She Accepted Divorce, He Panicked

“Just...I have one question before this,” I pretend to not see his hurtful look, keeping my eyes on his chest, “...Please.”

Would it change anything if I’m pregnant? I want to ask, I don’t know how.

Taking a deep breath, I look up, just to catch him rolling his eyes with a sigh: “I don’t have time for your games, Scar.”

Home? I laugh bitterly. We don’t have a home anymore, Sebastian. I built one for us, and you broke it.

001 Long Awaited By Him

Scarlett’s POV

My periods were never accurate, but still, I should have known.

Nausea, tiredness, change of taste...You’d think it would be obvious, but you never know until afterward how many signs you missed.

Just like how I have been missing the signs shouting at me that the man I was married to would never love me back no matter how hard I try.

I came to the health screening thinking, what’s the worst that could happen? If it were cancer, I could handle it. But this I couldn’t handle.

A baby.

The best thing coming at the worst time.

I don’t know when I’ll feel that powerful motherly love that I’ve heard about, but I’m sure of HIS reaction. He will hate the baby.

It might as well just turn out to be cancer. At least that would make one of us happy.

Sitting in the busy lobby of the maternity floor alone, I try to absorb the news. My efforts are in vain. My eyes suddenly water with envy of the happy, loving couples sitting around me. I have a luxury house to live in, a billionaire to call my husband, and his baby in my womb.

Yet they are the happy ones.

I would trade all of it for what they have: a man by my side who cares.

You really came at the worst time, little one. I touch my flat belly, bitterly. Why come when mama loved the wrong man? What do I do with you?

My phone rings, warning me that I can’t hide from my life forever. I stare at his name glowing on my screen, finding it hard to find my voice.

In the end I just put it to my ear, in silence. It took him a minute to realize that it went through but only a second before his shouts burst out--

“Scar, where the hell are you?!” Sebastian’s voice is grumpier than usual, “You said 9!”

I glance at my phone. 9: 07 am. That’s all the patience my dear husband can spare me. 7 minutes.

“Can we do it some other time?” I close my eyes, finding no strength to even think about our schedule, “I...I don’t feel too well today--”

I grip my purse tight. In it lie two files.

The pregnancy result and...our divorce papers. One an accident from the day, the other...long awaited. I don’t feel too good, but then again, I haven’t been for a while now. I just haven’t figured out what does the baby mean in all this.

He lets out a cold laugh. I bite my tongue, swallowing the rest of my words.

“YOU asked for the divorce, Scarlett Fuller. YOU said you would deliver that ‘damn divorce papers’ first thing today.” Sebastian mocks with an icy voice. I could see his look of disgust in my mind. I have seen it on his face for five years straight. “What did I tell you?”

I close my eyes, but somehow my tears keep leaking out.

[Don’t waste my time with this bullshit. You want a bigger allowance? That’s fine. But I don’t like being threatened.]

That’s what he said.

He thought I was throwing a tantrum with a divorce. As if that could threaten him in any way. Ever since we were married, his dearest wish has been for me to be gone.

Five years now. A wish THAT persistent deserves to be granted.

“You are right,” Frowning hard, I cut my nails deep in my palm to keep my voice steady, “Sorry I’m late. I’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

“Don’t bother,” Sebastian huffs coldly. I could hear the sound of his car starting. “Ava’s final check is today and I have to go. I can’t wait for you.”

So that was why he was in such a hurry. I got in the way of him and his beloved. Again.

That’s her what? One millionth checkup after the surgery? MY husband has been bustling between our house and the hospital over the past three months like a busy bee. But I understand why he is anxious about it.

If she were better, then they could finally be together.

“I’ll deliver it to the hospital then,” I close my eyes and hang up. He might have said no in the last second, but I don’t care anymore.

I can’t control my heart for falling for him, but I can force my legs to leave him. In time, my heart will heal. Everything will.

What did I say? I have got luxury houses and a billionaire? What a joke. I STOLE them, and even though I lowered myself to such a cheap move, they were never really mine. For five years, they have deemed me as the evil dragon that bullies, takes, and holds on to her pelf. So for five years they judge, punish, and slay.

But I’m not.

