The tenth time one of my paintings appeared under my sister Rose's name, I handed Adrian the divorce papers.

He raised an eyebrow and tossed the agreement aside without a second glance.

"Don't be dramatic. Your hand is ruined -- where would you even go without me?"

I said nothing.

He smiled, his tone dripping with casual indifference. "You should be grateful. Rose was the one I was supposed to marry. A few paintings is a small price to pay. A little gratitude wouldn't kill you."

He blew a ring of cigarette smoke directly into my face. I choked, and the sting brought tears to my eyes.

Through the blur, I was transported back to the moment my tendons were severed for his sake -- a pain that had drilled straight to the bone.

He thought I had no choice but to take it.

What he didn't know was that I'd already accepted an offer from the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Soon, I would be free of him for good.

At the gallery awards gala celebrating Rose's latest win, Adrian stood beside her as they received congratulations from the crowd. They looked like the perfect couple.

I stood in a corner, squinting at the painting displayed on the massive screen. The woman in the portrait smiled softly, eyes lowered. It was the piece I'd spent a month painting -- a gift I'd given Adrian when we first fell in love.

I took a deep breath, walked to the front of the stage, and summoned every last ounce of courage I had. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried.

"I spent an entire month on this painting."

I let the original sketches flutter from my hands onto the stage. A hush fell over the room, then erupted into noise.

Adrian strode toward me, brow furrowed, his voice low and dangerous. "What the hell are you doing? Apologize to Rose."

I shook my head. "This painting is different. You know what it means."

Something flickered across his face, as though a memory surfaced. But he only gripped my arm harder.

"Nothing matters more than Rose's reputation."

Pain radiated through my arm. Then Rose picked up the microphone.

"I'm sorry for the scene, everyone." She tapped the side of her head with one finger, her expression perfectly pitying. "Ever since my work first won an award, Lily has been... well." She sighed. "She does have talent, truly. But she's always been so competitive with me. She insists my paintings are hers."

She gestured at the scattered sketches. "I gave those drafts to her to make her feel better. Adrian can confirm."

Adrian stiffened, then released my arm and returned to Rose's side.

"That's right. My wife's condition has been worsening. We'd hoped to handle it privately, but -- well, I apologize for the disruption."

Someone in the crowd shouted: "She's obviously jealous that her sister's more talented. Jealous out of her mind! First she steals her sister's fiance, now she's trying to sabotage her career. Shameless!"

It was one of Rose's lackeys -- the same girl who'd bullied me all through high school.

The whispers and pointed fingers closed in around me. It felt exactly like those years of torment all over again. I clenched my jaw and fought to keep my spine straight.

Then a slap cracked across my face so hard I staggered. Before I could recover, a hand fisted in my hair and slammed me into a cocktail table. The back I'd just straightened crumpled under the pain.

"You ungrateful wretch, slandering your own sister like that -- why don't you just die?"

"Like mother, like daughter."

"Your mother's still lying in a hospital bed, and here you are causing trouble. No wonder she'll never wake up."

Richard jabbed his finger in my face, screaming, spittle hitting my skin. It was exactly the way he'd screamed at my mother years ago when she'd refused to let him bring Rose into our home.

My vision went red. I grabbed a bottle from the table and hurled it at him. Glass shattered everywhere.

Adrian suddenly stepped in front of me. He pulled me close and shielded me from the flying shards.

Then he turned and glared at Richard. "Don't let me see that happen again."

He addressed the room. "My wife is simply unwell. I trust everyone here knows what should and shouldn't be repeated outside these doors."

The guests laughed it off with practiced ease.

I looked up at his face. For a moment it merged with the face of the boy who'd protected me ten years ago -- only older now, harder.

Richard wrung his hands. "But this was Rose's first event since coming home, and this -- this girl ruined everything."

Rose bit her lip, eyes glistening with unshed tears, standing there with fragile dignity as she gazed at Adrian.

I felt his body go rigid. He looked down at me and softened his tone just enough.

"Go apologize to Rose."

