Rise of The Abandoned Husband

My stomach twisted with disgust as Beatrice and Seraphina Sterling barged into my room. Just days ago, these women had treated me like dirt beneath their shoes. Now they stood in my doorway with painted-on smiles, as if our history could be erased on a whim.

"Roman, would you excuse us?" I kept my voice even despite the anger bubbling inside me.

Roman nodded quickly, clearly sensing the tension. "Of course. We'll continue our discussion later." He slipped past Beatrice and Seraphina, throwing me a sympathetic glance before disappearing down the hallway.

Beatrice wasted no time making herself comfortable, settling into a plush armchair without invitation. Her eyes darted around the room, taking inventory of every luxury item.

"My, my, Liam. What a lovely place you have here." Her voice dripped with false sweetness. "The Sterling family's education has certainly paid off. I always knew you had potential."

The audacity of her claim made my blood boil. "Sterling family's education?" I repeated coldly. "Is that what you call three years of humiliation and abuse?"

Beatrice's smile faltered for only a moment. "Water under the bridge, dear boy. Families have disagreements all the time."

"Disagreements?" I laughed bitterly. "You made me sleep in a servant's quarters. You called me worthless to my face every day."

Seraphina stepped forward, her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. The tight dress she wore left little to the imagination—a calculated choice I found pathetically transparent.

"Liam, we've come to make amends," she said softly, her voice a practiced purr. "Mother, perhaps I should pour Liam some water? He seems... tense."

Before I could object, Seraphina glided to the side table where a pitcher of water sat. She deliberately bent forward as she poured, giving me a clear view down her dress. When she turned to hand me the glass, her foot caught on the carpet—an obvious fake stumble designed to land her in my arms.

I stepped aside, letting her stumble forward. Water splashed across the floor as she caught herself against the wall.

"Careful," I said coldly. "The floor's expensive."

Seraphina's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger. "I was just trying to be helpful."

"I didn't ask for your help," I replied. "In fact, I don't recall inviting either of you here at all."

Beatrice cleared her throat, her smile strained now. "Liam, perhaps we should speak privately. Just you and me."

I crossed my arms. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of your daughter. After all, she is my ex-wife."

"Fine." Beatrice stood and moved closer, lowering her voice despite her daughter's presence. "We've heard about your... connection with the Ashworth family. Quite impressive."

"And?" I prompted, already knowing where this was heading.

"And we should put the past behind us. The Sterling family could be valuable allies to you now." Her eyes gleamed with calculation. "Seraphina has been quite distraught since your departure. She realizes she made a terrible mistake."

I glanced at Seraphina, who quickly arranged her features into a mask of remorse. It was almost laughable how transparent their act was.

Beatrice leaned even closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You know, if you wanted to get back at Gideon Blackwood, taking his woman back would be the perfect revenge. Seraphina is willing to... accommodate you in any way you desire."

The crudeness of her suggestion made bile rise in my throat. This woman was literally offering her daughter's body as a bargaining chip.

"Are you seriously pimping out your own daughter?" I asked, making no effort to hide my disgust.

Seraphina gasped dramatically. "Liam! That's a horrible thing to say!"

I turned to her, my patience evaporating. "And what would you call it? You cheated on me with Gideon Blackwood. You laughed while he had his men beat me half to death. Now you're here batting your eyelashes because you think I have money and influence?"

I stepped closer to her, watching her shrink back. "Let me be perfectly clear. I wouldn't touch you again if you were the last woman on earth. You disgust me."

Seraphina's face twisted with rage. "How dare you! I was willing to give you another chance!"

"Another chance?" I laughed. "I'm the one who dodged a bullet. Look at you—so desperate for money and status that you'd spread your legs on your mother's command."

"You ungrateful bastard!" Beatrice hissed, dropping all pretense of civility. "After everything we did for you!"

"What exactly did you do for me?" I demanded. "Feed me scraps? Make me work like a dog? Treat me like I wasn't even human?"

"We gave you a roof over your head!" Beatrice shot back. "You were nothing but a freeloader, living off our family's generosity!"

"Generosity?" The word tasted bitter on my tongue. "I worked eighteen hours a day for your family. I cleaned your toilets. I fixed your cars. I did everything you asked without complaint, and in return, you treated me like garbage."

My voice had risen despite my attempts to stay calm. Years of suppressed anger were finally finding release.

"Get out," I said, pointing to the door. "Both of you. Get out of my house."

Seraphina's eyes narrowed. "This isn't your house. It belongs to the Ashworths. You're still just a freeloader, only you've moved up to a better family to leech off of!"

"At least I earned my place here through hard work and loyalty," I retorted. "Not by spreading my legs for the highest bidder."

Her hand whipped toward my face, but I caught her wrist mid-air. Three years ago, I would have stood there and taken the slap. Not anymore.

"Don't ever try to touch me again," I warned, releasing her wrist with enough force to make her stumble back.

"You think you're so important now?" Seraphina sneered, rubbing her wrist. "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have the Ashworth family backing you! Have you forgotten how Roman Volkov beat you up last time? Don't make me call Gideon Blackwood to have Roman come and beat you up again!"

The threat hung in the air between us. For a brief moment, the memory of that beating—the pain, the humiliation, the helplessness—flashed through my mind. But things were different now. I was different.

"Try it," I said, my voice dangerously soft. "See what happens."

Beatrice grabbed her daughter's arm. "Come, Seraphina. We're wasting our time here." She shot me a poisonous look. "You'll regret this, Liam Knight. The Sterling family doesn't forget insults."

"Neither do I," I replied, watching them coldly as they stormed toward the door. "And I've got three years' worth to remember."

After they left, I stood motionless in the center of the room, my heart pounding against my ribs. The encounter had shaken me more than I wanted to admit. Not because I feared them—that time had passed—but because their presence had dragged me back to a place I'd been desperate to leave behind.

Seraphina's threat echoed in my mind. Would she really send Roman and Gideon after me again? The rational part of me knew I had the Ashworths' protection now, but the part that remembered the beating—the part still healing from those scars—wasn't so easily convinced.

I touched the jade pendant beneath my shirt, drawing comfort from its warmth. Whatever came next, I wouldn't face it as the same broken man they once knew. I had power now—power they couldn't begin to understand.

Let them try their worst. This time, I would be ready.