I’m just a squirrel, failing to hold onto the only nut she ever wanted.

002 One Ticket For Two

Scarlett’s POV

Sitting in the taxi to another hospital -- the hospital where SHE is, to see him. I feel sick. Carsick, morning sick, or just...sick of this trip.

This is the trip I hate the most, and this is a trip I have been taking for ten years: she is always in the hospital, and he is always around her, even before our marriage.

That’s what happens when your crush loves your sister who has Willebrand, combined with a RH- blood type, no less.

Yes, the illness where one can’t heal from bleeding, with the blood type that only 0.3% of people have.

Even a small cut on a finger could be lethal to her. That’s why she is the spoiled treasure of the whole family, the untouchable, the miracle that gets everything she wants by just existing.

Me? Even my existence gets ignored.

My parents have only Ava in their eyes. My brother hates me as if I stole my health from Ava.

No, I just stole her man.

But they hated me even before that. Marrying Sebastian only let their hidden hatred out of the bag.

But I did steal, and I paid for it. I married him, and I got only five years of torment from him.

I thought loving him with all I have could amend for my sin, and I paid with all the love I can find in me. I thought it was my life a dream coming true when I married him, I guess I should have known when I spent our wedding night alone that...

...He will never be the little hero who saved me ten years ago. Not for me, never again.

[Sorry, I guess the plan is back on...after all. Are you still available?] I text Aurora. I feel bad that I just told her to cancel my flight when I was told it would be a one-ticket-for-two.

[For you? Always.]

I close my eyes. It’s decided then.

I can’t back out of it now. He won’t let me. He has been waiting for these divorce papers forever.

I just need to figure out what the baby means in this mess. Well, probably a question only I need to answer. He wouldn’t want anything to do with the baby, and Ava...

It would be tremendously kind of her if she would let the baby live. I’m sure if she asks for my abortion from him, he will happily oblige.

I take a moment after the crazy taxi’s bumpy ride to adjust my breath, letting the thin sweat on my forehead fade as I swallow down the nauseous lump dangling behind my tongue. I get car sick as easy as it is, and carrying a little thing in my womb is making it even harder.

I blame him. It’s definitely a he, bringing nothing but trouble for me, just like his father.

Then I laugh at myself for my childish thought.

A moment ago I was feeling only coldness and horror at the news of his existence, thinking it was just a tiny embryo growing in me that was too little to even show in the scan, a little thing that meant nothing but trouble for me.

But now, I’m already imagining teasing it for its most beautiful laugh in the world. Even before he was born, he was already bringing me joy.

I want to keep him.

That idea scares me. Even if I go through with the plan, could I really bring a baby into a world where he loses one of his parents even before he is born?

Tears swell my eyes at that thought and I can barely see. I blame the hormones.

Giving my tears time to dry, I drag my rubber limbs to Ava’s fifth-floor ward slowly. He is waiting for me inside, but not for the file I WANT to give him.

He wants the one that shatters my heart.

I thought I was ready. I thought he had ground my heart to shreds so tiny that I couldn’t find any love left in me. But it still hurts. And it’s even more impossible to do now, with the baby’s weight on the scale.

“Sebastian, I’m scared. It’s the worst feeling, waiting for the result...” Ava’s timid, girly voice hits me through the door, and I pause, “Hold meeee.”

One sentence from my dear sister, and I lost all my strength to enter. I know he would. He would hold her, with all the love in his heart.

I don’t know how much that love is, but I surely got none.

If I had doubts before this, I don’t now. The only fate for this marriage is to end. I’m here to deliver the divorce papers, I warn myself.

The baby...is just a surprise that won’t change anything.

Five years is long enough of a mistake. I don’t have too much left in me to maintain a marriage-for-one. He married me, but only on paper. His heart is her belongings. Always has been, and always will be.

Tonight I will be in another city, leaving the man I love to the woman he loves.

003 How to slay A dragon

Scarlett’s POV

“The bone marrow transplantation was three months ago, silly,” Sebastian’s chuckle follows her request out to the empty hallway.

I put my hand on the doorknob, but I can’t seem to find the strength to turn it. I have seen how loving they are together, too many times for too long.

As if torturing myself, I just freeze there, listening.

