Five Years Too Late, Ex-husband!

“I vow to never love you, Daisy ,

Not in sickness, and never in health.”

Those were Sebastian’s words at our wedding, and I had foolishly believed I could make him fall in love with me.

The day I told him I was pregnant, his cold eyes met mine, and he muttered, “Abort it.”

But the moment his ex-lover returned, he followed her blindly.

I watched, tears clouding my vision, as he twirled her in the middle of a lavish party he threw for her—on my birthday all the while proclaiming his love for her to the entire world while I stood there like a fool.

My parents’ faces twisted in disgust as they looked at me. “How can you be so ungrateful, Daisy?

We’ve given you everything for twenty-three years!

Now we’ve found our biological daughter.

She is the real heir, so let her take over the company. Don’t be selfish!”

And just like that, they handed her the inheritance I had worked for all my life.

Three years. Three years I devoted to Sebastian.

I gave him my heart, my body, even a kidney when he was on the brink of death. And still, he abandoned me like trash.

I fled that night, leaving behind our signed divorce papers and a fake abortion report.

But five years later, I returned.

But not as the woman they discarded, but as the most successful actress in the nation, with my twin children by my side.

And now… they came back begging.

“Daisy… we were blind. Please forgive us,” my parents whispered.

“I was a fool,” Sebastian fell to his knees. “I made a mistake. Come back to me. I still love you.”

I rolled my eyes, my voice icy. “You are five years too late, ex-husband.”

She is back

DAISY’S POV ~

“Congratulations, Daisy. You are four weeks pregnant.”

The doctor’s words keep ringing in my ears as I leave the hospital. Even now, sitting in the back of the taxi, I still can't believe it.

Is this real? Is there really a life living inside me?

With shaky hands, I pull out the ultrasound from my bag and stare at the tiny, grainy image. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

This is not a dream.

I feel like shouting to the world that I'm pregnant, that I'm finally going to be a mother after three years of negative tests that broke my heart piece by piece every single month. For three years, I have also endured Sebastian’s coldness.

He grew distant from me, always sleeping with his back turned to me every night and he doesn’t even look at me anymore.

But this baby? This baby is ours. This little gift growing inside my belly will bring Sebastian back to me and we are going to be a joyful family again.

Happy tears fill up my eyes. I have been in love with Sebastian since college, but he was dating Vanessa Morgan back then. For me, marrying Sebastian three years ago was a dream come true even though I was the second choice.

Now, with this baby—our baby—I won’t be a second choice anymore.

The taxi finally pulls into the driveway and I quickly step out of the car with the uncontrollable happiness of seeing Sebastian and sharing the good news with him. After paying the driver, I practically run to the door, already imagining the surprise that will be on Sebastian’s face when I tell him about the pregnancy.

But the instant I open the door and enter the house, I find the entire place unusually quiet.

Why so quiet?

“Bastian?” I call out, tossing my keys on the dining table. “Mrs. Hart?”

No one answers.

Strange.

Even if Sebastian isn’t home, Mrs. Hart, the housekeeper, should be preparing dinner.

Anyway, it’s alright.

Smiling to myself, I kick off my heels and head upstairs. It’s actually perfect that no one is around because it gives me time to change, head to the kitchen, and make Sebastian’s favourite meal to celebrate the good news. Also—

A low cry from my bedroom suddenly reaches my ears, cutting off the rest of my thoughts.

Who is that crying in my bedroom?

Curious and a little disturbed, I continue climbing the stairs. The cry grows more noticeable as soon as I reach the top of the stairs and I move closer to the bedroom.

Reaching the bedroom door, I slowly push the door open and enter inside.

WHAT THE HELL?

The sight before me knocks out the air in my lungs. Sebastian is on our bed. Our matrimonial bed. With ANOTHER WOMAN.

And she is sobbing in his arms.

Instant jealousy rips through me and I nearly stumble back but I hold the door handle for support.

Who is she? And why is Sebastian holding her in his arms as if she’s his only precious treasure in the world?

“Bastian?”

He raises his face at the sound of my voice, his eyes landing on me. Instantly, a look of disgust appears on his face at the sight of me.

“What the fuck are you doing here Daisy?”

Is he fucking serious?

“I live here!” I choke out.

“Oh my God,” The woman says as she quickly pulls herself away from his arms and turns around to look at me.

The instant I see her face, the room spins before my eyes.

I blink. Once. Twice.

No way.

The face looking back at me shouldn’t exist in this world anymore. I know those wide, teary doe eyes. I know that honey-blonde hair. I know the small mole on her left cheek.

That’s Vanessa Morgan. Sebastian’s ex. The… the love of his life.

The air leaves my lungs a second time again. I think I am going crazy. That is the only explanation. I am stressed. I am pregnant.

And now, I am seeing ghosts.

Vanessa Morgan.

But she’s… she’s dead.

“Vanessa?” I mumble, my knees feeling wobbly and I tighten my hold on the door handle to stop myself from hitting the floor. She says nothing, just staring at me like a lost puppy. Blood is roaring in my ears and draining away from my face, making me feel cold and dizzy.

This is impossible. She drowned three years ago. I remember the police boats searching the river. I remember the closed casket. I remember the way people whispered that I had pushed her and how they accused me of murder until the case was closed.

Dead people don’t come back. Dead people don’t cry in your husband’s arms right on your matrimonial bed.

“Daisy, can’t you see I’m busy right now?” Sebastian suddenly snaps angrily.

“Get out of here and go to the guest room. I don’t want your disgusting self near Vanessa.”

“Daisy, I’m so sorry.” Vanessa's voice sends a shiver down my spine. This is not a hallucination. She is real. She is breathing.

And she is here.

