Discarded Mafia Bride Returns as the Rival King’s Wife novel
I called him from the emergency room. I begged Hugo to unfreeze my accounts. I needed money for the specialist. I needed the transfer now or my baby would not last.
He sighed, annoyed, Thalia, stop the drama. Leo here is in real pain. I do not have time for your jealous tantrums!
Hugo, please he cannot breathe please let me pay the doctor
If you call again, I will file for divorce. Handle it yourself.
Then he hung up.
Just like that. As if we were not talking about our son.
So I stayed alone beside a boy who trusted me with his whole world.
I held Calebs hand as it grew cold in mine. I whispered to him while the monitors flatlined. I kissed his temple and watched his little chest fall and never rise again. My arms wrapped around him until the nurses pried him from me.
...
The incineration chamber smelled like burnt air and cold metal. Dust floated in thin lines of sunlight. Maybe some of it was already ashes from another mothers heartbreak. Soon, my own child would drift into this same emptiness.
I stood there in a black dress hanging loose on my starving frame.
My eyes were swollen from crying but now they were dry.
I reached beneath the white cloth and touched Calebs small hand. Cold. Stiff. I slipped two blue origami stars into his palm. I folded them last night with shaking fingers. I did not know what else a mother was supposed to give her child for his last journey.
Caleb
The staff exchanged looks. They approached slowly, and pulled back the sheet. There he was. My Caleb. Seven years old but too small for his age, as if life had been starving him long before death came. His lips were cracked. His chest hollow. Bruises from the IV needles lined his arms. There was no peace in the way he died. Only fear. Only suffering. All because his father cared more for another womans child.
I stood frozen. Too exhausted to scream. Too numb to cry. I had sworn to protect him.
And I failed.
The man beside me whispered, I am sorry for your loss. The infection spread fast. Without access to the specialist, he never had a chance.
I did not respond.
I brushed a strand of hair away from Calebs face. He always hated when it covered his eyes.
Then I whispered, You can burn his body now. Let him go where he will never hurt again.
The staff hesitated, then placed his tiny form inside the fire chamber. Maybe they pitied me. Maybe they felt nothing at all.
I felt nothing too.
Caleb was free now. No more begging for love. No more asking the questions that stabbed me each time.
Mom, why does Dad never visit me?
Mom, why does he only care about Leo?
Mom, did I do something wrong?
I remembered every one of his questions. Every lie I told to protect him. Every truth I swallowed to keep his heart whole.
But Hugo broke him anyway.
My husband froze all my accounts while my child was dying. He would rather spend time with his mistresss son than save his own.
I pressed my cheek to his forehead and whispered, Mommys here. Mommys here. Stay with me. You got me.
But I was too late. He slipped away without waiting for his father. Without hearing Hugos voice one last time. Without the doctor who could have saved him because I could not pay.
Ever since that woman returned with her gentle face and crocodile tears, Hugo began treating me like a threat. He locked me inside the mansion. Called me unstable. Told the entire syndicate I was jealous. Delusional. A danger to his empire.
You hurt Myra and her boy, he told me once. I will make sure you pay double.
And he kept his promise. He emptied my life until it was nothing but loss.
Now I stood outside the cremation center, holding the urn they gave me. Small. Light. Blue. Caleb liked blue. I pressed it to my chest as if it was the last piece of warmth left in the world.
We are going home, baby, I whispered.
The sun was bright. The day was warm. Yet I felt winter crawl under my skin. I felt hollow. I felt alone.
When I returned to the mansion with Calebs ashes, the first thing I saw was Myra. Her hand rested on Hugos shoulder. She leaned in and kissed his cheek with soft gratitude.
Hugo, thank you for staying last night, she murmured. Milo feels much better now. But is Caleb alright? Thalia called earlier and she sounded
Hugo did not step back. His hand remained on her waist. He looked relaxed. Comforted.
Thalia used to pull tricks to get my attention, he said carelessly. She exaggerates everything. She was always dramatic. She was always a toxic mother. I regret spoiling Caleb. The boy grew soft.
I stopped breathing. The urn almost slipped from my hands. I thought I had no tears left, but they fell anyway. Slow. Quiet. Hot.
If he wanted her, he could have her.
Hugo finally looked up and saw me in the hallway. His hand fell from Myras waist. His expression twitched. Guilt? Or simply annoyance?
You should have told me you were coming home, he muttered. I was going to send someone for you.
