It had been two days since Ethan’s visit to the hospital, and Tania was starting to panic. She had called his phone numerous times, but each attempt went unanswered. Her mind raced with worry. Had he found out about the pregnancy lie? Was he talking to Ella? The fear of losing control over her carefully constructed web of lies was driving her mad.
Sitting up in her hospital bed, Tania anxiously scrolled through her phone, her nerves frayed. She had tried to play her cards right, but now the deck seemed stacked against her. The pregnancy was supposed to keep Ethan tied to her, yet the silence from him gnawed at her. Could he really be considering leaving her?
Across town, Ethan sat in Victor’s office, the weight of the divorce papers in his hands. “Thank God,” he muttered under his breath. It was time to put an end to the farce of a marriage that had trapped him in lies and manipulation for too long. Victor leaned back in his chair, watching Ethan’s face with a calm but knowing expression.
“Are you sure you want to do this now?” Victor asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Absolutely,” Ethan replied, determination in his voice. “It’s time to end this marriage. I can’t live like this anymore.” He sighed heavily, signing the papers without hesitation.
Victor handed him the envelope. “Good luck, my friend. You’re doing the right thing.”
Ethan nodded, taking the papers and heading straight for the hospital. His heart was heavy, but his mind was clear. He had to end things with Tania once and for all.
When he arrived at the hospital, Ethan found Tania sitting up in bed, her face lighting up when she saw him. But the sight of the papers in his hand quickly wiped the smile from her face.
“Tania,” Ethan said, taking a deep breath, “we need to talk.”
Tania’s stomach twisted with dread. “What about?” she asked nervously, her eyes darting between his face and the papers he held.
“I’ve been calling you, Ethan. Where were you? Why didn’t you pick up my calls?” Tania’s voice was shaky, panic starting to settle in as she caught sight of the papers. Her heart sank.
“What’s that?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
“Divorce papers,” Ethan replied calmly, though there was a firmness in his tone that brooked no argument.
“No!” Tania screamed, her voice cracking with desperation. “You can’t do this to me, Ethan! I’m pregnant! You can’t abandon me and our child. Please, don’t do this.” Tears welled up in her eyes, but Ethan’s face remained stoic.
“This marriage isn’t working, Tania,” he said, his voice softer now, but resolute. “It was built on a foundation of lies, and I’ll be damned if I let it continue.”
Tania’s world felt like it was crashing down around her. “No, no, no,” she cried, her hands shaking. “Grace won’t be happy if she finds out you’re divorcing me and abandoning your unborn child. You can’t do this, Ethan!”
Ethan’s jaw clenched at the mention of Grace. “Don’t talk about Grace like you care,” he snapped, his patience wearing thin. “Don’t you dare bring her into this.”
“It’s because of Ella, isn’t it?” Tania spat, her eyes flashing with anger and despair. “It’s always been Ella, hasn’t it? You’re leaving me because of her, right?”
Ethan remained calm, refusing to be dragged into her emotional manipulation. “I’m sure you don’t want to stress yourself because of the baby,” he said, his tone measured. “So relax. I’ve signed the divorce papers, Tania. Sign yours.”
“No,” she whispered fiercely, her eyes narrowing. “If you want a divorce, I want my daughter back.”
Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Are you out of your mind? Grace isn’t even biologically yours! You’re the last person who should have custody of her after everything you’ve done.”
“If you want a divorce,” Tania said coldly, her voice low and dangerous, “then I want custody of Grace. Otherwise, no deal.”
Ethan’s temper flared. “You’re insane, Tania. You think I’m going to hand over custody of a child you’ve mistreated and barely cared about? That will never happen.”
“Then no divorce,” she retorted, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “We can put all of this behind us and live happily, Ethan. Please, we can make this work.”
Ethan shook his head, disgusted by her twisted logic. “You’ve lost your mind,” he muttered. “Since you won’t sign, I’ll file in court.” He stood up, tucking the papers back into the envelope.
“What?” Tania’s voice was shrill with panic.
“See you in court, Tania,” he said firmly, walking toward the door. “Oh, and I’ve already paid the hospital bills. You’re cleared to leave.”
