Amber’s Pov

I was at work when the news was playing in the background and that's when I saw it. A lifeless boy was carried out of a car after suffocating for hours.

My heart stopped. It was my son.

I froze as the camera showed the car. I knew that car—it belonged to my husband’s adopted sister, Chloe!

The room spun. Fury shot through me, burning every vein in my body. “She killed my son,” I whispered, shaking. “She has to pay for this.”

My husband Jason wrapped his arm around me, his voice low. “You’re right, Amber. Chloe has gone too far this time. I’ll make sure she faces justice.”

My brother, a lawyer, handled the case personally. But on the morning of the trial, he never showed up.

Two days later, they found his mutilated lifeless body outside his house, and no trace of all the evidence he had gathered.

The case collapsed and the judge dismissed everything ruling my son’s death as ‘accidental’ while Chloe walked out of court free.

I rushed home, desperate, hoping Jason could still help. That’s when I heard voices in his study. I leaned against the door, listening.

“I don’t know, Jason,” Mark, his best friend, was saying. “Chloe deliberately killed your son out of jealousy. But you went and had your wife’s brother killed just to save her from prison?”

My chest tightened, my pulse roaring in my ears.

Jason’s voice sounded cold and cruel. “Amber will never know the truth. It was the only way to protect Chloe. Besides, it wasn’t just her fault. We were… carried away in the bedroom. I forgot that little bastard was still locked in the car.”

My knees buckled. My breath caught in my throat. Bedroom? With Chloe?

“She thinks Chloe is your sister,” Mark laughed. “Amber really is clueless. How can she not see that Chloe’s son, Julius looks exactly like you? He’s your son.”

Jason chuckled, almost proud. “Amber is madly in love with me. She’ll believe whatever I say. Soon, I’ll send her away for good and build the family I want with Chloe. Especially now that she’s pregnant again.”

The world shattered around me. How could this have happened? Ever since Chloe donated her kidney to save my husband’s life four years ago he adopted her as his little sister.

He's always done everything to make her happy and when I complain he would always say, “She saved my life, Amber, without her I won’t be here. We owe her everything.”

How had I been so blind as to see that his affection for her had gotten intimate and my marriage was all a lie?!

My husband and his so-called sister were lovers. They had a child together. Now another is on the way. And they killed my sweet little boy to keep their secret.

My hands trembled as I grabbed my phone. With tears blurring my eyes, I unblocked a number I had buried seven years ago.

The line clicked. “Roy…” My voice broke. “Please, I need your help. I’m going to divorce Jason Morales. Please get me out of here… help me take revenge on him.”

There was silence, and then his calm and sharp voice came. “Why should I help you, Amber? You abandoned me seven years ago.”

The memory stabbed me fresh, my father had once chosen Roy for me—a safe, strong choice. But I had walked away. For love. For Jason.

And now love has ruined me.

“Please, Roy,” I sobbed into the phone. “I’ll do anything. I’ve lost everything… they’ve taken everything from me.”

His tone was cutting. “If you can produce your divorce certificate in one week, then maybe I’ll consider helping you.”

The line went dead.

I sank to the floor, the phone slipping from my hand, my tears soaking the tiles.

By the time I ended the call, rage took over me. I stormed into the house, ready to rip the mask off his face.

The moment Jason saw me, his expression softened with fake concern. Before I could speak, he wrapped me in his arms, his hand rubbing the back of my neck.

“I heard the news, darling. I’m so sorry,” he whispered against my hair.

I tried pushing him away, my body trembling with fury, but he held on tighter.

“This is all your fault, you bastard!” I shouted.

“I know… I never should’ve let Chloe pick our son up. It’s all my fault. I failed you,” his voice cracked as he buried his face in my hair.

If I hadn’t overheard his conversation with Mark, if I hadn’t seen that smug smirk they shared before I walked in, I would’ve believed him. His tears almost fooled me.

“I’ll make sure Chloe pays for what she’s done,” he sobbed.

The audacity! This man killed my son, murdered my brother, and now he was pretending to grieve with me? My rage exploded. I shoved him off and slapped him across the face so hard my palm stung.

“You bastard! I hate you!”

Jason’s cheeks were wet, his expression broken. For a second, I saw the man I had once loved—the man who had pulled me from a burning building, the man I chose over Roy even when my family begged me not to.

“I deserve it,” Jason said hoarsely. “Go on, hit me. I’m a terrible father.”

I pounded on his chest, tears blinding me, waiting for him to admit the truth. But he didn’t. He just cried harder, playing the victim, whispering words that made me sick. By the time I was drained, he pressed a cup into my hands.

“Here, darling. Drink this tea and rest.”