He did not mention the last time I begged him for a ride home after I was stranded at the docks near his private estate. I called him frightened because men followed me. He told me he was busy. When I asked if he could send one of his guards, he snapped that his men were not chauffeurs. He said if I kept acting like a helpless princess, he would push through with the divorce.
I walked alone that night and nearly got dragged into a van. When I called him in terror, he said, You are stupid for walking alone. What did you expect?
But when Myra needed a ride, he sent cars. And guards. And himself.
I clutched the urn tighter and said quietly, It is fine.
He stared at me for a long moment. There was a strange pause. A flicker of something in his gaze.
Did Caleb get better? he finally asked.
I gripped the bag on my shoulder until my fingers went numb. The weight inside felt heavier than bone, heavier than guilt.
Calebs
I never finished.
A small body slammed into me and I crashed onto the marble floor. My wrist scraped hard and the urn nearly slipped out of the bag. I caught it at the last second and pulled it to my chest.
Watch it! I snapped.
It was Milo. Myras precious boy. Fresh from the hospital after nothing more than a stomach ache. His little face twisted with an arrogance he learned from the man behind him.
You watch it, idiot! he shouted back. Why are you even here?
Hugos voice cracked like a whip. That's enough, Milo. Then he turned on me. Thalia, hes a child. Do not start a scene.
Myra drifted forward with her soft steps and softer lies. She placed her hand on Hugos chest.
Please dont be upset, she murmured. This is my fault again. Milo and I can go.
Hugo clenched his jaw, eyes cold. He pointed straight at me. You caused this. Not her.
Something inside me broke further, deeper, into a place I did not think existed. They stood there like a family. I was the intruder who dared to return with ashes.
Milo lunged at my bag again, grabbing at the zipper.
I am hungry. Why are you hugging it? Is there food in here?
The urn slipped. It hit the floor with a loud thud that punched the air out of my lungs.
No. No. Do not touch that!
Milo crouched, reaching for it with his dirty little hands. What is it? I want it.
I shoved him away. Hard. I did not care. Not anymore. I had already lost everything that mattered.
Hugo roared, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! His face twisted with fury. He was just discharged. He is sick. And you dare lay a hand on him?
Milo screamed and clawed at me, yanking my hair until tears blurred my vision.
Its Calebs, I choked out. Its my sons.
Myra tugged Hugo back gently, her voice honey sweet. Let it go. If it belongs to Caleb, then Milo should not touch it.
Hugo scoffed. This is my house. I decide who touches what.
I hugged the urn to my chest, pressing it so tightly my ribs hurt, and walked away without a word.
To him, I must have looked like I was sulking. A dramatic wife playing victim. I heard his snort behind me. His muttered insult. Then the sound of him escorting Myra and Milo out like a king walking his treasured guests to their carriage.
That night, in the silence of the bedroom he no longer entered, I packed my clothes. I filled out the divorce papers with hands that would not stop trembling. I placed Calebs urn beside me on the bed and stared at it until the sun began to rise.
...
That night, Caleb found me again.
In the dream he wandered through a long corridor made of glass. No shadows. No reflections. He moved barefoot, steps soft, tremors in his shoulders. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he clutched his stomach in pain.
He kept calling for him.
Dad? Daddy? Where are you?
Not me. Never me. He wanted Hugo. He always wanted Hugo.
My heart cracked inside the dream. I ran after him, calling his name, begging him to stop. But no matter how fast I moved he drifted further away, small hands slipping like mist.
I fell to my knees and sobbed.
Im sorry, baby. I am so sorry. I shouldve protected you. I shouldve never left you alone.
I repeated it until my throat went raw.
...
When I woke up, I was already on the floor beside the bed. My hands were clasped in prayer even though I did not remember kneeling. I prayed that wherever my son was, he did not hurt anymore. That death gave him the peace life refused him.
The mansion around me stayed silent. Hugos empire rose on wealth and fear, but it felt like the loneliest place on earth. Beautiful walls. Beautiful floors. Beautiful emptiness. It had never been a home.
Then the memories returned.
The shift in Hugo. The slow disappearance of affection. The way Myras return made him colder than a knife blade against my throat.
He compared them often.
Milo is a strong kid, he said once, pouring whiskey, He has presence. Hes respectful. Hes healthy.
Unlike Caleb. Unspoken but sharp enough to cut.
Only weeks before Caleb fell ill, Hugo looked me dead in the eye and said,
Sometimes I wonder if that boys even mine. If he is, hes not fit to inherit anything I built. Too fragile. Always sick. A weak bloodline slows an empire.