“Today is just a regular checkup, and the result has been good every time before this, hmm?” Sebastian comforts.

I could see his tender smile in my head as he coaxed the love of his life, his powerful palm patting her on the head like she was the most delicate flower in the world.

That warmth and love are something I have had only once from him, and that one time I thought I touched the sun. For that one time of light I saw in my dark life, I threw myself to that sun, betting with everything I had.

And just like the sun, he burnt me.

No matter how much I loved him, no matter how much I did for him, I won’t ever get anything in return. Because he already paid the ultimate price: he married me, a woman he doesn’t love. And that makes everything okay.

“What if it failed...again?” Ava says in a crying tone.

Willebrand is not curable...yet. Sebastian basically bought this VIP ward for her, and spent the past five years coming up with one plan after another with the doctor he got her with a seven-digit salary, who is said to have made breakthroughs in curing Willebrand.

“Then we will keep trying,” Sebastian replies with all the tenderness in the world, “you know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

I can’t. I can’t enter. His words drain all the energy I can find in my limbs and I almost melt.

I knew he loved her. I was reminded of that every day for as long as I can remember. You’d think I should be numb to that pain by now. I wish. But my rebellious heart still hurts for him.

“I know you will. It’s just...” Ava mumbles, hesitatingly adding, “I won’t be able to be with you if I remain the imperfect vase...”

...one that breaks at the lightest touch. Usually, her words like this get everyone rushing over to comfort her.

Sebastian does not answer instantly this time.

My throat is dry as it clenches, hurting so much that I have to hold my breath. Will he tell her the good news? That he will be a free man today? He can now. He knows his freedom is on its way, and he can promise his life to her.

I want to barge in and stop him. I don’t want to hear him saying it out loud. But I dare not. The last time I let my feelings take the better of me, it got me a five-year-long punishment.

“Ava, I’m married,”

What did he say?

I blink in shock. Did he really just say that? That he is married? Is that a rejection? Am I safe to allow the tormenting hope sprout, just a little?

“I’m sorry you had to do that for me! You shouldn’t have...!” Ava burst into tears, her tone so sad even I felt guilt growing inside me.

Yeah, he shouldn’t have. Even if he didn’t agree to it, I would still save Ava. It’s not like my parents would allow it otherwise.

Ava and I were both born with RH- type of blood. A blessing to her, a curse to me.

Just because I was born healthy.

Ava needed my help, and I asked Sebastian to pay the ultimate price to save his love. He did. I thought I was getting what I wanted for once. But all I did was to prove his love to her, and leave a deep scar on my heart.

I stole his chance with his love, and he made sure to ruin mine.

It’s only fair.

“I told you,” Sebastian comforted her with his low bass, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He promised the same thing to me once, too. Guess a promise doesn’t count until the boy who made it can grow into a man who can keep one.

Ava dives into his arms. Or so does it sound like. I don’t know. I don’t want to know.

I back away, like the loser I am in this relationship.

[I’m at the hospital, come out when you can,] I text Sebastian. I thought I made my peace with it. In the end, I still can’t go in.

In the end, I still lose to her.

I’m the evil in my story, and evil doesn’t get what it wants. Period. That’s how a good story is supposed to be. The prince slays the dragon, and then the princess gets her happy ever after.

Of course, he wouldn’t hurt me physically. He is the white knight. He just treaded my heart into the mud, twisting his foot to inflict pain in the cheering of her kingdom.

He could tread my heart because I let him. I can no longer allow that, when there is no shred of that heart left for him to tread on.

004 All Three Of Us

Scarlett’s POV

I put out the cigarette on the bin when her door opens.

Sebastian frowns at me, remaining by the door, half of a hallway from me. He hates me smoking. He would glare at me, scold me, or like this -- standing far away with disgust on his face.

It’s a gross habit, but a woman needs SOMETHING to let out the pain in her chest or she will burst. But then again, if his delicate Ava could afford such a habit, he would definitely join her instead.

“So?” He puts one hand in his pocket, glaring at me when he finally walks over. He does that when he is impatient. As in, all the time with me.

I gaze at his face, handsome and dominant, just like the day he found me in that forest. But at that time those eyes were clear like crystal, with sparkles like the Milky Way. Right now it’s pure darkness of hatred.