Exhausted, I swallowed it without thinking. My body curled up on the sofa, my tears soaking the cushions until I drifted into a restless sleep.

—

When I woke, voices filled the room. My head throbbed as I forced my eyes open.

“You’re awake,” Jason said softly.

I blinked, only to see him standing protectively beside Chloe, their hands entwined.

My heart lurched. “What is she doing here?” I spat.

“Calm down, Amber,” Jason said.

Before I could speak again, a small voice broke through.

“Daddy, why is that bad woman yelling at Mommy?”

I froze. A little boy peeked out from behind Jason’s legs. My heart twisted. I had seen him before, but now, staring at him, the resemblance was undeniable. Jason’s eyes. Jason’s jawline. Jason’s son.

Jason coughed, caught off guard. Chloe quickly pulled the boy forward and smacked him lightly.

“Julius, I told you not to call Jason that,” she said sweetly, then flashed me a mocking smile. “I’m sorry, Amber. He’s just so attached to Jason.”

I turned to Jason, trembling. “What are they doing here?”

“Ever since the accident—”

“Accident?” My voice cracked like glass, interrupting him sharply. “She killed my son, Jason!”

Jason’s gaze hardened. “Don’t be difficult, Amber. People are threatening Chloe and her son online. Their lives are in danger, so I told them to stay here until it blows over.”

I choked out a bitter laugh. “Their lives? She killed my son, and you’re protecting her?”

Chloe sobbed dramatically. “It wasn’t on purpose. He wandered into the car… I should’ve been more careful.” She turned to Jason. “Maybe we should leave. I don’t care if I die, as long as Amber feels better.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Chloe,” Jason barked, gripping her hand tighter. He turned his glare on me. “Chloe and Julius will stay here and that’s final.”

Bitter tears slid down my face as the truth clawed at me. “Of course. Because he’s your son, isn’t he?”

Jason’s eyes flickered with shock before he masked it with a cold smile. “Don’t be absurd. Her husband abandoned them. Julius just… sees me as a father figure.”

His lie sliced through me. My whole body trembled as I whispered, “Do what you want, Jason. I don’t care anymore.” I stormed upstairs before he could reply.

In the bedroom, my phone rang. I grabbed it like a lifeline, it was our family lawyer.

“Do you have the divorce papers ready?” I demanded.

“Mrs. Morales,” his voice was calm, “My secretary told me about your request, but I need to confirm… are you certain you want to divorce your husband?”

“Did I stutter? I need out of this marriage within seven days!”

“Mrs. Morales,” he said carefully, “you understand that if you file for divorce, you’ll lose your family’s company. According to the document you signed, it will pass to your husband.”

“What?” My heart dropped, my voice cracking in shock.

“Amber? Who are you talking to?”

I spun around. Jason was standing at the doorway, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Amber’s Pov

“Who are you talking to, Amber?” Jason asked again, stepping closer.

I snapped the call closed and glared at him. “Why does it matter? Have I lost the right to private calls now?” I kept my voice sharp.

He gave a practiced, tight smile. “I was only checking on you. You stormed off so I came to see if you were okay.”

My lie came easily. “It was the PI. He called about my brother’s death.”

Jason’s jaw tightened. “Has he found anything?”

“He said he has a lead,” I lied. “He should have an answer to who killed him by the end of the week.”

Jason nodded, but his eyes darkened. He did not look relieved even though he tried to hide it.

“Amber,” he said, voice soft. “Chloe is a mother too. For the sake of her son, try to forgive her.”

I laughed, a short, bitter sound. “Her son? My son died. He choked in her car. Do you know how long it takes to suffocate? His fingers were broken from scratching the door. He cried and no one helped.”

My throat closed on the last words. The memory of identifying his tiny body made bile rise in my mouth.

“Our son is dead, Amber, but I won’t let you ruin Chloe’s life because of it. She saved my life!” Jason said fiercely.

I was mortified, “She donated her kidney four years ago to save you, you've done everything to please her and now you would sacrifice your own son too?!”

Jason reached for me. “I’m sorry, darling,” he murmured.

I pulled away as I grabbed my coat. “I’m going out. I need air.”

“Amber!” he called, but I ignored him and went down the stairs.

Chloe sat on the couch, a smug smile planted on her face. She looked up as I passed.

“Where are you rushing off to?” she asked, bright as a bell.

I pushed past. She stepped in front of me, blocking the door.

“Answer me,” she said. Then she laughed, cruel. “You’re going to lose everything. Soon your husband will be mine!”

“Get out of my way, Chloe.”

She cocked her head. “Or what? What are you going to do, Amber? You can’t do anything. You couldn’t even save your own son.”

My hands moved without thinking. I slapped her, hard. I grabbed her hair and shoved. She cried out sharp and loud.

