When He Begs, I Shine

Chapter 4 More Misunderstandings

Since the day Cyril stormed out, slamming the door behind him, Viviane hadn't seen him.

The tension between them had worsened, and their divorce seemed to have been left unresolved.

Days passed, and Viviane continued her routine between the hospital and home, caring for Colita.

Today, Colita was scheduled for a pre-surgery checkup, and Viviane stood quietly outside the examination area, watching through the glass as the machines hummed around her frail sister.

Her thoughts drifted, invariably coming back to Cyril.

His words and expressions had been occupying her mind whenever she had nothing else to think about.

Viviane had been surprised initially when Cyril had agreed to pay for Colita's surgery.

Grateful for his actions, Viviane also felt a pang of regret for unilaterally deciding to divorce. If not for that, perhaps the rift between them wouldn't have grown so severe.

Lost in her thoughts, a faint scent of white roses suddenly drifted into her nostrils.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Collins?" Aria drawled, seemingly provocatively, as she greeted Viviane.

Turning around, Viviane saw Aria standing there, her posture graceful and imposing.

"What are you doing here?" Viviane frowned slightly, her dislike for Aria palpable.

Aria cleared her throat and casually touched her belly, smiling ambiguously. "I'm here for a checkup, of course. Why else would I need to come over, Ms. Collins?"

Her eyes roamed over Viviane, lingering momentarily before shifting away with a barely perceptible smirk. Inside, Aria was plotting how to provoke Viviane into losing control.

A knot tightened in Viviane's stomach as she caught Aria's glance lingering on her own midsection.

A chilling thought crossed her mind. Was Aria here for a prenatal checkup?

Could the child be Cyril's?

He hadn't breathed a word of it to her.

Viviane's brows knitted tightly as her thoughts raced like a storm, one tumbling over the other, leaving her increasingly agitated.

Completely oblivious to the disdain flickering in Viviane's eyes, Aria leaned against the wall with exaggerated frailty. "Oh, Ms. Collins," she murmured, feigning weakness, "could you lend me a hand?"

Viviane watched her performance with an icy gaze, unmoved.

Aria's expression shifted almost imperceptibly, a flicker of irritation darting across her face.

But then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she raised her chin slightly, her eyes glinting with smug disdain. Taking a step closer, she lowered her voice just enough for Viviane to hear.

"Your sister," she sneered, her tone dripping venom, "is nothing but a burden. Clinging to life by a thread, wasting everyone's time. Honestly, she'd be better off gone, don't you think?"

The words hit like a whip. Viviane's eyes widened, fury erupting in her gaze. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, trembling with the effort to contain her rising anger. For a moment, she felt the precarious edge of her control slipping.

Suddenly, Aria let out a sharp cry and collapsed toward the floor.

Instinctively, Viviane reached out, only for Aria to grab her arm in a vice-like grip.

"Ah!"

Aria's scream echoed in the corridor. Clutching her stomach, she doubled over, her face pale as a sheet. "You pushed me! My baby!"

Viviane froze, shock washing over her as the realization sank in. She had fallen right into Aria's trap.

Before she could muster a defense, a cold, biting voice cut through the air.

"Viviane, what the hell are you doing?"

Cyril stood at the far end of the hallway, his expression shadowed with anger and mistrust. He'd rushed over after hearing Aria needed to be taken to the hospital, only to arrive at this exact moment.

Viviane's stomach dropped like a stone.

Cyril strode forward, brushing her aside as if she were nothing. He bent down to help Aria, his movements unusually gentle. "Aria, are you alright?"

Aria's lips quivered as she shook her head weakly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I'll be fine," she whispered. "It's just... the baby..."

The mention of the child made Cyril's face tighten with alarm. Without hesitation, he called for a doctor.

As they waited, Aria stole a glance at him, her gaze sly beneath her tear-streaked lashes. Inwardly, she rejoiced. This was the perfect step toward cementing her place as Mrs. Cartmell.

All she needed was for Cyril to believe in the baby she carried.

Then, Viviane would be abandoned, making her the ultimate winner.

In fact, Aria wasn't pregnant, nor had she ever slept with Cyril.

However, Cyril had somehow convinced himself that their encounter during his drunken stupor had left her with a pregnancy.

She just took a large sum of money from Cyril's money and bribed the doctor to forge a pregnancy certificate.

Cyril was so caught up in his guilt over the two women that he didn't even notice the lie she had made up.

These past few days, she's been living the high life, enjoying the perks of wealth.

After the doctor took Aria away, Cyril turned to face Viviane, his eyes cold and sharp. "Viviane, you'd better pray she's okay!"

Viviane forced herself to stay calm and met his gaze. "Cyril, let me explain."

He scoffed. "Explain? I saw it with my own eyes. Do I still need an explanation?"

He pointed toward the hospital room. "I've already paid for your sister's treatment. From now on, you stay home and keep your head down. Don't go out and embarrass the Cartis family again!"

Viviane's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected Cyril to treat her like this. "Are you threatening me?" Her voice trembled with a mix of humiliation. "Cyril, you can't keep insulting my dignity like this."

Cyril, however, was too preoccupied with the fake baby inside Aria to pay attention. He rushed after the doctor, not hearing Viviane's last words.

"I'm leaving you for good."