There was no place for me here anymore.
No reason to remain, to be a constant, inconvenient reminder of their treachery.
After updating Steven Wilson on my decision, I finally allowed myself to drift into a deep sleep.
The next few days were a blur of preparations to leave the country. I also took the time to liquidate my remaining domestic assets.
Neither Johnson Lachelle nor Chadwick Gabriel came to visit me, their perpetual excuse a thinly veiled “work” commitment.
I knew where they were–by Vivian Ayla’s side.
A few nights later, I was jolted awake by hushed voices in the dark.
My mind was fully conscious, but my body couldn’t move.
It was them–Johnson and Chadwick.
“Are you sure she won’t wake up?” Johnson’s voice was low, cautious.
“She won’t,” Chadwick replied confidently. “That scented candle induces temporary unconsciousness. She won’t be up tonight.”
His low chuckle filled the silent room. Then, with an unnerving, practiced ease, I felt him lift my lifeless hand, guide my finger into an ink pad, and press it firmly onto a sheet of paper.
“There. With this statement, we can clear Vivian’s name. No more calling her a homewrecker.”
My head spun, not from the effect of the scented candle, but from a dawning horror. What twisted plot were they weaving
now?
Johnson let out a long sigh. “The rumors started up again as soon as Jessica got back. Do you think… it was her?”
Chadwick chuckled. “No way. Jess is a spoiled little princess. If she found out about Vivian, she’d throw a tantrum, not play games in the shadows.”
It felt as though I’d plummeted into the deepest, most agonizing circle of hell. So Johnson believed I was the one spreading those rumors?
And Chadwick’s next words made my blood run colder.
“Vivian’s carrying my child. She means a lot to me right now. I really hope it wasn’t Jess. Because if it was…”
He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to.
What then, Chadwick? Would you go after me? For her?
The two of them eventually left, and the room fell quiet again.
It wasn’t until the next morning that I fully understood what had happened. Apparently, rumors about Vivian being a homewrecker had gone viral.
Chapter 4
Someone had posted photos from the hospital that day–Chadwick, Johnson, and Vivian together.
At first, the internet had gone wild, shipping them as some dreamy high–society love triangle.
But then someone who knew the truth came forward and spilled everything: my marriage to Chadwick, my connection to
Johnson, the history between all of us.
They even included a photo of me.
Suddenly, headlines like “From Kidney Donor to Trophy Wife–A Heiress Replaced” exploded online.
Of course, it didn’t last long. All the posts were scrubbed clean within hours.
What replaced them?
A statement at the top of the trending searches, stamped with my fingerprint:
“I, Jessica Lachelle, hereby declare that Ms. Vivian Ayla is my life–saving donor. She is not a homewrecker.”
I stared at my phone, my breathing shallow. How dare they speak for me?
Pain, betrayal, despair–all of it boiled inside me.
And when it all subsided, all that remained was a hollow, frozen silence in my chest.
That afternoon, Vivian came to see me. She entered slowly, one hand resting gently on her stomach.
“Miss Lachelle, please don’t misunderstand,” she said softly. “That day at the hospital–it was just a coincidence. Chadwick and Brother Lachelle saw me going in for my prenatal checkup alone and felt bad. They just… wanted to be
kind.”
“There’s nothing going on. We’re innocent.”
She sniffled delicately, her voice quivering with practiced vulnerability, her eyes glistening with artful tears.
“None of us ever meant to hurt you. I swear. If you really don’t believe me, then… I’ll leave.”
She covered her face and turned to run off.
But she didn’t seem to notice the staircase in front of her.
Her foot slipped. Her body tipped forward.
My heart jumped into my throat.
“Watch out!”
I lunged toward her to grab her arm.
But before I could reach her, a sudden, deliberate shove slammed into me, throwing me off balance. I plummeted down the stairs, a ragged scream tearing from my throat.
In that split second before I hit the ground, I saw Chadwick and Johnson both rush toward her.
Chadwick caught her just in time, wrapping her tightly in his arms.
“Vivian! Are you okay?” they both cried at once.
Chapter 4
“1–I’m fine…” Vivian choked out, tears streaming down her face.
She pointed toward me, trembling. “I think… she’s hurt.”
Only then did they look my way–finally seeing the figure crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.
Their expressions shifted to panic as they bolted toward me.
“Jess!”
At that exact moment, a message popped up on my phone screen:
“Done. The marriage license’s ready.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m your husband now–Steven Wilson.”
Chapter 4