I remember standing there unable to breathe.
I spent years breaking myself into shapes he might love. Softer. Smarter. More loyal. More obedient. But I never thought hed strip his love from our son.
Caleb adored him. Worshipped him. He used to show Hugo every drawing he made. Every tiny medal made out of foil and hope. But Hugo never looked.
My son died without his fathers face in the room. Without his fathers voice. Without the man he worshipped lifting even a finger.
I heard footsteps outside the room. Unsteady. Drunken. Muffled voices followed.
I cracked the door open and saw Hugo leaning heavily against Myra. His arm wrapped around her waist while she held him up.
Hugo, she whispered, stroking his jaw, are you sure you want to check her room? It is late. She might still be awake.
Hugo chuckled.
Why the hell would I go to her? She was a bitch to Milo.
Myra led him toward her room. She did not even bother closing the door fully. I heard everything. Her soft moans. His low groans. The dull thud of the bed against the wall.
I did not move. I did not cry. I folded my hands in my lap like a quiet ghost and stared at the blank wall until the sun rose.
...
In the morning, I prepared hangover soup the way I always did. The kitchen smelled warm even if I did not feel warmth anymore. Hugo walked in, rubbing his forehead.
He sat down and avoided my eyes.
I came home real late, he muttered. Didnt want to disturb you, so I slept in the guest room.
I nodded. Alright.
He relaxed instantly. He thought I was still the obedient wife. The gentle one. The silent one who never questioned anything.
Then I slid a document across the table.
The divorce papers.
Calebs not doing well. I need to go back to the hospital. Can you sign this travel clearance?
He didnt even glance at the forms. Just scrawled his signature with a flick of his pen and tossed it back.
Go. Take care of your own son.
I left before the sun had even dared to rise. The mansion sat silent behind me, cold as the stone floors, as if it were never a home.
...
The drive to my fathers estate took five hours. The gates rose taller than I remembered, black iron adorned with sharp spikes, guards standing like statues along the edges. Everything was perfectly ordered, perfectly still, but I had changed. I was thinner, worn raw in places no one would see, older in ways the mirrors could not show.
I stepped out of the car alone. No staff appeared. No one greeted me. The halls were empty, watching. Waiting.
And then I saw him.
My father. The man who had raised me in silence, with eyes sharper than knives and patience thinner than air.
You, he said. Back after everything. After the choices that buried your life.
I didnt flinch. I didnt cry. I had already done enough of that in Hugos empire.
The arrangement you once offered me, I said, voice steady, is it still open?
No. That man hes married now. To someone who does not disgrace my name.
He moved to close the door. I held my stare, and he froze, hand on the handle.
But, he continued slowly, his younger brother is unmarried. Your sister was to marry him, but she put her ambitions first. You if you are willing, the path is open.
I didnt question. I didnt hesitate. I only nodded.
I would play the game, survive, and reclaim whatever I had left.
That night, they gave me a guest room. It smelled of dust and cold polish. Even the staff avoided my gaze. It was like I had died years ago and returned as a phantom.
That night, I was summoned.
The younger brother. The forgotten heir.
Valerian Lancaster.
He waited in the old observatory, draped in black, shadows cutting across his sharp features. I expected frailty, weakness. But he moved like a predator, deliberate, assessing me like prey.
So, he said quietly, the runaway wife returns.
I could not speak.
Tell me, his voice was low and dangerous, did you come here seeking redemption or revenge?
I bit my lip, keeping myself from trembling.
He chuckled softly, turned toward the window. Moonlight fell across the glass floor like silver knives.
Go, he said. Return once your divorce is finalized.
I wanted to argue. I wanted to say it wasnt that simple. But the words lodged in my throat.
I left the room and returned to my empty quarters. No blankets, no pictures, no trace of who I had been. I sat on the edge of the bed, just breathing, trying to remember who I was before love ruined me.
...
I did not sleep.
Sun rose, but it brought no light. Just another layer of silence. My body moved automatically. Every motion a repetition since Caleb fell sick. Rest forgotten.
The estate halls were cold, sterile, alive with silence that dared no sound. I sat at the long dining table. Then the phone rang. Hugos name lit the screen.
I answered it.
Were leaving. Milo wants to try parasailing. Myra couldnt refuse. You know how she is. He laughed like it was a joke between us. My parents are coming by later. Make sure everything is ready for them.
Alright.
He hung up without another word. No mention of the date. No mention of Caleb.
Today was Calebs birthday.