Her eyes fill up with tears and she turns to look at Sebastian. “Sebastian, this wasn’t supposed to happen. I told you I shouldn’t have come here. We can’t be together anymore. Daisy is your wife now.”

“Vanessa,” Sebastian reaches for her, totally ignoring me.

“No!” Vanessa sobs, wiping her tear-stained cheeks. “I can’t destroy a beautiful home like yours! I should have stayed dead! I should have never come back!”

“Don’t say that,” Sebastian growls with fear rising in his voice. “You belong here with me. Don’t leave me.”

“I don’t belong here with you! Look at your wife!” Vanessa cries, pointing a trembling finger at me. “I’m so sorry, Daisy. Please forgive me. I’m leaving right now!”

She stands up, grabs her Chanel bag, and runs past me, carrying my husband’s scent on her body.

“Vanessa stop!” Sebastian shouts and hurriedly stands up to chase after her. I can’t believe the drama playing out in front of me. This has to be a sick joke.

He tries to move past me.

“Where are you going?” I demand, quickly throwing my body in front of the door to block him.

“Move Daisy,” he snarls, trying to use his deadly voice to shove me aside.

“You are not going anywhere,” I dig my nails into his arms, shaking him. “Are you crazy? That’s Vanessa! She is supposed to be dead! How on earth are you with her in our bedroom and—”

“She is the love of my life!” He screams, grabbing my wrists and wrenching them off him. “She survived! She came back to me! And the first thing you do is scare her away?”

“I scared her away?” I laugh bitterly. “I am your wife Sebastian! I have been here with you for three years! I am the one who took the blame for her death! I am the one who has loved you all these years and this is how you repay me?!”

“I never stopped loving Vanessa and you know it,” he snaps. “Vanessa is the woman I love, and you? You are just a warm body that kept my bed occupied until she came back. I never stopped loving her, not even for one second.”

The words stab me like a knife to the heart. I stumble back.

So after all these years, he was still in love with her?

“Three years, Sebastian… three years of us being together and it all meant nothing to you?”

“It all means nothing compared to her.” He steps forward. “Move Daisy. Get out of my face before I do something you’ll regret.”

“Wait, I have something important to tell you,” I sound so desperate, but I have the one thing that Vanessa doesn’t have.

My pregnancy. My child with Sebastian.

It has to mean something.

Quickly, I bring out the ultrasound paper from my bag and hold it up in his face.

“Sebastian, I’m pregnant.” I blurt out, forcing a smile to my face.

He freezes, blankly staring at me as if I just electrocuted him with those words.

“What the hell did you just say to me?”

“I said I’m pregnant and the baby is ours,” I shake the paper in front of him. “This is the ultrasound. Take a look at it. We’re having a baby, so you can’t leave. I need you. Our baby needs you.”

For one second, his face softens as he looks at the tiny shape of the baby.

A spark of hope ignites in my chest.

He is a man of honor. He won’t leave his own flesh and blood.

But when he looks up, my smile vanishes the instant I see the softness in his face totally gone and now replaced by cold hatred.

“So you think this changes anything between us?” he asks and chuckles in a dark tone that fills my skin with goosebumps.

“What?”

“This is utter trash,” he sounds really pissed this time around and before I can blink again, he tears the ultrasound paper in half!

“Sebastian NO!” I scream and try to stop him, but he’s taller than me so he holds the paper out of my reach, tearing it again and again until only tiny white pieces remain.

“You think you can trap me?!” he snarls, now throwing the pieces of paper in my face. “You think I’ll let Vanessa go just because you got pregnant?”

“But I’m carrying our child!” I yell to his face before falling to my knees and frantically gathering the torn pieces of the ultrasound. My hands are shaking so badly with tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Gosh Daisy, you’re so crazy and pathetic.”

“What about you?” I snap back in a broken voice. “How can you be so cruel to an innocent child?! To your own flesh and blood?!”

“And who says I want a baby with you?” He asks coldly. “So just because we are married, you think you know me? You know nothing, Daisy, and now that my true love is back, it’s time you know your place. I want a family with Vanessa, only Vanessa, so you see that baby you claim you’re carrying? Get rid of it immediately.”

“What?”

“Abort it.” He snarls with pure hatred in his eyes.

Happy birthday to me

DAISY’S POV ~

Abort it…

Abort it…

Abort it…

My head is spinning with those words, my heart shattering into a million pieces. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I can’t even do anything when he ignores me and walks past me, leaving me alone on my knees in the midst of the shredded remains of my happiness, my body surrounded with the torn fragments of my baby’s first picture.

What the hell just happened?

What the hell did he just say to me?

Abort my baby? Our baby?

No. He can’t mean that. He doesn’t mean that.

“Bastian wait!” I hurriedly rise to my feet, my legs nearly giving out beneath me as I run after him. But he is already at the door, his phone pressed to his ear.

“Vanessa, where are you?” There is fear and pain in his voice and he also sounds desperate in a way he has never sounded for me. “Baby, please answer me. I’m coming to find you right now.”

Baby. He called her baby.

“Sebastian!” I reach the living room, still holding onto the railing of the stairs. “Don't leave! We need to talk about this!”

He spins around and walks up to me, looking at me with pure hatred on his face that makes me flinch.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Daisy.” His voice is ice-cold. “Vanessa is out there crying because of you. She’s been through hell, the same hell you put her through.”

“But I didn’t do anything to her,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “I'm your wife—”

“You were never supposed to be my wife!” he yells, stepping closer to me as I take some steps backward. “You're just making everything worse, and even back then, you were useless, but now, Nessa is back, so I'm done pretending in this meaningless marriage.”

With those hurtful words, he turns and storms out the front door, slamming it hard behind him.

I stand frozen in the living room, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach where my baby is growing.

