You Cannot Afford Your Divorced Wife Now

The first thing Adeline registered was pain. A sharp, tearing sensation deep in her abdomen that pulsed with every shallow breath she took. The antiseptic smell of the room burned her nostrils.

Her eyes fluttered open. The ceiling was a familiar, sterile white. The medical wing of the Castillo estate.

Then came the second thought, an instinct so powerful it eclipsed the pain.

Isabell.

She turned her head, a wave of dizziness washing over her. The bassinet beside her bed was empty. The soft pink blanket was folded neatly, untouched.

A cold dread, colder than the sweat on her skin, seeped into her bones.

"Isabell?" Her voice was a dry rasp.

She tried to push herself up, but the fire in her core erupted. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she fell back against the pillows, her muscles screaming in protest. The stitches felt like they were ripping apart.

"Don't waste your energy, Adeline."

The voice was Jeremey's. It came from the foot of the bed, flat and devoid of warmth. It was the voice he used in boardrooms, not in the room where his wife had just given birth to their daughter.

Adeline's vision cleared. He stood there, immaculate in a dark suit, his face a mask of indifference. Behind him, clutching his arm, was Hayden Figueroa. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her expression a perfect portrait of fragile sorrow.

"Jeremey? Where's Isabell? Is she okay?" Panic clawed at her throat.

He didn't answer. Instead, he tossed a sheaf of papers onto the bed beside her. They slid across the silk duvet and stopped against her leg.

Divorce Agreement.

Petition for Sole Custody.

The words swam before her eyes, nonsensical. This had to be a nightmare. A postpartum hallucination.

"I don't understand," she whispered, her gaze flicking from the papers to his cold, unreadable eyes.

"It's simple," he said. "You're leaving. And she's staying."

Hayden let out a soft sob, burying her face in Jeremey's shoulder. "Jeremey, please, don't be so harsh. Maybe she didn't mean to do it."

"Do what?" Adeline's voice trembled. She looked at Hayden, then back at her husband. "What did I do?"

A cruel smile touched Jeremey's lips. "You know what you did. You couldn't stand the thought of me caring for anyone else. So you took away Hayden's future."

He gestured to Hayden. "Because of the 'herbal supplements' you put in her tea, she can never have children. The doctors confirmed it. Permanent damage."

The accusation was so absurd, so monstrous, that Adeline could only stare. "No. I would never... I didn't do that."

"Your jealousy has destroyed her life," Jeremey continued, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. He leaned forward, his hands braced on the mattress on either side of her. "So now, her life will be dedicated to protecting your daughter. A daughter you don't deserve. It's what you owe her."

Adeline shook her head, tears finally breaking free, hot against her cold skin. "It's a lie. Jeremey, you