I returned to the glass mansion. Each step echoed through the cold halls. My hands shook as I went straight to my room, the only part of this house that still held him.
I lit a small candle beside his photo and the blue urn that sat beneath it. His favorite dinosaur plush leaned against the wall as if waiting for him to return.
Caleb once begged me to go sailing. He had seen it in a cartoon and promised hed wear his little pirate socks and fly over the sea. I remembered the sparkle in his eyes. Hugo had laughed, sharp and dismissive. Said it was too dangerous for a weak child. Said hed get blown off the ropes. But now Milo got to go parasailing. And Caleb didnt even have a birthday.
I stayed near the door, my hands trembling until I heard the gates beep. Then the front door swung open. Footsteps. The staff led them in like royalty.
Hugos parents.
I sank against the wall, silent. They didnt smile. His mothers eyes barely flicked toward me before wrinkling in disdain.
Wheres the sick little boy? Dead, or still breathing?
I opened my mouth, but before I could answer, his father cut in.
Forget that, he said smoothly. Hows Milo? I heard Myra might be expecting again. True?
I stayed quiet, clutching my skirt. My chest ached like it would crack.
See, his mother continued, she brings life into Hugos world. No fuss. No tantrums. Composed. Pleasant. Unlike others.
I lowered my gaze.
Then his fathers voice came down like a hammer.
Go help the chef. But first, serve us tea. Tell Hugo we expect him next week for our anniversary. You may bring your sick child if you like.
I nodded, voice quiet. Of course.
I moved to the kitchen, told the chef they wanted jasmine, arranged the tray myself. Polished. Porcelain. Perfect. But inside, I was screaming.
As I set the cups on the table, my hand slipped. One shattered on the floor with a hard, final crack.
His mother gasped. Then glared.
Youve always been clumsy! she snapped. Even something as simple as tea you cant get right. Bitter, just like your life.
I looked at the broken shards. Straightened my spine.
Forgive me, I whispered. Not for the cup. Not for now. For the girl who begged them to love her. That girl had died with Caleb.
They didnt stay to eat.
Hugos parents rose, faces sculpted in quiet disgust. His mother adjusted her gloves slowly, deliberately, Ill tell Hugo how weak youve become. Maybe this time hell see the truth. Youve never belonged. Never worth the trouble.
The front door closed. Tires whispered down the driveway. Then silence returned. That same silence that had swallowed this house long before Hugo ever owned it.
I turned to the maid.
You dont need to prepare lunch. Theyre gone.
She nodded. I moved upstairs, one slow step at a time. My legs felt like dead weight, my body not my own.
Halfway up, whispers drifted from the kitchen. Soft. Quick.
She didnt cry when they left.
See the urn in her room? That boy Caleb gone.
Mr. Hugo only talks about Milo now. Brings Myra flowers. Doesnt visit the grave. Doesnt care.
Even if he did, he wouldnt. Caleb was gentle always at the mercy of them.
She used to be the lady here. Now? Surviving. Thats all.
I kept moving. Didnt flinch. Didnt speak. Didnt defend myself. Maybe they werent wrong.
I reached my room and closed the door behind me.
Then my phone rang. Hugo.
Once. Twice. I stared at it until it stopped. No message. No voicemail.
I let the silence settle back in. Heavy. Permanent. Like it always had been.
I changed clothes in silence.
I chose the soft blue dress Caleb loved; the one with little white clouds stitched across it. He used to press his tiny hands against it and smile. Mama, you look like the kind of mom in storybooks, hed say. The safe kind. The happy kind.
I picked up his urn. Held it like I was holding him again, chest to chest. Warm sunlight spilled through the curtains.
I left the house without a word and drove to the only place Caleb had ever begged to visit on his birthdays; Ocean Park.
Just once, Mama, hed whispered every year. I wanna see the dolphins. Ill be good. I promise.
Hugo always said no. Always. Too risky. Too weak. Too sickly. Too small. The world was dangerous for Caleb, but not for Milo.
I bought a ticket. Paid for two seats; one for me, one for him.
I held him with me, told him stories, laughed quietly when the dolphins leaped.
People nearby probably thought I was mad. Sitting there on a bench, murmuring to a blue urn like it would answer.
I didnt care.
This day wasnt for them. Not for Hugo. Not for his empire. Not for his family. Not for Milo.
It was for Caleb. Only him.
I lit a candle by the railing, letting the wind tease the flame.
Happy birthday, my baby, I whispered.
