Ava lost all strength to resist. Her eyes, wide with panic, locked onto Ethan as she shook her head frantically, trying to explain herself. But the police were done listening—they shoved her into the patrol car without a second glance.
They found everything they needed on her phone—edited photos, doctored records, the proof that would bury her. Ava sat in the interrogation room, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, staring at Ethan as though he might save her.
But there was no saving her now.
She tried to pull him back into their past, her voice dripping with nostalgia. “Remember the good times? We were meant to be together. If it weren’t for Victoria and Emma, we’d be married by now. Everything would be different. Can’t we just start over? I can give you children—daughters, sons, whatever you want. We could be happy again.”
Ethan couldn’t listen. It was like a slap to the face. The disgust that churned in his gut was overwhelming.
Ava’s words tumbled out, frantic, her tone almost pleading. “You didn’t like Victoria, right? Now’s our chance—just you and me. Don’t let this slip away.”
But Ethan was beyond all that now. Her stubbornness was just a reminder of how far they had drifted, how deeply he had been disappointed.
He left the police station and headed straight to me, holding the new divorce papers. This time, there was one change—he’d added thirty percent to the assets.
I stared at him, confusion clouding my mind.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, regret weighing heavily in his voice. “This is… a token of my apology. I know it doesn’t make up for anything, but… consider it my compensation for Emma. Please, just take it.”
I didn’t want his money. I never did. I just wanted freedom.
I grabbed the pen without a second thought, signing the papers with a steady hand. The moment I finished, a rush of relief swept through me.
It was finally over.
The divorce certificate felt like a formality, a piece of paper that could never measure up to the loss of my daughter.
I packed my things quickly, efficiently—almost like it was mechanical. There was nothing left for me in this city, nothing but the ghost of my mother and daughter at every corner. It was too painful to stay.
I had to leave.
On the day I left, Ethan stood in front of me, eyes full of sorrow. “Victoria, is there any chance? Can’t we work this out? Can’t you stay?”
I looked up at the sky, the weight of everything crashing down. “Stay?” I said quietly, my voice steady but resolute. “Possible? Impossible.”
The moment Emma was gone, there was no going back.
The five years of suffering, the humiliation, the broken promises—it was all over.
I didn’t say another word. I simply walked past him, not even sparing him a glance, and got into the car.
One last message: “Let the assistant continue working.”
I turned off my phone, and in one swift motion, I pulled out the SIM card and snapped it in two.
Ethan had been a roadblock, an obstacle I’d spent years trying to navigate. But no more. If I stayed in his world, I would never find my own.