Our baby. The baby he just told me to get rid of.

Hot tears stream down my face as reality crashes over me.

I have lost him.

And now, I’m alone. Completely and utterly alone.

~ ~ ~ ~

At 4 p.m, I wake up from my headache-induced sleep, and suddenly, I start hearing the sounds of different voices downstairs. Lots of different voices.

What's going on?

Curious, I stand up and smooth down my simple dress. I haven’t bothered with makeup or fancy clothes lately.

What’s the point?

As I make my way downstairs, the voices get louder. Soft music is playing. Classic soft music.

And right then, a reminder hits me instantly.

Today is my birthday.

Between going to the hospital and later coming back home and getting my heart broken after seeing Vanessa in Sebastian’s arms, I forgot that today is my birthday.

But now…

A smile spreads on my face when I finally reach the end of the stairs, my eyes taking in the beauty around me. The entire house has been transformed with gold and white balloons hanging everywhere. A champagne tower sits on a table surrounded by expensive-looking appetizers, and there are so many guests dressed stylishly in dinner attires. I even recognize some people from Sebastian’s business circle.

Wow. When did all these guests get here? I'm not a deep sleeper, but I guess one happens to fall into a deep slumber when they haven't had enough sleep for three days.

Feeling more excited, I leave my standing spot on the stairs, my eyes now searching for Sebastian. Maybe he remembered my birthday and organized this party to surprise me unlike how he always forgot to celebrate my birthday for the past three years.

Still searching for him, I turn a corner into the living room.

And the moment I arrive, the smile on my face dies instantly.

At the center of the room, standing under a spotlight, are Sebastian and Vanessa. Dancing. Together. Sebastian's arms are wrapped around her waist, pulling her close like she is the most precious thing in the world. She is wearing a stunning white dress that hugs her curves perfectly, her honey-blonde hair cascading down her back in perfect silky waves.

And Sebastian? He's looking at her like she hung the moon and stars.

This party isn’t for me.

This entire beautiful, perfect celebration isn't for me.

It’s for her.

“Oh my God, they look so perfect together!” Someone gushes behind me.

“Poor Daisy, though. Imagine being the second option.” Another person comments.

My heart sinks into my stomach at those piteous words. Feeling so ashamed, I try to back away, to disappear before anyone notices me.

But the instant I turn around, a sickening familiar voice shouts my name.

“Daisy! Oh my God!” Vanessa’s voice rings out, sugary sweet and fake. “You are finally here!”

Everyone’s heads turn to look at me.

Fuck.

Smiling, Vanessa pulls away from Sebastian and walks towards me. She reaches me and takes my hands in front of everyone, her smile making my skin crawl.

“Daisy, I’m so happy you could join us!” She squeezes my hands and her grip is so tight and painful. “Sebastian insisted on throwing a party to celebrate my return! Isn’t it wonderful?”

Wonderful?! Is she serious right now?!

“I know this must be so hard for you,” she says, her voice dripping with fake concern. “However, I would appreciate it if you could help serve food to our guests!” She yells so everyone can hear her. “Mrs. Hart can’t seem to manage alone and I’m sure you wouldn't mind helping out, right?”

WHAT?!

I look round the room and everyone is staring at me now, waiting for my response. Even Sebastian is just standing there watching without saying anything.

“Vanessa, I don't think—”

“Oh please Daisy!” She pouts and clasps her hands together, her eyes shining with fake tears. “I feel so terrible asking you to do something like that, but you’re so kind and generous. I know you want to help make this party perfect.”

I look at Sebastian, silently begging him to say something, to stand up for me and tell Vanessa that this is wrong.

But he just stands there.

“Bastian?” My voice cracks. “Say something.”

He takes a slow sip of his champagne and sets the glass down. “Just do as she says Daisy.”

My heart stops.

“What?”

“You heard me,” his tone turns darker. “Do everything Nessa says and try not to make a scene.”

Vanessa smiles triumphantly as she gently pushes me towards the kitchen. “Thank you so much Daisy! You're such a sweetheart!”

In the kitchen, my hands shake as I pick up a tray of appetizers.

This is my house. Today is my birthday.

And yet, I’m being treated like a servant.

During the rest of the party, I serve food to the guests, my face burning with pure humiliation while Vanessa plays the gracious hostess, laughing and dancing with my husband.

In my house.

On my birthday.