He snaps his finger to get my attention.

“Sorry...” I dart my eyes to the ground, pulling the divorce papers out. He reaches over, and in panic, I dodge.

Instantly, disgust fills his beautiful eyes, shouting at me--

[I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.]

“Just...I have one question before this,” I pretend to not see his hurtful look, keeping my eyes on his chest, “...Please.”

Would it change anything if I’m pregnant? I want to ask, I don’t know how.

Taking a deep breath, I look up, just to catch him rolling his eyes with a sigh: “I don’t have time for your games, Scar.”

I know I missed my chance for my question.

I raise the file only an inch, and he snaps it out of me, leaving a cut at the root of my thumb. I grip my fist, feeling the pain. It’s really nothing compared to the ones he left on my heart.

He doesn’t even notice, just turns to leave.

“I heard you,” I blurt with my heart drumming fast, “you...you said you were married.”

I watch him turning slowly, knowing I must look like a pitiful dog begging to be taken home.

But I have to ask.

I don’t know if at this point, which would hurt more. A shred of hope...or not even that. I’m just...asking for the baby’s sake.

Lying to myself, I wait.

He got my question in that out-of-nowhere blurt: “I didn’t want to give her false hope.”

He wasn’t rejecting her. He was just putting her feelings as priority to all, like always. No matter how much he wants her, he wouldn’t even allow her to bear a shred of pain, even if the pain from hope.

Bitterness explodes in my mouth, forming an ugly smile, I assume. Because his frowning deepens seeing my face.

“Would--” I ask but he is turning again. He stops, again, this time even more grumpy.

“Can you finish your nonsense all at once?!”

Would you miss me, even a bit, if I’m gone from your life...forever? I stare at the man that I loved for ten years, tears coming out faster than my words.

“Would you mail the papers to Aurora when you are done with it?” I almost bit my tongue twisting my question into a normal one.

“Why can’t you get it yourself?” Sebastian retorts, adding, “Your stuff...”

“I’ll get them out of your house today,” I nod. I already did. I don’t have much, really. An iPad, passport, and a few pieces of clothes. All the things he bought for me, they bare Ava’s mark and I don’t want them.

I barely filled my small suitcase, which he didn’t notice when he left the house today. I doubt he would notice anything missing tonight.

“What’s your plan after this?” Rarely, Sebastian asks.

“Do you really want to know?” I can’t help but ask. If yes, then maybe...maybe we can share a kid in our separate life?

“Why is it so hard to talk to you?” Sebastian leaves before his words can land.

Because you never cared to really talk to me. I watch him disappearing in her ward, finally allowing tears to pour out as they like.

I’m sorry, Sebastian. But I can’t tell you about the baby. It would only make life harder, for all three of us.

[Aurora, it’s done.] I text. Three words and I have to wipe my eyes twice to see.

Instantly she texted me back: [Your ride is downstairs, your Highness.]

I basically throw myself into her car, with the world twirling around me. Really glad that I don’t have to sit on the street and let every passerby catch a show.

Aurora hits the gas and takes us miles away from the hospital before she pulls over and comes out to the backseat. She doesn’t say anything and just lets me cry my lungs out on her shoulder.

Ten years. Ten years of this bitter-sweet love. Died, today. Just...such a lousy ending. I could have at least left with dignity.

“I didn’t think you could do it,” On our way to the airport, Aurora observes me several times before she mumbles half jokingly half seriously, “I wasn’t too surprised this morning when you told me to cancel, not as much as later when you got back on the plan. What happened this time?”

“Well...I’m pregnant.”

005 The Last Call

Scarlett’s POV

Aurora still took me to the airport. But she wouldn’t give me my ticket.

Stuffed a cup of hot cocoa in my hands, she glares at me across McDonald’s tiny table like a fierce mom judging her truant kid.

“I JUST found out today--” I start timidly and instantly she retorts--

“Yeah, you said that!”

It’s not like I planned any of this. I drop my eyes to my cocoa, can’t look at her. She’s mad, and I know why.