When I got home, night had already swallowed the mansion, turning the glass corridors into long, shadowed veins. The air was thick. Even the lights seemed afraid to brighten.
I stepped into the foyer.
And Hugo stepped out of the dark.
Before I could breathe, his hand lashed across my face so fast, so brutal, the sound cracked through the house like a gunshot. My skull hit the doorframe. My vision exploded into white stars. A ringing filled my ears.
But I didnt drop the urn.
My baby. My last piece of him. My arms locked around it like it was the only thing keeping me alive.
Hugos voice thundered through the stairwell, Are you out of your mind, Thalia? You disrespect my parents in my house?
I blinked. Swallowed the blood and stayed silent.
He stepped closer, My mother told me everything, he spat. You cursed at her. You spit in her tea. You threatened to kill them. His nostrils flared. You think thats funny? Huh? You think that makes you tough?
I opened my mouth but all I got was another hit.
Worse. My neck snapped sideways, pain ricocheting down my spine. I tasted metal.
Myras voice floated from the staircase like poisoned honey.
Hugo dont hurt her. Shes not worth it, baby. Shes justemotionally unstable. You know how she gets.
He turned toward her, and in an instant, that rage melted into tenderness.
Like a switch. Like love; whatever version he offered her was the only language he knew.
Youre too kind to her, he said. Thats why she thinks she can still step out of line.
Myra pouted. Shes been acting strange all day. I tried to understand her, but she just hates me. I can feel it.
From the couch, Milo didnt even bother to pretend concern. His headphones hung off his neck, music still playing. He smirked at me.
A show. This was entertainment to him.
None of the maids moved. They gathered at the dining room doorway, whispering like ghosts.
Shes still holding the urn
She didnt even raise her hand
I heard she went to the ocean alone with the ashes.
My heart was already ash long before they said it.
Hugos gaze finally dropped to my arms. To the white urn cradled against my chest like a newborn.
Whats that? he asked.
Before I could step back, he ripped it from my hands.
No! My voice tore out of me too late.
He held it like it was garbage. Turned it over. Sneered.
You carried this around the city? Crying to strangers? He shook it lightly, like he wanted to hear it rattle. What the hell is this? Another one of your pathetic stunts? Trying to get sympathy?
My stomach fell. My breath stopped.
Its an urn, he scoffed. Who died this time? Your dignity?
Myra let out a soft laugh behind him. Milo snorted like he was watching a movie.
I stood there, blood drying on my lip, face on fire and finally spoke.
Give that back!
Hugo raised it higher, taunting. Why? Who is it supposed to be, huh? You collecting ashes now?
I didnt blink.
Its Caleb, I said quietly.
The world went silent. Hugos hand froze around the ceramic. Myras smile vanished. Milos eyes dropped. The maids stopped whispering.
For one long breath, nobody moved.
Then... The urn slipped.
No, he let it go.
No!!!
It hit the tile.
One clean CRACK then the explosion of everything I had left.
Ash. Bone. Shards.
My son scattered across the floor like he had never been held, never been loved, never existed.
The scream ripped out of me. I fell to my knees, fingers trembling, scooping whatever I could into my palms. My nails scraped the floor. I didnt feel the cuts. I didnt feel anything except the absence of him.
Behind me, Hugo exhaled like he was annoyed at the dust on his shoes.
Stop screaming like someone murdered you, he said coldly. Youre not the victim here.
My hands were black with ash. My breath shook. My vision smeared with tears I couldnt control.
Then he added, I got the hospitals update this morning. Caleb is fine. Alive. Sitting up. Smiling. The doctor even sent pictures.
I froze.
The ashes blurred under me.
Alive?
Impossible.
No no. I was there. I held him when the monitors stopped. When his chest went still. When the nurse covered him with a sheet I couldnt move.
You lied, Hugo said, stepping closer until his shadow swallowed me. You faked his death. You drugged him. You staged this whole show because you wanted pity.
I lifted my face, broken. H-he died he died in my arms
Hush, he snapped. Fucking save it.
Myra drifted to his side, Maybe she did it to hurt me, she whispered, voice trembling with fake fear. Maybe she hated me so much she wanted me to feel what shes feeling. Her eyes flicked to the ashes on the floor. Maybe she wanted me to imagine myself like that someday swept away. Shattered. Ashes.
She pretended to choke on a sob. Fell into the couch dramatically, shaking like delicate glass.
Come here, sweetheart, she whimpered, clutching Milos hand. Lets go. Mommy cant breathe with all this filth. I dont want you seeing this kind of darkness.
