A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 46:

Vanessa opened her mouth, then shut it again, her face going ghostly pale.

My mother’s cold, dismissive voice cut in. “Why does it matter now, Alexander? What’s done is done. This is ancient history.”

“Why does it matter?” I repeated, my voice cracking with incredulity. “Dominic is her brother, Mother. Her brother. And you—” I pointed at Vanessa accusingly. “You orchestrated this entire thing, and I was stupid enough to believe it. Because of your lies, I lost my wife. I destroyed my family. And now, my son—my son—is lying in a hospital bed because I believed your lies and abandoned the woman who could’ve protected him!”

“Impossible,” my mother muttered, her brow furrowing.

“Is it?” I shot back. “Is it really impossible? Look at them—they have the same damn eyes!”

Vanessa, regaining some of her composure, muttered weakly, “I—I didn’t know, Alex. I swear it wasn’t my idea.”

“Wasn’t your idea?” I sneered. “Then whose was it, Vanessa? Because you certainly carried it out without hesitation!”

Vanessa swallowed hard and then whispered, “It was Eliza’s idea.”

“And you allowed her?” I said, my voice trembling with fury. “You took her word and ran with it, and you ruined my life!”

The room fell silent, and when Vanessa started to speak again, my mother cut her off. To my utter disbelief, my mother’s lips curled into a faint smile. “She’s a Graham,” she said softly. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? She’s not some useless orphan after all.”

Her words hit me like a slap. “Good thing?” I asked, incredulous. “You think it’s a good thing? You think this erases everything?!”

Vanessa, always eager to shift the spotlight, suddenly brightened. “Wait—Dominic isn’t dating anyone, then? If he’s her brother, that means I still have a chance.” She smiled as though this was the most logical conclusion to draw from everything I had just said.

I stared at her, disgusted. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”

𝓒𝓱𝓮𝓬𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓮𝓷 𝓰𝓪𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝓈.𝒸𝗈𝗺

“Why not?” Vanessa said defensively. “Dominic is one of the most eligible bachelors around. Besides, Raina’s not exactly innocent in all this, is she?”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned away from both of them and sank onto the couch, my head in my hands. Memories of Raina flooded my mind—her smile, her laughter, the look in her eyes when she had said “I do.” And then the look of betrayal when I had turned my back on her.

What had I done?

What kind of monster had I been to take our newborn son from her arms? To accuse her, to strip her of everything, and to leave her to fend for herself?

“Alexander,” my mother’s voice broke through my thoughts, cool and detached. “What about Liam? He’s been in that coma for months now. Maybe it’s time to consider pulling the plug. It’s not like he’s going to wake up. And if Raina fights you over Ava, we’ll ensure shared custody. You’ll win in court.”

I lifted my head slowly, staring at her in disbelief. “Pull the plug?” I echoed. “You want me to pull the plug on my son?”

She gave me a thin smile. “It’s practical, Alexander. You’re wasting resources on a hopeless case. It’s time to move on.”

I rose to my feet, my entire body trembling with rage. “Get out,” I said quietly.

“Alexander, don’t be dramatic,” she said, brushing me off.

“I said, get out!” I roared, the sound echoing through the house.

My mother and Vanessa exchanged a look, but for once, neither of them argued. They turned and left the room, leaving me alone with the suffocating weight of my guilt and anger.

I had lost so much because of their schemes—and my own blind stupidity. But I wasn’t going to lose anything else.

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