Then he leaned in close, his lips at my ear, each word deliberate: "Don't forget -- your mother is in a hospital I fund."

Time seemed to stretch. He looked away from my stunned, disbelieving eyes. In that moment, years of devotion simply... faded.

I stood up slowly and, for the first time, bowed to Rose Thornton.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault."

Just as my mother had once bowed her head.

"Richard, I've accepted her as my own daughter. Please just let Lily go back to school."

When the camera shutters went off, Adrian didn't stop them.

I should have left Adrian Cole a long time ago. But it wasn't too late. Not yet.

The scenery blurred past the car window. I swallowed hard against the bitterness rising in my throat.

There had been good times once. I'd stood by Adrian through the years when he was framed and went bankrupt.

He'd held my hand and given me a beautiful wedding, and I was the only one he saw.

Whenever my mother or I was wronged, he'd been angrier than we were -- stubborn enough to chase down whoever was responsible and demand they make it right. Back then, he was just a small-time businessman, a far cry from who he was now.

He'd said: "Lily, I'll take care of you and Mom for the rest of my life."

Now I sat in the back seat, watching Rose ride shotgun, laughing without a care in the world.

She caught me looking and turned around. "Lily, don't be mad at me. I'm doing this for your own good. It's not like you can use it anymore. At least with my name on it, people actually see it. Without me, it'd just sit in a drawer."

I bit my lip until it bled and said nothing. Today was the day my mother's medication was due to be changed. I didn't want to cause problems.

When I stayed silent, she pouted. "Adrian, Lily isn't still upset with me, is she?"

Adrian reached over and ruffled her hair, his voice impossibly tender. "How could she be? Who could ever stay mad at you?"

"Prove it, then. Make Lily say I'm clever, or I won't believe you."

A wave of nausea hit me, and I couldn't hold back a bitter laugh.

"Oh, you're clever, all right. His dirty little secret, so terrified of the stigma you wormed your way into my family -- passed yourself off as my mother's daughter. My childhood sweetheart? The second you showed up, he became yours. And when his business went under, you washed your hands of him and ran off to study abroad. Now that he's rich, here you are again. Who could possibly be more clever than you?"

She clearly hadn't expected me to say that. She gaped, then came the sound of sniffling. The car screeched to a halt, and I lurched forward.

Adrian's voice was cold as ice. In that moment, I might as well have been his worst enemy.

"Take your things and get out."

The car sped off. My phone screen reflected a face frozen in disbelief. I forced the corners of my mouth into something like a smile. I should have held my tongue. What was the point of winning the argument? My phone was already dead, and now I'd have to walk to the hospital.

By the time I arrived, night had fully settled in -- only to be told that my mother's new medication had been canceled.

I grabbed the doctor's arm.

"That's impossible. We agreed the new prescription would start today."

The doctor wouldn't meet my eyes.

A dull, creeping pain spread through my chest. My mind went white.

I borrowed the doctor's phone and called Adrian. His voice was flat. "What is it?"

Rose's laughter rang out in the background.

I fought to keep my voice steady. "Did you stop my mother's medication?"

"Don't make it sound so dramatic. I'm just teaching you a lesson."

"I've been too easy on you all these years. That's why you think you can get away with anything."

"Remember: not everyone is yours to push around."

I clenched my teeth. My eyes burned.

"Have you forgotten who worried about your stomach problems, who brought you meals over and over again?"

"Who defended you in front of everyone? I took odd jobs in secret just to ease your burden."

"My mother was so good to you. How could you cut off her medication for Rose? How could you be so heartless?"

A long silence. Then a quiet sigh.

"That's exactly why I only stopped it for one day."

"You brought this on yourself. You and your little stunts -- that's why I cut off Mom's medication."

I choked back a sob.

"Tell me what you want. Do you need me to get on my knees and beg Rose? Would that make you happy?"

"Rose is too kind. She'd never want that. Stop making a scene."

The line went dead. When I called back, his phone was off.

My arm dropped to my side. I held my mother's hand and wept in silence.

"Mom, I regret it. I regret ever falling in love with Adrian Cole."

