Chapter 3

"Vivian!"

Ethan and I both cried out at once.

Blood immediately seeped from her wrist, staining the white sheets red.

A nurse rushed over, quickly taking the knife from her hand and administering first aid.

"Stop forcing Mia, Ethan," Vivian said weakly.

The fury in Ethan's eyes intensified. "Mia, are you satisfied now?"

Watching this scene unfold, I felt dizzy and disoriented.

Swallowing my humiliation, I pulled out my phone to contact the divorce lawyer I'd just hired.

But the moment I unlocked the screen, Ethan snatched it from me.

He glanced at the screen and laughed coldly.

"Mia, you think you're still in a position to talk about divorce?"

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the far end of the hospital corridor.

"That old house your father left behind, plus the company shares — transfer them to Vivian's name immediately."

I froze, staring at him in disbelief. "Ethan, those are the assets my father left me. They have nothing to do with you or Vivian."

"Why should I?"

He scoffed, pulling out his phone and opening a video. He held it in front of my face. "Because of this."

The video was blurry, the lighting dim, but my face was clearly recognizable.

In the footage, my clothes were disheveled, my face filled with terror and despair.

This was from the assault eight years ago.

Suffocating dread washed over me instantly.

I never imagined he'd been keeping something like this all along.

He toyed with the phone, his tone casual.

"Back then, I could find the key evidence to get your father acquitted. Now I can anonymously upload this video online."

"Then I'll get some people to add their own spin — saying you were willing, that you even seduced them. What do you think people will say about you then?"

I felt frozen to my core, tears streaming uncontrollably.

He continued pressing. "Mia, just be good and hand over the inheritance as compensation for Vivian.

Then we'll pretend none of this ever happened. I can have Vivian give you the baby after she gives birth, and she'll go back to college."

He paused, mockery filling his eyes. "Otherwise, you know what happens."

I looked at him, my vision blurred with tears.

"Ethan, if you hate me this much, why did you marry me in the first place?"

He smiled slightly, reaching out to gently caress my cheek.

"I don't hate you, Mia. But you know, what happened back then — any man would care about that. There's always been a thorn in my heart."

His fingertips lightly traced my jawline, his tone coaxing.

"Once this baby is born, we'll go back to how things were. I'll never have any contact with Vivian again. We'll have a good life together, okay?"

"I'm giving you three days to think about it."

Looking at this familiar face, all I felt was endless disgust and despair.