From Ruin to Revenge

Unforgettable pain

Chapter 7

“What!” Selena, visibly angry, stormed out of the room. "So, from what Violet is saying, Grandfather set this all up with his conditions. Why would he make such a condition?" she mumbled angrily.

"I'll go meet him; he will answer to me!" she declared as she walked out of the building.

***

“Father! Father!” Selena yelled as she walked into the mansion. "Father!" she called again, making her way through the house until she noticed an open room with a shadow cast across it."Father?" she whispered as she stepped into the room.

“Arghhhh! Father!” Selena screamed upon seeing her father's lifeless body, with Alfred kneeling beside him.

“Alfred! What the hell did you do to my father?” Selena shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Alfred, startled by Selena’s voice, snapped out of his shock. "I d-didn't kill him, Ms. Selena. I…”

“Stop! Don’t come any closer,” she half-yelled, sobbing.

"Then who did?" she demanded, terrified.

Alfred, unable to explain, continued inching toward her, begging her to understand.

“Stay back!” Selena yelled, visibly frightened. When he didn't yield to her command, she picked up a knife from a fruit tray nearby.

“Stay away from me, you murderer!” Selena screamed, pointing the knife at him. "You don’t deserve Father's love. You killed him, you betrayer!"

“You’re right. I don’t deserve the love I received," he said, crying. "I am a betrayer. I do deserve to die." Saying that, he reached out and took the knife from her.

“Alfred, no!” Selena cried, watching helplessly as he stabbed himself. “No!” she cried, rooted to the ground in shock.

***

The next day, Violet opened her eyes, feeling slightly better. "Where am I?" she asked as the door opened.

“Mrs. Violet,” the doctor greeted her, moving closer. “How do you feel today?” he inquired.

“I’m... I’m okay, Doctor,” she began to say, but a sudden memory hit her. "Doctor, how is my baby? Please, tell me my baby is fine," she said, touching her belly anxiously.

“I’m sorry. You lost the baby. There was nothing we could do,” he said gently.

Hearing those words, Violet felt her world crumble. “My baby…” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“You need rest. With time, you’ll feel better,” the doctor reassured her, checking her vitals before leaving.

Alex, who had taken the earliest flight after hearing the news, rushed to the hospital.

“I’m looking for a patient—Violet Wells,” he said to the nurse behind the desk.

“Yes, we have a patient by that name. What’s your relationship to her?”

“She’s my wife,” he responded.

“Room 34, upstairs,” she directed him.

As Alex approached the room, he ran into the doctor coming out.

"Doctor, how is the patient in there?" he asked, pointing to the room.

“And you are?” the doctor asked.

“I’m her husband,” Alex said.

“Oh, I’m sorry... She lost the baby, but she’s stable,” the doctor replied.

“Wait, she was pregnant?” Alex asked, shocked.

“Yes, she was,” the doctor confirmed before excusing himself.

Alex stood there, stunned as the conversation replayed in his head.

"She was pregnant? How?" After a moment, he resolved to ask Violet directly. When he entered the room, Violet froze.

“You’re here…” she said softly.

“Were you pregnant?” he asked coldly.

“Yes…” Violet answered quietly, her head bowed.

“How? I mean, we never…” His voice trailed off, unable to finish.Violet couldn't bring herself to explain, remaining silent.

The silence gnawed at him, and he became furious, haunted by memories of his past with Iris. “Answer me, dammit!” he shouted.

“I took your sperm and did IVF, okay?” she blurted, shocked by his outburst.

“What did you say?” Alex’s voice was barely audible, his hands trembling. "But... how did you get my sperm?" As he spoke, he remembered the day he had slept deeply, unable to recall how he'd gone to bed.

“Alex, listen... I had no choice. One of my grandfather’s conditions was that I get pregnant, and…”

“So you stole my sperm and got yourself pregnant?” he interrupted, yelling. She flinched.

“How dare you? Who gave you that right? You knew my answer was no from the beginning.”

“Alex, please stop yelling…”

But Alex was spiraling, unable to control his emotions. His mind flashed back to Iris.

“You had no right, Violet Wells. I want a divorce. I want nothing to do with you, and here I was, thinking you were different!”

“Alex…” Violet whispered, tears streaming down her face.

“You’re just an entitled woman who thinks she can do anything and get away with it!” he snapped, storming out, leaving Violet sobbing.

“Mom… Where are you?” she cried.

After a while, Violet wiped her tears and turned on the TV, hoping to distract herself from the unbearable pain. The news anchor’s voice broke her trance.

"Breaking news: The ex-wife of Lucas Wells has been arrested as the primary suspect in the deaths of Mr. Christopher Wells and his butler, Alfred Maxwell. Her fingerprints were found on the knife that killed Mr. Maxwell. The question on everyone's mind is—why did she kill them?"

Suddenly, the screen cut to Lucas speaking to a reporter. “She was always crazy," he said. "She blamed my father and me for our failed marriage, and I guess she was waiting for the right opportunity to strike. She murdered my father,” he concluded, feigning a sob.

“No…” Violet whispered, horrified. “Mom!” she screamed, running out of her room. Ignoring the doctor and nurses, she left the hospital in her gown, looking disheveled and frantic.

On the street, Violet looked like a madwoman, her hospital gown drawing unwanted attention as she whispered, “Mom…” She reached her grandfather’s mansion, where police and reporters crowded the entrance.

Then, she saw her mother being dragged into a police vehicle.“Let my mom go! She didn’t do it!” she cried, trying to reach her mother, both of them drowning in tears.

“Violet!” Selena called, trying to reach her daughter despite being held back by the officers.

“Please, let me see my mom, officer. She couldn’t have done this!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. She is the primary suspect,” one officer replied.

Violet, rooted to the ground, watched as the car drove off with her mother. A surge of pain she never knew existed filled her. Then she saw Lucas and Josephine nearby.“You monster!” she charged toward them, but a burly man in black restrained her.

“You bastard! How dare you say that about my mom! We both know she’s innocent.”

“Then how was she found with Father and Alfred’s bodies?” Lucas sneered. “She killed my father!” he yelled.

“Oh, please! Don’t pretend you ever loved him. You’re just a selfish moron using this to your advantage!”

Lucas smirked, leaning in close to her. “You bet I’ll use this to my advantage. I’ll take everything I was denied, and your mother will rot in prison for the rest of her life,” he whispered menacingly. “Bastard!” Violet spat at him. Lucas smiled, then walked away with Josephine, who remained silent, hoping Violet wouldn’t bring up the baby.

Violet, held by the guard, turned to Josephine and shouted, “Murderer! Josephine, you killed my baby…”

“See, everyone? I told you—her mother was crazy, and she passed it on to her daughter,” Lucas said, dismissing her accusations as he left.

Moments later, Violet stood alone, her face wet with tears as she sank to the ground. But then she remembered something.“Wave…” she whispered, her spirit sparked with a sliver of hope. She hurried to their house, noting the crowded street but lacking the strength to find out why. When she reached the door, she found it ajar.

A neighbor rushed toward her. "Violet! Where have you been? Wave… Wave… he…”

“Wave? What happened?” Violet panicked, her heart racing.

“He’s dead, Violet. He was hit by a truck early this morning,” the neighbor said, sobbing.

Violet dropped to the floor, motionless. No tears, no words—everything around her turned dark and numb.