Chapter 4 Hopeless!!

Scarlette's POV.

My handbag was still clenched tight in my hand, fingers digging into the leather like it was the only thing holding me together.

I walked into the mansion-our so-called home. A place that had become nothing but a graveyard of fake smiles and silent wars.

I slammed the door behind me. Hard.

The sound echoed through the halls, bouncing off the walls like a warning shot.

I barely took a step toward the staircase-toward that goddamn room I shared with Ethan-when her voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Where the hell are you crawling from at this hour? A married woman like you?"

Her voice was sharp. Disgusted. Drenched in judgment.

I turned slowly, my eyes meeting hers-his mother, the woman who never accepted me.

"Nowhere, Mother," I said, voice cracked but calm. I was trying. Trying not to break right there.

Her face twisted. "What? Such disrespect. What do you mean 'nowhere'? Have you started cheating on my son now? Is that why you've stopped wearing your wedding ring?"

She stepped closer and grabbed my arm, her nails biting into my skin.

"Listen to me-and listen well. If you think you can sneak in here, pregnant with some bastard, and expect my son to raise it as his own-you're fucking mistaken."

Before I could even react, the front door creaked open behind me.

We both turned. Ethan walked in, Smiling.

My stomach dropped. But he wasn't alone. He walked in with her, My sister.

Arm in arm. Close, Too close.

My world didn't just crack-it shattered.

Mother's fingers unhooked from my arm as she turned to face them fully.

"Ethan... who's this?" she asked, unusually calm.

Ethan smiled wider, like this was a joke to him.

"Your new daughter-in-law, Mother. The one who will give you a child. An heir."

I didn't think it was possible, but her face lit up.

"Well, finally. At least you've learned something. You're making the right decision now," she said, grinning like a devil finally getting what she prayed for.

Then Ethan turned to me.

He brought out an envelope from his coat. Stepped closer. Calm. Cold. Like he hadn't just destroyed my soul tonight.

He stretched it toward me.

"Here. Take this. Sign it."

I stared at his hand. My heartbeat paused. The air around me felt heavier. I slowly reached for it, my fingers trembling as I took the papers and scanned them.

"Divorce?" I said aloud, my voice breaking. "You're divorcing me... for her? My own sister?"

My chest tightened.

"It wasn't enough that you cheated, but now you're handing me divorce papers?"

But he cut me off, sharp and emotionless.

"I stopped loving you a long time ago, Scarlette. Everything about you disgusts me now-your body, your voice, your presence. I've endured it for too long. And you think you're the only one who's suffered? I've suffered too."

His voice rose, harsh and brutal.

"Sign it. Now. And leave this mansion."

"Ethan, you can't do this to me..." My voice cracked as the words left my mouth. I didn't even realize when the tears started falling. I held the divorce papers in my hands like they were my death sentence.

"Please, just tell me where we went wrong," I said, choking on my own breath. "What happened to us? You used to call me your kitten... you promised you'd love me no matter what..."

I stepped closer to him, grabbing his wrist, desperate. But Emelia's hand was already wrapped around his other arm. That sight... it crushed what little hope I was clinging to.

"Tell me.... how long has this been going on?" My voice shook. "How long have you two been doing this behind my back?"

My entire body was trembling. Anger, betrayal, disbelief-it all hit me at once. The room felt too small to hold the pain in my chest.

"I don't love you anymore, Scarlette! Isn't that obvious?" Ethan snapped. His face was cold, like I meant nothing.

Then he shoved my hand off. I stumbled backward, completely caught off guard, and hit the ground hard.

The pain didn't register right away. I blinked, stunned, and tried to get up. Crawling toward Emelia, I grabbed the edge of her dress.

"Emelia... what happened?" My voice was barely a whisper. My tears blurred everything.

She looked down at me like I was nothing. Then she kicked her foot free from my grip, and I fell again-this time flat on my back.

"This woman has no shame!" Mother's voice rang out from behind, disgust dripping from her tone. She moved to Emelia's side like they'd always belonged together.

I pushed myself up on shaking arms and looked at my sister. "Emelia... I did everything for you. Everything you ever asked for... I was there," I said, each word hurting more than the last. "When Mama and Papa threw you out, I took you in. I got you that apartment. I found you a job... in Ethan's company. Is that where it started? Was that your plan all along?"

My hands gripped her arms as I tried to search her face, hoping for something-remorse, shame, anything.

But all she did was scoff and shove me off. "I don't care what you did for me," she said. "And stop acting like you did it out of kindness. Our parents threw me out because of you. You were the golden child. You married rich, so it was your responsibility to help me. You owed me that. So stop acting like a saint."

She pushed me again, harder this time. I stumbled back, chest heaving. My tears kept falling, but she didn't even flinch.

She didn't care.

Neither of them did.

"Tell me we'll fix this, Ethan..." My voice was shaking, thick with tears. I couldn't breathe right. "In fact-I'm ready to forget. I'll forget you cheated. I'll forget you slept with my sister. I'll even forget about these divorce papers, Ethan. I swear..."

I was crying, head bowed, tears falling freely. I reached up, cupping his face with both hands-begging, not caring about pride.

That's when he grabbed my wrists. Hard.

His fingers dug into my skin, crushing bone. I winced from the pain.

"It seems you don't get it, do you?" he spat.

Then his voice rose-loud, brutal.

"I. Don't. Love. You. Anymore!"