if Sebastian couldn't see it, or didn't care. His eyes were cold, his voice a low growl. “I’ll give you one last chance. Where is she?” I wanted to laugh, a bitter, broken sound. But my one act of defiance had already cost my family everything. “Let my parents go, and I’ll tell you.” Sebastian nodded slowly. He closed the distance between us in a few predatory steps. Before I could react, his hand shot out, clamping around my neck like a vise. He forced my head back, making me stare into his furious eyes. “Don’t push it, Maddie.” “Finding Mia is just a matter of time. What right do you have to bargain with me?” The brutal pressure on my throat made me gag, a wave of nausea washing over me. My face flushed a deep crimson, veins bulging on my temples as air scraped my lungs. I bit down hard, terror and despair clawing at me, but I forced the words out through a strangled rasp. “So that gives you the right… to make my father kneel to you?!” “He’s my father!” Sebastian’s expression remained a mask of cold indifference, his grip inhumanly strong. Tears welled in my eyes, but I held his gaze, staring into the black, crazed depths of his. I had no doubt he would kill me, right here, for another woman. Just as my vision started to black out, he released me. I collapsed onto the sofa, gasping for air, my body trembling uncontrollably from the aftermath of fear. In that single, terrifying moment, the dam of my emotions broke. A torrent of memories, of all our shared moments, flooded my mind. I began to sob, great, gut-wrenching wails for a past I could never get back, for this hopeless, suffocating marriage. Most of all, I wept for the pathetic woman I had become. Sebastian just stood there, watching me with cold, detached eyes. He didn’t even give me a moment to catch my breath before he lunged forward again, grabbing my chin and tilting my face up to his. His voice was a chilling whisper. “I’ll ask you one last time. Where did you send my Mia?” Sebastian left. The moment I gave him the information, he was out the door without a backward glance. I saw it clearly—the wave of joyful relief that washed over his face. My husband was truly, utterly mad for another woman. I wiped my tears and immediately called my parents, telling them to pack. We had to leave tonight. I expected my father to yell, to blame me, but all I heard was his weary, choked voice. “Our sweet Maddie… you’ve suffered so much. Dad doesn’t blame you. We’ll just leave. It’s okay.” After hanging up, I was consumed by a tidal wave of guilt and despair. Sebastian and I had fallen in love in college and married right after graduation. The Thornes were an empire, and for my father, our marriage was a connection he’d never dreamed of. He’d worried, of course, that I’d be bullied, that my family’s modest standing would leave me without support. Back then, I’d promised him with all the certainty of a young girl in love that Sebastian would never let me suffer. He adored me too much. And he had. He showered me with gifts for every occasion, proudly introducing me to his circle of friends. When we were apart, he’d text constantly, telling me how much he missed me. He’d get jealous if another man so much as looked at me, his eyes turning red with anger. “You know, Maddie,” he once told me, “the Thornes are all twisted monsters. You’re the only one who’s ever taught me what love is.” He was insecure, constantly needing reassurance of my love. I would hold him for hours, my heart aching for him, until he finally fell into a peaceful sleep in my arms. I thought we would be like that forever. So when his affection suddenly vanished, replaced by an icy indifference, I panicked. Mia was a fresh college graduate. I first heard her name from Sebastian’s executive assistant. She’d laughed about it. “These young girls have no creativity anymore. The whole ‘spilling coffee on the CEO’ cliché is so outdated, don’t you think?” I’d listened, thinking it was just a joke. I didn’t pay it much mind. But soon after, Mia was made Sebastian’s personal assistant, an unprecedented move. He started taking her horseback riding. When she couldn’t ride, he would pull her into the saddle in front of him, the two of them sharing a horse as it ambled along the trail. Mia was naive about the cutthroat world of business, so Sebastian patiently guided her, even teaching her how to prepare his tea just the way he liked it. Once, a crass business partner made a suggestive joke about her. Sebastian, ever the picture of cool composure, beat the man bloody and put him in the hospital. He made no effort to hide it. His adoration for Mia was public knowledge. By the time the rumors reached me, they were already attending galas hand-in-hand, kissing openly while friends cheered them on. Someone sent me a photo. That was the first time I ever lost my temper with Sebastian. He just sat in his leather throne of an office chair, watching me silently, his eyes accusing me of making a scene. “Maddie, you’re almost thirty. Why are you competing with a young girl?” “When you were in your early twenties, I doted on you just the same, didn’t