“Are you absolutely sure about this, Lilian?” Professor Jones asked. His eyes met mine from across the cluttered desk, framed by stacks of research papers.

I nodded, trying to sound confident. “I’ve made up my mind.”

“This is a three-year commitment,” he reminded me, leaning back in his chair. “No contact with the outside world. No family. No friends. You’ll be completely isolated for the duration of the project. There’s no going back once you sign the agreement.”

“I know,” I said, keeping my tone firm.

“And another thing—” He hesitated, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “This is confidential research. The organization has strict policies. That includes... no pregnancies or children during the program. You’d have to terminate any pregnancy before joining.”

The words landed like a blow, but I refused to flinch. Instead, I gave a stiff nod. “Understood.”

Professor Jones studied me for a moment, then handed me the paperwork. “Think carefully before signing. This isn’t an easy path.”

As I left his office, the weight of his words settled over me. My chest tightened, but it wasn’t from his warnings. It was the realization that this project—this grueling, isolating project—felt like freedom.

Freedom from Jayden. Freedom from Scarlet.

At first, I had believed Jayden’s insistence that Scarlet was “like a sister” to him. After all, she was the sister of Scott, Jayden’s best friend who had died in a car accident. Jayden had been driving the night of the crash, and his guilt had tethered him to Scarlet ever since.

“She’s family,” he used to say. “She has no one else. It’s my responsibility.”

I had believed him. I had justified the time they spent together, the way he always prioritized her over me. But now, the memories of their closeness felt like shards of glass piercing through my chest.

The red marks on his body, the way they clung to each other at the police station, the lies he spun with such ease. It all added up to one truth—they had betrayed me.

By the time I reached my apartment, I had made my decision. I would join the research project. And I would no longer carry Jayden’s child.

The clinic was cold and sterile, the fluorescent lights making the walls seem even more impersonal. I sat on the examination table, clutching the edges as I waited for the doctor.

It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was the only one that made sense. Jayden didn’t deserve to be a father. Our child didn’t deserve to be tied to someone who had so blatantly disrespected their mother.

“Are you sure about this?” the doctor asked.

“Yes,” I said firmly, even as a lump formed in my throat.

The procedure was quick, but the aftermath lingered. Two days later, I was still resting in bed, my body aching and my heart hollow. I had told no one, not even Jayden.

The pregnancy test I had once clung to so tightly was now buried deep in the trash.

The shrill ring of my phone jolted me from my thoughts. I groaned, reaching for it on the nightstand. Jayden’s name flashed on the screen.

For a brief moment, hope flickered in my chest. Maybe he had noticed my absence. Maybe he was finally calling to check on me.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice still weak.

“Where are you?” Jayden’s tone was sharp, impatient.

“I’m at the lab,” I lied.

“Good. I need you to get groceries and come home right now,” he ordered. “Scarlet’s here, and she’s hungry. You need to cook dinner.”

I blinked, my chest tightening as his words sank in.

“And don’t take too long,” he added. “We’re starving.”

The line went dead.

The house was dark when I walked in. Jayden’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“Where’s the food? Scarlet’s starving.”

For the first time, I didn’t answer. I slipped off my shoes and headed toward the living room.

“Lilian!” His voice followed me, louder this time. “I’m talking to you. Where’s the food? What took you so long?”

I turned to face him, my chest tightening. “You won’t even ask where I’ve been for the last two days?”

Jayden blinked, confused. “Why would I? You’re an adult. I figured you were at the lab, working on one of your research projects. Why?”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “You really have no idea, do you?”

He frowned, his confusion giving way to irritation. “What are you saying?”

I shook my head, ignoring him as I turned toward the stairs.

“Don’t you walk away from me!” He stormed after me, grabbing my wrist. “How dare you turn your back on me? Where’s the food, Lilian? Cook something for Scarlet!”

I yanked my arm free. “Why would I? Isn’t she your sister? Your dearest? You cook for her.”

Before Jayden could respond, Scarlet appeared in the doorway, her face pale and her voice trembling. “It’s okay if Lilian thinks I’m a bother. I’ll just go back to my house and stay there.”

“No, you won’t,” Jayden said quickly, his tone softening as he turned to her. “You’re staying here, Scarlet. Don’t mind Lilian. She’s just being... grumpy.”

I bit back the wave of anger rising in my chest. “Do whatever you want,” I said flatly, turning and heading up the stairs.

Once in the bedroom, I pulled out my suitcase and began packing my things.

Jayden barged in moments later, his face a mix of confusion and frustration. “What are you doing?”

“Decluttering,” I said without looking at him. “I’m packing up things to donate. The house feels too small for three people now.”

Jayden’s frown deepened. “Then we should get a bigger house. That way Scarlet can fit in, too, once we get married.”

I froze, my hands gripping the edge of the suitcase. Slowly, I turned to face him. “Scarlet is going to live with us when we get married?”

“Of course,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I promised her brother I’d take care of her. This is her home now.”

I could only scoff, swallowing the surge of fury threatening to consume me. I forced a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

“Of course.”