Truly, I feel like the most worthless person alive.

~~~~~~

The next morning, I wake up early to leave the house. The private investigator I hired to help me prove my innocence called last night to inform me that he finally found some evidence. Proof that I didn't push Vanessa off that cliff three years ago.

I make my way to the Vista Royale restaurant where we planned to meet.

Arriving there, I sit down and order a bottle of red wine while waiting for the investigator. In the restaurant, the TV is playing a commercial.

But afterwards, ‘CUPID NEWS’ a popular live couple’s interview, starts showing on the television.

And instantly, my glass of wine stops halfway to my mouth as I watch Sebastian and Vanessa walk into the show, holding hands like they are the only two lovebirds in the world.

The proposal

DAISY’S POV ~

I can't believe my eyes right now.

But it's real. Very real.

Tears blur my vision as I watch my husband acting lovey-dovey with another woman in front of the world. Right there in the show, they are welcomed and ushered to make themselves comfortable on plush white couch.

They are still holding hands, and now, they are smiling at the camera.

“So tell us, Mr. King, what's it like having the love of your life back?” The host asks with a bright smile.

The question hangs in the air for a while as Sebastian, the man I have loved for years, looks at Vanessa with eyes full of love.

“It feels like I'm finally complete.” he answers softly as he keeps looking at Vanessa like she is the only one for him. Tears flow down my cheeks as I watch Vanessa plant a kiss on their intertwined hands while the host continues smiling dreamily.

“So, Miss Morgan,” she refers to Vanessa, “Everyone wants to know what was it like for you to come back after all this time?”

Vanessa dabs at her eyes with a handkerchief.

“It was so scary for me,” she admits, her voice cracking. “I-I didn't know if I could make it, but I always thought of Sebastian and my love for him gave me the strength and motivation.”

Her love for him? Did she just tell the whole world that she's in love with another woman’s husband?

But of course Sebastian loves her too so who am I to complain? And to further prove that, I watch him as he simply squeezes her hand while Vanessa smiles back at him.

The scene in front of me is ripping my heart apart, but I can't seem to take my eyes away from the TV screen.

“Now, I have to ask the question everyone’s wondering about,” the host pauses, then continues. “Mr. King, you’re still legally married to Daisy Sinclair. What happens now that Miss Morgan is back?”

My breath catches in my throat and the entire restaurant seems to go quiet even though I know people are still talking around me. Sebastian doesn’t even flinch at the question, and in my ears, all I can hear is the thundering of my own heartbeat as I wait for Sebastian’s answer.

What is he going to do?

Right then, he simply reaches for Vanessa’s hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world and he pulls her closer. Still watching them, I see him smile at her before he presses a kiss to her cheek.

On live television.

In front of the entire world.

My stomach lurches violently and for a second, I think I’m going to puke right here in the middle of the restaurant.

“That's an easy answer,” Sebastian says confidently as he pulls back from Vanessa, though he is holding her hand. “The divorce papers have already been drawn up and Daisy just needs to sign them.”

What?! Divorce papers?! And they are already drawn up?!

Someone wake me up from this bad dream.

“Oh wow,” the host remarks, clearly eating this up. “So you’re moving forward quickly then?”

“There’s no reason to wait,” Sebastian shrugs. “Vanessa is the woman I've always loved. She's the woman I should have married three years ago if…” He trails off, his jaw tightening. “If circumstances hadn’t kept us apart.”

Circumstances.

He means me. I’m the circumstance.

Vanessa squeezes his hand, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Sebastian, you don't have to—”

“Yes I do,” he cuts her off gently, turning to face her fully now. The camera zooms in on them, capturing every intimate moment. “I need everyone to know the truth. I need you to know the truth.”

What is he saying?

My hands grip the edge of the table.

“Vanessa,” he continues, his voice dropping to something softer, more tender. “I have wasted three years, three years we could have spent together building the life we always dreamed about, but from now henceforth, I’m not wasting another second.”

“Sebastian…” Vanessa’s voice breaks.

And then, right there on live television, in front of millions of viewers, my husband stands up and gets down on one knee.

Gasps erupt around me. The host’s hand flies to her mouth. Even Vanessa’s eyes widen as tears spill down her cheeks.

And I sit here, frozen, my entire world crumbling to dust.

“Oh my God!” someone shrieks in the restaurant. “He’s proposing! This is so romantic!”

No. No, this isn't romantic. This is a nightmare. A bloody nightmare.

Sebastian reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small velvet box.

When he opens it, even through the television screen, I can see the ring.

It's the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.

A princess-cut diamond that catches the studio lights and throws rainbow sparkles across Vanessa’s tear-stained face. The band looks like platinum, encrusted with smaller diamonds that circle the entire ring.

The same ring I begged him to buy me two years ago when we went shopping in a jewelry store.

I remember acting like a child that day, admiring it and telling him how much I loved it while I also begged him to get it for me, but he looked at me with disdain and bluntly told me that I am not worthy of such a beautiful gift.

And now, here he is, giving that exact same ring to Vanessa.

“Vanessa Kate Morgan,” Sebastian says as the world watches. “You are the love of my life. My soulmate. The only woman I have ever truly loved. I know I've made mistakes, but I swear to you, right here, right now, that I will spend every day for the rest of my life making it up to you.”

“Sebastian….” Vanessa sobs, her hands shaking as they cover her mouth.

“Will you give me the honor of being your husband? Of building the family we've always dreamed of? Of growing old together the way we were always meant to?”

God, what is happening?! He's still married to me and he's proposing to another woman and promising her the same family we’ve always dreamed of?!

My hand instinctively moves to my stomach, where our baby, his baby, is growing.

But he doesn’t want this baby. He wants a family with Vanessa.

“Yes!” Vanessa yells, throwing her arms around his neck. “Yes. A thousand times yes I'll marry you!”

