Chapter 2

The moment I pushed the door open, I froze.

Ethan was sitting on the couch, his face dark as a storm.

Vanessa was resting a hand gently on his shoulder, comforting him.

Even though I had prepared myself, seeing them like that still tore right through me. Anger and grief surged in my chest.

He had once sworn to me that this was our home. That nobody else would ever step foot in here.

And now... another woman was standing in my living room.

Hearing the door click, Ethan shot me a cold, emotionless glare.

Vanessa stood up immediately, her tone cool and collected. "Now that you're back, I won't get between you two."

"What you said tonight was out of line, Sienna. You owe Ethan an apology."

I snapped back, my voice dripping with venom, "Drop the innocent act. You know damn well he’s married, yet you cling to him like a leech. You’re pathetic."

Ethan slammed his hand on the table and glared at me. "I invited her here! She doesn't have a filthy mind like yours!"

"Look at yourself right now. You disgust me."

"I honestly don't know how I ever fell in love with someone like you!"

The color drained from my face. His words were like jagged knives stabbing straight into my heart.

He turned to Vanessa, his tone instantly softening into something tender.

"Didn't your apartment have a water leak? You're staying here tonight."

Vanessa hesitated, biting her lip. "Ethan, maybe I shouldn't..."

"No maybes. This is my house. I'd like to see anyone try to throw you out."

There was no doubt who he was talking to.

The two of them walked upstairs.

The lingering scent of Vanessa's expensive perfume still hung thick in the air.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the tears back down.

My lawyer had already emailed the divorce agreement.

As I was printing it out, Ethan happened to come down the stairs.

He paused when he saw me, then completely ignored me and headed toward the kitchen.

"Sign it," I called out, stopping him in his tracks.

He looked down at the papers in my hand, and suddenly, he snapped.

He lunged forward, grabbing my throat and shoving me hard against the sofa.

His eyes were bloodshot, his voice a furious snarl. "You want a divorce that badly? You lying bitch! Until I'm done making you pay, don't even dream of walking away!"

I choked out through the pressure on my throat, "You keep calling me a liar! What did I ever lie to you about?!"

"You wormed your way into my life just for my mother’s money!"

"She shoved you into my bed just to keep me on a leash! To prove that I can never escape her control!"

I stared at him, stunned. He had completely misunderstood everything. In a panic, I gasped, "That's not true! It was because—"

"Crash!"

The sound of shattering glass cut me off.

Ethan let go of me instantly and sprinted upstairs two steps at a time.

A sickening knot twisted in my gut. Clutching the divorce papers, I rushed up behind him.

Milk was dripping down the floor from a picture frame on the wall.

The center of the painting was completely ruined, soaked through and smeared into an unrecognizable mess.

My eyes widened in pure horror. That was the last piece of artwork my late father had painted for me before he died. It was all I had left of him.

And now it was gone.

Vanessa stood nearby with a guilty expression. "I'm so sorry, Sienna. My hands slipped."

"I tried to wipe it off, but the paper tore..."

"Don't worry, I'll pay you back for it."

Something inside my brain snapped.

I grabbed a jagged shard of glass from the floor and lunged straight at her face.

"Go to hell!"

The shard grazed Vanessa's cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood.

She screamed, clutching her face.

Blinded by rage, I raised the shard to strike again.

"Slap!"

Ethan's hand struck my face so hard my head spun. "Have you lost your damn mind?! It’s just a stupid painting!"

I lost my balance and fell hard onto the shattered glass on the floor, the shards slicing deep into my palms.

I looked up at him, tears blurring my vision. "You know what that meant to me..."

He cut me off impatiently, "I know! Your dad gave it to you!"

"She already apologized! If anything happens to her face, I will destroy you!"

He wrapped an arm around Vanessa and helped her toward the door.

Numb and bleeding, I dragged myself up and blocked his path.

"Sign the papers first."