Chapter 3

3.

Marcus Sterling had arrived.

He stepped out of his black SUV, looking every bit the high-powered CEO in his tailored suit. Behind him scurried the flashy secretary who had hung up on me.

The moment Marcus saw me, he froze. His jaw dropped, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Sabrina? Sabrina Vaughan? You're... you're alive?!"

"If I weren't, I wouldn't have been able to see you let your mistress hunt my children for sport," I spat, a cold smile touching my lips.

The yard exploded into whispers.

"What? Sabrina Vaughan? The late Mrs. Sterling?!"

"I thought she died seven years ago!"

"If the real wife is back... then Miss Sienna is in big trouble."

"Please, she's been gone for seven years. Who knows what she was doing or who she was with? Sienna is the one Marcus actually loves now."

My children stood frozen, staring at me in shock.

"Mom... Mommy?" Caleb whispered, his voice trembling with hope.

"Mommy! You're really Mommy!" Mila wailed, throwing herself into my arms.

"You're alive! Why did it take so long? We missed you so much!"

"Daddy burned all your pictures. They wouldn't let us see you. They smashed the rocking horse and the little library you built for us..."

"Caleb said you made a beautiful princess room for me, but they tore it down to make a kennel for the dogs... I never even got to see it!"

My heart shattered into a million pieces. I pulled them both tight, letting them cry out all the years of pain and neglect.

But the secretary's whiny voice interrupted us.

"Mr. Sterling, I know this is a surprise, but those dogs were your personal birthday gift to Miss Sienna. They've been brutally attacked. Poor Sienna is heartbroken."

So, they were all in on it.

Sienna took the cue and immediately started sobbing, dabbing at her dry eyes.

"Marcus, I didn't want this to happen. The dogs just wanted to play with the kids. I didn't realize who she was! She just started hitting them... I was so scared!"

"It's all my fault. If I had recognized her, I would have..."

Marcus's expression softened. He looked at her with pity.

"Don't blame yourself, Sienna. It's not your―"

"Not her fault?" I cut him off, laughing at the sheer absurdity of his words.

"She set vicious dogs on children. She ordered guards to beat me. She threatened to feed me to animals. And you say it's not her fault?!"

I stared him down, watching his face darken.

"Aside from the attempted murder today, you owe me a very clear explanation as to why the house I bought for my children is now registered to this woman."

"I don't owe you anything, Sabrina," Marcus said coldly.

"A few years ago, I was in a car accident. Sienna saved my life. This house was my way of thanking her."

"As for the children, I'll provide for them elsewhere."

I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "Like what? A graveyard?"

Marcus choked on his words, looking caught out. It was obvious he hadn't given them a dime.

"Don't push your luck, Sabrina," he growled, narrowing his eyes.

"Apologize to Sienna right now, and I might consider letting you stay in the Sterling family. We can move past this."

"Otherwise, you'll be on the hook for the dogs' medical bills, and we both know you can't afford that."

Sienna and her secretary shared a smug, triumphant look.

I took a deep breath, letting the last shred of my affection for this man wither and die.

I looked him dead in the eye and spoke with total finality.

"I will never apologize."

"And as of right now, we are getting a divorce!"