I dialed a number I still knew by heart. "Elliot, you once mentioned you knew a specialist in neurological treatment. I want to take Mom abroad with me."

"Done. I'll arrange everything."

"Doctor, is there really a good chance my mother could wake up?"

"I've successfully treated patients with the same condition before. Once your mother arrives, I'll run a thorough examination."

"Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much."

Joy flooded through me, electric and overwhelming. I was practically shaking as I walked toward the hospital room.

But there was Rose -- alone at my mother's bedside, holding her hand, smiling that innocent smile.

"I'm going to take everything your daughter has."

"Still hanging on, are you? Hoping to hear your precious daughter publicly grovel and apologize to me?"

Blood roared in my ears. I charged at her, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and dragged her toward the door. She shrieked.

"Adrian! It hurts!"

I tightened my grip and hauled her out of the room.

I eased the door shut behind me as gently as I could. Before I could even turn around, a kick sent me crashing to the floor.

Searing pain tore through me. Something warm trickled down my inner thigh as I lay crumpled on the ground.

I looked up in a daze. Adrian stared down at me, his expression nothing but irritation. His lips moved.

"Clearly the last lesson wasn't enough."

I clutched the fabric of his pants, every word torn out of me. "You know exactly why my mother ended up in a vegetative state."

"Rose stole my residency spot. She stole my work. And after she won the award, she came to rub it in my mother's face."

"How dare you let her anywhere near my mother?"

He said nothing, only pulled his pants free from my grip.

"That's nonsense. Rose was sharing good news with her. She's Rose's family, too."

Then he bent down, scooped Rose into his arms with exquisite care, and walked away.

The last thing I registered was his retreating back -- and the messages Rose had once sent, crashing through my mind one after another.

"Your pathetic mother's pathetic daughter is just as useless. You couldn't beat my mother, and your daughter can't beat me."

"I've already taken her career. Next, I'm taking her man."

"The one who isn't loved is the real homewrecker. Your mother should never have gotten in my mother's way. She deserved to die."

When I opened my eyes again, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

Tears slid from the corners of my eyes. My hand moved to my stomach.

My baby. I hadn't even had time to feel joy at its existence before it was taken from me.

Maybe I was never meant to be a mother.

Maybe it was for the best. Adrian and I had long passed the point of no return.

I caught the wrist of the nurse who was inserting my IV. "How is my mother doing today?"

She pulled her hand free. "Mrs. Cole, your own health matters, too."

"I'm just asking about my mother. It'll only take a second."

She went quiet, something like pity flickering in her eyes.

My head buzzed. I ripped the needle from my arm and stumbled out of the room.

But I stood in the hospital corridor, suddenly unable to remember which way to go.

I was crying, frantic and lost, when Adrian appeared in front of me. His gaze dropped to my bare feet, and his brow furrowed.

I didn't care. I seized his sleeve like it was the last lifeline I'd ever be thrown.

"Adrian, I want to see my mother."

My voice was raw and broken.

He swept me up into his arms and headed toward the ward without a word.

"Do you have any idea you just had a miscarriage? Walking around barefoot on these floors -- do you want to ruin your health for good?"

I forced the rising panic down.

When I finally spoke, my voice came out small and cautious. "Adrian... how is my mother?"

He didn't slow down. His expression didn't change. "Mom's fine. I moved her to a better hospital."

I started to struggle in his arms. "Put me down. Which hospital? I need to see her."

He held on tighter, his tone still gentle. "Don't fight me. Once you've recovered, I'll take you there."

Something wasn't right.

Adrian hadn't been that man in a long time -- the one who'd get angry if I walked barefoot on a cold floor, the one who ached over every bump and bruise I got. All he cared about now was Rose. I could still see his back as he'd walked away from me before I passed out. He wouldn't go out of his way to transfer my mother to a better hospital. Not anymore.

I couldn't afford to provoke him again. I went still. Gently, coaxingly, I stroked his hand, the way I used to when things were sweet between us.

"Adrian, I promise I won't pull Rose's hair again."

A pause.

"Did you stop my mother's medication again?"