Skyler's POV

Lila and Ethan laughed like they had not seen each other in ages. Like I was the stranger who walked into the wrong home.

She poured him more mashed potatoes. And Ethan leaned into her, smiling, actually smiling, like I had not seen in months.

Maybe longer.

Every little moment pained me deep. I sat at the far end of the table, cold plate in front of me, untouched.

They didn’t notice.

Or they didn’t care.

I used to be a big part here, maybe not in everyone's life, but a boy part of Ethan's.

Now, I was just... here. Background noise.

I cleared my throat, “Ethan, did you finish that art project for school? The one with the…”

He did not even look at me. “Why do you care?!” he snapped.

The words hit like a slap.

I blinked, stunned, with my mouth hung open.

Lila looked at him, then at me, but said nothing. Of course she wouldn't.

“I care,” I said, quieter. “Because I’m your…”

“You’re just mad that I like Lila more.”

I felt it before I realized what I was doing.

My hands slammed down on the table, loud enough to gather attention.

Ethan jumped. Lila froze, her fork mid-air.

“I want a divorce,” I said, my voice loud. “Do you hear me this time, Robert? I want out. I want my life back.”

Silence.

“Can we not do this right now?” he said.

I stood up, my chair screeching behind me. “We are doing this now. You brought this woman into our house, you let our son talk to me like I’m some disposable thing, and you act like I’m the problem?”

He didn’t answer. Just looked at me like he was already bored.

But I wasn’t done.

“I’m not your prisoner, Robert. You don’t get to trap me here with your silence and your smug little power games. I want out. I don’t care if you ‘allow’ it or not…I’m done.”

***

Seconds later, I heard him speak.

“Lila, take Ethan upstairs.”

I froze.

Robert leaned back in his chair. “Someone needs to keep the house from burning down,” he said, dry. “And you seem determined to light the match.”

“You think I’m the problem?” I asked, barely able to keep my voice down. “You bring your mistress into our home, let our son disrespect me to my face, and I’m the one lighting the fire?”

Robert shrugged, like I was being dramatic. Like this was beneath him.

“You're upset,” he said, carefully. “But let us not pretend this is about feelings.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Then what is it about, Robert?”

He smiled.

It wasn’t kind.

“You were happy enough when the money was flowing. When the dinners were catered, the vacations were first class, and the cards never got declined.”

My stomach dropped.

“You think this is about money?” I said, disbelief notable through my tone.

He stood now, finally. Slowly. Deliberately. “It always is with women like you.”

“Women like me?”

He held my gaze still. “Pretty enough to catch attention, smart enough to know what pockets to land in. You had a good run, Skyler. But now the shine has worn off, and suddenly you're unhappy?”

I stared at him, stunned into silence. It was not the insult that broke me…it was the certainty in his voice. He believed it. Every word he has uttered so far.

“You think I stayed for the money?” My voice was shaking now, with rage, not grief. “You think I put up with your neglect, your condescension, your cheating, for some credit card limit?”

Robert didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

“You really want to know why I’m leaving?” I stepped closer, heart pounding. “Because I’m tired of being invisible. I’m tired of being used. And I’m done explaining my worth to a man who never saw it to begin with.”

His jaw clenched, but he didn’t speak.

Then I turned, and this time prepared to walk away for real. I was done. But, something clashed into me, it was Ethan.

My face lit up with hope, thinking he was back to console me, ask for forgiveness or something. Then I saw Lila smirking from behind him, almost like she was pushing him to do the right thing.

"Go on," I heard her whisper and I looked back at Robert who had a look on confusion on his face as well. "You said you wanted to tell her something."

Ethan nodeded and took cautious steps towards me with his hands behind his back and head bowed. A remorseful gesture.

"What is it baby?" I asked and knelt for him to have easy access to me.

Little did I know, it would be the greatest mistake of my day.

"Mommy..." He began then shook his head. "No, Skyler." it was not the way he said my name that made me shiver, no, I was used to him calling me that. But, the look on his face, God. It was hostile.

Then I saw it, my eyes widened, "No, Ethan. No!"

Skyler's POV

“Oh my God, it's a knife!” I screamed when I saw the glistening blade coming towards me and tried to get away from Ethan at the same time as Robert shouted, “No, Ethan! No!”

But, I guess it was too late as a saw blood dripping on the floor. Then I felt it, the pain in my right shoulder.

The look on Ethan's face was pure and utter disgust, but my mind went blank when I saw the look of smug on Lila's face as I succumbed to darkness.