Applause erupts around me. The host is actually crying as Sebastian slides the ring onto Vanessa’s finger and she holds it up to the camera, showing it off as it glitters under the lights.

“Congratulations to the happy couple!” the host announces.

The camera pans out as they kiss, and the audience goes wild.

I can't breathe. I literally cannot draw air into my lungs.

“Oh my God, did you see that?” Someone says happily behind me. “That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen!”

I turn my head slowly and see that a lot of people in the restaurant are also eating this up. They’re staring at the screen with dreamy expressions and wiping tears from their eyes. Some are even recording the show.

“I’m so glad Vanessa is back,” I hear more comments. “They belong together.”

“Poor Sebastian, having to wait all this time. At least he's finally free from that other woman. What was her name? Daisy?”

“Oh yeah, Daisy. Can you imagine being married to someone who's clearly in love with someone else?”

“She probably trapped him into marrying her.”

“I heard she pushed Vanessa off that cliff three years ago out of jealousy.”

“Really? That’s insane!”

“Well, karma’s finally catching up to her. Sebastian is kicking her out and marrying his true love.”

Each and every comment digs a knife into my heart.

I should leave.

I should stand up and walk out of here before anyone recognizes me.

Holding back tears, I grab my purse, ready to leave.

But suddenly, a waitress bumps into my table, spilling wine all over me.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes.

“It’s okay,” I say, wiping the stain and lifting my face.

“Wait…” she stares at my face intently. “Aren't you….”

Fuck.

“Oh my God,” someone else gasps. “That’s her! That’s Daisy Sinclair!”

Suddenly, all eyes in the restaurant turn to me and they all start laughing.

“Are you serious?” a young woman sneers, already turning her phone towards me. “Daisy Sinclair is actually here and watching the show?”

“How pathetic,” the woman beside her adds, also recording me now.

More laughter. Cruel, vicious laughter that rings in my ears.

Just stop.

Please just stop!

But they don't stop. They are all laughing and mocking me with their phones out, recording my breakdown for social media, for their friends, for the whole world to see.

“ENOUGH!” The manager of the restaurant yells and walks up to me, his face twisted with anger as he looks at me.

“Ma’am. You need to leave right now. Your presence is causing problems and you're disrupting my business.”

“But I didn't do anything—”

“Just leave!” he yells again as people keep watching, some laughing as they continue recording the scene with their phones.

Yet, another heart break

Daisy's POV ~

Humiliated beyond words, I grab my purse and rush towards the exit.

Outside the restaurant, my phone buzzes in my purse and I pull it out with shaky hands.

The buzz is from a notification. A tagged post on social media.

Someone has already uploaded a crying video of me sitting in that restaurant, with the caption:

‘Daisy Sinclair watching her husband propose to another woman LIVE #Karma #TrueLoveWins #PatheticEx’

And the post already has thousands of views with people celebrating my pain in the comments.

I can't see through my tears as I run towards my car after tucking the phone back into my purse. People are staring at me as I run past them, but I don't care anymore.

Let them look. Let them record. Let them post it online for the world to mock me.

Nothing matters anymore.

My hands are trembling so badly that I drop my car keys twice before I manage to unlock the door of my car.

The moment I’m inside, I rest my head on the steering wheel and cry my ears out.

The image of Sebastian on one knee is burned into my brain. The ring. The way he looked at her like she was his entire universe while I'm just... nothing.

Less than nothing.

I press my hand against my stomach, feeling the flatness there, knowing that a tiny life is growing inside me. A life that its own father doesn’t want.

“I'm so sorry,” I whisper to my baby through my tears. “I’m so sorry your father doesn’t want you. But I want you. I swear I want you and I'm going to keep you.”

My phone won’t stop buzzing. Notification after notification. I don't need to look to know what they say. More mockery. More cruelty. More celebrations of my pain.

I just need to get out of here. I need to go somewhere safe. Somewhere I can think. Somewhere peaceful.

My childhood home.

At least there, my mother will hold me in her arms and my father will comfort me. They will assure me that everything is going to be okay. They will help me figure out what to do next and also remind me that I’m worth something even if my husband thinks I’m worthless.

With my mind already made up, I start the car and pull out into road.

The drive to my parents’ house usually takes thirty minutes, but it feels like thirty hours. Every passing second is torture.

But finally, I turn onto the familiar tree-lined street where I grew up.

The sight of my parents’ mansion with its white shutters and lavish green lawn makes fresh tears spill down my cheeks.

I am home. I am safe.

Quickly, I drive into the compound before parking haphazardly in the driveway. Next, I kill the engine and stumble out of the car without bothering to grab my purse.

All I want to do right now is run into my mother’s arms and cry until I can’t cry anymore.

As soon as I reach the front door, I knock three times. “Mom? Dad?”

“Coming!” a cheerful voice calls from upstairs.

That’s not my mother’s voice.

Soon, the door is unlocked.

And instantly, I gasp.

Vanessa.

What is she doing here in my parents’ house?

She is wearing a casual sundress and her hair is pulled back in a messy bun. She looks perfectly at home in my parents’ house. MY PARENTS’ HOUSE!

“Daisy!” Her eyes widen with surprise that looks all fake. “It’s nice seeing you again. What are you doing here?”

What am I doing here?! Did she just ask me that stupid question when I should be the one who is supposed to be asking her that question?

“Vanessa, this is my parents’ house and I have every right to be here, but I can't say the same for you since you don't belong here you home breaker.”

“Excuse me?”

“My husband Sebastian King,” I snap, pushing her aside while I step inside the house. “You know he's married to me and yet you keep perching around him.”

“Well, we both know it's not my fault that Sebastian loves me and not you,” she sighs as if she's innocent. “Anyway, now that you're here—”

“What the hell are you even doing here?” I throw at her angrily.

“Oh, didn't Sebastian tell you? Your parents have been so kind, letting me stay here while I get back on my feet.” She says, stepping into the living room. “They’ve been absolutely wonderful.”

“They let you stay here?!” My voice rises.

“Yes. By the way Daisy, your bedroom is so comfortable and the bed is amazing.”

