No More Scars

The sixth time photos of him cheating surfaced, Leander Prescott snatched the knife from my hand and brought it down hard. Stroke by stroke, he carved the name "Seraphina Vale" into his thigh. "Happy now? Can you leave Celeste alone?" I stood frozen, staring at him as if I suddenly didn't recognize the man in front of me. For ten years, we had tortured each other over Leander's infidelity. Every time he crossed the line, I carved my name into his flesh. Wrist-cutting, kidnapping, even hanging Celeste Waverly from a helicopter to threaten her—every scar on his body had a bloody story behind it. He had never been this calm. … Seeing the confusion in my eyes, a flicker of tenderness passed through his hate-filled gaze. "Celeste is pregnant. As long as you promise you won't confront her again, you can carve as many marks into me as you want. "This is the ninety-ninth mark. Ninety-nine is a good number. Let's make things work between us from now on." My throat suddenly felt dry. "Make things work? Do you really mean that?" He looked at me with a mixture of pain and mockery. "Sincere?" "My body already belongs to you. Stop coveting what belongs to Celeste." Watching him close his eyes in numb resignation, I suddenly understood. Ninety-nine wasn't his way of saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. It meant he had finally resigned himself to his fate. He was willing to sacrifice his entire life so that another woman and her bastard could live out the rest of theirs in peace. A bone-deep sorrow flooded my heart, chilling me to the core. A lifetime was too long. And suddenly, I no longer wanted to sacrifice mine for him. Chapter 1 Ten Names When I didn't respond for a long time, Leander didn't seem to care. As far as he was concerned, I'd already gotten what I wanted. After a brief pause, he tore open his shirt again and continued carving words into his chest, where old and new scars crisscrossed. "Celeste is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her. I'm using some of that time in advance. This is today's." A second name appeared on his chest. "Celeste has a prenatal appointment tomorrow. I need to go with her." A third name appeared across his lower abdomen. "The day after that, Celeste is getting her maternity photos taken. I can't miss it. I'm the father, after all." A fourth name. Then, a fifth. Ten names in all had been carved across his upper body, leaving his flesh a bloody, mangled mess, yet Leander seemed numb to the pain. Mechanical and utterly focused, he went on planning out every day he would spend with Celeste. It made me, after ten years of desperately trying to brand my name into him, look like nothing more than a joke. I snatched the knife from his hand, my voice trembling uncontrollably. "Leander, do you even remember what today is?" A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes. "What now? Your birthday? Our anniversary? Do you really have to use these sentimental excuses to ruin the hard-won time Celeste and I have together? I've already carved my skin for you. What more do you—" I finally broke down and screamed, "Today is Kieran's death anniversary!" His body went rigid. He fell silent. Kieran was my first child, the baby I lost before birth. Thirteen years ago, Celeste was driving drunk when she crashed into me, leaving me hemorrhaging. Leander retaliated with a vengeance. He sued her until she lost everything and drove away everyone who had once stood by her. She had no choice but to spend her days and nights kneeling beside my hospital bed, begging for my forgiveness. Yet, on Kieran's death anniversary three years later, Leander ended up in Celeste's bed. He even stood between us, telling me not to be so petty. He'd said, "I was grieving too when we lost the baby. But you've put Celeste through enough. She has nothing left. You need to let the past go. The living are the ones who still have a future." I'd spent three years watching Celeste suffer day after day. All that time, I'd thought Leander was making her pay. I never realized his heart had crossed that line long ago. My children and I had simply become sacrifices to their love. The last thread in my mind snapped, and without thinking, I slapped both him and Celeste. He let the slap turn his head without resisting, but the moment I raised my hand against Celeste, he shoved me down the stairs. Blood poured from beneath me. And my second child was taken from me by his own father. After that, I lost my mind. Every time I caught him sneaking around with Celeste, even when he frantically insisted that nothing improper had happened, I stubbornly carved my name into his skin, trying to cover the stain underneath. But ten years had passed. He had long since forgotten the death anniversaries of both my children. Even the marks I'd left on him had become his bargaining chip for cheating on me as if he had every right to. Looking at what I'd become, Leander suddenly laughed. It was a mocking laugh. He lifted his head, his pitying gaze piercing straight into mine. "So what? Am I supposed to live in guilt forever, and let Celeste's baby die before it's even born because it has no father to protect it? "Kieran died. You weren't the only one in pain. But ten years have passed, and you're the only one who still can't let go. Seraphina, you're pathetic." Chapter 2 The Trust I Never Had I stood there in a daze, feeling as though the man I'd spent ten tangled years with had become frighteningly unfamiliar. Ever since I'd caught him cheating, he'd gone along with everything I asked—unless I hurt Celeste or tried to kill myself. He never fought back. Even when I'd left him covered in wounds, he'd still quietly prepare breakfast for me the next morning and come whenever I called. He'd played the part of a devoted husband to perfection. I thought he was trying to change. Trying to make amends. Only now did I understand. He'd long since convinced himself that he had nothing to do with that betrayal