"Incoming message from a private number." Jarvis opened the message and displayed a short text.

I stared at the screen seriously.

[We should meet now]

I replied to the message saying I would be there in 30 minutes.

I am currently sitting in a black car with tinted glass that has stopped in front of a vacated cafe not far from the city center. I scanned the place and when I felt safe I quickly got out, approaching a man in a gray suit.

"Ms. Ohlson," the man greeted briefly.

"What did you get?" I asked directly.

"A lot, Miss." He handed me a tablet and then pressed play on the screen.

The first video showed Sebastian exiting an elevator in a luxury apartment building. The CCTV camera shows him holding a bag of groceries, smiling a little before knocking on the door of apartment number 1903. Not long after, Bianca appeared at the door, her hair loose and wearing only a thin peach nightgown.

I furrowed my brows as I watched Sebastian kiss Bianca on the cheek and then, enter familiarly as if it were his own home.

"This isn't the only one," the man said. "He comes regularly. Sometimes with your son, but more often alone."

He scrolled to the next video. This time Ethan appeared to be carrying a gift, a ballerina doll. Bianca hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead, as if Ethan was her real son.

I held my breath, my chest feeling like it was being stabbed from the inside.

The man continued, showing me a series of photographs.

One photo showed Sebastian and Bianca on the beach, wearing only swimsuits. Their bodies pressed together, they laughed like a couple on their honeymoon. In another, Sebastian hugs Bianca from behind as they stand under a small waterfall.

"These photos were taken in the Maldives," the man explains. "Secret vacation. The date... one week after your son's birthday last year."

I bite my lip until it almost bleeds with anger. That week, Sebastian said he had to attend a business conference in Chicago. He even called me a few times, saying how tired he was, how much he missed home.

"There's more," the man added. This time his voice was more serious.

"Just tell me. I'm ready to know everything," I replied, trying to remain calm.

The man again shows me photos and video footage of Sebastian accompanying Bianca to the hospital. One photo, in fact, made my heart break even more. Bianca's ultrasound results.

I stared at the man wordlessly, but he seemed to know the meaning of my gaze.

"Yes, that's Bianca's. She was pregnant a few weeks ago, miscarried. No, she didn't. It was more like a deliberate abortion by Bianca without Mr. Sebastian's knowledge," he said with a serious face. "Mr. Sebastian only knows that Bianca miscarried because of his lack of attention.”

My mouth was locked tight, no more words could come out of my mouth.

"You must be more surprised by this one secret," the man said as he took out a paper folder containing some old documents and articles that had been laminated.

I just watched, without interrupting.

"It's about Sylvia Hayes."

I paused. The name was very familiar to me. Sylvia-Sebastian's little sister who died four years ago in a car accident.

"You know, she was a ballerina?" he asked.

I nodded quickly. "She was very talented. Sylvia was always the center of the stage back then."

"There seems to be something odd about her death."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused with my eyebrows almost drawn together.

He pushed a document towards Elara. On it was a photo of a strange man with a criminal record. "Marco Alvarez. Used to be a rental driver. Now missing somewhere."

"What does this have to do with Sylvia?"

"Marco received a large sum of money from a small company account that I found out belonged to someone. A few days before Sylvia died, that person sent a message to Marco." He pointed to one of the lines in the transcript. [She'll never be better than me. I'll make sure she disappears. Disappear right now!]

I cupped my mouth with my hand.

The man showed me a photo of Marco with a black sedan. Another photo showed the same car around the accident scene, before Sylvia was found dead.

I was so surprised to hear that. "Someone? Who? Did you get any information about him?".

The man was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "It's just a clue, not strong enough to be evidence. But... one of the names that came up in the transaction trail... is Bianca."

I froze.

"You mean...?" I asked in a choked voice.

He nodded slowly. "We can't conclude anything yet. I'll investigate further. But if these clues are true, perhaps... Sylvia's death was no ordinary accident."

I couldn't say anything, only froze.

"It's just a guess, Ms. It's too early to conclude. But, I will look into it further."

This chest felt heavier than ever. Bianca's name was now not only destroying my household but also destroying a young, hopeful life. And if all this is true, she might be more dangerous than I ever thought.

I wanted to laugh at Sebastian's stupidity.

I took a deep breath, trying to stabilize my turbulent emotions. With slow but steady movements, I slipped a thin folder from inside my handbag containing my personal data, copies of my identity, and marriage documents. Without many words, I thrust the folder towards him to give to Jason.

He accepted it with both hands, giving a small nod of understanding. No questions, no comments. Just a hint that everything would soon be executed according to my plan-the first steps towards a divorce that could no longer be avoided.

Tonight was the night I was waiting for. After meeting the man, I chose to relax in the living room, trying to calm myself down from the news of the truth that I had just learned. Suddenly my cell phone rang.

