AVA'S POV

"I'm ready to be your heir." I said into the phone.

My mother always said I’d come crawling back eventually, and I hated to prove her right.

Last night was like a memory that stuck in my head. I had spent hours in the kitchen, pouring myself into making dinner for Canaan after yet another one of his late nights.

I didn’t even care that my hands were sore from chopping vegetables or that I was tired. I just wanted him to feel cared for, to feel loved. That was all I’d ever wanted.

When I heard the front door click open, I hurried out of the kitchen, wiping my hands on a towel and smiling happily. “Hey, you’re home! Dinner’s ready. I made your favorite ....”

“I’m tired,” he cut me off as he walked past me without even a glance.

The smile froze on my face. “Canaan, wait…”

But he was already halfway to the bedroom.

I followed after him, hoping he'd at least look at me. Immediately I got close to him, the smell hit me first. A girl's perfume and oh so familiar. It wasn’t mine. It wasn’t his either. My stomach twisted, but I didn’t say anything.

Instead, I busied myself, grabbing his shirt from where he’d tossed it onto the bed. That’s when I saw it, the stain. Bright red, smeared on the collar of his white button-down shirt. Lipstick.

My hands trembled as I held the shirt, my chest tightened. I couldn’t breathe.

I’d been suspicious, sure. The late-night calls, the “meetings” that always held until morning, the sudden disinterest in our dates. But to see it, to hold the evidence in my hands, hurt.

I looked up at him. He was already lying on the bed, scrolling through his phone like nothing had happened. Like he wasn't a cheating scumbag.

I forced a smile. “I’ll… I’ll put this in the laundry,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.

He didn’t even respond.

I spent the rest of the night in the kitchen, staring at the cold dinner I’d made, the one he didn’t even touch.

Tears fell down my face as I thought about everything I’d sacrificed for him. I’d walked away from wealth, from privilege, from my family, because I believed in us. I believed in him.

And now? Now I was the fool.

The perfume. That damn perfume. It took hours for me to place it, but when I finally did, I felt even more stupid. Emma. My best friend.

I thought back to the way she’d always lit up around Canaan, the way she always touched him when she thought I wasn't watching, the way she laughed at his stupid jokes like they were the funniest thing she’d ever heard.

The way they always hung out together, always siding with each other, or the way he always hurried to help her, leaving me behind.

I’d brushed it off because I trusted her. Because I trusted him.

I was so stupid.

When I woke up the next morning, the bed was empty. Canaan was gone. Of course, he’d left early. He always did.

I had planned to confront him, to ask him questions. But now, I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to beg for answers or fight for his attention.

I was done.

I pulled out the black dress my mom had sent me for my birthday last year. It still had the tags on it.

I slipped it on, smoothed it down, and stared at myself in the mirror.

“You’re stronger than this,” I whispered to myself.

By the time I arrived at his office, my heart was pounding, but I didn’t let it show.

I walked in like I owned the place, which, technically, I’d helped build. My connections had landed him his biggest contracts. My sacrifices had made him this successful.

And now? Now I was taking it all back.

“Mrs. Hayes!” the receptionist chirped, clearly surprised to see me. “Mr. Hayes isn’t in yet…”

“That’s fine,” I said. “I’m here to see Emma.”

Emma. The woman I once called my sister. The woman I’d trusted with my secrets, my husband.

She was standing by the coffee machine when I found her, her back to me.

She turned at the sound of my heels, her face lighting up with that fake, sugary smile.

“Ava! What a surprise!” she said happily. Too happy.

I didn’t waste time. “Where’s Canaan?”

Her smile faltered for half a second. “Oh, he’s… he’s out on a meeting. Something last minute.”

“Right,” I said, crossing my arms. “Funny how all his ‘last minute meetings’ started around the same time you got promoted to secretary.”

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw panic flash across her face. But then she laughed, shaking her head. “Ava, what are you talking about? You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” I stepped closer. “Because I know, Emma. I know about you and Canaan.”

Silence.

She looked around, as if checking to see if anyone could hear us. Then she sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Fine,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes, okay? We’re together. We’re in love. I'm sorry, Emma.”

I already knew they were together but it still hurt and I could see she was anything but sorry. The smile on her face said otherwise.

“Oh please. Drop the act, Emma. I don't need your bullshit apology.” I said angrily.

Emma looked surprised at my tone, her smile dropping.

“Well, if you are here to tell me to leave him, I have news for you,” she added, her tone sharper now, “I’m pregnant.”

AVA'S POV

I stared at Emma, my eyes widening at what she had just said. Did I hear her right?

Her lips were still curled into that stupid smirk, like she'd just won a game.

“You’re lying,” I whispered. My hands were shaking, my chest tightening so hard I could barely breathe. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.

