A Pact Of Tainted Hearts

BETRAYAL BENEATH THE GREEN FILE

“Vivian, it’s not what you think! That’s not the case. I could never wrong you like this…you’re getting everything twisted.” Victor’s voice trembled as he knelt before her, his hands reaching out desperately toward hers. But Vivian’s hand was occupied….gripping a green file that swayed slightly with every breath she took. Her grip was tight, her knuckles white, as though that file contained not just papers, but the very evidence of her heartbreak.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her face streaked with tears. The kind of tears that don’t just come from sadness…but from betrayal. Her voice broke as she spoke, “Make this make sense, Victor. How many times did I tell you that we should get a house together? You always turned me down. And now…” she shook the file in front of his face, “…you bought this ridiculously expensive house with my money…without even telling me!”

“Vivian, please, don’t shout,” Victor pleaded, his voice cracking with a blend of fear and pretense. “Calm down and let me explain. I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought you’d be happy. I didn’t know you wouldn’t like it.” He forced out tears, trying to mask his guilt beneath a layer of false emotion.

Vivian’s eyes flared. “Where is my name on the paper, Victor? Tell me…why are you the sole owner of a property bought with my money?” Her tone was sharp, laced with disbelief. “All my life, I’ve let you take charge of my finances, never questioned it, because I trusted you…”

Victor interrupted softly, “I’m sorry, honey. I thought as the man, everything should be in my name. I just wanted to feel like I was providing… like I was the man of the house.”

Vivian’s lip quivered, her anger mixing with pain. “Really? With my money, Victor?” Her voice cracked as tears brimmed again. “I never talked about my money because I didn’t want to make you feel small. I wanted to protect your pride. I’ve done everything…everything…for you. For you to think it’s okay to buy a house without even including my name is beyond selfish. It’s betrayal.”

“Vivian,” he whispered, voice trembling, “I’ll fix this. I promise.”

“Then you better do the needful,” she snapped, her voice cold and steady now. With one swift motion, she threw the green file to the floor. The papers scattered like fallen leaves as she turned away and walked out of the room.

Victor remained kneeling, staring blankly at the mess on the floor. His world seemed to crumble. His carefully built plans, his years of manipulation…all of it was falling apart right before his eyes. He hadn’t expected Vivian to react this fiercely. Her soft, sweet nature had always made him believe she could be swayed. But he had forgotten the other side of her…the fiery, fearless woman who never tolerated deceit.

As Vivian reached the door to leave, it suddenly swung open. Bianca stumbled forward, nearly falling. Vivian’s sharp eyes caught her instantly, but she said nothing. She simply stepped aside and brushed past her, ignoring the awkward scene. Bianca froze, her heart pounding. She had been eavesdropping…careless and curious…and now she’d been caught.

After confirming that Vivian had indeed left the house, Bianca hurried inside and locked the door behind her. Victor was still on his knees, defeated.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked, her voice low but urgent. Her pulse raced; panic was creeping into her tone. Their secret was hanging by a thread, one mistake away from exposure.

Victor rubbed his face, sighing heavily. “I have to add her name to the property,” he muttered with visible regret.

Bianca’s face twisted in fury. “What? That house was supposed to be your gift to me, Victor! Why would you add her name? Why her?”

“For now, we have no choice,” he replied, sitting slowly on the bed. “We have to do what’s necessary. Once I marry her, everything will fall in place. Trust the process, Bianca. We just need to keep her close.”

Bianca’s rage simmered. “Or we could trick her into signing fake documents. That way, she’d think her name is there when it’s not. I can’t lose my wealth, Victor. I won’t.”

Victor’s eyes darted toward her sharply. “Bianca, have you forgotten who she is? Have you forgotten the family she comes from? Vivian is smart…too smart. If we try that and she finds out, we’re done for. She’ll destroy us both.”

Bianca clenched her fists. “Then these dreams you keep promising better come true, Victor. Because if they don’t…” Her voice darkened. “You wouldn’t like the outcome.”

Victor’s heart pounded. Bianca’s tone wasn’t just anger…it was threat. Without another word, he picked up his phone and dialed his lawyer. He couldn’t afford to lose control now. He needed to fix this fast, earn Vivian’s trust again, and make sure nothing…..absolutely nothing…slipped through the cracks.