He didn’t look back as he left the room, the sound of Tania’s screams echoing behind him.
Tania stared at the door long after Ethan had left, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He can’t do this to me, she thought, her mind racing. He just can’t. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as a wave of disbelief washed over her. Everything she had worked for, all the lies and manipulations, were crumbling before her eyes. How had she let it come to this?
Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. “You’ll regret this, Ethan,” she muttered under her breath, her voice low and venomous. “You think you can just walk away? No. No, I won’t let you.”
She threw the covers off her legs, her hands trembling as she pulled herself to the edge of the bed. Anger surged through her veins like fire. He thinks this is over? she thought bitterly. He thinks he can just waltz back to Ella and leave me with nothing? He’s a fool if he believes that.
Tania’s eyes darted around the room, her mind racing with plans ways to make Ethan pay, ways to keep him tied to her, no matter the cost. She had already used the pregnancy lie to try and hold him, and while it hadn’t worked as expected, she wasn’t ready to give up. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.
“I’ll make him pay for this,” she hissed through gritted teeth. You’re not getting away, Ethan. You think you’re free? You’re not. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.
Her mind wandered to Grace, the daughter who wasn’t biologically hers but had been a pawn in her game for so long. Custody, she thought, the word twisting like a knife in her mind. If I can’t have him, I’ll make sure I have Grace. Ethan would never agree to it, of course, but that didn’t matter. If he wanted a divorce, she would drag him through hell to get it. She would use whatever leverage she had left.
The thought of Ella fueled her rage further. It had always been Ella. Of course it’s because of her, she thought bitterly. She’s always had his heart, no matter what I did. But I won’t let her win. I won’t lose to her.
Tania’s hands shook as she reached for her phone again, scrolling through her contacts until she found the name she was looking for her lawyer, Gia. If Ethan wanted a war, then that’s exactly what he would get. She’d fight him tooth and nail, drag him through every court battle possible. She would make sure he regretted ever thinking he could leave her.
She pressed the call button, her breath still uneven as she waited for the line to connect. As the phone rang, Tania’s mind spun with possibilities ways to twist the narrative, ways to make herself look like the victim in all of this. She would find a way to win, no matter the cost. Ethan might have walked out of the room today, but she wasn’t going to let him walk out of her life without a fight.
The ringing stopped, and her lawyer’s voice came through the line. “Mrs. Tania l, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to prepare for a divorce and custody battle,” Tania said, her voice steely and determined. “I’m not going down without a fight.”
“Custody battle?” the lawyer repeated, a hint of surprise in his tone. “For Grace?”
“Yes, for Grace,” Tania snapped. “Ethan thinks he can divorce me and take her away, but I’m not going to let that happen.”
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. “But Mrs Tania , Grace is also his child ”
“She isn’t!” Tania cut her off, her voice rising with frustration. “I don’t care! Just do what I’m paying you to do.”
Another pause, longer this time, but finally, the lawyer sighed. “Alright, I’ll start preparing the paperwork. We’ll discuss the details soon.”
“Good,” Tania replied coldly, ending the call and tossing the phone onto the bed. She let out a shaky breath, her anger simmering beneath the surface. You won’t win, Ethan. You and Ella both think you’ve got the upper hand, but I’m not done yet.
Her gaze drifted back to the door, the one Ethan had walked through minutes ago. She could still hear his footsteps echoing in her mind, still see the cold finality in his eyes. But Tania wasn’t someone to accept defeat. She had clawed her way through life, manipulating, lying, and controlling everyone in her path to get what she wanted. And she wasn’t about to stop now.
“You’ll regret this,” she whispered again, her voice filled with icy resolve. “You’re not free, Ethan. Not yet.”
As the sun began to set outside the hospital window, casting long shadows across the room, Tania sat alone, her mind whirling with plans, strategies, and schemes. Ethan had thrown down the gauntlet, and she was ready to pick it up. She wouldn’t rest until she had destroyed everything he cared about until he was crawling back to her, begging for her forgiveness.
“Game on,” she muttered, her lips curling into a cold smile.