Emma tilted her head and laughed. “Oh, Ava,” she said. “I thought you’d be happy for me. I mean, it’s not like you didn’t see this coming. Canaan’s been obsessed with me for months.”

My stomach twisted, “Obsessed?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You’re insane. He’s my husband Emma. What the hell is wrong with you? Canaan is fucking married for God's sake. Why would you go after a married man.”

Emma raised her eyebrows, “Oh, come on, Ava,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You had to have known. He couldn’t stay away from me. We’re in love. He didn’t want you. He wanted me. He'd always wanted me, you were just too blind to see it. Pity.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. And before I knew it, I was yelling. “We were supposed to be best friends, Emma! BEST FRIENDS!” My voice cracked, “How could you do this to me? You went behind my back, and now, now this?!”

“Best friends?” Emma said, then she laughed. “Please, Ava. I was never your friend. I just needed to get close to him somehow, and you were the easiest way in.” She shrugged like it was nothing. “You were convenient. That’s all.”

I don’t even remember thinking about it, my hand just moved on its own. The slap echoed in the room, and for a second, Emma’s head snapped to the side.

Her cheek turned red instantly, and she froze, her eyes wide with shock.

Then she finally moved, and she looked furious. “You bitch!” she screamed. She stepped forward, “You think you can hit me and get away with it? You have no idea who you’re messing with, Ava. I’m going to ruin you. You think just because you are from a rich family, you can do whatever you want.”

“What the hell are you even talking about?” I shouted back, my heart pounding loudly.

Emma didn’t answer. She just glanced outside, her eyes darting toward the window for a second. Then, out of nowhere, she grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin so hard it felt like she was trying to rip it off.

“Stop it,” she said, her voice suddenly desperate. “You have to stop this. Please, Ava, just, just stop!”

Stop what? I didn’t even know what she was talking about. Before I could say anything, though, she jerked back.

It all happened so fast, her arms flailing as she fell backward. The glass table behind her shattered as she hit it.

“Emma!” I screamed, my legs frozen in place as she hit the ground. Blood. There was so much blood everywhere, rolling down her thighs, staining her skirt, spreading across the floor.

The door burst open, and Canaan stormed in, his face pale as he took in the scene. Behind him, a couple of his assistants followed, their eyes wide with shock.

“What the hell happened?!” Canaan yelled. He dropped to his knees beside Emma, his hands hovering over her like he didn’t know what to do.

I opened my mouth to explain, but nothing came out. My throat felt like it had closed up completely.

“She…she pushed me,” Emma said weakly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. “Ava pushed me.”

“What?” I asked, my eyes wide. “No, I didn’t..”

Canaan’s head snapped up, he looked furious. “You did this?” he yelled. Before I could defend myself, he reached out and slapped me across the face so hard my vision blurred.

“Canaan…”

“Shut up,” he snarled. “You’re coming with us. If anything happens to Emma or the baby, I swear, Ava, I’ll kill you myself. James, get her to the car and bring her to the hospital.” James, one of the assistants behind him, pulled my arm tightly, like I was a prisoner.

People watched us as he dragged me out of the office and Canaan carried the already unconscious Emma out too.

I didn’t even fight back as he dragged me outside and shoved me into the backseat of his car. My hands were trembling, my mind spinning as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

I didn’t push her. I didn’t.

At the hospital, everything moved fast. Doctors rushed Emma into surgery while Canaan paced the waiting room angrily. I sat in the corner, silent.

This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. I’d planned to confront him, to demand a divorce, to finally end this nightmare of a marriage and start over. But now? Now I was sitting here, accused of something I didn’t do.

After what felt like hours, a doctor came out, his face grim. “Mr. Cooper,” he said, looking at Canaan. “Your wife is stable, still unconscious though, but… I’m sorry to say she lost the baby.”

Wife. He wasn’t even married to her. But Canaan didn’t correct the doctor. He just nodded, his eyes cold as he turned to look at me.

“Come on,” he said, his hand grabbing my arm.

“What…what are you doing?” I stammered, trying to pull away.

“We’re going home,” he said, his grip tightening.

The ride back was silent, and very uncomfortable. As soon as we got inside, Canaan exploded. His fists hit me immediately.

“Canaan…” I tried to stop him but was cut off by a fist to my stomach, making me fall.

He didn’t stop until I was barely able to move. All I felt was pain and then suddenly everywhere became dark.

AVA'S POV

When I woke up, the house was silent. My vision was blurry, my head pounding. I tried to sit up, but I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, and I gasped, falling back onto the floor.

That’s when I noticed the blood.

It was running down my legs, and for a second, I thought I might pass out again. My hands trembled as I pressed them to my stomach, panic rising in my chest.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. My hands shook as I reached for my phone. My whole body hurts and it felt like I was going to pass out again.