“Why would you do that?! Call 911!” It was Roberts voice before I have in totally.

***

The world came back to me in pieces and slow fragments of hospital noise and IV drips.

My body felt too heavy.

Even blinking took effort. Every breath scratched my throat raw, and my ribs throbbed like they had been pummeled by an elephant.

Voices murmured somewhere near me. A shadow of someone moved to the edge of my vision. I tried to turn my head.

I Couldn’t.

My mouth parted, but the words stuck to my tongue, refusing to come out.

“Skyler?” A soft voice, too sweet to be trusted, sounded from above me.

I knew that voice.

Ruby.

My chest tightened, not from the pain, but from the kind of dread that made your stomach turn cold.

I forced my eyes open. Bright lights came in from all the corners of the room. Hospital walls. Machines.

And there she was, her hands were folded, her perfect posture, like she has not aged a day since she forced me into this nightmare of a marriage.

“There you are,” she cooed, brushing a strand of hair from my forehead like she owned me. “You gave us quite the scare.”

I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t even lift my hand. My body was mine, but it didn’t listen. Why wasn’t it listening?

“You’ve been asleep for three days,” she continued, her voice turning into a whisper. “The doctors say you’ll make a full recovery…eventually.”

Three days?

My eyes searched for someone…anyone else.

“Robert?” I croaked, barely recognizing my own voice.

Her expression didn’t change, but something showed in her eyes. “He’s… away. Handling things.”

Things?

My mind raced, then everything rushed in. I remember.

Ethan.

My son.

His face twisted in confusion… in pain… and then in rage. The flash of knife. The warmth of blood, my blood, on his hands.

He stabbed me.

He actually…

A sob tore its way up my throat, but I swallowed it down. Ruby didn’t need to see that.

I turned my face away, or tried to. My neck screamed in pain.

“I know this is difficult,” she said, as if she were consoling a child who lost a toy. “But rest. Let me take care of you.”

“You…” I forced out. “Why… are you here?”

Her lips curled. “Because I’m the only one who still cares.”

That was a lie. She didn’t care about me. She cared about control.

And Robert? Of course he was gone. Coward.

“You need strength,” she said, standing. “Healing takes time. And once you’re better… we will figure out how to fix what has been broken.”

Fix?

There was no fixing this.

My son stabbed me.

My so called husband disappeared.

And I was stuck with the woman who orchestrated it all from the very beginning.

But I wouldn’t stay broken.

Let Ruby pretend she had the upper hand.

Let them all think I was still weak.

I would heal.

And when I did, I would tear the truth from every one of them, starting with my Ethan…. That's of he wanted to see me at all.

***

I waited until Ruby poured another glass of lukewarm water and turned her back to adjust the blinds, pretending to busy herself like a good little caretaker. My voice was scratchy and raw.

“I want a divorce.” I repeated to her. Maybe this time she'll see that I was right.

She stilled. “Skyler,” she sighed, still facing the window, “you’ve been through a trauma. You’re not thinking clearly.”

“I have never thought clearer in my life.” My voice cracked, but I didn't let the pain stop me. “I’m done pretending. I want out.”

She turned slowly. “You can’t just walk away from this. From him. From Ethan.”

I laughed, bitter and dry. “Ethan? He’s the one who stabbed me, Ruby. My son. He looked at me like I was the enemy. That wasn’t confusion in his eyes. That was hate.”

Her eyes narrowed, lips pressed together in disapproval. “He’s a child, Skyler.”

“He is five. A five year old that is capable of hatred, no. He's not a child,” I snapped. “Old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. And you think I should stay in a loveless marriage for him? He hates me, Ruby. He doesn’t even see me as his mother.”

Ruby walked closer to the bed. “You’ve been in his life since he was a baby. You raised him. Gave him everything. He is confused right now. But if you leave now, if you destroy this family, he will never forgive you.”

I met her gaze, locking into it like a challenge. “He already hasn’t forgiven me for wherever I've done, which is nothing.”

Her jaw clenched.

“I won’t stay in a prison just to make Ethan feel better about his father’s lies,” I said, “You think this is about family, Ruby? This was a contract. A transaction. I played my part. I raised the boy. I suffered the man. But I am not doing this anymore.”

Ruby opened her mouth, but the door clicked before she could answer.

We both turned.

Robert walked in. “Speak of the devil,” I muttered.

He didn’t flinch. He just walked to the side of the bed and dropped a thick folder onto the tray beside me. My eyes flicked down.

Legal print.

His name. My name.

Divorce Papers.

My breath hitched.