119

119

VIVIAN'S POV

I could still feel the sting of Joel’s hand on my cheek, his furious gaze seared into my mind. No matter how many times I replayed the scene in my head, I couldn’t shake the feeling of shock, of betrayal. He had gone too far. I had underestimated just how deep his anger ran, how quickly he’d turn against me once I’d pushed him out of the plan. I’d thought I could control him, steer his rage to suit my purpose, but now… now he was out of control. And I had no one to blame but myself.

After he left, the silence in my apartment had felt oppressive, thick with the realization that I couldn’t handle Joel alone anymore. I needed support, someone who could help me rein him in before he did something reckless that would endanger both of us. There was only one person I could think of who might understand the situation, who’d be willing to help.

My mother, Joyce.

I hadn’t spoken to her in months. Our relationship was strained at best, but if anyone understood how to handle people like Joel, it was her. She’d dealt with men all her life, manipulating them, coaxing them, getting exactly what she wanted while keeping them in check. She’d been my role model, the person who’d taught me everything I knew about surviving, about getting what I wanted.

I picked up my phone, hesitating for a moment before dialing her number. It rang a few times, and just when I thought she wouldn’t answer, her voice came through, smooth and practiced, the tone of someone who knew how to keep up appearances.

“Vivian,” she greeted, her voice faintly surprised. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has,” I replied, trying to keep my tone steady. “Listen, I need your help.”

She laughed softly, and I could almost picture her lounging on some luxurious couch, a glass of wine in her hand. “Oh, dear. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?”

The irritation prickled under my skin, but I pushed it down. “It’s not about me. It’s about Joel. He’s… he’s out of control, and I need someone to help me rein him in.”

There was a pause, and I could hear the faint clinking of glass on the other end of the line. “Joel? That man you were so obsessed with last year? I thought you were done with him.”

“It’s complicated,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I thought I could use him to get what I wanted, but now he’s become a liability. He’s angry, unpredictable, and I can’t handle him on my own.”

She let out a low chuckle, the sound cold and dismissive. “Vivian, darling, why are you bothering me with this? You’re a grown woman. Handle it yourself.”

A surge of frustration shot through me. This was the same dismissal I’d gotten from her my entire life—every time I’d needed her, she’d been too busy, too wrapped up in her own world to bother. “I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t need help, Mother. He’s dangerous. I just need advice on how to handle him.”

“Dangerous?” she scoffed. “If he’s so dangerous, then cut him loose. Why waste your time with someone who clearly can’t keep his emotions in check? You know better than that, Vivian.”

I clenched my jaw, struggling to keep my voice calm. “It’s not that simple. He knows things—about me, about the plan. If I cut him loose, he could go to Bethany, or worse, to Damien. He could ruin everything.”

There was a sigh on the other end of the line, and when she spoke again, her voice was laced with impatience. “Vivian, you’re making this far more complicated than it needs to be. Either find a way to control him or let him go. I don’t have time for these games.”

I felt a surge of anger at her dismissiveness. Here I was, practically pleading for her help, and she couldn’t even pretend to care. She was too wrapped up in her own life, in her own selfish pursuits, to offer me even a shred of support.

“Mother,” I said, my voice low and cold, “do you even care about what happens to me? About what I’m going through?”

There was a pause, and then her laughter drifted through the line, light and dismissive. “Vivian, you’ve always been so dramatic. Of course I care, but I have my own life to live. I’ve finally found a man who can give me everything I deserve, and I won’t let your little troubles distract me from that.”

Her words hit me like a slap, the casual cruelty slicing through me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. I’d known she was self-centered, indifferent to anyone’s needs but her own. But hearing it laid out so plainly, so dismissively, felt like a punch to the gut.

“So that’s it?” I asked, my voice shaking with a mixture of anger and hurt. “You’re just going to brush me off because you’ve found another man to leech off of?”

She sighed, the sound impatient. “Vivian, you’re a smart girl. You’ve always prided yourself on your independence, on your ability to handle things on your own. Don’t start acting like a helpless child now.”

The words stung, and I felt the anger simmering beneath my skin, my fingers clenching around the phone. “You know what, Mother? Forget it. I don’t need your help. I should’ve known you wouldn’t care.”

“Now don’t be so melodramatic,” she replied, her tone exasperated. “You’ll be fine. You always are. Just remember, Vivian—no one’s going to look out for you. Not me, not anyone else. The only person you can count on is yourself.”

With that, she hung up, leaving me standing alone in the silence, the dial tone buzzing in my ear like a final, mocking reminder of just how little she cared.

I lowered the phone, a cold emptiness settling over me. I’d known she wasn’t the supportive type, that she valued her own comfort and luxury above anything else. But some part of me had hoped, had believed that maybe this time, she’d set aside her selfishness, that she’d see that I was desperate and actually offer me some help.

But that hope had been a foolish one. Joyce had always been focused on herself, on her own happiness, and that wasn’t going to change. She had a rich man now, someone who could keep her in the life she’d always wanted, and as far as she was concerned, I was just a nuisance, a reminder of a life she’d long since abandoned.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Fine. If she didn’t want to help, if she wanted to live in her comfortable little bubble, then I would let her. I didn’t need her. I’d never truly needed anyone.

But as I sat there, alone in the quiet of my apartment, a realization settled over me with chilling clarity: I was alone. Truly, completely alone. Joyce was too wrapped up in her own life to care, and Joel… Joel was spiraling, slipping further and further out of my control. I’d stoked his anger, fueled his hatred, only to find that now, he was a threat I could barely contain.

I’d thought I could handle it all, that I could manipulate everyone around me to get what I wanted. But now, for the first time, I felt the weight of my own choices bearing down on me, pressing in like the walls of a cage I’d built myself.

If Joel turned against me, if he exposed everything to Bethany and Damien, then my entire plan would fall apart. Everything I’d worked for, every lie, every manipulation—it would all come crashing down, and there would be no one to blame but myself.

I took another deep breath, the cold clarity hardening into resolve. I’d have to fix this myself, find a way to control Joel before he destroyed everything. I couldn’t rely on my mother, couldn’t afford to waste time hoping someone else would help me.

No, I’d have to do this alone. And I would. I’d spent too long building my plans, clawing my way to the top, to let anyone tear it down now.

With a final, determined breath, I rose to my feet, my mind already racing through the options. Joel was unpredictable, unstable—but he wasn’t unstoppable. I would find a way to contain him, to bring him back under control, even if it meant taking drastic measures.

Because I would not lose. Not to him, not to anyone.