Chapter 3 - The Unraveling of Victoria
Victoria took a step back, her practiced expression of concern wavering under Richard's icy, deadly glare.
"Richard? What's wrong?" she stammered, adjusting her designer handbag nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that? The children are clearly distressed because of her—"
"Shut up, Victoria," Richard said. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that chilled the air between them.
"What?" Victoria gasped, offended. "Richard, I am your fiancée! How can you talk to me like—"
Richard held up his phone, screen facing her. Paused on the display was the crystal-clear image of her hand sliding the Rolex into Emily’s bag.
Victoria’s face drained of all color. The haughty, aristocratic composure she had maintained for months melted away in an instant, replaced by sheer panic.
"Richard, wait... I can explain—"
"You framed an innocent woman," Richard said, stepping toward her, his posture rigid with righteous anger. "You endangered my children. You locked them in the greenhouse, terrified them, and lied to my face."
"She was taking over!" Victoria shrieked, dropping her polished façade completely as desperation took hold. "She's just a servant, Richard! But those boys look at her like she's their mother! Where does that leave me? I am supposed to be the lady of this house! I am supposed to be your wife! They hated me from the day I moved in, and she encouraged it!"
"They are five years old!" Richard roared, his voice echoing across the quiet neighborhood. "They didn't hate you—they were afraid of you! And they were right to be!"
Emily watched from the ground, keeping the triplets shielded behind her. Ethan peeked out from behind her shoulder, holding tightly to her thumb.
"I gave you everything," Richard said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I trusted you in my home. I trusted you around my family."
"Richard, please," Victoria pleaded, tears of genuine panic streaming down her face as she reached for his arm. "We can fix this. We're getting married in two months. Think of the press, the investors, our families—"
"There is no wedding," Richard spat, pulling his arm away as if her touch burned him. "Get off my property. Now."
"You can't do this!" Victoria yelled. "My father is a major stakeholder in Hawthorne Enterprises! If you dump me over a housekeeper and three spoiled brats—"
"If you ever speak about my sons or Emily like that again, I will ruin your father's company before the sun sets today," Richard said, every bit the ruthless tycoon he was known to be in the boardroom. "You have ten minutes to gather your personal belongings from the main house. If you are still here in eleven minutes, I will have you arrested for child endangerment, trespassing, and filing a false police report."
Victoria stared at him, realizing with absolute terror that he meant every single word. With a stifled cry of rage and humiliation, she spun on her high heels and stumbled back up the driveway toward the mansion.
Richard stood alone in the middle of the street for a long moment, his chest rising and falling heavily. The silence that followed was deafening.
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Slowly, he turned back to face Emily and his sons. The powerful billionaire looked completely broken. He walked over and knelt in the dust directly in front of them, bringing himself down to their level.
"Boys..." Richard started, his eyes brimming with uncharacteristic tears. "I am so, so sorry."