"Will you accept, Ms. Ohlson?" Jarvis' voice echoed in the room.

"Yes," I said as I sat down on the sofa.

"One incoming message from: The same personal contact from yesterday."

A video automatically opens on the screen.

Bianca stood in the center of a luxurious room, surrounded by flowers and spotlights. My hands clenched into fists as my eyes fell on the large bouquet given to her, white and purple roses, tied with a satin ribbon, looking so pretty, with a small card that read from Sebastian and Ethan, two special people in your heart.

I looked at the date and time of the video. It was on my birthday yesterday when Sebastian excused himself to attend an important meeting. Yes, this is a picture of their happiness yesterday.

The notification sound rang clearly in my ears again. I sighed. I had expected another harsh reality.

Sure enough, Jarvis checked my phone, "Incoming message, sent by an unknown number."

I frowned with my hands shaking on my cappuccino cup. I saw the video link from Bianca's fans' social media.

'Power Couple Alert! Sebastian Hayes and Bianca were caught on camera having a romantic dinner at their private engagement event.'

"Enlarge!" I ordered softly.

As the screen enlarges, we see Sebastian kissing Bianca on the cheek in front of the guests. Their smiles are locked together. On Bianca's lap, Ethan sits spoiled, holding her hand as if she were his mother.

The video switches to photos of the party. Ethan feeds Bianca a piece of cake and Bianca strokes Ethan's hair in return, while Sebastian laughs loudly beside them.

They look like a happy family, without me.

"Blood Pressure (BP): 158/102 mmHg (elevated)

Heart Rate (HR): 112 bpm (tachycardic)

Respiratory Rate (RR): 22 breaths/min

Temperature: 36.8°C. "Are you sure you want to continue Mrs. Hayes?"

"Yes, go ahead. I can still take it."

The screen again showed a photo that made my chest tighten. The picture showed a diamond ring.

My eyes widened. I recognized the design so well.

A ring with a marquise stone in the center, surrounded by small leaf carvings on either side.

"The ring of my dreams." I had whispered to Sebastian while passing by the jewelry store a few months ago.

And, Sebastian simply replied, "It will be yours, right on your birthday. I want you to wear it first."

Underneath, the caption reads:

"The symbol of Bianca's engagement from her beloved special ring made with love."

My heart seemed to stop for a moment. It was like swallowing something sharp. Slowly, but surely piercing. All my dreams now belong to Bianca.

The voice messages kept coming in, making me ask Jarvis to ignore them. I no longer wanted to open it because I knew it would continue to hurt me. I just sat on the chair with heavy breathing.

The flowers Ethan gave me yesterday. They were the same color, but smaller, a far cry from the bouquet they gave Bianca.

"So, the flowers they gave yesterday were because they had to?" I monologued, shocked as if in disbelief. "I shouldn't be surprised anymore.”

I didn't cry, even though my heart felt broken. It wasn't that I wasn't sad, but love was gone. My trust has been buried. Right now all that was left was me and that was enough. More than enough to start all over.

I never thought this would happen, considering I used to be the woman Sebastian admired.

Their first meeting happened by accident in college. I dropped the books I was carrying in the hallway after colliding with a man named Sebastian.

When Sebastian helped me pick up the books, there was something in his eyes that immediately caught my attention. From then on, Sebastian always watched me from a distance-without words, only through his gaze I felt that he wanted to know more about me.

Without realizing it, that feeling grew slowly in my heart. There was a calmness that I felt every time I was around Sebastian, as if the silence between them was full of meaning.

One day, they were sitting across from each other in a small café. I was eating quietly, and Sebastian kept looking at me as if the world around him no longer existed. That gaze was no longer just full of admiration, but also warmth and sincerity. I didn't say anything, just stayed silent with a small smile and slid a cup of cappuccino toward him.

One cup of the same drink, different times, different emotions.

My cell phone rang so loudly, breaking my daydream about the sweetness of the past.

"Incoming call from an unknown number. Connecting..."

The voice on the other side immediately tried to provoke my anger. "Elara... Oh, you finally picked up my call. I was just wondering, have you seen the video? It's very clear, isn't it? The bouquet? The proposal ring? Or, Ethan in my arms that's my favorite part."

I didn't answer. My gaze was straight ahead.

"You know, I didn't expect Sebastian and Ethan to be that happy when they were with me. It's so different when they talk about you. They look so lazy and fed up," Bianca said with a laugh.

"Bianca," I said the name quietly.

"You're no match for me, Elara. The world recognizes my achievements, while you...even your family discards you. What a pathetic woman! You'd better back off if you don't want to get sicker."

Bianca's words sounded so painful. I took a deep breath but didn't tremble in the slightest.

"Are we done?" I asked calmly, unprovoked.

"That's enough for now. It feels really good to be able to say that every day," Bianca said. "We'll see who survives, Elara."

