Vienna had barely begun to kneel when Darien yanked her up and started smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress.

"Vienna, you’re being too soft. You’re the one who should be angry. Elodie is the one who wronged you—she should be the one kneeling and begging for forgiveness!"

Then he turned to me, still lying on the cold floor, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Elodie, how many times are you going to hurt Vienna today? When will you finally stop causing trouble for her?"

Compared to the ache in my body, the pain in my heart felt far worse.

Just then, a voice called out from the door. "You there—where’s the other woman? It’s time for her procedure."

I opened my mouth to respond, but my throat was dry and raw. No sound came out—nothing louder than a whisper could escape.

I looked toward Darien again. He didn’t glance at me. Instead, he turned toward Vienna and gently supported her.

"Doctor, perfect timing. She just fell. I’m not sure if she’s injured. Could you please check her again?"

Vienna blushed, looking embarrassed. "It’s really nothing that serious…"

Darien reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "Still, I worry."

And just like that, the two of them walked away with the doctor.

Because I had collapsed behind one of the beds, the doctor couldn’t see me. Unless someone deliberately looked, no one would even know I was lying there.

I stared up at the cold ceiling, the sensation in my lower body growing more and more unbearable. Wet. Sticky.

I knew what it meant. The baby I was carrying… was leaving me.

And I could only feel it happen in the most painful and clear way. A wave of helplessness washed over me, suffocating in its weight.

The world around me dimmed. Empty.

"Elodie? Elodie…"

Someone was calling my name. Light broke through the darkness. "My baby girl, thank God you’re awake."

I turned toward the voice—it was my mother. Her eyes were red with worry.

"What happened to you?" she cried. "Do you know you were in a coma for two days? You scared me half to death."

I reached for my belly, tears spilling silently down my cheeks.

She picked up my phone and turned on the screen. "Your husband kept calling while you were unconscious…"

"Mom," I said, "don’t call him my husband. We divorced a long time ago. He… he cheated on me."

"What?" Her face paled. "Darien… Darien cheated on you? How could that be…"

So I told her everything. After all, she was the only person I could truly trust now.

***

The next day, even though my body was still weak, I went to the Daelan Family home with my mother by my side.

I wanted to resign in person. Some things were better said face to face.

The front door was open, so we walked right in. The ground floor was empty. At the entrance, I saw three pairs of shoes, so they must all be upstairs.

Sure enough, voices echoed from the study on the second floor.

I had just raised my hand to knock when the sound of shattering glass rang through the house, followed by Darien’s voice.

"Vienna, how could I possibly have feelings for her? I faked bankruptcy. I tricked her into a fake divorce. And when you said you wanted to destroy the Dawson Family, how many confidential documents did I steal for you without hesitation?"

A chill swept over me. My hands turned cold.

"After that, the Dawson Family went bankrupt, Mr. Dawson died coughing up blood and his son collapsed from a heart attack on his way to pay off the debts. Vienna, I gave you everything—and now you’re questioning my loyalty?"

Then another voice chimed in—one I recognized.

"He's right, sis. I’m honestly touched by his devotion to you. As for that Elodie... she should count herself lucky if anyone from the Dawson Family is even allowed to live."

It was Austin, Vienna’s fiercely loyal younger brother.

Through the narrow crack of the study door, I saw Darien holding Vienna tightly in his arms. She was still pouting like a child in the middle of a tantrum and he comforted her as if he were afraid she might slip away.

I could accept that Darien didn’t love me anymore. Feelings fade—people change. That much, I could live with.

But how could he destroy the Dawson Family?

How could he drive both my grandfather and father to their deaths?

When the Eugene Family was on the brink of collapse, it was my grandfather who extended a lifeline, offering up a third of our family’s capital without ever asking for repayment. He did all that purely because we were all family.

And when Darien failed in business three times, it was my father who helped him back on his feet. He found him a career coach, guided him step by step and spoke to him with patience. He treated him like a son.

Yet Darien repaid their kindness with betrayal. And all for Vienna’s selfish ambitions.

Suddenly remembering that my mother was still behind me, I turned around in alarm.

She was clutching her chest, her face drained of color, her body swaying—she looked like she might collapse at any moment.

I rushed to her side. "Mom! Are you okay?"

Just then, Darien threw open the door, clearly irritated by the noise outside. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

I met his glare, my hatred surging to the surface like fire.

"Darien Eugene, you killed my grandfather and my father—how dare you show your face? Don’t forget who saved your family from ruin. Without us, the Eugene Family would be nothing!"

"You ungrateful bastard. I must have been blind to ever fall in love with a monster like you!"

And with that, I slapped him hard across the face.

The sting on my palm was sharp. Red finger marks bloomed on his cheek.

"Elodie, are you insane?" Vienna rushed over, pushing me away as she fussed over his swollen face.

What surprised me most was Darien’s reaction. He did not lash out. He was not even as angry as I expected. If anything… there was guilt in his eyes.

I pointed at both of them—my voice trembling, thick with rage.

"And you, Vienna."

"You want Darien so badly? Fine. Take him. Let’s see how sweet stolen love really tastes."

"Your precious Daelan Family could never beat the Dawsons in business, so you lied, cheated and sabotaged. You couldn’t win fair and square, so you stabbed us in the back. But now I know the truth—and I swear, I’ll repay every drop of blood. Tenfold. A hundredfold."

Vienna crossed her arms and scoffed, her expression smug. "Ah, you finally figured it out? So what? What can you do to the Daelan Family now?"

I stared at her perfect little face—and for the first time in my life, I wanted to destroy it.

Thud!

"Ugh! Elodie!" my mother cried out.

Austin had picked up a basketball and hurled it straight at her as he stood there laughing darkly. Just to vent Vienna’s anger, he had actually struck my mother with a basketball.

