Chapter 2 – The Lie Behind the Perfect Wife
The clicking of Victoria's heels stopped just outside the nursery.
Daniel instinctively stepped in front of Emily and the twins.
The doorknob slowly turned.
Victoria entered with the same composed smile she'd worn at charity galas, business dinners, and every family Christmas. A crystal wineglass rested casually in her hand as though nothing unusual had happened.
She glanced at Emily.
Then at the torn restraints lying across the bed.
Finally, her eyes settled on Daniel.
"Oh," she said coolly. "You're home early."
Daniel's voice was dangerously calm.
"Untie her."
Victoria blinked.
"I don't know what ridiculous story she's told you."
"Untie. Her."
For the first time, the smile faded from Victoria's face.
"You hired her to watch the children," she replied. "Instead she wanted to abandon them because her sick son had another emergency."
"Our children needed stability."
Daniel stared at her.
"So your solution was to tie her to a bed?"
Victoria shrugged.
"She wouldn't stop begging."
Emily lowered her eyes.
"I begged because the hospital called."
"My son stopped breathing."
"They said it might be the last time I'd see him alive."
Daniel felt his stomach twist.
Victoria took another sip of wine.
"You don't honestly believe everything servants tell you, do you?"
Daniel ignored her.
Instead, he gently lifted Emily's wrists.
The skin had been cut so deeply that dried blood had soaked into the fabric.
No one could fake wounds like these.
His jaw tightened.
Then Emily whispered something so quietly that only he could hear.
"There's... something else."
Daniel leaned closer.
"She took my phone."
"She deleted every call from the hospital."
"She even answered one of them herself..."
Emily's voice cracked.
"...and told the doctor I didn't care if my son lived or died."
Silence swallowed the room.
Daniel slowly turned toward his wife.
Victoria didn't even deny it.
"He was dying anyway," she answered flatly.
"I simply saved her from wasting time."
Daniel had spent twelve years believing he was married to the most compassionate woman he'd ever known.
In that single sentence...
His entire marriage collapsed.
Just then Daniel's own phone vibrated inside his jacket.
The screen displayed an unknown hospital number.
He answered immediately.
"Mr. Cole?"
A trembling nurse spoke through tears.
"Are you Emily Carter's emergency contact now?"
"We've been trying to reach her for over three hours."
"I'm so sorry..."
"...her little boy is in cardiac arrest."
Emily let out a sound Daniel would never forget.
Not a scream.
Not a cry.
Just one broken breath...
As if her heart had shattered inside her chest.
Without another word, Daniel carefully unfastened the twins from Emily's chest.
Then he placed both babies into Victoria's trembling arms.
"You wanted to be their mother."
"Congratulations."
"Start acting like one."
He helped Emily to her feet.
"We're leaving."
Victoria finally panicked.
"You can't walk out on me!"
Daniel looked back only once.
May you like
"No."
"I'm walking away from the woman I thought I married."