Jason came flying down the stairs, eyes wide. “What did you do?” he demanded.

“What I should have done days ago!” I spat, and I ran.

My phone filled with missed calls and angry voicemails as I drove away.

“Come back and apologize to Chloe!” one voice shouted.

“How dare you hurt her, I'll kill you!” another screamed.

“Don’t make me make you regret this!” the next one came in.

“I’ve lost my patience, Amber, I've tried to be nice but you've pushed me. Whatever happens is on you.”

The last one sounded eerily calm and for a moment I was tempted to pick up the call but I ignored it and went straight to the lawyer.

“Mrs. Morales,” he said with the old courtesy. “Always a pleasure.”

“Start talking. What did you mean on the phone?” I demanded.

He slid a paper across the desk. My name stared back at me with my signature on a clause I never saw before.

“This says if you divorce Jason, he gets the company,” he said. “You signed it.”

“I didn’t sign that,” I said, panic rising.

“You did,” he replied. “You asked me to do what Jason wanted when you married. You agreed.”

A flash of memory hit me as I recalled the wedding night, a paper he’d asked me to sign claiming it was “just work.” I had trusted him then. I had signed without reading it.

“But why would he do this? He doesn't want us to get divorced or what? It doesn't make sense,” I frowned.

“It favors him,” the lawyer said. “If you divorce him, you lose your company. If he divorces you, he keeps seventy percent. If you die while married, the company still goes to him.”

My mouth went dry. I felt small, stupid, and trapped.

“I need the divorce papers by tomorrow,” I said. “Find a loophole.”

Before he could answer, my phone rang. It was from the hospital.

“Mrs. Morales, your mother—” the nurse began. “We’re scheduling to remove her corneas.”

I stood so fast I nearly fell. “What? No. Who authorized that?”

The nurse read from a file. “Your husband authorized the procedure, ma’am. You signed consent.”

“I never signed anything!” I said.

I was at the hospital a few minutes later, my heart pounding. My mother was admitted to the hospital three weeks ago after she had a heart attack and collapsed from the top floor. She's been in a coma ever since.

The doctor met me in the corridor with a calm face and a paper in her hand.

“Mrs. Morales, your husband signed. You agreed to donate—” she began.

“Who were those corneas for?” I demanded.

The doctor flipped a page. “Dr. Chloe Morales requested them for research,” she said, then added, quietly, “She is also a resident surgeon here.”

My skin went cold. “You will not touch my mother,” I said, loud and steady. “If anyone tries anything, I will sue this hospital into the ground.”

They backed off and I left with my hands shaking from anger.

By the time I got back home, my anger had not cooled. I slammed open the door and froze.

My sister sat before me. She was tied to a chair. Her clothes were torn. Tears streaked her face.

“Hello, Amber,” Jason said calmly, a cold smile on his lips. “I’ve been waiting.”

Amber’s Pov

“What is going on here?” My voice shook as my eyes darted from Jason to my sister tied up in the chair.

Jane’s cheeks were streaked with tears, her hair messy, her clothes ripped. She looked so small, so helpless.

Jason leaned against the wall, calm as though the sight before us was nothing. A cruel smile tugged at his lips.

“You pissed me off, Amber, even when I tried to be nice,” he said flatly. “So I pulled your sister out of her boarding school. I thought she’d help me teach you a lesson.”

Jane whimpered, “Amber… please…” Her voice was barely a whisper.

My knees weakened, but I forced myself forward. “Why, Jason? Why would you do this to her? She’s just a child!”

Jason’s eyes darkened. “Don’t act innocent. You think I’d just let you get away with what you did to Chloe?”

I frowned. “What I did to Chloe?”

He pushed off the wall, his face twisting with rage. “Because of you, Chloe’s jaw is broken. She’s in the hospital getting stitches as we speak.”

I scoffed. “She killed my son, Jason, she deserves more than that!”

“And you know what’s worse?” Jason’s voice dropped. “She was pregnant with my child. She lost the baby because of you.”

I arched my brow and tried to act surprised, “Your child? How is that possible? Didn’t you say you took her as your sister because she saved your life?”

Jason laughed. It was hollow, bitter, full of scorn. “You’re so stupid, Amber. Chloe took care of me and saved my life while you were partying and too busy to come see me. If she hadn't been there that night when the doctors tried reaching you all to no avail I would have been dead!”

My lips parted, but no words came. My chest squeezed painfully even though I've tried to tell him the truth countless times he's never believed me.

“It’s been four years and yet you still worship her,” I smiled bitterly.

He stepped closer, his eyes burning. “If you hadn't neglected me then I would be worshipping you and not her!”