I dropped to the floor, cradling her limp body in my arms, panic clawing its way up my throat.

"She deserved it," Austin warned, his voice sharp. "Anyone who dares mess with my sister deserves to die. I only hit her once and that’s because Darien still has a soft spot for both of you. Otherwise, neither of you would leave this house alive."

He spun the basketball on his finger, smirking, completely unfazed by what he had done.

I knew I was outnumbered. I had no choice but to run—my only priority now was getting Mom to the hospital.

In the end, Darien was the one who drove us. I sat in the passenger seat, silent for a long moment, then turned to him and asked, my voice bitter.

"You killed my grandfather and my father… and now you’re the one driving my mother to the hospital?" A hollow laugh escaped me. "Don’t you think that’s ridiculous, Darien?"

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles bone-white. After a long pause, he finally said, “Elodie… just know that the person I’ve always loved most is you.”

Heh. What a joke.

So this was what love meant to him? Betraying the woman he claimed to love—again and again—and hurting everyone she cared about?

If this was love, then it was cruel. Hollow. Worthless.

At the hospital, as they wheeled my mother into surgery, Darien stayed by my side. But his eyes kept flicking to his phone, his brows knit in tension.

"Just go," I muttered.

Hearing that, he slowly put down his phone and reached out, trying to pull me into an embrace. I stepped back, avoiding his touch like it burned.

His arms dropped and he stood there awkwardly. "I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here with you."

I was basically telling him to leave, but Darien did not seem to understand.  "I don’t need you."

"Elodie," he said softly, "you don’t have to pretend to be strong in front of me."

I looked up at him, my voice cold and unwavering. "Darien Eugene, where were you when I needed you the most?"

"Do you even know what it feels like… to feel life slipping away from inside you, piece by piece?"

"You don’t. You never will. And honestly? I don’t think you even care. Because in your eyes, I was never as important as Vienna. Not me. Not even my child."

His body stiffened. His lips parted in disbelief, words stumbling out of him. "What? Our… our child is gone? No… that can’t be…"

I stared at him, unmoved. "Don’t pretend. Isn’t that what you wanted all along? Wasn’t that the plan? To get rid of it?"

"No! No, it’s not like that." Darien grabbed my shoulders, his eyes frantic, his grip trembling with desperation. "I would never harm our child. I only lied to Vienna because if I didn’t, she would’ve come after you both. I was trying to protect you!"

I let out a bitter laugh, hollow and exhausted. "The truth doesn’t matter anymore, Darien. Not after everything."

Just then, the doors to the operating room flew open. "Family of Esther?"

I jolted forward and ran to the doctor. "I’m her daughter. How is she?"

"She just fainted from stress," the doctor said calmly. "She’s stable now and only needs rest."

I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding. Relief was just beginning to settle in—until the doctor continued, "However, during the examination… we found signs of leukemia."

The ground shifted beneath me. My knees buckled and I nearly collapsed—until someone caught me from behind. I fell briefly against Darien’s chest. For a heartbeat, I almost let myself lean into his warmth.

But the moment I realized, I shoved him away.

"Don’t touch me. All of this… everything that’s happening is because of you. You’re the reason we’re here."

Darien dropped to his knees right there in the corridor.

"Ellie, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I was blinded by desperation. The Eugene Family didn’t go bankrupt, but we were hanging by a thread. If the Daelan Family hadn’t stepped in, we wouldn’t have lasted another week. That’s why I agreed to everything, but the truth is—I never stopped loving you."

"Don’t justify it," I snapped. "None of that excuses what you did—to me, to my family. You’re not just weak, Darien. You’re cruel."

Still kneeling, he reached for my hand, clutching it with trembling fingers. "Let me make it up to you, Ellie. Give me a chance to fix everything."

"You had your chances every step of the way. But you didn’t stop. You chose this path. And now that I’ve uncovered the truth, you’re scrambling for redemption? That’s not remorse. That’s cowardice."

"I don’t want anything more to do with you. I want you out of my life for good." I turned away, not even sparing him a glance.

He opened his mouth, as if to speak again—but then, a commotion erupted down the hall.

"Darien! Darien!" Austin came running, his voice echoing through the corridor, loud enough to draw sharp glares from nearby doctors.

"This is a hospital," one of them scolded. "Keep your voice down."

However, Austin couldn't care less. He charged forward, yanked Darien to his feet and shot me a nasty glare. "You’ve got time to play around with her? My sister’s about to jump off a building for you!"

Darien’s face drained of color. "What did you just say?"

No matter what happened between them, I did not care anymore. The operating room doors swung open again and my mother was wheeled out, still unconscious.

"She’s on the roof right now!" Austin shouted.

Darien instantly pulled out his phone and dialed. The line picked up almost immediately.

"Darien…" came Vienna’s voice, soft and trembling.

"Vienna, don’t do anything stupid! I’m coming right now. Just wait—anything you want, I’ll agree to it, okay?"

He hung up and turned to leave, with Austin right behind him. But halfway down the corridor, he stopped and looked back at me.

"Come on, Darien. Hurry up!" Austin barked.

"Ellie," Darien called, "please take care of Mom. I’ll be back soon."

He did not even wait for a reply. He just turned and ran.

I stood there, watching the man I had once loved with all my heart walk away—again.

And softly, I whispered the only thing left to say.

"Goodbye, Darien."

Later, after arranging for my mother’s transfer to another hospital, I returned to the small apartment and began packing. There was not much I wanted to bring with me—just two boxes.

Before heading to the airport, I made one final stop—Darien’s office.

I left behind a sealed envelope.

Inside were two things. One was our divorce certificate. The other was a voice recording.

One marked the end of us.

The other would shatter what little trust remained between him and Vienna. But that part… that was their story now.