My bedroom.

She is sleeping in my childhood bedroom!

“You home-wrecking bitch! How dare you destroy my marriage and then come here to my parents' house and—!”

“Destroy your marriage?” she clutches her chest as if I just stabbed her with my words but I can see the silent mockery in her eyes. “Daisy, I didn’t mean to destroy anything. Sebastian and I are in love. We’ve always been in love.”

“Get out,” I snap, taking an angry step towards her. “Get out of this house right now!”

“But your parents invited me—”

“I DON'T CARE!” I'm screaming now, my hands grabbing her wrist and dragging her towards the door. “You don’t belong here! Get out before I—”

"Daisy Elizabeth Sinclair!"

My mother's voice stops me in my tracks. I turn around to see both my parents standing in the doorway to the kitchen. My father’s face is as hard as stone, his arms crossed over his chest.

And my mother? She looks even worse. Her eyes are blazing with anger, and her arms are crossed over her chest too.

“Mom, Dad, thank God you’re here,” I breathe out in relief despite their angry faces. “Vanessa is—”

My mother moves so fast that before I can finish speaking, her palm slaps my face. Hard. So hard that I stumble and nearly fall to the ground.

W-what's happening?

My hand flies to my burning cheek and I lift my face, the slap stunning me into silence, shock, and confusion as I stare at my mother.

She has never hit me before. Never. Not once in my entire life.

“How dare you speak to Vanessa that way?!” She hisses furiously.

“Mom, she… she's destroying my marriage. She—”

“Enough!” My father shuts me up. “Daisy, we’ve had enough of your drama.”

“Drama? What are you saying? Vanessa came back and Sebastian is leaving me for her! He proposed to her on live television today! He told the whole world he is divorcing me!”

“And he is right to do so.” My mother says coldly, her words instantly hitting me harder than her slap.

“What?”

“You heard me clearly, and now you will apologize to Vanessa for your rude behavior,” she orders.

I must be in a nightmare. This can’t be real. My parents can’t be taking her side!

But I'm not giving up.

“Mom, Dad, I'm not going to apologize to her. Can't you see that she is manipulating all of you?! She’s trying to steal my life, my husband, and she's—”

“Your husband?” My father scoffs. “Sebastian was never truly yours, Daisy. Everyone knows he has always loved Vanessa. You trapped him into marrying you.”

“Trapped him? Where is all this coming from? I didn't trap Sebastian! We got married because—”

“Because Vanessa was gone and he needed someone, but now Vanessa is back and it's time for you to wake up from your delusions Daisy.”

“Mum—”

“Don't act dumb and stop bringing disgrace to this family.”

“Disgrace?! But everything that's happening is not my fault. I'm your daughter! Can't you see that I'm the one who's being disgraced?!”

“What we see is a selfish, ungrateful woman who refuses to accept reality,” my father says coldly. “Vanessa is a good woman. A kind woman. She has been through hell and instead of showing her compassion, you were screaming at her and treating her like garbage!”

“She's not who you think she is!” I plead desperately. “She's sly and manipulative and—”

My mother slaps me again, whipping my head to the side. “That’s enough you ingrate! Don't you ever badmouth Vanessa again!”

“Y-you hit me because her?”

“And I will do it again if you continue being a brat. I have had enough of your shenanigans. Vanessa has done nothing but try to be kind to you.”

“Kind?” I laugh bitterly. “She made me serve food at a party that should have been my own birthday party! She humiliated me in front of everyone and she's trying to take my husband!”

"Sebastian was her boyfriend first," my mother snaps. "If anyone stole someone else's man, it's you. Now apologize to Vanessa!”

“I can't believe this.” Hot tears stream down my already-burning cheek as I back away from them. I can't believe my own parents are doing this to me.

“Daisy, apologize right now.” My father warns.

“No.” I shake my head, still retreating backwards. Behind my parents, Vanessa is standing there with her head bowed like she's the real victim here.

But when she lifts her eyes and meets mine, I see a smile on her face.

Damn her! She's enjoying this.

“Mum, dad, you need to believe me. I don't understand what's happening here but Vanessa can't be tru—”

“Vanessa is staying and that's final,” my mum cuts me off coldly. “As for you, you deserve all the bad things happening to you. All of them.”

Return everything to vanessa

DAISY POV ~

I can't believe she just said those words to me. I can't.

Where did it all go wrong? These are my parents, the same people who showered me with love and care, the same people who stood by me during every milestone I have ever achieved in life.

But now, they are the same people hurting me in the worst way possible.

“Mum, you don't mean that,” my voice breaks and I turn to my Dad. “Dad, how can you let her say those words to me? I'm your daughter. Your Daisy.”

“That’s the biggest lie of all,” he throws the words at me, his face suddenly twisting into a sneer I have never seen on him before.

What did he just say?

“Dad, I–I don't understand.”

“We raised you,” My mom says and steps closer to me, and for the first time in my life, I am genuinely terrified of the woman who used to read me bedtime stories.

“We poured our love, our money, our time into you.” She continues. “We did all that while our real daughter was starving and rotting away in the slums.” She sobs, pointing at Vanessa.

Real daughter?

What in heaven's name is my mom talking about?!

“Mom, I still don't understand. I’m your daughter—”

“You are not my daughter!” she screams and suddenly grabs a vase from the side table and hurls it against the wall. The same vase that I bought for her during Mother’s Day last year.

“Mom stop!”

“I'm not your mother!” She yells back at me. “You are not my daughter! Vanessa is my daughter!”

“We just found out the truth ourselves recently,” My dad adds, stepping closer to me. “You were never a Sinclair.”

“No,” I stumble back, shaking my head. “This is a joke right? You guys are playing a prank on me right?”

“The only joke here is your life!” my father yells so loud that I flinch. “The day you were born, your miserable excuse of parents switched Vanessa with you at the hospital. They wanted their biological child—you—to grow up in riches, so they stole our precious baby and gave you to us! You are the daughter of thieves and liars, Daisy. And all these years, you have been living a life that belongs to Vanessa.”

I look at Vanessa from my dad to my mom, and then back to Vanessa and next to my dad.

“Dad, I think something's wrong—”

“Nothing is wrong,” my mum cuts me off. “You are not our daughter and you knew it.”

