The Regret Of A Billionaire Ex: Chasing Her Back

Cynthia's POV I always felt like a visitor in my own home. The walls were too cold, the marble floors too loud, and the silence too heavy for anyone with a soft heart. Growing up in the Alderson mansion felt like carrying a weight I never asked for. Maybe because every time I breathed, someone was waiting to judge the sound. That morning, the house felt even colder. I wrapped my arms around myself as I stepped out of my room. The hallway smelled like lemon polish and expensive perfume. Victoria’s perfume. She hated when I “wandered around aimlessly,” as she called it, so I always moved quietly, like a shadow trying not to disturb the queen of this palace. I missed my mother. Even after all these years, thinking of my mother made my chest ache. She used to fill this house with warmth. I could still remember how she sang while cooking, her soft laugh echoing down the halls. But then everything changed. My parents divorced. And mom died shortly after out of depression. Victoria arrived. And my father forgot how to see me. My footsteps stopped when I heard voices downstairs. Natasha’s laugh floated through the air, bright and sharp like glass. She always sounded happiest when she knew I could hear her. I forced myself to descend the stairs. The dining room was bright, sunlight bouncing off the crystal chandelier. Natasha sat at the table in a silk robe, brushing her long blonde hair. She looked up and smirked when she saw me. “Morning, Cinderella,” she said. “Finally decided to join the living?” I ignored her and reached for a cup of tea. Victoria stood near the counter, arranging utensils like a queen preparing a ceremony. Her lips curved just slightly when she saw me. “Good morning, Cynthia.” Her voice was calm, but it carried something sharp underneath. “You should have been here earlier. Your father notices things like this.” My chest tightened. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well.” Victoria only hummed, like she didn’t care enough to ask why. Natasha giggled. “Insomnia again? Poor thing. Maybe you should try focusing on your life instead of wasting it.” Her words stung, but I swallowed the pain. My father walked in then. His presence always made the air thicker. He didn’t even glance at me before sitting beside Natasha. “Morning,” I whispered. He didn’t answer. Victoria placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled sweetly. “Richard, dear, Cynthia didn’t come down in time. I think we need to discuss her sense of responsibility.” I looked at her sharply. Why was she always trying to paint me as the problem? My father sighed, rubbing his temples. “Cynthia, you’re no longer a child. Be more disciplined.” Heat rose in my throat. “It was just a late morning. I...” “Richard is right,” Victoria cut in. “You cannot keep living without purpose. Natasha is already helping with our company’s public events. You need to find something useful to do.” I clenched my teeth. “I work. I paint. I manage the community art program. You know that.” Victoria’s smile didn’t move. “Painting is a hobby. Not a responsible future.” I wanted to scream. Instead, I drank my tea quietly and wished I could disappear. Inside, my thoughts whirled. *Why am I always the disappointment? What did I do wrong? Why can’t he look at me the way he looks at her?* The only thing that kept me from breaking was one person. Dominic Carter. Just thinking about him made something warm rise in my chest. He had called me the night before. His voice was tired, but he still asked how I was doing. He always asked. He was the only person who made me feel like I mattered. We had been dating secretly for months now. His family and mine were business partners, and Victoria made it clear she wanted him with Natasha. She said Natasha was “the suitable daughter.” I was the “artistic mistake.” Dominic didn’t care. He always held my face gently and told me, “You’re the one I want. Not your sister.” That memory helped me breathe through breakfast. After forcing myself to eat a few bites, I quietly stood up. “I’ll be in my room working on my sketches.” Victoria nodded like she was granting permission. “Do something productive.” Natasha rolled her eyes dramatically as I left. Once upstairs, I stepped into my room and closed the door softly behind me. My sanctuary. My space. I walked around slowly, touching the corner of my sketchbook, the frame of my mother’s old painting on the wall. The soft smell of charcoal and paper made me feel safe. Just as I sat on the edge of my bed, my phone lit up. A message from Dominic. *“Morning, angel. I’ll pass by later. We need to talk.”* My eyebrows pulled together. Talk? About what? My stomach fluttered. *Is he okay? Did something happen?* I typed quickly. “Is everything fine?” No reply. A knot of worry formed in my chest. Dominic never ignored my messages. Trying to distract myself, I moved to the bathroom to wash my face. When I turned on the light, something on the counter caught my eye. A small strip. White. Thin. Sitting right where I never left anything. My heartbeat quickened. “What is this…?” I picked it up slowly. It took a second before my brain recognized what it was. A pregnancy test. Used. And positive. A cold swept through my body. “W… what?” My voice cracked. My hands trembled as I stared at the two faint lines. This isn’t mine. I never bought this. I never took this. I felt light-headed. Someone put this here. Someone wanted this to be found. “Why… why would someone…” Then it hit me. Natasha. Of course. Everything inside me tightened painfully. I rushed to hide the strip somewhere, to figure out who put it in my room, to stop this nightmare before anyone used it against me. I was still clutching it when the bathroom door opened. Victoria stepped inside. Her eyes went straight to my hand. My heart slammed against my ribs. She froze. I froze. For a long second, we only stared at each other. Then her lips spread slowly, like she was savoring the moment. “Well, well,” she whispered. “Trying to hide something, Cynthia?” My throat closed. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t...” She raised her hand sharply. “Save it.” Her gaze dropped to the test strip. “A positive result. How irresponsible.” Panic surged through me. This was bad. This was exactly what she wanted. “Victoria, please listen. Someone put it here. I swear, it’s not...” Her voice turned ice-cold. “Your father will be very interested in this.” My stomach dropped. “No. Please.” Victoria stepped closer, her smile full of cruelty. “It seems we finally have a reason to end your little fantasy life, Cynthia.”