My stomach twisted but I said nothing. I just realized that my parents had been right all along.

“And you—” he sneered, “you went ahead and got pregnant. You betrayed me and ruined everything!”

Tears blurred my vision. “Ruined everything? Jason, he was our son. Our baby boy—”

Jason’s voice rose, harsh and cruel. “He wasn’t my son! I’m glad he’s dead. The only children I’ll ever have will be with Chloe.”

The words struck like blades. My heart split wide open. I could barely breathe.

“How… how can you say that?” I whispered, tears clouding my eyes.

He threw a piece of paper at me. “Thanks to Chloe, I found out what you were really doing that night.”

My eyes widened and I shook my head when I saw the paper was a DNA test, “No… this is fake, Jason, you can't believe this.”

He scoffed, “You think I’m a fool? This is the same result I got after running the same test in 4 various hospitals!”

“Fine, you've always believed whatever Chloe tells you. Just let Jane go, she has nothing to do with this,” I whispered.

Jason shook his head slowly, smiling like a madman. “No, darling. She has everything to do with this. If you want her safe, you’re going to do exactly as I say.”

My heart sank. “What do you want?”

“You’re going to make a video,” he said coldly. “You’ll post it online, apologizing to Chloe. You’ll tell everyone it was an accident. That you’re not blaming her for your son’s death. The trolls will stop. The hospital will reinstate her. Everything will be fine again.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Never. Never in this life will I defend her. She killed my son, Jason! She doesn’t deserve sympathy, she deserves prison or worse!”

His eyes gleamed dangerously. “That’s why Jane is here. To motivate you.”

Jane sobbed harder, shaking her head. “Amber, please… don’t let him—”

Jason leaned in close, whispering like poison. “If you don’t do the video, I’ll post her naked pictures online.”

Jane gasped. “No!” She broke into hysterical sobs, thrashing against the ropes.

Jason laughed cruelly. “Just imagine it. Your sweet, innocent sister is barely eighteen. Everyone at her boarding school seeing her like that. Her reputation will be destroyed. She’ll never recover.”

I felt sick. My whole body trembled. “You’re bluffing.”

Jason smirked. “Am I?”

He pulled out his phone, tapped a few buttons, and Jane let out a bloodcurdling scream. “No! Don’t! Amber, stop him!”

The horror in her voice told me it was real. Jason wasn’t bluffing.

My world collapsed. I could not let her suffer. “Stop! I’ll do it,” I shouted. “I’ll do the video!”

Jason grinned, victorious. “Smart girl.”

He shoved a phone into my hand and forced me to sit. My tears blurred the camera as I spoke, my voice hollow.

“My son’s death was an accident,” I said, the words cutting me open. “Chloe isn’t to blame. I forgive her. Please stop harassing her. She deserves peace.”

Jason ended the recording, smiling with satisfaction.

Then, without warning, his fist shot out and smashed into Jane’s face. A sickening crack echoed. She slumped in the chair, blood pouring from her mouth.

“Jason!” I screamed.

“That’s your punishment,” he hissed. “For laying a hand on Chloe.” He stormed out, leaving the door wide open behind him.

I rushed to Jane, my hands shaking as I untied the ropes. “Stay with me, Jane, please… please forgive me,” I sobbed, cradling her limp body.

Her jaw was swollen, twisted. Her breaths were shallow.

I dragged her to the car and sped to the hospital, my tears blinding me.

Hours later, I sat outside the emergency ward, wringing my hands, praying she’d survive.

“Rough night?”

The voice froze me. Chloe strolled out of the hallway, perfectly fine, no sign of injury. Her lips curved in a mocking smile.

“You—” my voice broke. “You’re not hurt.”

She laughed. “Of course I’m not. I was never pregnant either. But Jason believed it because he's madly in love with me and believes whatever I want him to even when I told him you cheated and he's not your dead son’s father.”

I scoffed, “Why am I not surprised that you're a manipulating conniving bitch.”

Chloe’s eyes gleamed with victory. “I pushed him to the edge. I wanted him to finally admit to you what he feels for me. And he did, didn’t he?”

“You’re disgusting,” I spat. “Nothing but a filthy whore, that's what he admitted.”

Her smile faltered for a second before she masked it with a glare. “Careful, Amber. You’re in no position to insult me. This isn’t over. I’ll deal with you soon enough.”

She flicked her hair back and sauntered off, her laughter echoing in the corridor.

Later, I sat by Jane’s bedside. Her face was pale, her jaw wrapped in bandages, machines beeping around her. I held her hand, guilt crushing me.

“Please wake up, Jane,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

The door slammed open.

Jason strode in, his eyes red, his face twisted with fury.

“Where is my son, Amber?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.