Aurora's POV

I didn’t wait. As soon as I hung up with my father, I grabbed the first suitcase I could find and dragged it to the bedroom. My hands shook, but I forced myself to focus.

There was no time to think, because if I stopped or slowed down, I would probably fall apart from the weight of what I had just learned.

I opened drawers, pulled out clothes without any care, and stuffed them into suitcases.

As I folded a dress, my hands froze. It was the one Jasmine had loved, “Mommy, you look like a princess in this.” My chest tightened, and I swallowed hard. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. Not now.

As I shoved another shirt into the suitcase, the door opened.

“Aurora?” Shawn asked from behind me. “What are you doing?”

I snapped the suitcase shut and turned to face him with a fake smile on my face.

“I’m just rearranging my closet,” I said lightly.

His eyes narrowed slightly, as he scanned the messy room. He opened his mouth, but another voice cut in.

“Hey, Aurora.”

I froze as my stomach twisted. Tiffany’s voice. I hadn’t realized that Shawn had come in with her.

My eyes glanced to her chest before I could stop myself, to the place where my daughter’s heart was beating. I had to resist the urge to lunge at her, to claw the heart out of her.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails pierced into my palms. My daughter’s heart was beating inside her chest, and she had the audacity to stand in my bedroom, smiling at me.

I said nothing. If I opened my mouth, I would scream in rage.

Then I noticed the bags. There were two designer suitcases behind Shawn.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

Shawn noticed where I was looking, and before I could ask, he smiled as if he had good news. “Tiffany is going to be staying with us for a while.”

I blinked at him. “What?”

Before Shawn could explain, Tiffany interrupted with a little laugh stepping closer. “Didn’t you hear? I’m pregnant.”

Her hand moved to cover her belly with a wide smile as if she was expecting me to gasp and squeal, and hug her.

Instead, I raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Her smile faltered. For a moment, her mask cracked, and I saw the flicker of surprise at my cold reaction. She recovered quickly, her lower lips trembled as she tried to look sad. “I thought you would be happy for me, Aurora. I mean… after everything we’ve been through.”

Happy? The word burned through me. What was I supposed to be happy about? The fact that she had ripped away everything from me.

Before I could speak, Shawn’s voice cut in, sharp with anger. “Aurora, what the hell is wrong with you? She’s your best friend. You should be happy for her. Instead you’re acting jealous and bitter.”

I turned slowly to him with a sneer on my face. Jealous? Bitter?

“Jealous?” I repeated, my voice was cold and icy. “Why on earth would I be jealous?”

His eyes flashed. “Because she’s having a baby, and you—” He stopped himself, but the damage was done. His words pierced through me like daggers.

Because I lost mine. Because he killed mine.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and not explode. “Then tell me, Shawn.” I pointed at Tiffany. “Why is she moving here? Why does she suddenly need to live in my house?”

He stepped closer, clenching his jaw. “Because she shouldn’t be alone right now. She needs us. She needs help. That baby needs support.”

“Us?” I asked softly.

“Yes,” Tiffany chimed in quietly, trying to sound pitiful. “It’s just until things settle down. I thought you, of all people, would understand.”

Shawn nodded. “Exactly. She needs support. She’s family, Aurora.”

I snorted in sarcasm. “She’s not my family.” I spat.

Tiffany flinched, and Shawn frowned.

“Why are you jealous of her happiness, Aurora? Instead of celebrating with her, you’re acting like this.” He pointed toward me with disgust. “Do you hear yourself? It’s pathetic.”

Pathetic.

The word sliced through me, but I didn’t flinch.

I tilted my head, glancing between the two of them with a bitter smile on my lips.

“With the way you’re acting, I have to ask, Shawn,” I asked softly, “is it your child?”

The room went silent.

Shawn’s jaw twitched. Tiffany’s eyes widened in mock shock.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shawn snapped. “Of course it’s not mine.”

“Really?” I lifted an eyebrow. “Then why is she moving in with us? Why are you getting so defensive?”

“She’s alone, Aurora!” Shawn barked. “She has no one else, and she’s carrying a child. What kind of monster would turn her away?”

What kind of monster would kill his own daughter? I asked myself.

The words echoed in my head, but I didn’t let them slip out.

Instead, I turned back to the suitcase and deliberately zipped it closed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to finish rearranging my closet.”

Shawn murmured something to Tiffany, and together they walked out of the room.

The moment they were gone, my smile fell. My hands shook as I gripped the suitcase.

Aurora's POV

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I just lay in bed, staring at the darkness.

Shawn lay beside me for a while, but I noticed when he slipped out of bed at midnight, thinking I was asleep.

I kept my eyes shut, breathing calmly till the door clicked shut behind him.

For a long time, I lay there in silence. I could hear Shawn’s voice and Tiffany’s giggles.

