"Where's her husband?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd as guests glanced around for Rivana's husband, only to find her standing at a table, hiding her worries behind a forced smile. It was their second wedding anniversary, yet Viktor Hugon was nowhere to be seen, leaving his wife to greet the guests alone.
"Probably making out with her sweet sister somewhere," a woman snickered, prompting a wave of laughter among the group.
Rivana's smile tightened, her heart sinking as she stood close enough to hear every word. Aldona Hugon had thrown this lavish party for her beloved grandson and his wife. But with Viktor absent, the celebration was morphing more into a soap opera—a scandal savored over glasses of wine.
"Poor her," another woman remarked, sipping her drink. "They were childhood sweethearts, but his love changed so quickly after their wedding."
"Poor?"Lilith scoffed, her voice rising with eagerness for attention. "Don't pity that murderer. She's vile and cunning—just like her mother. Even worse!" Disgust dripped from her words, her eyes glaring daggers at Rivana's back.
The group gasped, intrigued, and Lilith leaned in to continue, "Haven't you heard? Her sister, Rubina, accidentally spent a night with Viktor as their drinks were spiked, and ended up pregnant.
When Rivana found out, worried he might take Ruby as his mistress, she kicked her down the stairs. The baby died instantly. There's even a video circulating of her laughing while Ruby lay in a pool of blood."
A collective gasp filled the air and all eyes shot in Rivana's direction. True, no wife would welcome a mistress, even if she were her sister. But to kill an unborn child? That was a different level of evil.
"Poor Ruby," Lilith continued, her tone dripping with faux sympathy. "First, she lost her eyesight at such a young age because of this wench, and now a baby."
Rivana felt her blood boil, her fists clenching tightly. What stung her heart most was that much of the gossip was true. But her "sweet sister" Ruby had never been pregnant; that little witch had faked it to ruin their happy marriage! Would anyone believe her? Of course not!
Rivana was merely the illegitimate daughter of the Faye family, born to a woman who desperately clung to her father's rich thigh. Everything she said was either a lie or a trick to seduce rich men. Meanwhile, Ruby's every word was swallowed as pure truth. After all, she was the family's real daughter. At least that's what Rivana's mother had always made sure to press upon her.
"I even heard they've been fighting constantly since that incident," Lilith added, her voice growing louder and reaching nearby tables. "Apparently, Viktor is head over heels for our Ruby now. If it weren't for his grandmother, he would have divorced this wicked wedlock and married her already."
Amerie Faye, Rivana's mother, smirked at the gossiping women, her face bright with barely suppressed joy. Hearing their cruel whispers was bad enough; watching them relish every detail might have been even worse for her poor daughter.
Walking to Rivana, Amerie excused from the guests and asked, "Where is your husband?"
"He must be... somewhere," Rivana murmured, eyes lowered to the ground. She and Viktor had argued earlier, and she had no desire to apologize—not this time, not when she wasn't at fault! She was exhausted from always being the one to fix things. Viktor needed to make efforts too!
"Go find him quickly! I'll check the balcony; you search your room," Amerie ordered, pushing Rivana toward the stairs before striding away.
Rivana sighed, watching her mother disappear into the crowd. She rubbed her neck, then turned reluctantly toward their bedroom, the gossip replaying in her mind. They'd been so in love once that when Viktor proposed after just a year of dating, she'd agreed instantly, even though she knew he wanted it just to secure his crown in the Hugon family. Did she make a mistake?
Ever since her sister Rubina's pregnancy stunt six months ago, Viktor had grown distant, and colder. But he had also denied the rumors, insisting it was all lies. And while Ruby's seduction attempts were obvious, they didn't mean he'd cross that line. Or... was she trusting him too much?
Her thoughts came to a crashing halt as she reached their bedroom door, slightly ajar. A soft, breathy moan drifted from within, making her freeze. Another moan, unmistakably familiar, filled her with dread. She knew that voice! Heart pounding loudly, Rivana pushed the door open.
And there he was!
Viktor, her beloved husband stood with Rubina, his hand on her shoulders, his other hand hovering to her breast, almost groping it. Rivana didn't need Einstein's brain to figure out what was happening. If she had arrived a minute late, she would have found him fucking Ruby hard and loud.
"Sis!" Ruby squeaked, instantly pushing Viktor away, feigning innocence. Viktor, too absorbed in Rubina's "needs" to notice, finally turned, his face paling when he saw Rivana standing there, rage burning in her eyes.
"This isn't what you think," Viktor stammered, but Rubina swiftly cut him off. She pushed him aside, walking aimlessly to find where her sister standing.
"Please, don't misunderstand!" Ruby pleaded, voice quivering. Her hands roamed down Rivana's shoulder, reaching out her hands and gripping them tightly. "My bra strap got caught in my dress, and Viktor was only helping…"
Rivana yanked her hands away, her eyes blazing. Without hesitation, she slapped Rubina, hard. The blind woman stumbled back in shock, only to be caught by Viktor, who rushed forward to support her and glared at Rivana.
"You might be blind, Rubina, but I'm not," Rivana snapped, her voice trembling with anger and pain.
"How dare you slap her?" Viktor growled, his voice thick with venom.
Rivana sneered, his glare barely hurting her anymore. She replied bitterly, "Oh, don't be jealous, honey. You'll get one too."
She raised her hand to strike him, but Viktor caught her wrist midair, twisting it painfully behind her back.
"Apologize to her. Now." Viktor demanded. He twisted her arm further, and Rivana winced as he ignored her struggles.
"You're hurting me, Viktor!" Rivana gasped, trying to pull free, tears stinging her eyes.
But Viktor didn't waver. "Apologize to Ruby, Rivana."
"Over my dead body," Rivana spat. She bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her tears, glaring at Rubina standing in front of them.
"Alright then," Viktor said, releasing her arm. He pulled out his phone, opened Dr. Slater's contact, and angled the screen for her to see. With a smug smirk, he continued, "Our son… Joy…"
Rivana's breath hitched. "Viktor…you wouldn't—" No, he wasn't cruel enough to use their baby to…
"If you don't apologize to Ruby, Joy's treatment stops tonight." Viktor declared, his voice cold and detached. "He might not wake up tomorrow."