After all, there wasn’t going to be a marriage.

Jayden walked over to the dresser, picking up one of my research journals. “By the way, do you have any money I could borrow for the company? Just a little to get us through this month since I bought something for Scarlet and so I’d been short..”

The audacity of his words left me speechless.

“You bought her what?” The disbelief in my voice.

“Just some gold and diamond for her birthday, but I’ll pay you. Come on, you have a lot. Can you just share?”

I scoffed. For Jayden, everything had always been about him. He assumed I had money because I was a medical researcher, good at my field. He thought his startup’s investors were drawn in by his charm and hard work.

He had no idea.

He didn’t know that the investors had been my doing. That my family’s name and quiet influence had kept his dream afloat. He didn’t know that I came from a wealthy family, one I had distanced myself from to live a normal life.

When I met Jayden, I thought I’d found a man with ambition, someone I could support without relying on my family’s wealth. I thought he loved me for who I was, not what I could offer him.

But now, I saw the truth. He had used me, just like he was using Scarlet’s tragedy to justify his betrayal.

I nodded absently, watching as he left the room, muttering something about calling a meeting.

The moment he was gone, I reached for my phone. My fingers trembled as I dialed a number I hadn’t called in months.

“Miss Lilian,” a familiar voice answered on the other end.

“It’s time,” I said, my voice cold and steady. “Start pulling the investors. Slowly, but surely. Make sure they withdraw their money from Jayden’s company.”

“Understood,” the staff member replied.

I woke up to the smell of breakfast. The tray on the nightstand was perfectly arranged—pancakes, fresh fruit, and coffee.

Jayden’s warm breath tickled my neck as he leaned down, his lips grazing my skin. “Good morning, beautiful,” he murmured, his voice low and smooth.

His hand slid across my waist, tugging me closer. “I’ve missed you. Let’s stay in bed today... just us.”

I didn’t move. My eyes remained fixed on the tray. Pancakes. Coffee. Fresh fruit. It was all too perfect, too staged.

“What do you need, Jayden?” I said flatly, turning to meet his surprised gaze.

“What?” He blinked, feigning innocence. “Why are you saying that? I’m just trying to spend time with my girl.”

I pulled away, sitting up against the headboard. “Cut the act. Whenever you want something, you suddenly remember how to be sweet. So, what is it this time?”

Jayden frowned, a hurt expression crossing his face. “Why are you being like this, Lilian? Why does it feel like you don’t care about me anymore?”

Care about him? I scoffed internally, thinking back to all the times he’d pulled this same stunt. Whenever he needed money, advice, or a favor, he’d drown me in affection, just enough to make me feel guilty if I refused.

And I had always fallen for it.

Not this time.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, leaving him sitting there with his perfect tray of breakfast and empty words.

Jayden sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve been thinking, Lilian. I realize I’ve been... distant lately. I’ve just been worried about Scarlet, you know? After everything she’s been through, I—”

“You’ve made that very clear,” I interrupted, my tone cold.

He stood and reached for my hand, but I pulled away. “Let’s go on a date,” he said, his voice softening. “Just the two of us. Dinner, maybe a movie. Like old times.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say a word, a high-pitched scream echoed through the house.

“Jayden!” Scarlet’s voice was panicked, followed by the sound of something shattering.

Jayden didn’t even hesitate. He bolted out of the room without a word, leaving me standing there, staring at the empty doorway.

That was it. That was the last straw.

Jayden was at the hospital with Scarlet when I packed my bags. This time, there was no hesitation, no second-guessing.

The closet doors creaked open as I pulled out my suitcase. It was all ready since the day I learned of their betrayal and everything I had brought into this house—the house I owned but let Jayden live in rent-free—was going with me.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I picked it up and dialed the number I’d memorized long ago.

“Miss Lilian,” the voice on the other end answered.

“Put the apartment up for bidding,” I said, my voice steady. “Sell everything in it. I don’t care about the price. Just make sure it’s gone by the end of the month.”

“Yes, Miss Lilian. And... the items Mr. Swift gifted you?”

I glanced at the expensive watch on the dresser, the designer bags, the jewelry. All meaningless tokens Jayden had given me to mask his indifference.

“Include them,” I said firmly. “All of it.”

“Understood.”

“Also, ensure that all the credit cards we shared are frozen. And don’t pay those balances. I want him to be in debt once I was gone,” I said, gritting my teeth.

“Yes, Miss Hugh.”

I ended the call and slipped the phone into my bag. The room felt lighter already, as if the weight of years of betrayal had started to lift.

As I zipped up my suitcase, I glanced around one last time. The memories of this place—the laughter, the fights, the false promises—flashed through my mind like an old movie reel.

This wasn’t my home anymore. It never had been.

With my suitcase in hand, I closed the door behind me and stepped into the hallway.

The sound of my heels echoed on the wooden floor as I walked out of the apartment. By the time I reached the front door, I felt a sense of clarity I hadn’t felt in years.

Once outside, I hailed a cab and gave the driver my destination.

“The airport, please.”

As the car pulled away, I didn’t look back.