I pressed my hands to my belly, I had life growing inside me, but Shawn didn’t know yet, and I would make sure he never did.

The next morning, Shawn walked in with a smile on his face, like he hadn't just spent the night in another room with my best friend.

“Aurora,” he said carefully, “we need to talk.”

The way he said it made my stomach twist.

“What now?” I asked, scowling instantly.

He hesitated, then he cleared his throat. “Tiffany… Tiffany shouldn’t be cramped in the guest room. She’s pregnant. She needs space and comfort.”

I blinked at him. My mind tried to process his words. “Comfort?”

He nodded. “Yes. The master bedroom is bigger and more comfortable. It makes sense for her to have it.”

For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong. I released a laugh of disbelief. “You want me to give up my bedroom… to Tiffany?”

His jaw tightened. “It’s not forever. Just until the baby is born.”

I stared at him, resisting the urge to strangle him.

I wanted to shout that I was pregnant too. That my child deserved space and comfort, not Tiffany’s bastard.

But I said nothing. He was a murderer, he didn't deserve to know.

He continued. “Aurora, you’ve been enjoying the comfortable room for years. Tiffany is pregnant. Shouldn’t she be the one most comfortable now? Don’t you think it’s time you made a little sacrifice for your best friend?”

I kept her lips pressed together, forcing myself not to react. What was the point? In a day, I would be gone and forever erased.

So I swallowed the scream. My nails dug into my palms. “Okay,” I whispered shakily.

Besides, it was convenient for me because I was already packing my things

His shoulders relaxed and he sighed in relief. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. I felt so repulsed that I almost shuddered.

“Shawn?” Tiffany called from down the hallway.

Immediately, he turned to leave.

“Hold on, Shawn.” I said calmly. “I need your signature on something.”

I forced my hands to stay steady as I picked up the folder I had placed on the table. “Before you go,” I said calmly, “I need your signature on something.”

He frowned impatiently. “Aurora, not now—”

“It’s just some minor paperwork,” I interrupted softly. “It won't take time.”

He hesitated, narrowing his eyes, then Tiffany called him again. “Shawn!”

“Fine. Give it here.” He snapped.

I handed him the document, with a blank expression on my face. He didn’t even glance at the words as he signed.

I kept my face neutral, but inside, my heart pounded. He had no idea what he had just done.

“Is that all?” he grunted.

“Yes,” I whispered.

He didn’t wait for more. He was already out the door before I could even finish replying.

Immediately he left, I called my lawyer.

“My divorce with Mr. Carter is done. Pull out all my support and investment from Carter Enterprise.”

Shawn had no idea that I had been helping him from the shadows. Supporting him, and sponsoring him. But now, all those were over.

A humourless laughter escaped my lips, then I continued packing.

However, some minutes later, Tiffany appeared in the doorway, her voice filled with fake sweetness. “Aurora, let me help.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. I knew that smile. I had seen it when she comforted me after Jasmine’s death.

I wanted to scream at her to get out, and yank her hair out. Instead, I forced a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”

She walked in anyway, glancing around at the empty shelves. “Don’t worry, I’m good at organizing. I’ll take care of everything.”

She walked straight to my dresser where I kept Jasmine's things. I hadn't been able to empty them yet.

“Careful, don't go there.” I snapped.

Tiffany’s smile widened, and she picked up a snow globe from the corner. It was Jasmine’s favorite toy. A tiny ballerina danced inside when you shook it.

Sometimes, when the pain was too much to fear, I held the snow globe in my hands until sleep finally came. Watching the tiny ballerina dance inside always calmed me.

“This is pretty,” Tiffany said softly, tilting it back and forth. “It belonged to Jasmine, right?”

My chest ached. “Yes. Put it down.”

She gave me a smile, her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Oops” she said as she released the snow globe from her hand.

The globe shattered as it slammed on the floor. The ballerina broke into two, and water spilled everywhere.

“Oh no,” Tiffany gasped, her hand flying to her chest in fake shock. “I’m so sorry, Aurora. My fingers are so clumsy these days. Pregnancy brain, you know?”

Her eyes danced with glee as she watched me, waiting for my reaction.

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move. That snow globe wasn’t just a toy. It was the one thing that carried me through the nights.

Now it lay in pieces, destroyed by Tiffany’s deliberate “accident.”

I dropped to my knees, gathering the pieces with shaking hands, not caring as they sliced my skin. Tears blurred my vision as I held the broken ballerina in my palm.

“It was her favorite,” I whispered.

Tiffany crouched beside me with a small and satisfied smile on her face. “Don’t worry, Aurora. You’ll have more children. You’ll move on.”

My chest burned as I lifted my gaze to her.

At that moment, everything pressed down upon me, and I snapped.

Aurora's POV

My hands shook as I held the broken ballerina in my palms.