“What?! No! I didn't know! How could I possibly—”

“Liar!” My mother shouts. “You knew! That’s why you tried to kill Vanessa three years ago!”

“I’m innocent! I didn’t push her! I have been telling you this for three years! I didn’t push her off that cliff!”

“You did it because you found out the truth right?! You tried to get rid of her so you could keep the money and Sebastian too?!”

“No!” I scream, clutching my head with my hands. “That’s not true! I love Sebastian! I didn’t know anything about being switched at birth! I’m innocent!”

“Innocent?” My dad lets out a laugh that doesn't sound like one. “Look at Vanessa. She grew up wearing rags while you wore designer dresses bought with her money. She went hungry while you ate feasts at our table. You stole everything from her. Her birthday parties, her Christmas presents, everything.”

“I didn't steal anything!” I sob, tears blurring my vision. “I was a baby! I didn't choose this! I never asked for any of this!”

“Mom, Dad, please, don’t upset yourself,” Vanessa begs, walking over to my parents and resting her head on my mum's shoulder. “Maybe… maybe Daisy really didn't know. We should not blame her for this.”

“You are too kind, my angel,” my mother sighs and strokes Vanessa’s hair, looking at her with the adoration she used to look at me with.

And then, she turns to me, the look of adoration instantly replaced by a burning glare.

“You ingrate, we are not letting you go until you pay back everything you owe us and Vanessa.”

“What?”

“Yes Daisy, you heard her clearly.” My father snaps and exits the room, only to come back a few minutes later with some papers which he places on the table.

He pulls a pen from his pocket and uncaps it, offering me the pen.

“Sign the papers,” he commands.

Through my tears, I look down at the papers. Instantly, the bold letters at the top twists my guts.

TRANSFER OF ASSETS.

“W-what is this?” I ask.

“You are going to sign over everything to Vanessa,” my father replies coldly. “You will hand over the trust fund we set up for you, the apartment in the city, the car, the jewelries, and even all the stocks in your name. Everything will goes to Vanessa. Today.”

"I... I can't," I shake my head. “I WON'T SIGN THIS!"

He looks at me as if I just insulted him. “You have no choice Daisy.”

“Please Dad, if I sign this, I will have nothing and nowhere to go. Please don't do this to me and your grandchild.”

"Grandchild? You're pregnant?" My mother asks and suddenly laughs. “Oh my gosh. You're really a descendant of manipulators! So you have already set a trap for Sebastian? Do you really think he cares about you? He hates you, Daisy. Just like we do."

"Sign the papers now or I will call the police right now and have you arrested for the attempted murder of Vanessa Morgan,” my father threatens, pushing the pen into my hand. “Don't make me angrier, Daisy. With our testimony and Vanessa’s statement, you will rot in prison for years. Is that where you want to raise your bastard child?"

I freeze.

He is a powerful man and from the deadly look in his eyes, I have no doubt that he is capable of fulfilling his threat if I disobey him. Does he hate me that much?

Well, he does. And I don't want to raise my precious child in prison.

My hand shakes uncontrollably with the pen as I look at the paper again before I look up at the parents I loved my whole life. They are now looking at me like I’m a disease.

I have no choice.

With a sob, I sign my name.

DAISY SINCLAIR.

The last name isn't even mine.

I am just Daisy now.

The moment I'm done signing, my father snatches the document away from me. He checks the signature, nods, and suddenly grabs my arm.

“Now get out of this house.” He snaps, dragging me towards the front door.

"Dad please... it's dark and I don't have anywhere else to go.”

“I don't fucking care.” He opens the front door and shoves me out. I stumble, barely catching myself on the porch railing

“Don’t you ever come back here!” My mother yells from the doorway. “If I see you on this property again, I’ll call the police!”

And just like that, the door is slammed shut. Right in my face.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the closed door. I have nothing. No money. No home. No family. No husband.

It's just me and my unborn child against the world.

What am I going to do now?

I walk to the driveway and step into my car. Inside, I wipe my face aggressively.

Crying won't save me. Crying won't save my baby.

Think, Daisy. Think.

A new notification comes into my phone. I pull out the phone from my bag and see that the private investigator just sent me a message.

His message says that he mailed the documents of the evidence to my house when he couldn't find me at the restaurant.

This is it. I have one last hope left. If I can get that file, maybe… maybe I can’t get my parents back, and maybe Sebastian is gone, but I can clear my name. I can prove to the world I’m not the villain they all think I am.

But to achieve that, I have to get that file before anyone else. That file is the only thing that can save me and my baby.

Starting the car, I drive into the streets like a manic. Sebastian isn't at home during this time of the day and he is probably out celebrating his engagement to the love of his life, so the house should be empty.

On getting home, I park down the street away from the house and walk up to the door, fumbling for the keys in my purse.

The instant I find the keys, I insert the right key and the lock clicks. I push the door open and step inside, closing it softly behind me.

The house is silent.

Thank God.

Immediately, I walk up to where Mrs Hart keeps our mails when there is a delivery.

And right there, I see a thick brown envelope.

Quickly, I pick up the envelope.

But just as I am about to open it, the front door opens.

Shit.

I turn around.

And instantly, I see Sebastian walking into the house.

The Truth Of It All.

Daisy POV

Sebastian.

My heart stops beating for a second when I see him standing there in the doorway, his eyes instantly locking onto mine.

Maybe it is best that he is here.

Maybe this is my chance to finally show him the truth. A chance for him to finally see Vanessa for who she really is.

“What the fuck are you doing here in my house?”

The sharpness of his voice makes me flinch, but I force myself to stand my ground. His eyes are cold and deadly as though he is looking at a thief who trespassed into his house and not the woman he has been married to for years.

“Bast..” I instantly stop myself from completing that nickname. “I’m here because there is something you need to see,” I finish, holding up the envelope for him to see the contents

“I don’t want to see or hear anything from you,” He says sharply, taking a step closer. “I asked you a fucking question Daisy. What are you doing in my house?”

“Your house? This is my house too. I’m still your wife Sebastian.”

