Chasing my Runaway Ex-Wife

Lavender's POV A sharp, blinding pain throbbed in my skull as I stirred awake. My limbs felt leaden, my body impossibly heavy, as if I had been drugged. The air was thick, suffocating, and an unsettling chill crawled over my skin. Something was wrong. I tried to lift my head, but the room spun violently, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. My throat burned, dry and raw, as though I had been screaming. Where was I? What happened? "You’re disgusting, Lavender!" The voice, filled with rage and venom, made my heart lurch. My eyes snapped open, and my stomach dropped. It was August. He stood at the foot of the bed, his face contorted in fury, his hands clenched into fists. His dark eyes, once filled with love, were now hollow and cold, as if he were looking at a complete stranger. "August, honey..." My voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. "What's going on?" He let out a bitter laugh, then with one swift motion, threw a stack of glossy photos onto the bed. They scattered over the white sheets, and my trembling hands reached for them. The moment I saw the images, my breath caught in my throat. I was in bed. My dress was crooked, my makeup smudged. And beside me, sprawled out like a ghost from a nightmare, was a man I didn't recognize. A complete stranger. My stomach twisted into knots. "No... this isn't real. I didn't—" "Don't lie to me, Lavender!" August’s voice boomed, making me flinch. "You got drunk and threw yourself at another man! And now you wake up playing innocent?" Tears stung my eyes as panic surged through me. I frantically shook my head, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. "August, please! I don't remember anything! I swear, I would never—" "Enough with the lies!" A sharp gasp came from the doorway. I turned just in time to see my parents storm in, their faces a mask of fury and disappointment. "Lavender, what have you done?!" My mother's voice sliced through me like a blade. "I didn't do anything!" I choked, my voice hoarse with desperation. "Mom, Dad, you have to believe me! I was set up!" My father's face darkened with rage. "We have tolerated your recklessness for too long, and now this? Sleeping with another man while you're married?" I turned to August, pleading. "August, honey, you know me! You know I would never—" His jaw tightened. His expression was carved from stone. "I thought I knew you." A shiver crawled up my spine. Then I saw her. Lily. My half-sister. She stood near the doorway, arms crossed, an almost imperceptible smirk playing on her lips. But I saw it. The satisfaction in her eyes. The amusement flickering beneath the surface. It was her. All of it. "You," I breathed, my body shaking with fury. Before I could think, I lunged at her, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You did this! You drugged me! You set me up!" Lily didn't even flinch. She didn't struggle, didn't deny it. She just stood there, letting me shake her. "Admit it!" I screamed, my vision blurring with rage. "You ruined my life!" Her lips curled into a soft chuckle. "You're losing it, Lavender." Before I could strike her again, strong arms yanked me back. "Enough!" August’s grip was iron-tight, his disgust palpable. "What kind of sister are you? Attacking Lily when she's done nothing wrong to you?" I gasped, my heart shattering into pieces. "She's the one who did this! She framed me!" August shook his head. "You're really pathetic." I turned to my parents, begging them to see the truth. "Mom, Dad, please! She's always been jealous of me! She wanted to ruin me!" But my mother stepped forward, her expression unreadable. Then without any notice, she slapped me real hard. The force snapped my head to the side and metallic taste filled my mouth. "You are a disgrace to this family," she hissed. "I should have known you'd turn out like this." I shook my head, my body trembling. "No... no, Mom, please don't do this..." "You are no longer my daughter," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. The words cut deeper than any blade. "You are no longer a Graystone," my father added, his voice cold, final. A sob tore through my throat. I reached for my mother, but she recoiled, as if my touch would taint her. They all disowned me. Then August stepped forward, tossing something onto the floor. A stack of papers. "Sign them." My breath hitched. Divorce papers. They had this planned before I even woke up. I stared at them, my fingers trembling. “August, honey, please. You have to believe me." He met my gaze with nothing but contempt. "I don't want a woman who's been touched by another man. You make me sick." A cry ripped from my chest as I collapsed to my knees. My husband. My family. My dignity. They were all gone. I crawled toward him, gripping his sleeve like a desperate child. "August, I love you! I would never betray you! Please, you have to believe me!" He yanked his arm away. "You expect me to believe you after what you've done?" Tears blurred my vision. "August, I swear, I didn't do it. I was set up! I would never—" "Enough!" His voice thundered through the room. "Just sign the damn papers, Lavender and get out of my life!" A soft, mocking chuckle sent a chill down my spine. August had never been like this before. What happened? "Just sign it already, Lavender. You’re gross.” Lily’s sickeningly sweet voice filled the room. I turned to her, my hands curling into fists. "Let's not make this more painful than it already is," she said, feigning sympathy. "You've humiliated our family enough. Please do us all a favor and disappear from our lifee." My father nodded. "From this day forward, you are erased from our lives." It was the final blow. My body trembled as I reached for the pen. My heart screamed at me not to do it. To fight. To refuse. But what was the point? With a final, broken breath, I signed my name. The moment the ink dried, my soul shattered. August took the papers without a second glance. My father turned away. My mother refused to look at me. Lily smirked in triumph. I had lost everything. I have nothing now. As I sat there, broken and forsaken, one thought burned through the devastation. They will all pay for what they did to me and I will never stop until they kneel in front of me, begging for my mercy.