I raised a brow, watching him flail with desperation — amused and disgusted.

“Funny. I distinctly remember you getting a vasectomy years ago.

So where exactly does ‘my infertility’ come from?”

Eric froze — arms wrapped around Stella, his eyes instantly losing their fire.

“Vivian Winters! How dare you expose something so private? Are you crazy?”

A bitter laugh pushed from my throat.

He had been the one to suggest the procedure — claiming it would make me feel secure after what I sacrificed for him.

I looked at him shielding Stella like his treasure.

“You didn’t tell her, did you?

What’s wrong? Afraid she won’t want you anymore?”

Stella rushed up to cling to my arm, crying harder.

“Ms. Winters, I’ve already proven there is nothing improper between us. Why won’t you believe us?”

“Mr. Shaw is extraordinary, even if he can’t have children. If I were his wife, I’d never ridicule him like you do!”

I flicked her off in disgust.

I hadn’t even used strength — but she collapsed dramatically, dragging me down with her.

Pain shot through my knee.

Before I could speak, I noticed Eric instantly shielding Stella’s stomach with both arms.

My expression turned calm — ice-cold.

Eric noticed my gaze and jerked his hands back, pale.

I steadied myself, limping, and he frowned.

He knew why I limped.

I took a knife for him — kidnapped by his enemies, my leg nerves severed, paralyzed for a year.

He got that vasectomy because of the guilt.

Now he dared mock me for the pain that never fully healed.

He tried to help me up — I slapped his hand away.

He scowled and forcefully carried me to the couch.

“When are you going to stop this drama?”

He pulled up my pant leg. Seeing no visible wound, he sneered:

“I knew it. Fully recovered. You’re just pretending—”

“When did you become such a petty, manipulative woman?”

That was when the last piece of my heart died.

“Tell me, Eric.

Is Stella’s baby yours?”

He went corpse-white.

Fair question — considering the year I spent bedridden while he “worked late” nearly every night.

And the pearl necklace around Stella’s throat…

Eric had bid a fortune for that piece. I thought it was meant for me.

Turns out, I was just the fool funding their romance.

Maybe the vasectomy was a lie all along.

Maybe he loved her already then.

“You’re imagining things,” he murmured, shaking. “Fine, I’ll let her go—”

He didn’t finish.

Stella shrieked, clutching her abdomen.

Eric grabbed her and bolted from the room without looking back.

I laughed. Bitter. Hollow.

Then I called my father.

“Dad, Eric Shaw has disgraced us. Cancel the company you planned to give him.”

Before I could finish, something slammed into the back of my skull.

When I woke — wrists tied — I was in an abandoned warehouse.

My head throbbed.

A thug grabbed my hand and plunged a needle into my finger.

I tried screaming — but my mouth was stuffed with cloth.

Just as the next needle was about to sink in—

A voice echoed from the shadows:

“Stop.”

I snapped my head up. Even with his face covered and his voice distorted, I recognized him — Eric Shaw.

He stepped closer. The only part of his face exposed — his eyes — narrowed briefly when he noticed the blood on my hand. But almost immediately, he turned away, fists clenched.

“This is just a small price for you,” he said coldly. “A heartless CEO like you should never forget where you came from.”

So this was it. He kidnapped me to avenge Stella Lane.

Eric Shaw really did fall for that troublemaking woman.

He forgot one thing — everything he has came from me.

I pressed the security panic bracelet strapped to my wrist. Within ten minutes, my Winters Corp security team would locate me.

Just then, Eric’s phone rang.

Stella Lane’s voice whined through the speaker, “Eric, why does my bracelet keep beeping? It’s so annoying… Come back soon, I’m scared…”

Eric hung up immediately and looked back at me — alarmed — then struck me hard enough to knock me out.

As my consciousness slipped away, only one thought echoed:

He redirected MY security to protect her.

—

When I woke again, I was in the hospital.

Eric sat beside my bed, holding a bowl of soup. His expression darkened with guilt the moment I opened my eyes. He leaned forward.

I turned my face away, but he still spooned the soup toward my lips.

“Stella miscarried,” he said. “The doctor said she was stressed because of you… and she’s been working herself to death for the company…”

My hand flew up and cracked across his face.

He stared at me, stunned — hurt flashing through his gaze — then it twisted into cold self-righteousness.

“You can hit me, curse me, whatever you want,” he muttered. “But Vivian… Stella is fragile. How can you take your cruelty out on her?”