Milo frowned but didnt look frightened. Just obedient. A soldier trained young.
But Hugo wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close.
Dont waste tears on that woman, he murmured against her hair. Youre the only one who matters. Lets go upstairs. Leave her there with her mess.
I was still on the floor, sweeping what remained of my son with trembling hands. Ashes spread across my palms, streaking the tiles like a ghost trying to cling to me.
Milo suddenly broke away from them and charged toward me.
His shoes came down hard, right on the ashes.
Witch! he screamed. You made my mommy cry!
He stomped again. The ashes scattered furthermy boy thrown to the corners of the room.
No. No. No!
He kicked the shattered pieces of the urn so hard they flew across the floor and cracked against the wall. Ceramic fragments rained like glass.
I froze. My breath stalled in my throat. My body wouldn't move.
My chest convulsed. A sound clawed up my throat, too broken to be a scream, too raw to be a cry.
Hugo stepped in front of me. His hand wrapped around my face his fingers pressing into my cheeks until I felt bone.
Enough, he growled. Enough of this spectacle.
I blinked at him. His expression was carved from stone. No guilt. No grief. Nothing.
I almost believed you. For a moment, I almost pitied your little corpse.
His thumb dragged along my jaw. The touch burned.
But then the clinic sent proof. Videos of Caleb laughing. Sitting up. The doctor said you exaggerated everything. Said you used him. Said you let him pretend he was worse just so you could collect pity.
A lie. Her lie.
My gaze drifted past him... to the stairs.
Myra stood halfway up, one hand resting on the rail. Her eyes gleamed in the dim light, and there it was, that tiny smile curling the corner of her mouth like she was savoring a secret victory.
She bought those photos. She paid off the doctor. She spun the story. And Hugo swallowed it whole, like he always did.
They headed upstairs. Myra leaned her head on his shoulder, her steps slow and delicate.
Come to bed, amor, she murmured. I cant breathe another second around her.
Milo looked back just once, disgust flickering in his eyesbefore lifting his chin and following his mother.
The house fell silent. I stayed on the floor, hands torn and bloody, gathering the last pieces of my child with fingers that wouldnt stop shaking.
Hours passed. Or maybe the world just forgot to move.
I didnt sleep. I couldnt. I sat outside my room, knees pulled to my chest, dried blood on my palms, the taste of salt still trapped in my mouth.
Past midnight, I heard a cough.
Then Hugos voice. Sharp. Frantic.
Myra, look at me. What hurts? Tell me.
I didnt move.
Myras cries rose like thunder through the walls.
I cant breathe, she gasped. Oh God, Hugo! My stomach, my chest, she cursed me. That urn! Ever since she brought that death into this house... somethings choking me!
Footsteps thudded. Hugo paced. Swore.
That bitch.
Myras voice cracked into a trembling whisper.
I heard the maids they said she bought poison. Something something meant for me. Maybe she put it in the urn. Maybe she wanted me gone. Im scared, Hugo. Im pregnant. I dont want to die not me not the baby.
The door slammed open like a gunshot. Hugo stormed in, his rage so thick I could taste it.
He grabbed my wrist and yanked me up from the floor.
You did this.
My ankle twisted. My arm burned. His grip was iron.
You poisoned this house, he roared. You cursed her. You knew she was carrying my child and you still brought death into these walls.
I didnt
He cut me off with a jerk so violent I choked on my breath.
She almost died tonight! Is that what you want? You want her dead?
He dragged me into their room and shoved me forward.
KNEEL.
I didnt move.
I said kneel.
No.
The slap cracked across my face. Stars burst behind my eyes.
On your knees.
I stood.
He kicked the back of my legs. Pain shot up like fire. I dropped hardskin tearing open again. The floor stained red beneath me.
Myra sat on the couch like a queen receiving tribute. Her hair immaculate. Her swollen stomach framed by a soft blanket. She pressed her hand to her chest as if fragile, but her eyes were sharp. Hungry.
I dont believe her, she whispered. She doesnt sound sorry. Make her louder, Hugo. I want to hear her break.
Hugo towered behind me, a shadow ready to crush.
Apologize, he hissed. Until she forgives you.
My lips trembled. My voice splintered.
Im sorry.
Again.
Im sorry.
Again. Until my throat burned. Until my voice cracked. Until I felt something inside me tear open and bleed.
Myra rose slowly, clutching her belly, swaying on her feet.
