Ding.
Brianna was escorted to her car by Rochelle. Once she got in, the assistant did too, making Brianna tense. "What are you doing?"
Rochelle was taken aback. "The deadline of the submission of the script to the publishing company is tomorrow. Mr. Lewis asked me to retrieve them from your place. Have you forgotten?"
Brianna didn't forget. But her hesitation was because of the text from him.
Although this was among the millions of times he requested for divorce. And 90% of the times he said them he didn't actively act on it, not with the contract saying fifty percent goes to the spouse.
"Get in." She said after seconds of silence.
As Brianna pulled into the villa's garage, the door was still lifting. She wasn't looking inside, and Rochelle was distracted by her phone.
When she drove in, the headlights suddenly revealed someone standing there, Brianna slammed on the brakes.
The stop was violent. Safety airbags burst open with a pop, making her hair fly into her face as her breath caught.
She fumbled for the door and stumbled out, clumsily. Brushing her hair from her eyes, Brianna finally focused on the figure frozen in the headlights.
With luggage.
"You?! What are you doing out here? Do you want to get run-over?!"
Once the shock had died, the housekeeper rushed to her, and fell on her knees.
Brianna was stunned. But knowing Rosa was overly dramatic, she felt annoyance. "What are you doing? Get up, Rosa."
Then she glanced over at the luggage and asked. "Are you planning to leave?"
Rosa finally looked up from clutching Brianna's right leg. "How can I stay in this house when I have been violated? The audacity of him, it's unforgivable!"
Brianna didn't know what to make of this, so she repeated. "Violated? What are you talking about?"
Rosa pressed her face into Brianna's skirt, her shoulders shaking as she let out a loud, theatrical sob. "President Lucian was like a son to me! How could this—Oh, Mrs Colburn. You have to forgive me."
Brianna didn't need to hear more. Her face contorted with rage, making her almost unrecognizable!
Nothing could hold her back now!
Going inside, she overheard Rochelle asking Rosa, who clutched her legs now, what happened. But Brianna didn't intervene this time.
Gone were the days she'd try to cover him up because of her career. That scumbag's reputation was the reason she had stopped hiring younger girls.
She thought they threw themselves at her husband.
Now it was confirmed; it wasn't them all along. He'd made them think it was okay!
When she went inside, the squalid state of the living room told her exactly where he was; in his demolition site, drinking himself into a stupor.
Stepping onto the balcony, Brianna saw her husband at the edge in a black robe, his only loyal 'right-hand man' gripped tightly in his palm.
Though he looked calm, he was wasted. Brianna wondered if it was why he had sent that text.
Lucian Colburn on the other hand had sensed that woman since she pulled up, but chose not to acknowledge her existence.
"Let's hear it, then," she said indifferently. "Say it. Say your cruel words."
Smiling mockingly, Lucian turned lazily. "Oh?"
He could never say no to an invitation like that.
"The barren wife returns."
Upon hearing her taunting nickname, Brianna chose ignorance. "You shameless imbecile," she said coldly. "Do you have no shame at all?"
Lucian smiled lazily. "How stupid of you to think a 'shameless imbecile' could have shame."
Brianna was irritated. "You're humiliating the Colburn family! Why, Why can't you just have class like every other man?"
"If you want a man with class, you should sign the divorce papers. Isn't that what you teach those miserable women who come crying to you on your show? Why won't you practice what you preach, Mrs. Barrenness?"
Brianna gave a spasmodic, involuntary shake of her head, jaw tight, as she fought to keep the stinging reality from sinking in.
Lucian, who was enjoying her reaction, dragged his gaze over her face slowly. "You look tired," he said lightly. "Don't tell me you cried over the dead children again."
At that point, Brianna's mind shut him out entirely, retreating into self defense mode. "Touch anyone again," she said indifferently. "and your grandmother will know everything."
At the mention of the Dowager, Lucian Colburn froze. For the first time that night, something like satisfaction stirred in her chest.
"Your grandmother?" He repeated slowly. "Is that who you were planning to cry to about those little jars you keep in the garden?"
Brianna shook her head at the possibility that he was referring to the...
"W-what, what jars? What are you—Lucian! What are you talking about?"
The silence made her tremble, her gaze following his to the ground, where his foot knocked over the empty urn.
Her babies!
Brianna tried walking. She did try. But her knees gave out and she collapsed on the ground. That still didn't stop her from crawling until she could dig her fingers into the remnants of the ash on the floor.
All she could do was feel them. And cry bitterly.
"You wanted them close. Now they're everywhere."
Brianna looked up at him with quivering lips. All the years of cruelty she had endured; every insult, humiliation, and mockery. None were to be compared to this!
"You—" her voice cracked. "... What have you done?"
"I have done you a favour. You have been hoarding the ashes like a lunatic. Now do me a favour," He slid the papers toward her with his foot. "And sign the goddamn papers."
Watching her frail frame tremble at what he'd destroyed, Lucian remained clinically detached. He felt no guilt, only the abrupt edge of annoyance at her for ignoring the papers.
"Honestly," he scoffed, picking up the urn now. "You're trash for clinging to a mistake like this."
The moment Brianna looked up, the urn was turned upside down and the remaining ashes from it fell on her face, her hair, and clothes.
"Stop," she whispered. "Please—stop—Get away from me!"
Lucian growled. "I have had enough of this stupidity." He grabbed her by her hair, pulling her up. Brianna's head was snapped back, her throat exposed to the cold night air as he forced her to look up at him.
"If you wanted the children so badly, you should have died with them," he sneered, his breath hot against her face. "Stop wasting my time and sign the papers now."
Brianna cried on top of her voice. "Don't... touch... me!!"
Her hands moved before logic could catch up, shoving him with years of buried fury behind the blow.
Brianna's eyes widened as her husband stumbled over the railing.
Everything around her dulled, moving in slow motion until she heard a...
THUD!