My phone buzzed while I sat slumped against the edge of the bed, hollow from crying. I forced myself to look at the screen. Martin.

Don’t worry, his message read. I just sent that to test if your husband would act. He didn’t. Then divorce him. Got it? Gwen is safe with me. Not even hurt.

For a second, my chest loosened. Relief crashed over me, so sharp it nearly broke me again. My Gwen. Safe. My baby was alive.

My fingers shook as I typed back. Then do me a favor, Martin. Fake my baby’s death—and mine too. I never want him to touch our lives again. Not after this. Not after everything.

The reply came instantly. Consider it done. See you soon, love.

Love. The word made me flinch, but I didn’t care anymore. I needed freedom. I needed Gwen safe. Whatever it took.

I dropped the phone and pulled out a suitcase. My hands moved quickly, shoving clothes into it, tossing shoes, jewelry, anything I could carry. Every zip of the bag was a nail on the coffin of the life I was leaving behind.

Then came the voice I least wanted to hear.

“I’m so sorry about the baby,” Nadine’s syrupy tone filled the doorway.

I froze, my jaw tightening.

“But you see,” she continued, stepping in uninvited, “he doesn’t trust you anymore. Not after what your father did. Honestly, Emerald, you should’ve told him about your father’s scam. Hiding things never ends well.”

I kept my back to her, folding another dress, forcing myself not to explode. She wanted a fight. I wouldn’t give her one.

Inside, though, my chest burned. My father? His sins had never been mine. I never cared about his mistakes. Why was I still being punished for them? Why did Nadine think she could dangle his shame in my face like this?

She came closer, her hands reaching for my clothes. “So you’re leaving?” She gave a laugh, pretending to sound kind. “That’s better. You really don’t have a place here anymore. Come, let me help you pack.”

“I don’t need your help,” I snapped, turning sharply. “I can handle this. Go away, Nadine. I know you’re faking every word.”

But she didn’t leave. She forced her way further into the room, touching things that weren’t hers. And then it happened—her arm brushed against the side table.

The vase toppled.

It crashed to the floor, shattering into jagged pieces. My eyes widened, my breath caught.

Not the vase. It was Gwen’s. The one she made in school, the one she’d painted with her tiny hands and won first prize for. My Gwen’s masterpiece. Gone.

Red flared in my vision. I shoved Nadine back, my voice breaking. “What the hell is wrong with you? I told you not to help me!”

She staggered back and immediately screamed, louder than necessary. “Leandro!”

Footsteps thundered down the hall. Leandro burst in, his eyes narrowing at the scene. “What’s happening?”

“I was just trying to help her pack,” Nadine said quickly, her voice trembling like a victim. “I didn’t mean to. The vase fell—and she pushed me.”

My chest heaved. “She knocked it over! I told her not to touch my things—”

Leandro’s glare sliced into me. “Over a vase? Are you serious? What’s wrong with you?”

I stared at him, incredulous. “That vase was Gwen’s! She made it—”

“And why are you packing?” His voice grew harder, suspicion twisting his features. “Seriously, Emerald? Was this your plan? To run away? Is it because you found out I agreed to send half the ransom?”

My breath stopped. “You… you agreed to send half?”

“Yes.” He sneered. “And now you’re pretending you didn’t know? Don’t lie to me. You’re running.”

“No—I didn’t know, I swear—”

“You don’t deserve my trust.” His voice rose, cruel and final. “If anything, Gwen might not even be mine. For all I know, you’ve been cheating on me.”

The air rushed out of my lungs. “No! Of course not, Leandro—”

“Don’t deny it!” His eyes darkened. “Come here. You deserve punishment. Since you’ve been toying with me, you’ll never see your child again.”

Terror slammed into me. I tried to step back, but his men appeared in the doorway. My scream lodged in my throat as he barked the order.

“Take her. Remove her toenails—one by one. Let her feel what Gwen felt. Let her know pain.”

“No! Leandro, please—” My voice cracked as I struggled, thrashing against the guards’ grip. “Don’t! Don’t do this—”

But my cries were useless. His eyes were cold, merciless, a stranger’s gaze in the face of the man I once loved.

The first rip of pain came like fire. They forced me down, pinning my arms, and I felt the sickening pull as one of my toenails was torn away. My scream echoed through the walls, desperate, ragged.

“Help me!” I cried, choking, my vision blurring with tears. “Please—someone, help me!”

But no one came. Not a single soul. Nadine’s silence was louder than any mockery. Leandro’s expression never softened—he only watched, as if my suffering was entertainment.

The second nail. Then the third. Every tear of flesh sent lightning bolts of agony racing up my legs, wracking my body with violent sobs. My voice grew hoarse from screaming until it was nothing but broken gasps.

And then—darkness. My body couldn’t take it anymore. I fainted.

When I woke again, pain throbbed through me like a living thing, every breath trembling against it. My feet were bandaged, my body cold and weak. But even through the haze, a thought anchored me.

It’s okay… just a few more days. Just hold on.