H-hugo somethings wrong. Her voice shook with manufactured terror. My stomach I think Im bleeding
Myra collapsed cleanlyright into Hugos arms, as if shed rehearsed the fall in front of a mirror.
He caught her instantly, clutching her like she was carrying the last heir of the underworld.
Myra. Amore! Stay with me, he choked out, his voice cracking as he cradled her face. Look at me. Dont close your eyes. Breathe, baby, breathe.
Her eyelids fluttered like a saint under attack.
Hugo Im scared
He snapped toward the hallway, shouting loud enough to shake the walls.
Get the damn car! Move!
I stayed kneeling.
Blood seeping through my pants. Hands sticky, torn. My sons name still burning somewhere inside my chest.
He lifted her with both arms as if she might shatter. Myra curled into him, whimpering, holding her stomach as if her soul was slipping out.
Before leaving, he turned back.
His eyes; those same eyes that once held me like I was his whole world were now a pair of knives.
Dont move, he said. You dont even deserve to breathe.
I didnt answer.
You dont deserve a bed.
The door slammed. Silence swallowed the room whole.
I dont know how long I stayed like that. My legs felt carved from stone. My head buzzed. My throat was raw.
Then the door creaked.
Tiny footsteps padded close.
I didnt look up until his shadow touched mine.
Why are you sitting like that? Milo asked.
He held a blue toy car by the roof, swinging it casually. His pajamas were spotless. Hair brushed. Eyes bright like hed just woken from the best sleep of his life.
He crouched beside me with a little smirk, elbow on his kneelike he was studying a stain.
My mommys a really good actress, isnt she, puta? he whispered with a grin.
The word sliced clean.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out.
He pushed his toy car across the tiles. The little wheels clicked.
Daddy always falls for it, Milo added. Again and again.
He stood and walked away humming... Like he hadnt just stomped on my son hours earlier.
I lowered my face. My voice barely scraped out.
Soon.
Soon this would end. The divorce papers were already with the lawyer. I just had to wait.
Then I would finally be free. Then they would finally learn what it meant to lose everything.
...
Hugo came back before dawn.
He tossed a bottle onto the floor in front of me. It clattered and rolled. Painkillers. No label.
Try not to kill anyone next time, he muttered, not even looking at me.
He grabbed his keys again. Stopped at the doorway.
My parents anniversary is this weekend. Youre still my wife. People will look for you. Bring Caleb.
I felt nothing. Not even anger.
You heard me, he repeated. Bring him. Clean him. Smile. You know how this family works.
Then he left, back to Myra, back to her hospital room.
...
The anniversary arrived.
Hugo didnt let me sit beside him. He pushed me to the front seat with the driver like I was hired help.
Behind us, Myra curled against him like she was the rightful queen of the empire. Milo sat beside her, tucked under her arm.
She whispered something. Hugo laughed softly, brushing his thumb across her knuckles.
I looked down at my black dressplain, scratchy, too short. Everyone else wore diamonds or silk. Myra wore white. Pearls down her back. A halo of expensive innocence.
No one spoke to me before we left.
No one even glanced.
At the estate, cameras flashed like gunfire. Reporters swarmed the gates. Hugo stepped out first, adjusting his cuffs, pretending he was a faithful man.
He opened Myras door himself.
She stepped out like she owned the night.
Milo followed her, his hand in hers.
I stepped out alone, sinking into the gravel.
Dont speak unless spoken to, Hugo said quietly.
I nodded.
He didnt look back.
The ballroom glowed with gold and wealth. Chandeliers dripping like jewels. Music soft and arrogant.
Hugo lifted his glass.
Everyone, he announced, meet Myra. The woman who will soon carry this family into the future.
Applause thundered.
She bowed her head, shy and royal at once.
And this, he said, bringing Milo forward, is our future. The next heir.
Hugos parents embraced Milo like he was a crown made flesh.
I stood near the coats. Out of focus. Forgettable.
Someone near the cake table whispered, Whos she?
Oh, Hugos mother said lightly, thats just the old wife. She couldnt even raise her own son right. Sick little thing she kept hidden. God knows what happened to him.
Myra placed a hand over her heart.
Calebs still recovering, she said gently. He wasnt strong enough to travel. Then she turned to me, pity etched perfectly on her face. Poor Thalia still grieving.
She kissed Hugo on the cheek.
My nails dug into my palms.
A waiter bumped a dessert tower. A silver tray crashed, echoing through the hall.
Laughter roseHugos fathers loudest.
