Broken Yet Untouched by Mark Twain 5
Chapter 5
Third person’s POV
The door had been forced open, the lock smashed. Splinters were mixed with blood that hadn’t yet dried.
Nathaniel, an artist since childhood, reconstructed the scene instantly in his mind.
He thought Vivienne had smashed the door open with terrifying force to get out, that she had hurt herself badly and hadn’t even seemed to notice.
He knew Vivienne was terrified of pain.
Huge blood loss without proper treatment was fatal.
A nameless panic began to claw at Nathaniel’s chest.
Suppressing a dull ache in his heart, he ordered his assistant, who had caught up with him.
“Find her. Check the security feeds. Find out where my wife went.”
His mind was filled with the image of her neat, elegant signature on the divorce papers.
“How could she divorce me?” he wondered.
For eight years of marriage, his childhood trauma had left him barely able to live independently.
Vivienne had been there for him.
She handled every potential choice he might face.
He wanted to paint, so she managed the company his father had left behind.
She provided the financial backing and took care of all the networking.
He was never forced to choose between his dreams and daily life.
Through it all, her support came in the form of constant smiles and steady encouragement.
It had led Nathaniel to the delusion that Vivienne was perfect, that she loved him so much that she was willing to sacrifice everything for him.
How could she leave?
“Sir…”
His assistant’s voice cut through his thoughts.
“Sir, you ordered all the surveillance cameras in this private clinic removed to ensure the surgery proceeded without any interference. We… There’s no way to track her.”
Nathaniel drove his fist into the wall.
He didn’t even feel any pain when the blood began to trail down the plaster.
A moment later, Estelle arrived, holding her cheek, stumbling to his side.
She cautiously took his hand. “Nathan Ricky’s surgery was a success. A huge success. Are you going to let him wake up alone in his hospital
room?”
Nathaniel’s expression flickered with hesitation.
Noticing his wavering, Estelle seized the opportunity to push further.
“Nathan, Vivi is probably just jealous that you chose to help me. She’s
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playing hard to get. A brilliant, celebrated artist like you? There’s no way she’d actually leave!”
Nathaniel wavered. “Really?”
Estelle nodded vigorously. “She’s just a housewife. What is she without you and the company your parents left Do you really think she’d walk away from that?
“Nathan, just ignore her. When she can’t stand it anymore, she’ll come crawling back.
”
Nathaniel lowered his gaze.
He didn’t correct Estelle. He didn’t point out that all these years, he had been the one relying on Vivienne.
Nathaniel wondered, “Estelle was right about one thing.
“How could she bear to leave me
“She loved me so much.
“She was just angry, throwing a tantrum because I’d chosen to save Patrick over Veronica.
“She was playing hard to get.
“Once she comes back, I’ll make it up to her. We can have another child. A healthier and promising one.”
Vivienne’s POV
Two days later, outside the crematorium, I clutched the small urn, crying until I felt I would collapse.
Claud let out a quiet sigh and helped me to my feet.
“Ms. Sherman, the press wants to know when you’ll release the tape and
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the proof of Nathaniel’s affair.”
Only this topic brought a flicker of focus back.
My voice was raw. “Is a tape and evidence of an affair enough to put both him and Estelle behind bars?”
Claud paused. “To be honest, Ms. Sherman. It’s likely not.”
Of course.
Nathaniel and Estelle had been planning this for so long, covering every possible angle.
An audio file that might not hold up in court, and my testimony might put them in jail, but it wasn’t far from being enough.
I lifted Veronica’s urn from the ground as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
I wiped my tears.
“Mommy won’t let the people who hurt you get away with it,” I whispered.
I turned to Claud. “Start by clearing out everyone at the company who opposed me and supported Nathaniel.
“Tell the media to hold the story for a few more days. I want Nathaniel and Estelle utterly destroyed.”
In the shadows, where I could not see. Claud’s soulful eyes remained fixed on me, unwavering.
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.
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