all those years ago. His kindness toward me was nothing more than pity. Perhaps realizing he'd spoken too harshly, Leander sighed helplessly and gently caressed my cheek. "Seraphina, after all these years, other than the situation with Celeste, haven't I treated you well enough? I've done everything I can to consider your feelings. I've kept my distance from Celeste. Why can't you trust me a little more? "That bedroom photo you have is nothing but circumstantial evidence. Celeste had a stomachache, so I went to take care of her. I got tired and slept on the hotel bed. That's all. "If you're determined to make a scene over nothing and let your imagination run wild, then there's nothing I can say." The disappointment in his eyes was absolute, as though I were the unreasonable one. What he didn't know was how obvious the kiss marks she had deliberately left on him were. So obvious that they exposed his lie at the slightest touch. My stomach churned. I fought down the nausea and pulled away from his hand mockingly. "What if I told you Celeste was the one who sent me this photo?" The moment the words left my mouth, a tremendous force slammed me against the wall, sending pain shooting through my back. Leander's hand, the veins standing out across it, remained suspended in the air as his chest heaved violently. "Seraphina, Celeste isn't like you. She doesn't have a malicious bone in her body. Don't let me hear you badmouthing Celeste again." I swallowed the metallic taste rising in my throat, the bitterness in my chest threatening to drown me. See? Was I the one who didn't trust him? No. He'd never trusted me. Leander was right. I was pathetic. Pathetic enough that whether it was the first time I'd caught him cheating ten years ago or these six bedroom photos that had surfaced since then, I had needed his mistress to be the one to send me the evidence. And all that time, I'd never even noticed it myself. The tears finally spilled over. I reached into my bag for a tissue, trying to hide how miserable I looked. The instant my hand moved toward my bag, Leander reacted faster than I could and yanked my arm hard enough to dislocate it. "I've already carved your name into my skin like you wanted. What else are you planning to do to Celeste?" He warily made sure there was nothing unusual in the room behind him before cautiously kicking my bag aside. A corner of the tissue pack peeked out. He paused for two seconds, then seemed to understand. "Are you planning to set the place on fire? Seraphina, I'll admit I can't live without you. But if you dare hurt Celeste or cause her to lose the baby, I won't let you off either!" His eyes were bloodshot, filled with boundless hatred and helpless frustration. He looked like a lion driven into a corner. How afraid must he have been that I'd hurt Celeste to imagine even a tissue pack as a weapon? I didn't know. I let him have security drag me out of the hotel, then immediately called my divorce attorney. All I knew was that I was done with this twisted three-way mess of love and hatred. I wanted out. Chapter 3 Replaced in My Own Home After picking up the divorce agreement drafted by the law firm, I returned home for the first time in two years, but the moment I opened the door, I froze. The villa's once-minimalist interior had somehow been transformed into a warm, cozy sea of pink. The walls were covered with pictures of Leander and Celeste together. Even the corners of the tables had been carefully wrapped in protective foam. And where our wedding photo should have been, there was now a pregnancy photo of Leander with his arm around Celeste. The oversized photograph had been placed in the most conspicuous spot in the house, impossible to miss the moment I walked through the door. As if it were mocking me for being such a fool. So, while I'd spent the past two years away, desperately searching for proof of Leander's affair, he had already moved Celeste into our marital home in broad daylight. And I'd been completely in the dark. Even when he'd carved my name into his own flesh, I'd stupidly believed that he really had that many excuses for being with Celeste. But the pregnancy photos were on the wall, and the prenatal checkup reports were on the table. He couldn't even be bothered to hide his lies. I was still standing there in a daze when a door on the second floor suddenly opened. Celeste came down the stairs with a bright smile, a tiny tiger-print baby shoe in one hand. "Leander, look what I found in the nursery—" The instant Celeste saw me, she froze. The next second, as though she'd been triggered into a panic, she dropped heavily to her knees and began frantically banging her head against the floor. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm a murderer. I'm sorry. Please, don't torture me anymore! It hurts! I'll go join the baby in death. Please, just let me go!" She started to throw herself at the corner of the table, but Leander rushed over and pulled her tightly into his arms. "Seraphina, do you really have to drive Celeste to her death before you'll stop?" His voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable, filled with overwhelming terror and rage. For the first time, I saw a desperate look on his twisted face—the despair of someone prepared to take everything down with him. He hadn't been desperate when we'd lost Kieran. He hadn't been desperate when I'd tried to die. But now, all I'd done was appear in front of Celeste, and he'd nearly been driven to the brink of collapse. At least in that moment, for Celeste's sake, he truly wanted to take me down with him. Something stabbed through my heart like a needle, and I jerked my gaze away. Then, my eyes fixed on the tiny tiger-print shoe in Celeste's hand. "Leander, that's Kieran's shoe." His gaze lingered on the little shoe for two seconds before he let out a cold laugh, as though I'd said something utterly absurd. "All this over one shoe? You're willing to kill two living people over it? Seraphina, it's