Something inside me cracked.

“You bitch,” I snarled. My voice was a low growl.

Tiffany tilted her head with a sweet smile, the kind that had always fooled me before. “Aurora, calm down. It was an accident—”

The word “accident” made me explode.

My hand flew before I could stop it, and I slapped her hard. The sound of the slap echoed through the room, and Tiffany stumbled back, holding her cheek in shock. Her eyes widened in total disbelief. She hadn’t expected me to do that.

“You don’t get to touch her things,” I screamed, my throat raw. “You don’t get to destroy the one thing that I—”

“Aurora!”

Shawn’s voice thundered from the doorway, and I turned just as he stormed into the room. His face was filled with rage as he rushed to Tiffany, pulling her into his arms protectively.

“She hit me,” Tiffany whimpered, tears welled in her eyes., and her voice trembled.

My chest heaved as I stared at them with the broken ballerina in my hands.

Shawn’s face hardened. He turned to me, his eyes burning with fury. “What the hell is wrong with you, Aurora?”

“She broke Jasmine’s snow globe!” I cried, pointing to the shattered glass on the floor. “She did it on purpose, Shawn. She—”

“Stop it!” he barked, his voice was sharp and full of venom. “Do you even hear yourself? You’re pathetic! Bitter! Jealous of a pregnant woman, jealous of your best friend who has what you don't have!”

The words tore through me like sharp knives, but he wasn’t done.

“It’s not her fault that you don’t have a child, Aurora. Jasmine is dead, and maybe if you had been a better mother, maybe if you had done more—”

A scream tore out of my throat before he could finish. “Don’t you dare blame me, you bastard!”

Shawn growled, and before I could blink, his hand flew to my face.

The slap landed with such force that my head snapped to the side. My knees buckled, and I lost my balance, falling to the floor with my cheek burning and my ears ringing.

Tears stung my eyes, but it wasn’t from pain, it was from the humiliation.

Tiffany gasped, her hands pressed against her mouth as if she were horrified. But I was the only one who could see the satisfaction in her eyes. She loved this.

My hands trembled as I touched my burning cheek.

Shawn stood frozen, breathing heavily with his palm still half-raised. His eyes widened as if he had just now realized what he had done. For a split second, regret flickered across his face.

He took a hesitant step toward me. “Aurora—”

But before he could finish, Tiffany’s voice cut in.

She broke into sobs, her whole body shaking as she held her belly. “Oh, Shawn,” she cried, collapsing against his chest. “This is all my fault. I never should’ve come here. I’ve caused nothing but trouble. Aurora was right… I don’t deserve to live.”

Her sobs were dramatic and so fake, but Shawn was so blind to her pretense. She buried her face into his chest, sobbing even harder. “I should just die and take this baby with me. Then you will both be free.”

Shawn’s shock twisted into panic. He held her tightly, stroking her hair. “Don’t say that, Tiffany. Don’t ever say that. You and the baby are everything. You hear me? Everything.”

I stared at them from the floor as my heart broke and my cheeks burned. Tiffany’s tears weren’t real, I could see the triumph burning in her eyes, but Shawn, the fool, believed her.

He glared down at me, his arms held Tiffany tighter. “Look what you’ve done, Aurora. Look at her. She’s terrified, she’s blaming herself, because of you.”

“Because of me?” My voice cracked, as it was hard to control the tears from spilling out. “But—”

“Enough!” Shawn barked as his face hardened into stone, and his eyes blazed with fury. “I can’t even recognize you anymore. You’re getting out of control.”

I opened my mouth, but Tiffany released another sob, clutching her stomach like she was in pain.

“Shawn,” she whispered weakly, “the baby… it hurts.”

His panic deepened. He stared at Tiffany pale and trembling in his arms, then he glared at me venomously.

“You’re staying in here until you think about your actions,” he snapped. His voice was final and cold.

I froze. “What?”

“You heard me.” He wrapped his arms around Tiffany, guiding her toward the door. “You’re not coming out of this room until you learn how to control yourself. I won’t let you hurt Tiffany—or this baby.”

The door slammed shut, and I heard the door being locked from outside.

“No!” I screamed, throwing myself at the door. My fists pounded against the door until my hands throbbed. “Shawn! Don’t you dare leave me in here! Open this door!”

Silence answered me.

I pulled at the handle, but it didn’t budge. “Shawn!” I shouted again, my voice cracked. “Please! You can’t do this!”

But he didn’t come back.

I was on the top floor. There was no way out.

Minutes became hours. I screamed until my voice was hoarse, and my throat felt like sandpaper. I called Shawn’s phone again and again, until he blocked my line, cutting me off completely.

My body ached, and my stomach growled angrily. There was no food, and no water, like a prison.

I clawed at the door until my nails broke. I screamed, begged, cursed, and prayed, until my voice stopped working.