I?” In that moment, I felt like I’d been plunged into freezing water. I finally understood. Sebastian’s love was constant, in a way. He was only ever in love with youth, and I had aged out of his affection. I was going to file for divorce, but then I found out I was pregnant. I wanted to fight for my child, for my family, one last time. So I had my father hire some people to quietly send Mia abroad. The result was catastrophic. Nine years of love, of history, and I meant nothing to him. I had lost, utterly and completely. My father told me to give him three days. Having made an enemy of the Thornes, there was no place left for us in this country. I took the opportunity to schedule an abortion for that same day. If the love was gone, there was no reason to keep Sebastian’s child. There were plenty of younger girls who would be lining up to bear his children anyway. But the doctor told me the pregnancy was too far along for a simple procedure; it would have to be an induction, which required a hospital stay. With only three days left in the city, I had no choice but to put it off. On the way back, I tried to consult with a divorce lawyer. When they heard the name Sebastian Thorne, they all backed away. “Mrs. Thorne,” one of them said gently, “Mr. Thorne’s company has a top-tier legal team. Frankly, we’re out of our league.” I understood. I didn’t press him. After marrying Sebastian, I had become a housewife at his request. He said he didn’t want me working, and I had foolishly listened for five years. My entire social circle was curated by him; I had no one to turn to for help. It didn’t matter. Once he had Mia back, I figured he’d be more than happy to sign the divorce papers. I did a quick inventory of the house. I left all the expensive items, packing only some seasonal clothes and my personal documents. Pregnancy had left me perpetually exhausted. That evening, while sorting through things, I fell asleep right on the sofa. The next morning, the sound of the front door opening startled me awake. I shot up, my heart pounding. I couldn't believe it. Sebastian was back. And he wasn’t alone. He was holding a young woman’s hand—Mia. She was breathtakingly beautiful, even more so than in her pictures. Her hands were full of shopping bags from high-end boutiques, and the diamonds on her heels nearly blinded me. He had obviously won her back. A cold dread settled in my stomach. I hadn't expected him to return so quickly. I unconsciously touched my neck, the phantom sensation of his grip returning, and a fresh wave of fear washed over me. I swallowed hard and forced myself to stand up. Sebastian led Mia right up to me. He smiled tenderly at her, brushing a stray hair from her face, then turned to me, his expression instantly turning flat and cold. “Maddie. Apologize to Mia.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Even after everything—after he’d destroyed my family, after he’d tried to strangle me just yesterday—I thought he couldn’t sink any lower. Now he wanted me to apologize to his mistress? Seeing me frozen in shock, he grabbed my chin again, forcing my head to face Mia. “Didn’t you hear me? I said, apologize to Mia.” Sebastian was a businessman. He knew exactly how to shatter a person. Even if that person was the wife who had loved him for nearly a decade. Mia hadn't even looked at me since she walked in. She kept her eyes downcast, her lips pressed into a slight pout. She didn’t have to say a word to look like a victim, a fragile thing that needed protecting. “Sebastian, please, you don’t have to do this,” she murmured. “My position… it’s not right. This sister of yours must hate me, and I guess she has every right to.” As she said it, I saw her eyes flick upward, shooting a quick, triumphant glare in my direction. Then she was back to tugging on Sebastian’s sleeve. “Sebastian, I’m a little tired. I’d like to rest.” He kissed her cheek, his voice softening. “Of course. Go on, get some rest in the bedroom.” Mia’s wide eyes darted toward me. “But this is your house. Where am I supposed to rest?” Without a word, Sebastian led her toward our master bedroom. The implication was a slap in the face. My entire body was shaking. I clenched my jaw so hard it ached, fighting the urge to scream, to curse, to tear this house apart. I took a deep, shuddering breath, watching as he gently settled her into our room. Only when the door was closed did I find my voice. It came out as a raw, hoarse whisper directed at his back. “Sebastian, let’s get a divorce.” “You’ve trampled on my dignity like it’s trash. You’ve destroyed my parents’ life’s work.” I stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, my voice gaining a fragile strength. “This was all my fault. My mistake was being blind enough to ever love you.” At this, Sebastian actually raised an eyebrow. He sauntered back over to me, his hands in his pockets, and leaned in close, his handsome face inches from mine. His expression was cruel, and held a look I couldn't decipher—something between malice and a dark, twisted amusement.
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