“Get. Out.”

I gritted the words through my teeth.

If I exposed the kidnapping right now, he’d be finished — and yet he dared to lecture me.

His mouth opened to argue again, but my phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID — my father — and snatched the phone away.

“What did you do? Running to Daddy to complain?”

I only smirked.

Before the call connected, his own phone chimed — Stella again — sobbing this time:

“Eric… when are you coming back? My stomach really hurts…”

He rushed to soothe her through the phone, then shot me a patronizing glare:

“I’ll talk to Mr. Winters myself. You started this. Don’t you dare play the victim.”

Then he rushed out of the room.

I rolled my eyes and answered my father’s call.

“My sweet girl,” Mr. Charles Winters said. “I’ve looked into everything. But I’m still going ahead with the Corporate Ownership Transfer Press Conference for him.”

I frowned — confused — until he sent me a video.

After watching it, I understood immediately — and agreed.

—

Not long after, I received a message from Stella Lane — a photograph.

Eric kneeling at her feet, washing them.

Her smug caption followed by a picture of my panic bracelet:

“Vivian Winters, so what if you’re the CEO?

Everything you have will be mine anyway.

Women should stay home and raise kids —

No wonder your husband doesn’t love you.”

Expressionless, I shut off the phone and went to check out of the hospital.

But the moment I reached the nurse station, a swarm of reporters descended.

“Ms. Winters, is it true you abused a single mother out of jealousy?”

“Rumors say you’re a tyrant who crushes employees — how do you respond?”

Flashes exploded around me, microphones shoved into my face.

Then — chaos.

A few extremists broke through the press line, swinging fists, striking my shoulder and back.

“Abusing your power just because you’re rich!”

“Apologize to Ms. Lane!”

Pain shot through me. I clutched the discharge papers and forced my way through, stumbling into a nearby emergency exit stairwell.

I leaned against the cold concrete, gasping — when familiar voices stopped me in my tracks.

“As soon as the ownership transfer is done, I’ll be the new head of Winters Corporation.”

Eric’s tone dripped greed.

“Everything will be ours, Stella. Let’s remarry.”

Stella’s eyes were red, trembling.

“Eric… we’re over. You have a wife—”

He silenced her by pinning her to the wall and kissing her — hard.

They melted into each other.

I froze — until Stella deliberately glanced over Eric’s shoulder, her gaze locking with mine.

Smug. Provoking.

She deepened the kiss.

My stomach churned. I turned and left without a sound.

—

As soon as I arrived home, Stella texted again:

“Fun being chased by the media?

Since you heard everything — be smart, break up with Eric.

Our baby was already so big.

You’re the homewrecker here.”

I was about to respond when Eric burst through the door.

“Who are you messaging? Why’d you leave the hospital so early?”

His worried tone made my skin crawl.

“Kneel.”

He froze.

Normally, that command would have him on his knees instantly — eager to please.

This time, he hesitated.

“Vivian… didn’t my father-in-law tell you? The press conference is tomorrow. I’m about to be the CEO — you can’t make me kneel when I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“It’s humiliating. It hurts my dignity.”

I laughed — sharp and bitter — but before I could speak,

Stella stumbled inside dramatically, a damsel in tears.

“Ms. Winters… I’ve explained… Eric and I are innocent… how could you send people to hurt me…”

The sight of her fake pity made my lips curl coldly.

“Hurt you? I was just assaulted outside the hospital and somehow I’m the bully?”

Eric ignored me, protecting Stella behind him like a shield.

“I’m disgusted by you, Vivian! It’s bad enough you tormented her at work — now this? You apologize to her right now!”

“Apologize?” I scoffed.

“You two don’t have the spine to kneel and thank me for not destroying you — yet you want my apology? Keep dreaming.”

“You’re impossible!” Eric exploded, shouting toward the hall.

Two security guards entered immediately.

“Lock her in the guest room. Without my order, she doesn’t leave.”

I didn’t struggle. I simply smiled — icy and amused — as the door shut and locked.

They had no idea what was coming.

—

The next afternoon, the guards escorted me to the Corporate Ownership Transfer Press Conference.

The venue was packed. Cameras everywhere.

Eric stood proudly on stage, basking in the spotlight:

“Thank you to Mr. Winters for his trust. From this day forward, I will officially take over Winters Corporation…”

From a quiet corner, I watched him —

a petty man drunk on stolen power —

and couldn’t help but laugh.