been ten years. How much longer are you going to keep dwelling on someone who's already dead? "Yes, I'm giving Kieran's nursery to Celeste's baby. From now on, Kieran's little clothes and shoes will belong to him, too. "Kieran is dead, but Celeste's child still has a future. Can't you tell which matters more?" It felt as though a giant hand had closed around my heart, squeezing until I could barely breathe. In his eyes, Kieran had no future, so he deserved to be forgotten and replaced. And I wasn't important either, so I deserved to be lied to and settled for. When I said nothing, understanding flickered across his eyes, followed by irritation. He pulled out the knife and sliced open his arm. Blood immediately welled from the wound. This time, he carved the name "Kieran" into his flesh. "Is that enough?" I stared at him in a daze, but he took my silence for another act of stubbornness, and his eyes grew even more bloodshot. He slashed across his chest again. "Still not enough?" The third cut landed over his heart. "What about now?" Before he could bring the knife down a fourth time, I grabbed the blade and held on tightly. The white-hot edge sank deep into the bones of my fingers, turning my face pale with pain. It felt as though my heart had been cut open too, draining away the last shred of tenderness between us. Meeting Celeste's triumphant gaze, I threw the crumpled document I'd been clutching down in front of Leander. "No more, Leander. I'll give you what you want. Let's get divorced." Chapter 4 The Last Lie Leander looked bewildered for a moment, as if he couldn't understand what I'd just said. Then again, why would he? He'd asked for a divorce so many times before, only for me to stop him by threatening both my life and Celeste's. After all, how could I possibly have been willing to let go after losing my children and enduring the pain of his betrayal? But now, I was truly exhausted. So exhausted that I could even set aside a blood feud, asking only that Leander and I go our separate ways and never cross paths again. He instinctively wanted to refuse. But the next second, Celeste suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain. "Leander, it hurts. My baby…" Leander hurriedly scooped her into his arms. When he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with a desperate resolve born of complete emotional collapse. "Seraphina, you're really something. You deliberately showed up in front of Celeste to upset her and cause her to miscarry, then asked for a divorce just to force me to choose between the two of you? Fine. I'll choose!" He signed the divorce papers, then violently flung them into my face. "This time, whether you threaten to kill yourself, throw a fit, or try to blackmail me, I'll see it through to the end. But if anything happens to Celeste's baby, I swear I won't let you off!" The sharp edge of the paper sliced a thin line across my cheek, but I smiled in relief. He had chosen Celeste. Then, I'd choose freedom. … Ignoring him as he rushed off to the hospital, I went straight upstairs to pack my things. But the first thing I saw was a collection of matching couples' items. Matching mugs. Matching shoes. Even matching rings. My belongings had long since been replaced. Back when Leander and I were still deeply in love, I'd pestered him to buy matching things for us, but he'd always called me childish. Eventually, unable to withstand my constant pleading, he'd reluctantly given me a matching bracelet. I'd worn it for more than a decade. Even after discovering he'd cheated on me, I couldn't bring myself to take it off. Now it was badly rusted. I gave a self-deprecating laugh, took off the bracelet, and dropped it onto the floor. With a sharp clatter, a tiny tracking chip fell out. I stared at it in a daze for a long while before the truth finally dawned on me. No wonder I'd never managed to catch him cheating red-handed over all those years. Even his love had been tainted by lies. Silently, I picked up the bracelet and the tracking chip. Then, I set fire to the little tiger-print baby shoe, dirty from being stepped on, and tossed it into the nursery. 'Leander, you've lied to me so many times. Just this once, I'll be the one to lie to you.' Flames roared to life behind me. I turned away without hesitation and never looked back. … It wasn't until three hours later, after Leander had finally calmed Celeste down, that he remembered I existed. He coldly ordered his bodyguards to surround the entire ward with layers of security, leaving it virtually impenetrable. Then, he instructed his lawyer to begin preparing the divorce petition. He was convinced that even after signing the divorce papers, I'd tear them up in a fit of rage and continue clinging to him. However, this time, I'd crossed a line he could never tolerate. The divorce was inevitable. The lawyer hesitated. "What if Ms. Vale threatens to kill herself again…" At the thought of me breaking down and causing a scene in court, Leander felt a sharp pain in his chest. After a long silence, he finally made a small concession. "Have the medical team on standby at all times, but the divorce proceedings must be completed. If I don't teach her a lesson, she'll never learn." Yet as time passed, I still didn't show up. In the past, I would've stormed into the hospital and caused a scene by now. But this time, there was no sign of me. A faint sense of unease slowly crept into Leander's heart. As the sky darkened, he finally couldn't resist sending his assistant a message. "Find out where Seraphina is." … A moment later, his assistant sent back the location of the villa. "The tracker shows that Ms. Vale has remained at the villa the entire time. She hasn't moved." Leander gave a self-mocking smile and was about to lock his phone. Then, he saw the next message, and the color drained from his face. "Mr. Prescott, this is bad. The security footage shows the villa caught fire five hours ago. It's already been reduced to ruins."