Soon, I would be gone. And I would never look back.

I woke up with my body burning, but not from rage this time—from fever. Every muscle screamed, every breath rattled. The throbbing in my toes from the cruel punishment made it impossible to walk properly.

Days had passed like that, slipping in and out of consciousness, but not once did Leandro open the door to check on me.

Not once.

Through the haze of fever, I heard laughter outside my room. Nadine’s shrill giggle, Leandro’s low chuckle. Sometimes there was more than laughter—moans that cut through the night and stabbed at me like knives. I buried my head into the pillow, forcing myself to sleep, forcing myself to let go of the sounds of betrayal. My body needed to heal. My mind needed silence.

But peace never stayed long in this house.

I was jolted awake one afternoon by the sharp, acrid smell of smoke. My heart jumped to my throat. I forced myself out of bed, leaning on the wall for balance, and stumbled toward the hallway. When I reached the back garden, my world stopped.

Flames licked through piles of fabric—my dresses, my books, even Gwen’s tiny toys. All of it burning.

“What are you doing?!” My voice cracked as I ran forward, heat slapping against my skin. “Stop it! Those are mine!”

The maid avoided my eyes, her hands trembling as she fed another box into the fire.

“Miss… I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It wasn’t my order. Miss Nadine… she told us to throw your things. She said she didn’t want to see them anymore.”

For a moment, I froze. Nadine. Of course. It wasn’t enough that she had my husband—she wanted to erase every piece of me, too.

I was about to turn away, to let it all burn—I didn’t care anymore, not really—until I saw it.

A small silver chain glinting in the flames. My mother’s necklace. The last gift she had pressed into my hand before she died, telling me, “This will always protect you.”

“No!” I screamed, rushing forward. I ignored the heat scorching my hands as I grabbed at the necklace, saving what little was left before it was consumed. My eyes burned—not from smoke, but from fury.

I stormed back into the house, the necklace clutched tight in my palm, and found Nadine in the living room. She sat there smug, her hand resting on her growing belly like a queen.

“Why?” My voice trembled with anger. “Why did you burn my things? That necklace—it was from my mother.”

Nadine looked up, feigning innocence. “Oh, that? I thought it was fake. Honestly, Emerald, with all the clutter you left around, how was I supposed to know what mattered? I was just trying to clear space.”

“Clear space?” I hissed. “This is my house. You have no right—”

“Enough.”

Leandro’s voice cut through like a whip. He stepped into the room, his gaze cold, dismissive. “Stop fighting over nonsense. Emerald, clean this mess. I’m hosting a party tomorrow, and I want everything to be spotless.”

I stared at him, blood rushing to my head. “Clean? After what she’s done? After everything you’ve—”

“I’m not asking,” he said sharply. “I’m ordering you. Do it.”

Something inside me snapped. My fever, my wounds, the humiliation—I could no longer stay quiet. “No. I won’t. I’m not your maid, Leandro. Not anymore. If you want this house spotless, clean it yourself.”

Before he could reply, the butler entered, pale and shaken, carrying a small package wrapped in plain paper.

“It… it just arrived, sir.”

Leandro snatched it, tore it open—and froze.

A small bloodied bundle fell to the floor. My breath caught. A child’s arms. Look exactly as Gwen.

My scream ripped through the air. “Gwen!” My knees buckled as tears blinded me. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t her—it couldn’t be. She was safe. But I pretended anyway, let the hysteria consume me. Maybe, just maybe, if I showed him how broken I was, Leandro would finally feel guilty. Maybe he would realize this wasn’t a game.

Leandro cursed, face hardening. He pulled out a note attached to the package. The words were simple, merciless:

One hundred million. Last chance. Or the child dies.

A phone chimed, and seconds later, a video played on his screen. Gwen—my Gwen—bound, crying, her tiny voice begging for her mommy. A masked man’s voice thundered, “Money. Or we’ll cut more.”

My stomach twisted. I reached out to grab the phone, but Leandro pulled it away.

And then he had the audacity to sigh. “Look at this. Another one of your schemes, Emerald. Admit it—you’re behind this. These men are probably yours.”

My eyes widened. “What? Are you insane? You think I’d mutilate my own daughter?”

Nadine’s sweet, poisonous voice slipped into the space between us. “Well… didn’t you mention to me once that you needed money for your family? Maybe this is your father’s doing. And you’re helping him.”

I froze. Father. The man I barely spoke to. The man they loved to throw in my face.

Leandro’s gaze sharpened, suspicion gleaming. “Of course. That’s it. You and your father. Scammers, just the same.”

For a moment, the room spun. I couldn’t breathe. They were accusing me—again—while my baby was out there suffering... And it was even my enemy who saved her.

“Fine,” I said finally, my voice hollow. “Think what you want. If you want Gwen dead, then so be it. At least I won’t have to live tied to a man like you. Because Leandro, you’ve done nothing but disappoint me.”

And with that, I turned and walked away before my legs gave out.