She’s from a rich family. Beautiful, popular, two-meter-long legs, etc. But she wasn’t born rich. She watched her single mom work her ass off raising her, hating her irresponsible father her whole life, only to find out that he didn’t leave them, like what her mom told her. Her mom brought forward the breakup.

She is seeing me doing exactly the same thing.

“I won’t teach the baby to hate him...” I mumble, not dare look at the anger on her face. I know how much she has been through.

“That’s not all!” Aurora shoots me a death stare, firing like a machine gun, “My mom lied to me, yes, but that’s because my dad did cheat on her. But he also loved me, and it hurts to only know that he suffered a dozen years thinking I hated him while I thought the same, and it hurts when it blew out and I shouted at my mom, and it hurts to know she has given me her everything and more...it’s just very, very complicated. You have no idea how hard it was for her to start her own company, and I watched, every bit of her pain!”

I let her finish her rant, I have seen her words happening to her, and I know it still hurts.

Aurora lets out a long sigh, “Scar, it’s not easy, raising a baby by yourself.”

“You are the lucky one, Aurora,” I wish I could listen to her, but my case is different, “but what if your father hated you? YOU went to him, remember how nervous you were?”

She is silenced.

It was the last semester of our 8th grade. Making that decision took her weeks. The teacher suspected that her best student was getting into a toxic relationship, seeing how off she was.

“Is there really no chance with you two? I still can’t believe you did it...” Aurora grumbles, reluctant to accept the reality, “What happened this time? It’s not like he wasn’t a jerk before...?”

What happened? Not much. I just walked in on my husband kissing my sister. They might have been doing it all along, but seeing it is still different.

“Doesn’t matter now,” I close my eyes, shaking my head to get him out of it, “He doesn’t love me, and now the love of his life is all healed. They will be together, and I’ll be free of them. That’s the plan.”

“Uh-huh, good plan,” Aurora shoots death stares at me, “don’t mind me asking but, where is the baby in your perfect plan?”

I return her a deadpan. The baby wasn’t there when I came up with this plan. But then again, Sebastian already made it clear that it wouldn’t change anything anyway.

“You don’t have to stay in a marriage for a baby, but you still should tell him,” Aurora says, huffing angrily as she rants, “Ughhh, why do I have to defend that jerk?! Look what you made me do!”

Only she would trash a powerful billionaire in the city for a notorious me.

Aurora pushes the flight ticket to me, pressing it down with one finger, and in her other hand lies my phone: “Tell him, and no matter his attitude, you can leave knowing you did everything you could.”

Tell him that I’m leaving with a baby he doesn’t want, a baby with his blood that would ruin his chance with Ava? On the day where he sees the first shine of hope to be with his beloved?

Even for me, that’s too cruel.

“He deserves to know,” Aurora just says.

Hesitating, I take the phone.

“What?” Aurora opens her eyes wide when I put it down.

“I texted him,”

“Texted?!” Aurora rolls her eyes, “He is your husband, and you TEXT? For a news like this?!” She grabs my phone in fury and I let her.

I’m tired. Tired of seeing hatred in the eyes I love. Tired of hearing the coldness in the voice that once brought me warmth.

“Seriously?! This is all you can do?” Aurora presses my phone to my face.

[I’m at the airport. Say the word and I won’t leave.]

“If there are even the slightest feelings for me in his heart,” I look at Aurora, “just one word to tell me he is okay with me staying NEAR his life, even if divorced, I’ll fight for him, for the baby, for everything and anything. But if not, then...”

Then what’s the point of torturing everyone with an innocent baby?

[Attention all passengers, this is the final boarding call...]

For a whole hour, we waited, only to hear the call for boarding repeated to the last one. Aurora’s look turns sadder and sadder. Strangely, mine remains calm. I’m used to disappointment.

Or. I didn’t get my hopes up this time.

My phone rings, cutting Aurora off. She nudges me excitedly, but it’s not a call from him.

[Mr. Fuller calling...] Three words glowing coldly on my screen. My heart freezes. I don’t want to pick up.

“Hello,” I hear my own cold voice.

“Your mom is hurt. Come home.” With a colder voice, he hangs up before I could.

006 Blood Vessel

Scarlett's POV

“What was that?” Aurora blinks. My one-sentence phone call amazes her.

