Chapter 3 The Cold Shoulder From Vanessa\u00a0<\/p>\n
4)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett told herself she didn\u2019t want to look-didn\u2019t need another knife twist to her chest-but old habits were hard to break. Her thumb tapped the screen before she could stop it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The video was just a single photo, same as before-Vincent kneeling down in front of Sabrina, his head tilted like he was hanging on her every word. The caption read, \u201cHad a few drinks, caught a chill, called you up\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
and you showed up. This right here? This is perfect.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sharp, sudden pain lanced through Scarlett\u2019s chest. If they were that in love-if they were so desperate to play \u201ccouple\u201d-then fine. Let them have each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was done fighting to be the \u201cbigger person\u201d. All she wanted now was a divorce-her daughter, her fair share of the assets, and nothing more to do with the Stewarts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stuffed her phone into her pocket and pushed open the front door of the villa. Lily Turner, the nanny, looked up in surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Stewart?\u201d she said, setting down the dust cloth in her hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Vanessa?\u201d Scarlett asked, her voice tight with anticipation. It had been weeks since she\u2019d held her daughter-too long, thanks to her training and Vincent\u2019s endless excuses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa is upstairs, playing with her Barbie dolls,\u201d Lily replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Vanessa\u2019s voice echoed from the second floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s heart ached. She practically ran up the stairs, dropped to her knees, and pulled Vanessa into a tight hug, covering her daughter\u2019s cheeks with kisses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But when she pulled back, ready to gush about how much she\u2019d missed her, she froze. Vanessa was wiping her face over and over, scrubbing at the spots where Scarlett had kissed her until her skin turned pink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s throat tightened. The questions she\u2019d planned to ask-Did you miss me? How\u2019s school?-died on her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stared at Vanessa, her eyes stinging, a mix of hurt and confusion swirling in her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before she could find her voice, Vanessa bounced on her toes, suddenly eager. \u201cMom, you\u2019re back just in time! I was gonna call you! I\u2019m starting kindergarten soon, and I wanna go to Sunshine Kindergarten.\u201d Her eyes lit up like she\u2019d just talked about a trip to the toy store,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett frowned, confused-she\u2019d never heard of Sunshine Kindergarten before-but she couldn\u2019t bring herself to dampen Vanessa\u2019s excitement. It was just kindergarten, after all. If it\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:26 Sat, Jan 3 \u2191\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 The Cold Shoulder From Vanessa\u00a0<\/p>\n
40\u00a0<\/p>\n
47\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t work out, they could switch later. \u201cOkay, baby,\u201d she said, forcing a smile. \u201cSunshine Kindergarten it is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa cheered, jumping into the air. \u201cThank you, Mom! You\u2019re the best!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching Vanessa\u2019s grin, Scarlett hesitated. How could she ruin this moment by bringing up divorce? By asking if Vanessa wanted to live with her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She reached down, her hand brushing her stomach-still flat, still a secret-and took a deep breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa,\u201d she said, her voice soft but serious, \u201cdo you want a little brother or sister?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa\u2019s excitement faded for a second. She twisted a strand of her hair, then nodded. \u201cA little brother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s chest hurt. \u201cBut what if Mom\u2019s scared?\u201d she asked, her voice cracking. The amniotic embolism from Vanessa\u2019s birth was years behind her, but the fear-of bleeding out, of leaving her daughter-still woke her up at night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa looked at her like she didn\u2019t understand. \u201cThen Mom shouldn\u2019t be so selfish,\u201d she said, matter-of-fact. \u201cYou had me, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was like a punch to the gut. Scarlett stood there, her face going pale, frozen to the spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d spent four years up with Vanessa at 2 a.m., feeding her, rocking her, calming her nightmares. She\u2019d skipped work events to watch her first steps, her first words. And now Vanessa was calling her selfish for being scared to risk her life again?\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long, terrible silence, she managed to whisper, \u201cAren\u2019t you scared of losing Mom?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At this moment, she just wanted to know from Vanessa if there was still any love for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa rolled her eyes, already turning toward her bedroom. \u201cUgh, I\u2019m gonna go to bed.\u201d She ran into her room and slammed the door shut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett stood at the top of the stairs, feeling like she\u2019d turned to ice. Vanessa-her baby-had just brushed off her fear like it was nothing. Then, through the closed door, she heard Vanessa\u2019s voice, bright and excited again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSabrina! I can go to Sunshine Kindergarten now!\u201d Vanessa gushed, like she was talking to a best friend. \u201cAfter work, you can pick me up, so you won\u2019t be tired anymore!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett\u2019s breath caught. Sabrina? Why is Vanessa talking to Sabrina?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Sabrina,\u201d Vanessa continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, \u201cdon\u2019t have a baby with Dad, okay? Mom said having babies is super dangerous-you bleed a lot and you\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:27 Sat, Jan 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 The Cold Shoulder From Vanessa\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\u00a0<\/p>\n