⸻

Vivian sat by the pool later that night, the wind cold against her wet cheeks. She didn’t even know how long she had been crying. Her reflection on the rippling water looked like a stranger….haunted, fragile, and empty. The breeze carried the faint scent of chlorine and rain, and it mixed with her tears as if the world itself was mourning with her.

She missed her family…especially her father. Her heart ached at the thought of him. There was a time when she was full of laughter, when life was simple and love was pure. But now, everything felt tainted. Like someone had stolen the light from her.

She wrapped her arms around herself, her body trembling. The night was too cold for her and the baby growing inside her, but it was the only place she could truly let her emotions free. She cried without restraint, her sobs echoing softly in the quiet night.

Her mind wandered. Maybe it wasn’t just Victor’s fault. Maybe she had played a part in all of this too. Maybe her silence, her trust, her willingness to ignore the red flags…all of it had led here. She felt as if she was losing everything: her parents, her best friend Cecilia, even herself. And all the strings seemed to lead back to Victor.

But despite everything, a small voice inside her whispered: You’re pregnant. You’ll soon be married. Things will get better. He’ll change. Your father will forgive you.

She tried to hold onto that fragile hope as she sat quietly, watching the moonlight dance across the pool’s surface. But deep down, something in her heart felt off…an ache too deep to name. It wasn’t just sadness. It was the feeling of being trapped in a life that no longer felt like her own.

⸻

Meanwhile, somewhere far from the mansion, a secret conversation was unfolding.

“Look, I found this in one of the guards’ rooms,” said Eva, the young maid, her voice trembling as she pulled a folded sheet of paper from her apron pocket. “It looks like the outline of the inner part of the house.”

Pascaline’s eyes widened as she took the paper. Her frail fingers traced the lines of the map slowly, recognition dawning in her tired eyes. “Don’t worry, my daughter,” she said quietly. “I know this place very well. This… this is the house of my late parents. I grew up here…with my sister.”

Her voice cracked with a mix of nostalgia and pain. But her expression changed suddenly as she looked at Eva. “Wait, how did you get this from his room?”

Eva’s face dropped. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she looked down in shame. “He… he called me to his room,” she whispered. “He wanted me to please him. After he fell asleep, I searched the place and found this paper.”

Pascaline froze. “What do you mean, Eva?”

Her voice quivered. “They’ve been… they’ve been sexually abusing us for years, ma’am. The guards. All of us maids. But it’s okay. We’re used to it.”

Pascaline’s heart broke. “Oh, no. My daughter…” She pulled Eva into a trembling embrace. “I’m so sorry. No one deserves that.”

Eva wiped her tears and sniffed. “It’s okay, ma’am. I’ve lived with it. But I have more news. They’ve been putting something in your food…something that weakens you. I was instructed to do it too, but I won’t anymore. I’ll make sure you get proper food now, with nutrients, so you’ll have strength. But please, be careful. They’re installing CCTV cameras everywhere.”

Pascaline’s breath caught. “Eva, my dear, listen carefully. The last time you asked about my captor…about who’s behind all this…I told you it’s my sister. And yes, it’s true. She’s the one holding me here.”

Eva’s eyes widened. “Your sister? But… why? How could she?”

Pascaline’s face turned pale, her voice shaking. “I asked myself that question for years. I raised her. I gave her everything. My life revolved around her happiness. I was blind to the monster I was creating. My love for her became my weakness…and now, it’s my curse.”

Tears welled in Pascaline’s eyes as she continued, “I’ve been in denial for years, Eva. But now I see clearly. I built my own destruction with my own hands. So listen to me…never trust anyone. Not even those who smile the sweetest.”

Before Eva could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room. A guard’s voice followed. “What are you still doing here?”

Eva turned quickly, her heart racing. “I brought her food,” she answered, her voice low and timid, her eyes fixed on the ground.

“You’ve been here too long,” the guard barked. “Hurry up and get out!”

Eva nodded and walked toward the door, her hands shaking slightly. As she stepped out, she cast one last worried glance at Pascaline. The guard followed her, slamming the door shut behind them.

Pascaline was left alone, clutching the paper Eva had found. Her heart pounded as realization set in…whatever was happening in that mansion ran far deeper than anyone knew.

And somewhere between deceit, love, and survival… the real story was only just beginning.