Chapter 5

Serena's POV

Violet quickly walked over and tightly grabbed my wrist.

"Serena."

I was startled by her sudden action and stepped back half a pace.

"Serena, I'm begging you. Later when the reporters ask, just say you and Ethan divorced a long time ago. Say you and he are just business partners now."

Violet gripped my clothes desperately, crying so hard she couldn't breathe. "I'm six months pregnant. The doctor said if I get upset again I'll lose this baby. Please take pity on the child in my belly!"

My whole body went cold. I looked down at her from above.

She really could act. Last night at the premiere, when she leaned on Ethan's shoulder crying, she had this same fragile, helpless appearance.

"Let go." I forced down my disgust.

"I won't let go unless you agree."

"You got pregnant yourself, Violet. Watch your tone."

As soon as the words left my mouth, Ethan pushed the door open and entered.

His expression changed. He strode forward and pulled Violet up, sheltering her in his arms, then turned and walked over to me.

He reached out to touch my face. I turned my head away in revulsion, dodging him.

His hand froze in midair. After two seconds, it slowly lowered. His tone carried a trace of impatience.

"Serena, it's just one scene. After you perform it you can go home. I'll tear up the agreement. We'll talk slowly about divorce. You've walked with me to this point. This last hurdle. Help me this once."

I looked up at him in disbelief, my eyes instantly reddening.

I've been married to him for five years. I suddenly felt it was utterly ridiculous.

Walked with him to this point?

When I married him five years ago, that was walking with him to this point.

Three years ago when his company's funding dried up, I mortgaged the last house my father left me to lend him money to get through it. That was walking with him to this point.

Last year when I contracted malaria while filming in Tanzania and was hospitalized, he didn't call once. He complained I had poor physical fitness.

"Ethan." I clenched my teeth hard, forcing back tears, saying word by word, "I won't act."

The tenderness in Ethan's eyes instantly dissipated. His face darkened enough to drip water.

"Ethan!"

Violet suddenly grabbed something from the makeup table.

Before I could react, she'd already pressed a sharp makeup scissors against her own arm.

"Violet, what are you doing!" Ethan's face went white, his voice cracking.

"If Serena doesn't agree I won't live anymore!" Violet screamed through her tears. "Ethan, you saw it. She's trying to force me to death! She just can't stand to see me doing well!"

"Violet, put down the scissors."

"I'm not making a scene!"

Violet's wrist trembled. The scissor tip pierced the skin of her arm.

Bright red blood instantly seeped out, dripping onto the light pink dress in shocking drops.

"Violet!"

Ethan lunged over like a madman and snatched away the scissors.

Violet leaned back with the momentum. Her eyes rolled back and she went limp in his arms.

"Violet, wake up! Violet!"

An assistant outside heard the commotion and rushed in. Ethan scooped Violet up and rushed out. At the doorway, he suddenly turned back.

I'll never forget the way he looked at me.

No trace of our twelve years together. No disappointment.

Only bone-deep disgust, like looking at a mortal enemy.

"Serena." He spoke through clenched teeth, his gaze poisonous. "If anything happens to Violet, I, Ethan, will never forgive you for the rest of my life."

The door slammed shut with a "bang."