I pressed 9-1-1, my voice weak as I spoke into the phone after it was answered. "I… I need help. Please…"

And then everything went dark.

***

When I woke up, I found myself at the hospital. I blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the bright light in the hospital room, my head pounding like I’d been hit by a truck. Everything around me felt cold. My body was worse. My limbs were heavy, and I could still feel pain in my stomach.

A doctor walked in, clipboard in hand, her face soft but serious. Her lips moved, but her words felt like distant echoes at first, but then my mind refocused on whatever she was saying.

“You lost the baby,” she said gently. “You were six weeks along. I’m so sorry.”

Six weeks. Six weeks of carrying a life I didn’t even know was there. Six weeks of something I could’ve loved, something that might have loved me back.

My hands instinctively moved to my stomach, but it was empty now.

Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. I didn’t even care about holding it together. I sobbed, the kind of crying that makes your chest hurt and your throat burn.

The doctor stood there for a moment, her expression unreadable, before quietly excusing herself, leaving me alone.

I cried until there was nothing left. My mind kept circling back to Canaan.

Would he have cared? Would he have even wanted the baby? Or would he have just rolled his eyes and told me it was inconvenient? Did he even know I had lost our child?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. I looked up to see an officer standing in the doorway, a notepad in hand. He stepped inside cautiously, like he didn’t want to startle me.

“Mrs. Hayes,” he began. “We need to ask you some questions about what happened. Can you tell us who did this to you?”

I stared at him, my lips pressed into a tight line. The words were there, but they refused to come out. What was the point? What good would it do? He could just pay them and he would be free

“Mrs. Hayes,” he tried again, “We can help you, but we need you to tell us what happened.”

I turned my head to the side, my eyes locking on the blank hospital wall. I didn’t say a word.

The officer sighed, clearly frustrated but trying to be patient. He handed me my phone, his voice softer now. “We called your husband. He said he was too busy to come. We also mentioned…” The officer hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if he should continue. “We'd mentioned that you lost your baby but he said he didn't care….”

I let out a bitter laugh. He knew I'd lost our baby and he still didn't care.

What a piece of shit.

The officer stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, before finally nodding. “We’ll check in with you later, Mrs. Hayes.”

And then he was gone.

I stared at the phone in my hand, the screen dark. I couldn’t stay here. Not anymore.

With shaky hands, I pulled the needle out of my arm, wincing as a small drop of blood came out. Luckily my dress was black so the blood wasn't a lot.

The hallway was crowded, with a lot of injured patients. I didn’t even know where I was going. I just needed to leave. But then I saw him.

Canaan.

He was standing by a door at the end of the hallway, holding a bouquet of flowers and a thermos flask.

I watched him push the door open and step inside. I crept closer, until I could see through the small glass window on the door.

Emma was sitting up in bed, her face pale, her eyes lighting up as Canaan handed her the flowers. He leaned in close, whispering something to her that made her laugh softly.

Tears stung my eyes, as I turned away. For a moment, I just stood there in the hallway, frozen. And then I walked away.

When I got home, the house was quiet. I couldn't believe I'd thought Canaan loved me. I was so stupid.

I didn’t bother crying. I was too empty for that now. Instead, I went straight to the closet, pulling out a suitcase and throwing in whatever I could grab. Clothes, shoes, a few essentials. It didn’t matter. I just needed to leave.

Before I walked out, I pulled the white envelope from the drawer in the desk. My divorce letter. I’d written it the day I decided to go back to my family, back to the life I’d left behind for him.

I left it on the kitchen counter, the same place I used to leave him little love notes.

I didn’t look back as I walked out the door.

****

The airport was busy, people moving around hurriedly to get their tickets or board the plane.

The flight to Los Angeles felt like a blur. My mind was too tired to process anything. But when the plane landed and I stepped into the terminal, I saw them.

My family.

My mother, father, and brother were standing by the gate, their faces tense with worry. The moment they saw me, my mom’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I broke down, running to them. My mom wrapped me in her arms, holding me tight as I sobbed into her shoulder.

“Oh, Ava,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What happened to you? Did someone hit you?!”

Oh yeah, I forgot I still had bruises.

My dad and brother came close, their faces filled with anger. My brother’s hands balled into fists as he looked me over. “Was it that bastard, Canaan? Tell me, Ava. I’ll kill him.”

My dad nodded, “He’ll never hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.”

My mom’s voice was softer, “You’re safe now, Ava. We’ll take care of you.”

I laughed weakly, wiping at my tears. “I’ll explain everything when we get home,” I said, my voice hoarse.

They didn’t push me for answers. Instead, they guided me to the car. The drive home was a blur like the plane ride and before I knew it, I was asleep.