I grip my phone, for the second time today, struggling with my plan. I just want to stop being hurt. Is it too much to ask? I close my eyes. A part of me wants to just grab the ticket and leave, letting the world burn behind me.

But I can’t. If mom needs a blood transfusion, I need to be there. That’s what I’m in this family for. Their blood vessel.

Please, lord, please tell me this phone call has nothing to do with my message to Sebastian.

Between Mom really is injured, and Sebastian selling me out... I’m not sure which I hope is the situation.

“I guess I’m not leaving today after all,” I let out a sigh, mumbling to Aurora, “I’m really sorry but...I need you to take me back.”

“That’s great!” Aurora throws herself into me with genuine happiness in her voice, “That was him? What did he say? Is that always how you call each other?”

With Mr. Fuller? Yes.

My “dad”, never loved me. He had a deep flow of hatred behind his eyes when he looked at me since I could remember. I just didn’t know why until I found out I was adopted. And for how I found out I have to thank Ava.

“Scar, don’t worry too much, I’m sure Mrs. Fuller is fine,” Driving faster than usual, Aurora spares mind to comfort me. Well, I guess for a former F1 racer, it’s not too fast.

“I...thanks.”

I can’t say “I know”, nor “I hope so”. Because if mom is not hurt, then it means the only person in the family who ever showed me warmth, lied to me. Just to lure me back to the living hell that they force me to call home.

I don’t want to consider that possibility, but if anything really happened to Mr. Fuller’s beloved wife, he wouldn’t just throw me a sentence. He would send guards to hunt me down.

I tear up my flight ticket, one fold, two folds, three...I throw the million pieces out to the remote road between the airport and the city. Between my almost-touched freedom, and my living nightmare.

I can get another ticket, but I’ll never get my freedom. I'm the blood vessel to my “family”, making leaving something I can never have. I actually thought I could, because Ava is supposed to be cured now, meaning I don’t have to give her my blood when she gets even if just a paper cut.

How ridiculously naive was I?

Mom, I’m sorry but I hope you really are injured, so that I don’t have to lose you. Please, don’t lie to me. Not you, too.

When Aurora pulls up at the Fuller’s Villa to Ava’s fancily decorated welcome home party filled with a happy crowd, I know my wish was not granted.

They knew I was at the airport, hence the phone call.

Sebastian told them after all. Just one word and I would have stayed for him, to be the blood vessel for his love, but even such a small thing he won’t do. He let THEM stop me instead.

Sebastian Knight, good for you.

I walk into the Fuller’s Villa. One of the most luxurious assets in the city. One that I used to call home which it never was.

When I walk by the pool, I see Sebastian. Black suits ironed straight, with his leather shoes at a safe distance from the crazy kids in the water. He sits under the umbrella, a drink in his hand, across to Ava.

He sees me, and he frowns and looks away.

I enter the lobby, and immediately Alfred approaches: “Miss Scarlett, Mr. Fuller is waiting for you in his study.”

“I thought Mom was injured?” I play their game.

He dodges my eyes and just repeats his words. He is just a butler, a paid tool, just like me. No need for one tool to be hard on another.

I nod quietly, and he bows again before leading the way.

“Scarlett,” Mr. Fuller glances at me when I enter before he turns his attention back to the file he was reading, “Richard agreed to make your movie. Starting Monday.”

Richard Hanson. THE director in the movie business. They say that he has got the golden finger -- any script he touches turns into dollars.

“How is Mom doing?” I ignore his generous offer to buy my freedom, and that irritates him.

He finally looks up from his file, glaring at me with his eyes narrowed dangerously. He is not used to me being like this. I mean, to be fair, he never really used the word “blood vessel”.

“She is resting, in her room,” Mr. Fuller says with his stone-cold tone, “you don’t want to disturb her.”

He lured me back with her, and he didn’t even care to go through with his show.

“Or I lose the movie you got me out of pure parental love?”

“Young lady, mind your words,” Mr. Fuller puts away the file, his look gets colder, “Do you want to do this the easy way, or the--”

“Let’s say the hard way,” I cut him off, the last string holding the exhaust I have been suppressing in my chest broke. Shaking at the adrenaline rush, I raise my voice, “I, want, to, see, MOM!”

