Three Scars：Betrayed by the Don

I didn't die.

When I woke up, the fever had broken, but my body felt heavy as lead.

Gavin was sitting by my bed, holding a wet towel. When he saw my eyes open, a look of panicked relief washed over his face.

"Thank God, Viola, you're finally awake," he said, his voice hoarse as he took my hand. "Last night I… I didn't know you were so sick. I saw you came back and went to sleep, I thought you were just tired."

Of course he didn't know. He was too busy playing the doting father.

I pulled my hand away, staring blankly at the ceiling. "What is it, Gavin?"

My distance seemed to unsettle him.

"I've prepared the private yacht," he said eagerly. "Let's go out on the water, just the two of us. Okay?"

"Gavin… can I come too?"

Sofia was standing timidly at the door, her eyes wide with longing. "I've never been on a yacht before… The doctor said getting some fresh air is good for the baby."

She knew Gavin couldn't refuse her.

As expected, Gavin hesitated, then looked at me, torn. "Can we take Sofia? I promise, she won't get in our way."

I turned my head away, saying nothing.

I knew he was lying.

Sure enough, once we were on the yacht, Sofia whined that she wanted to try driving the speedboat. Gavin immediately gave her his full attention, teaching her step-by-step.

I sat alone at the stern.

"Slower, be careful," his voice drifted to me on the wind. "See? It's easy. You're a fast learner."

Sofia giggled, deliberately pressing herself into his arms. "Oh, it's so hard, my hands are too weak."

I couldn't watch them flirt anymore. I stood up and walked to the side of the boat.

I didn't see the malicious glint in Sofia's eyes behind me.

"Oops!" Sofia's hand "slipped," and the steering wheel jerked violently.

CRASH!

The side of the yacht slammed into the metal base of a buoy. The massive impact sent the boat lurching sideways.

It didn't capsize, but the jolt was enough to throw anyone off balance.

Sofia and I both lost our footing and fell from the open side into the sea.

The icy water swallowed me whole.

As I struggled to surface, my leg cramped from the lingering effects of my illness. The sharp pain made it impossible to swim.

"Help! Gavin!" Sofia screamed and thrashed in the water not far from me, even though she was wearing a life jacket and couldn't possibly sink.

I, on the other hand, had no life jacket. I was sinking.

Gavin jumped in without hesitation.

"My stomach! Gavin, the baby!" Sofia cried out.

Gavin paused in the water for a second.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with apology and anguish.

Then, he turned and swam furiously towards Sofia.

I'm sorry, Viola. You know how to swim, you can hold on. She's pregnant.

I could almost hear his thoughts.

Seawater filled my nose and burned my lungs.

I stopped struggling.

Through the shimmering surface of the water, I took one last look at the man I married. He was lifting Sofia, holding her like a priceless treasure as he passed her to the bodyguards on the rescue boat. He didn't even turn back to see if I had surfaced.

This was my husband.

The man I had loved for ten years.

I closed my eyes and let my body sink into the dark, cold depths.

So be it.

Let the Viola who loved Gavin drown.

If I survived this, the woman who climbed out of this sea would be the monster he’d created.