Were here to celebrate, he boomed. Then pointed at me. Let her clean it. She knows how.
Some guests laughed.
Myra stepped forward, voice dripping syrup.
She used to be such a lovely hostess, she said. Maybe she can help serve the champagne. Just until they catch up.
Hugo said nothing.
So I picked up the tray.
I followed the servers around the room, handing out flutes. One waitress gave me a sympathetic look.
Someone by the bar whispered, Is that the first wife? I heard she poisoned the house.
Another replied, With her dead kids ashes. Can you imagine?
I kept walking, quiet, steady.
They couldnt take anything from me.
Id already lost everything worth losing.
Let them mock the ghost they thought I was.
Soon, theyd all learn my name again.
And theyd learn it screaming.
While serving champagne near the garden tables, I tried to disappear into the warm glow of the lanterns, praying no one would notice me. But they didevery whisper burned through me like acid.
Hugo and Myra look perfect together.
She fits this world. She moves like a real mafia wife.
Their boy is so disciplined. She clearly raised him right.
Hugo finally found someone worthy.
I kept pouring champagne, fingers tightening around the silver tray until they ached. My plain black server dress clung to me like a punishment. Everyone else sparkled in diamonds soaked in blood-money and generations of power.
Then it happened.
Milo... Hugos precious heir, his pampered prince stuck his polished shoe out. I caught it too late. My heel snagged, and I lurched forward. Crystal shattered across marble. Champagne splashed onto a woman's ivory gown, the stain blooming like a sin shed never forgive.
Gasps broke the air. Music stuttered to a stop. I stood in the center of the ruin, hands trembling.
Milo lifted his chin and announced, She ruins everything. Just like she ruined my baby brother.
A slow, suffocating silence swallowed the garden.
Myra rose with a delicate hand resting on her stomach, eyes glassy with rehearsed fear. Please hes only a child. Hes been terrified ever since that cursed urn appeared. He has nightmares. About her. A pause. A whisper like poison. About what she did.
Someone murmured, The urn? Saints above
I whispered to myself, too soft for anyone to hear, The cursed urn that held my son. The one you all destroyed.
Then Hugo stormed toward me, cutting through the crowd like a blade. His grip crushed my arm, yanking me forward. You dare embarrass me in front of my men? In front of Myra? His voice was fire. You ruin everything you touch.
His hand cracked across my face. Blood pooled on my tongue. I stood my ground.
Myras soft little gasp came next. Babe, dont hurt her shes still the mother of your child. Her palm stroked her belly like she was blessing herself.
His mother arrived last, draped in jewels like a queen presiding over my execution. Divorce her now, Hugo. I wont have filth like that tied to our name.
This time, I lifted my head.
No need, I said, voice cracking but clear. The papers were filed this morning. You can have your son. I want nothing more from this family.
Hugo froze, confused, insulted, almost scared.
His mother slapped me so sharply my ears rang. How dare you speak as if you get a choice? You should be grateful we tolerated you!
Whispers exploded around us.
She should be locked up again.
Shes unstable.
Shes out of her mind.
Shell never survive without them.
My phone buzzed. A single sentence lit up the screen: Divorce approved.
For a moment, the world blurred. Then I smiled... a thin, dangerous curl of freedom. I wiped my lip, lifted my chin, and walked toward the gates.
Hugos voice chased me. Thalia! Where are you going?
I didnt turn. Somewhere youll never cage me again.
He stepped forward, ready to ordered his men to grab me but Myra let out a soft, trembling gasp and collapsed right on cue. The perfect distraction. Guards rushed. Guests panicked. Cameras flashed.
No one stopped me.
...
Back at the mansion, the maid opened the door with wide, guilty eyes. I didnt speak. I moved past her and climbed the stairs to Calebs room.
His scent still lived here. Sweet. Innocent. Untouched by their rot.
I packed his toys. His chewed picture books. His tiny clothes. I pressed each one against my chest, trying to remember the weight of him.
Then I removed my wedding ring and left it on his pillow.
The maid watched silently, clutching the railing like she might break. I walked past her, out to my rusted car, and slid into the seat. The mansion glittered in my windshield cold, monstrous, beautiful in the way a coffin is beautiful.
Goodbye, Hugo, I whispered. Wait for the day I burn your empire.
My phone vibrated again and again.
Come back right now.
You humiliated me.
Ungrateful bitch.
If you leave, youll suffer.
I lifted my phone, smiled faintly, and sent him two words: FUCK YOU.
Then I drove.
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