And the next second I hear mom’s soft, sad, painful mumble from behind me: “Scarlett...”

I close my eyes as pain spread my chest, the pain of my heart being broken, by the last family I thought I had left.

007 Out Under The Sun

Sebastian’s POV

I didn’t reply to Scar’s message. She would never leave. She just manipulates with threats like this.

I might have spent too much time on Ava recently, and Scar is throwing a tantrum. She should understand that it’s a life on the line, even if that life belongs to the sister she hates.

Not that I don’t understand Scar. I do. Being the healthy one, she is jealous of all the extra attention Ava is getting. That’s why she is the problem child. Always rebellious but proud, acting indifferent but begging for love. She is always looking for attention, with sour messages, tears, or a divorce.

I didn’t think she would really give me a signed one. Think of the catastrophe if I dared to really go through with it.

Surely enough, Scar came back.

No longer with that half-empty suitcase either. I guess her show ends tonight.

After all, today we got the best result on Ava’s blood platelet, almost reaching normal level. Today is the day Ava finally gets to live a normal life.

“For a moment there, I really thought she would leave,” Ava says, holding her smoothie with two hands cupping it like a child. She has to be careful with everything, and that makes her the quiet lady she is, “...you win.”

Ava saw Scar’s message. She bet that Scar would leave, me the opposite.

If Scar could leave, then she wouldn’t have used Ava’s injury to blackmail me five years ago.

“...Sebastian...” Ava hesitates, and I turn to her, “Is it super horrible of me to...to wish that she would?”

“Scar hurt you five years ago, so no, you are not horrible to feel that way.”

Scar knew how powerless Ava felt about her disease, and yet she still used that as leverage when Ava needed her the most.

She could have earned my gratitude if she saved her own sister without a condition, instead, she had to blackmail me, and make me hate her.

There is a reason why everyone hates her.

“Stay here tonight?” Ava glances at the sky getting dimmer, “You can’t drive. You had a drink.”

I look at my watch. Scar has been in there for almost twenty minutes now, I frown as I mumble at Ava’s question, “Scar can drive...”

If she doesn’t make it too hard on me and go home with me tamely.

She put in a lot of effort in this time’s tantrum, all the way to divorce papers. I know I would have to pay for it, but getting everything about Ava’s surgery sorted out is still worth it.

Besides, Scar is not hard to coax.

“That watch...Is it from Scar?” Ava looks over and I hide my watch, but it’s too late, “I guess the watch I got you is too old now, huh?”

It’s not old. It’s broken, by Scar. She is petty like that. Breaking things Ava gets me “by accident”, and replaces them with hers. I don’t like how she is marking me like a dog marking territory.

She doesn’t like staying at the Fullers, nor does she have her suitcase with her. So what’s taking her so long?! Thinking about the fight we are going to have tonight, I feel my patience drain fast.

“Scar buys me luxurys only when she’s upset with me, using MY money,” I joke with Ava, not wanting her to be hurt at her gift being treated so meanly, “you know how cats claw the sofa when they are upset? Like that.”

“A cat? She is so cute in your eyes,” Ava laughs, “so what am I to you?”

A nightingale, I want to say. But this is the moment a loud crack breaks out above our head. Something glass broke. Along with a string of shouting too far to make out from where we are.

Jack Fuller’s study.

Of course it’s Scar. Who else.

Rubbing my nose bridge, I stand up and sort my suits, “Sorry about that, guess I have a mess to clean up...”

I shouldn’t have let our domestic problem blow up at other’s homes.

To my surprise, when I got to Jack’s study, I saw Scar sitting on the ground, her palm covering her face with broken china pieces all around her, and a few small cuts on her legs.

Scar was not the one lashing out?

Looks like Jack slapped her. Falling to the ground, Scar knocked a vase off the cabinet with her.

I know Scar must have said some nasty things, but even so, Jack shouldn’t have raised his hand at a woman, let alone his own daughter.

“What’s going on here?” I demand by the door, blocked by the broken shards.

It’s that moment Scar notices me, shock in her eyes before they turn into vicious anger. Her cried-red eyes take me aback. I have never seen that look on her face...

Well, never one directed at me.