I laughed. "Maybe you're winning now, taking them away from me. What about Sylvia Hayes and Marco?"

"Did you ever think that Sylvia knew you were still after her brother?"

There was no sound from Bianca. I was baiting her on purpose.

I waited for her to say more, but there was silence. "What about Bianca?"

"What the fuck are you saying?! Sylvia is dead and you should have died with her yesterday!"

The call was cut off.

I didn't get angry, nor did I scream in annoyance. I just smiled. No need to reply today.

Elara's divorce papers were finished. Jason would hand them over to Sebastian on the day of her funeral, as per Elara's last request.

The cell phone kept ringing, making me really fed up. However, this time it was a call number with the name "Jess" which I deliberately kept that way so as not to arouse suspicion from Sebastian.

"Mrs. Elara Clarke. This is Jason."

"Yes, I understand," I replied.

"You know that tonight the plan will be executed. Are you ready? If you change your mind, we completely understand," someone's voice from behind the call.

"There's no need to back out again. I will prepare everything related to me," I replied in a confident tone.

"Okay then, ma'am. We look forward to hearing from you."

"Very well," I said with a firm nod.

Just as the call was disconnected, the door to the house opened. Ethan was home from school, where he would usually whine about being dropped off at the office. I didn't see Sebastian. That's a sign that Ethan came home on the school bus.

"Mom..."

Ethan stood in the doorway. His round eyes sparkle, unlike his usual hateful ones with his little hand clutching a flower he seems to have picked at school.

"This is for you," he said with a smile and stepped inside, coming closer and handing over the flower. "Today, I want to play with you, Mom."

At first glance, I saw a shadow of the past. The Ethan who used to cling to me warmly and spoiled.

However, the wounds were too deep. And now, I could no longer pretend as if everything was fine.

I sighed slowly with a calm face. "I'm not feeling well, Ethan. You can play by yourself, or have your father pick you up and take you to his office as usual,"

Ethan just fell silent. "But, I want to play with Mom today," he said pleadingly.

"Ethan, you have to understand. I'm sick and need to rest," I said, trying to give my son some understanding.

I didn't know if this was a sincere request, or just a plan they had made.

Ethan looked down disappointed, but I was indifferent. Not trying to break the ice, not even hugging as usual. He stepped inside his room, probably going to play by himself or call his father after my rejection.

---

Tonight, Sebastian talked to Ethan about meeting an old friend. And, the boy insisted on coming along. I couldn't even tell the lies from the truth anymore. Sebastian said that he deliberately did not bring me along with the reason, Ethan said that I was sick this afternoon.

In fact, I know that Sebastian took Ethan away with Bianca, attending a special event made by the Ballerina team. It was not in vain that I put someone to investigate Sebastian's every move.

"We're leaving first, baby," Sebastian said as he smoothed the collar of his shirt, his face beaming like he was about to attend a victory party.

"Bye, Mom!" Ethan waved his little arms excitedly, jumping up and down happily by the door.

I'm the one standing in the doorway, wearing an ivory-white sweater and the biggest smile I can muster tonight. "Be careful on the road," I reply with a wave.

I deliberately gave a warm gaze with a calm voice, as if I were a wife who was just going to rest tonight. My heartbeat is racing fast.

"Don't wait for us. We'll be home late," Sebastian says, putting his arm around Ethan's shoulders and ready to step towards the car waiting in front of the house.

I nodded slowly, not letting go of the smile on my face. "I'm going to bed early. You guys have fun."

The two of them walked off, slowly moving away from me. Sebastian only gave me a quick wave, while Ethan didn't even look back. Though this afternoon he looked like my favorite Ethan.

When the sound of their footsteps became faint, I immediately closed the door. My face instantly changed. The smile vanished, I took a deep breath and walked towards the kitchen, staring at the stove, the gas pipe, and the small remote I had just taken out of my pocket.

It was instantly quiet. Too quiet this time.

I went out the back door, following the planned path. At the end of the alley, a black car with tinted glass was waiting for me. Jason sat in the driver's seat.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

I nodded.

The car drove slowly away from the house. A few minutes later, a loud bang was heard from behind. The car's mirrors reflected a fiery orange light. Smoke began to billow high in the night sky.

Jason continued to drive calmly. I turned my head toward the house that was slowly being consumed by the flames. In the distance, I could see two figures running hurriedly out of the car they had just gotten into, Sebastian and Ethan.

I saw them screaming in panic in front of the house that was starting to see a crowd of people. Ethan was crying loudly, the sound reaching me even from this far away.

A fire truck passed by from the opposite direction. We passed each other at a bend in the road. Jason kept his focus forward, while I just stared straight out the window coldly, silently, and blankly.

Inwardly, I muttered under my breath, "Goodbye, my old life."

The car continued to drive, taking me away from the hell I had left behind. No one would know if I was still alive until the time came.