The Ultimate Betrayal: A Lover's Revenge Unleashed

Nolan was taken aback, displeasure flashing in his eyes. "Don't be silly. Didn't we already agree to get the marriage license tomorrow?"

He assumed I was just messing with him and reached for my injured hand.

I dodged his touch and said thoughtfully, "I'm not joking, Nolan. I don't want to marry you anymore."

He let out a sneer and suddenly asked, "And you don't want Aiden anymore either?"

My heart tightened. I never imagined he would use Aiden to threaten me.

I had my son, Aiden Birch, out of wedlock with Nolan when I was just a teenager. He was four years old and had been raised by the Birch family since birth.

The Birches were a wealthy family, while I was just the daughter of a lowly housekeeper.

They wouldn't allow me to raise my child, claiming someone of my status couldn't provide for a child of noble blood.

Even though I'm Aiden's mother, I barely get to see him.

Nolan knew Aiden was my weakness, and I couldn't put up much of a fight.

He reached for my hand again to examine the wound, saying, "You should visit Aiden more often. He's even calling Aria 'Mommy' now."

I knew he was implying I wasn't caring enough for our son.

It was not that I didn't want to see him, but I was restricted to seeing Aiden only once a month.

When his parents made that decision, he was right there, but he didn't say a word in my defense.

I pulled my hand back and continued packing up the first-aid kit, saying indifferently, "Then let Aria be his mom. She's eager for it anyway."

Nolan snatched the disinfectant bottle from my hand and smashed it on the floor, his face livid. "Scarlett, haven't you had enough? Why do you always have to compete with Aria? What's wrong with her being good to Aiden?"

His words brought back a memory from last month when I went to see Aiden. I accidentally overheard Aria coaxing him with lollipops.

"Sweetheart," she said. "When your mommy comes to see you, throw rotten eggs at her. Then let Aunt Aria be your mommy, okay?"

The four-year-old didn't know any better. He called her "Mommy" and threw rotten eggs at me, clapping his hands in delight.

I was a mess, but she was smug. Nolan's parents, Amanda and Oscar Birch, rushed over and simply said the child was too young to understand, while Nolan chose to stand by and watch.

That day, I fled the Birch Estate, only to be accused of being petty.

Some feelings, once they fade, become like a festering wound. No matter what you do, it's wrong.

"She did nothing wrong," I said sarcastically. "It's all my fault. Are you happy now?" I pushed him away and walked out.

Perhaps my coldness provoked him because he flew into a rage. "Why have you become so unreasonable? The gentle and kind Scarlett I once loved is dead."

Yes, the Scarlett of the past was dead. But hadn't the Nolan who once loved her deeply also died in the memories?