“Not for long.” He laughs, but there is no humor in it. “The divorce papers are ready. All you have to do is sign them and get the fuck out of my life.”

Each word is a knife to my heart, but I refuse to back down. Not this time. Not when I finally have proof.

“Sebastian, I don’t care what you say but you have to see this. I just need you to look at what’s inside.”

He has to see the proof that I’m innocent of all his accusations.

Determined, I push the envelope into his hand and he takes it. “This contains proof of what actually happened three years ago. I didn’t push Vanessa off that cliff. I hired a private investigator and he found—”

“Proof? Private investigator? Is something wrong with you?” He scoffs as he eyes the envelope in his hands. “What other lies have you cooked up to humiliate Nessa? Aren’t you tired of scheming and plotting?”

He leans in so close that I can smell his cologne—the same one I bought him for our first anniversary. The same one he’s probably wearing for her now.

“You really think I give a damn about whatever lies you’ve cooked up this time?”

“They’re not lies!” My voice cracks as desperation starts to build up in my heart. “Sebastian please! Just look at it! That’s all I’m asking! Just open the envelope and see for yourself!”

I watch as he opens the envelope and fishes out the papers inside.

He is going to read them. He is finally going to see the truth about Vanessa.

But no.

He does not read the papers. He didn’t even spare them a glance.

Instead, he just turns and walks towards the kitchen.

What is he doing?

Confusion washes over me as I quickly follow him, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Sebastian? What are you doing?”

He doesn’t answer. Not even a word.

Instead, he reaches for a lighter.

No!

“Sebastian stop—!”

He clicks the lighter.

And instantly, the flame springs to life, bright and deadly.

“No!” I scream, lunging forward. “Sebastian don’t! Please don’t—!”

But he is already holding the envelope over the flame.

And I watch in both pain and shock as the fire catches the corner of the white documents and the brown envelope, the flames spreading quickly, hungrily, and devouring the evidence of my innocence like it’s nothing.

“STOP!” I try to grab the envelope from him, but he holds it high above my reach, his face twisted with hatred as he watches me scramble and cry. “Sebastian please! That’s the only proof I have! Please!”

“Then it’s good there’s no proof since all your proofs are lies,” he says coldly, his eyes never leaving my face as the flames grow higher. The papers blacken and curl, the words that could have saved me disappearing into smoke and ash. The investigator reports, witness statements, photographs…

All is being destroyed by Sebastian. By my husband.

The wickedness of it all makes my knees give out and I collapse on the kitchen floor, watching helplessly as the last of the envelope crumbles into nothing but more ashes. Sebastian drops the burning remains into the sink and turns on the water, washing away the ashes like they never existed.

Like my innocence never existed.

“Why?” The word comes out as a broken sob. “Why would you do that? Why won’t you even listen to me?”

He turns to face me, his expression so cold that it sends ice through my veins. “Because nothing you say matters anymore, Daisy. Nothing you do will ever change the fact that I love Vanessa. That I’ve always loved her. And that I want you gone.”

“But I’m carrying your child!” I scream, placing both hands on my stomach. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

His phone rings with a call before he can answer. He pulls it out, and I watch his face transform. The hardness melts away, instantly replaced by a soft, loving smile.

“Hey baby,” he answers the call, his voice smooth like honey. “Yeah, I’m just at home. I’ll be with you in about fifteen minutes. I miss you too.”

He is talking to her. To Vanessa.

And he is smiling like she is his entire world.

He ends the call and looks down at me with disgust. “Get out of here, Daisy. And don’t come back. This house, this life, none of it is yours anymore.”

Done speaking to me as if I’m trash, he steps over me and walks out of the house, leaving me alone in the kitchen surrounded by the ashes of my last hope.

I don’t know how long I sit there on the cold floor. Minutes? Hours? Time doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

The evidence is gone. Sebastian is gone. My parents are gone. Everything I ever had or loved or believed in is gone.

I have nothing left.

Nothing except the tiny life growing inside me.

Slowly, I pull myself up from the floor. My legs feel like jelly, my head is spinning, and my heart—God, my heart feels like it’s been ripped out of my chest and stomped on.

But I have to keep moving. I have to survive. For my baby.

I need help. I need someone who won’t judge me or hate me or betray me.

And I need that person right now or I’m afraid I’ll lose my remaining sanity forever.

With shaking hands, I pull out my phone. The screen is cracked—I don’t even remember when that happened—but it still works. I scroll through my contacts until I find the name I’m looking for. A name I haven’t called in years. Not since I married Sebastian and he made me cut ties with everyone from my past.

Logan Pierce.

My childhood friend. The boy who used to share his lunch with me in elementary school. The one who walked me home when I was scared of the dark. The one who promised he’d always be there for me if I needed him.

I pray he still means that promise.

My finger hovers over his name for just a second before I press call.

It rings once. Twice. Three times.

Pick up. Please pick up. Please—

“Daisy?”

His voice—warm and familiar and safe—instantly breaks something inside me. The dam I have been holding back finally bursts and I start sobbing so hard I can barely breathe.

“Logan,” I choke out between sobs. “Logan, I need your help. Please. I need you to take me away from here. Please, I’m begging you. I have nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. Please—”

“Daisy, breathe. Just breathe,” his voice is steady and calm. “Where are you right now?”

“I’m at—” I hiccup through my tears. “I’m at Sebastian’s house but I can’t stay here anymore. Logan, everything’s falling apart. My parents, Sebastian, everything. Please come over. Please just take me away from here.”

There’s a pause. One heartbeat. Two.

“I’m on my way.” He breaks the pause and I hear keys jiggling in the background. “Send me the address. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

The words instantly fill me with a relief so powerful that my knees almost give out again.

“Thank you,” I whisper hoarsely. “Thank you so much.”

“Stay on the line with me until I get there okay? Don’t hang up okay?”

“Okay.”