"You don't deserve to bear my child. If you ever got pregnant, I'd ensure it never lived."
His cruel wish had finally been realized.
He made me give blood to his mistress, and I lost our baby because of it.
Now he filled the sky with fireworks to celebrate her pregnancy.
Tears fell silently down my cheeks. When the IV finished, I signed the discharge papers and went home.
Walking through the backyard, I found myself beneath the wisteria tree. Its purple blossoms hung heavy in the afternoon light.
I didn't realize how much time had passed until the sun began to set.
Sebastian returned with Chloe that evening.
He stopped when he saw me under the tree.
Chloe's eyes sparkled with malicious delight. "Sebastian, this wisteria is so beautiful. We should cut it down and make a charm for our baby." She paused dramatically. "Though... I heard Alayna planted this herself." Her fake sweet smile turned toward me. "You wouldn't mind, would you Alayna?"
This tree held one of my few precious memories with Sebastian.
My adoptive father planted it for my mother—their symbol of eternal love.
Four years ago, I brought it here from my hometown. I dug the hole myself with bare hands.
Sebastian told me it would never survive. I seized that moment to make a bargain.
"If I keep it alive and it blooms... would you consider loving me?"
He remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I'll think about it."
Those words became the only hope he ever gave me.
Since that day, I cared for that tree more than anything.
Once, his eighteenth mistress broke a single flower from it. I attacked her like a wild animal.
Anyone who threatened this tree faced my complete fury.
But now, facing Chloe's provocation, I only smiled faintly.
"Do whatever you want. Cut it down."
Sebastian frowned, clearly displeased by my reaction.
As I stood to leave, he stopped me. "You planted it," he said coldly. "So you'll cut it down yourself. I don't want you blaming Chloe later."
He wanted me to destroy my last sanctuary with my own hands.
I expected this cruelty, yet my heart still shattered.
A servant handed me the chainsaw. My hands trembled as I started the machine.
The thick trunk fell with a crash that echoed through my soul.
The master bedroom. My mother's keepsake. Our baby. My faith...
Everything I cherished had become entertainment for Chloe.
Sebastian looked at her with indulgence. "Choose any piece you like. I'll have it carved for you."
Chloe selected a slender branch no thicker than her finger.
Sebastian turned to the servants. "Clean this mess. Throw it all away."
Throw it away. Just like he'd discarded my love.
I dropped the chainsaw and walked numbly to my room.
That night, my phone buzzed with a text from Damian.
[A month is too long. I'm back early. I'll come for you in three days.]
I stared at the empty garden through my window and typed my reply.
[Okay.]
Three days.
Enough time to end everything.