might die. Let Mom have the little brother. She already had me, so she\u2019s not scared.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A pause, then Vanessa sighed. \u201cI miss you. I wanna hear your stories and cuddle with\u00a0<\/p>\n
46\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett leaned against the wall, her legs giving out. So that was why Vanessa wanted Sunshine Kindergarten-because Sabrina worked nearby? That was why she\u2019d brushed off Scarlett\u2019s kisses, why she\u2019d called her selfish? Because Sabrina had wormed her way into Vanessa\u2019s life, into her heart, while Scarlett was busy working and trying to fix a marriage that was already dead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had faced the divorce with one final, unshakable certainty-her daughter would always be hers. The truth-that Vanessa had already sided with the stranger-felt like a betrayal all its\u00a0<\/p>\n
own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All her sacrifices-her time, her love, her near-death experience-had been for nothing. No one cared. Not Vincent, not Amanda, not even her own daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a while, Scarlett dragged herself downstairs. Lily saw her ashen face and started to ask, \u201cMrs. Stewart, are you-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust leave me be,\u201d Scarlett said, waving her off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as she stepped outside, she pulled out her phone and called Vincent. It rang four times, then went to voicemail. She called again. And again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Normally, she\u2019d give up after two tries-too scared of annoying him-but tonight, she was desperate. She needed to talk to him. She needed to scream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, Vincent answered, his voice sharp with irritation. \u201cI\u2019m busy. What do you want\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to see you,\u201d Scarlett cut him off, her voice cracking. She was practically yelling, all her composure gone. \u201cRight now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent sighed, annoyed. \u201cWhatever this is, we can talk next month, when we meet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hung up. The dial tone buzzed in her ear, loud and mocking. Scarlett stared at her phone, tears pricking her eyes, but she couldn\u2019t cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was Vincent-always shutting her out, always making her feel like her feelings didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five years of this. Five years of being ignored, of being a ghost in her own marriage. She was done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she wasn\u2019t leaving without a fight-not for custody of Vanessa. Even if Vanessa was closer to Sabrina now, Scarlett had to try.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:27 Sat, Jan 3 \u2191\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3 The Cold Shoulder From Vanessa\u00a0<\/p>\n
46\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was Vanessa\u2019s mother. She\u2019d given birth to her. She wasn\u2019t going to let Sabrina take that\u00a0<\/p>\n
away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as she made up her mind, headlights flashed. A Rolls-Royce screeched to a stop at the gate. Scarlett looked over-there was Vincent in the driver\u2019s seat, and Sabrina in the passenger\u2019s, holding a bouquet of pink roses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their eyes met through the windshield. Silence hung between them. Once, she would\u2019ve frozen, scared to make a scene. Now? She didn\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent got out of the car, acting like he didn\u2019t even see her, and walked around to open Sabrina\u2019s door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVincent, we need to talk.\u201d Scarlett called out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He ignored her, reaching for the door handle. Scarlett rushed over, slapping his hand away. \u201cVincent, you can sleep with whoever you want-fine. But Vanessa is my daughter. How dare you let some stranger turn her against me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, he looked at her. He was taller than her, and he loomed over her, his voice cold as ice. \u201cSabrina\u2019s a better mom than you\u2019ll ever be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as the words left his mouth, Vincent pushed her aside and pulled open the car door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett stood there, stunned. It took her a long time to react, and only then did she catch a glimpse of the subtle implication in his words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did he really mean that? Did he want Vanessa to call Sabrina \u201cMom\u201d?\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.0K\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u3002\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
15:27 Sat, Jan 31\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer\u2019s Begs\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 3 Chapter 3 The Cold Shoulder From Vanessa\u00a0 4)\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 Scarlett told […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27367\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}