Inside my room, I collapsed onto the bed, clutching my mother’s necklace, letting the last of my tears fall. My decision had already been made.

I picked up the phone, dialed a number I’d been saving for years. When the line connected, my voice came steady, unshaken for the first time.

“Hello, attorney? This is Emerald. I want to file for divorce.”

“Hello, attorney? This is Emerald. I want to file for divorce.”

There was a pause on the other end, the kind that makes your throat tighten even when you’ve already made up your mind.

“Ms. Emerald,” the lawyer’s voice was cautious, almost reluctant. “Are you sure about this? If you divorce Mr. Leandro, you will gain nothing. Not the house, not the shares from the company, not even the cars registered under his name. Everything will be lost to you.”

I closed my eyes, letting the silence weigh on me for a beat. Nothing. That word didn’t scare me anymore. What was left to lose when the man who vowed to love me turned into a stranger? When he watched me suffer and called it punishment? When he refused to lift a finger to save the daughter we brought into this world?

“I don’t care,” I said, steady, even when my heart was pounding. “Just send the divorce papers by tomorrow. On our wedding anniversary. It will be my gift to him.”

And before the lawyer could protest, I hung up.

My fingers trembled as I dialed Martin’s number next. He answered on the first ring, his tone sharp as ever.

I swallowed. “Where’s Gwen? Is she really okay?”

There was a shuffle, then Martin’s voice softened. “Talk to her.”

A beat later, the sweetest sound I had ever heard echoed through the line.

“Mommy?” Gwen’s little voice was fragile, like a bird’s wings beating against a storm.

My throat closed, tears burning my eyes. “Gwen, baby, it’s Mommy. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “Why can’t I come home? Why aren’t you here?”

I bit my lip, holding back a sob. “Because… because Mommy is fixing something, sweetheart. But soon, very soon, we’ll be together again. You just have to be brave for me, okay?”

“Will you really come?” she asked, her voice breaking.

“Yes, I promise. Mommy will never leave you. Just wait a little longer.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

The words shattered me. “I love you too, Gwen. More than anything.”

The line went quiet, and then Martin came back. “Satisfied?”

I exhaled shakily. “Thank you. I just… needed to hear her voice.”

“Good,” he said. “Then remember our deal. I’ll see you tomorrow. Prepare everything.”

“Yes,” I whispered, before hanging up, clutching the phone to my chest as if it were the only thing keeping me alive.

But my relief was short-lived.

Behind me, a voice cut through the silence. “What are you talking about?”

I spun around. Leandro stood at the doorway, his eyes narrowed, suspicion dripping from every word.

I forced a smile. “I’m preparing a funeral for Gwen. After all, you won’t help me, right? So it’s better this way.”

His jaw twitched. “So you’d give her up, then? Rather than begging me?”

My chest heaved. “You want me to beg for her? For our child?”

“Yes,” he said coldly, stepping closer. “Prove to me this isn’t your scheme. Kneel. Kiss my shoes if you must. Show me you’re not lying.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. “No thanks. I’m done with you.”

I pushed past him, but his voice thundered behind me. “You’re turning your back on me now?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Because you don’t deserve to be Gwen’s father.”

His lips curled into a cruel smile. “Well, up to you. At least she won’t be an heir. And you—” his gaze dropped, venomous “—you won’t give me another child anyway. You’re barren after giving birth to Gwen. So it’s your loss, not mine. You’re nothing to me now.”

The words sliced me open, but I forced my chin up. “Then don’t worry. You’ll be happy when I’m gone.”

Before he could retort, Nadine’s voice shrieked from down the hall. “Leandro! Please—take me to the hospital! My tummy—ah!”

He turned instantly, his expression shifting to panic. “Don’t you dare leave, Emerald, or else your punishment will be worse. Now make sure everything is prepared by tomorrow. Big investors are coming. Don’t fail me again.”

I gave him a tight smile. “Yes. Sure.”

He rushed out with Nadine in his arms, leaving me standing in the ruins of what we once called a marriage.

But I didn’t prepare for his investors.

I called every supplier and canceled the orders. I went into his office, copied the presentation from his laptop onto a flash drive, and deleted the original. If Leandro wanted to play with fire, I’d hand him the flames myself.

By morning, I was gone.

Martin’s car pulled up at dawn, sleek and black. He stepped out, smirking like the devil who knew he had won. “Ready?”

I nodded, clutching my bag.

At the private plane, the moment I stepped inside, my knees buckled. Gwen was there. My daughter.

“Mommy!” she squealed, running into my arms.

I sank to the floor, holding her tight, my tears soaking her hair. “You’re safe. You’re safe now.”

Martin’s voice echoed behind me, amused and victorious. “Welcome back to me, Emerald. And remember—your freedom comes at a price.”

But at that moment, I didn’t care. Gwen was with me. And that was enough.

When we reached the private plane, I pulled out my phone, stared at it for a long moment, then removed the SIM card. My hands shook as I hurled it out of the plane’s open window before the engines roared to life.