The day of my son’s wedding began with a sharp, metallic click. Nathan reached out and unpinned the "Mother of the Groom" corsage from my lapel. He didn’t look me in the eye. "Mom, don’t come up for the toast," he said, his voice low and clinical. "I want Sonia to stand up there with Dad. We owe her this much, after all these years." I felt the air leave my lungs. "You’re asking me to hide at my own son’s wedding?" "Don't make a scene," Nathan sighed, finally looking at me with a mix of pity and annoyance. "Dad has spent his whole life with a woman he doesn’t love. He’s sixty now. Let him have this one moment of peace. Just this once, let him be happy." I was ushered to the back of the room, seated at a table near the service entrance—right next to Sonia’s lapdog in its rhinestone carrier. I watched from the shadows as Nathan stood at the podium, tears streaming down his face as he thanked his 'parents.' I watched my husband, Arthur, grip Sonia’s hand under the table, his face glowing with a radiance he had never once offered me. In that moment, something inside me didn't just break. It died. That evening, the three of them—Arthur, Nathan, and Sonia—walked into our house like they owned the air I breathed. "It is what it is," Arthur said, adjusting his glasses. "I’ve been unfaithful. You have two choices. You can sign the divorce papers and give Sonia her rightful place." He paused, glancing at the woman clinging to his arm. "Or, you can clear out a guest room. Sonia is moving in. We’re going to live here together." Looking at their united front, a jagged, hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat. "Do either of you remember the oaths you swore?" I asked, my voice trembling. "The ones you insisted on making?" Arthur scoffed. "People change, Claire. Only a child clings to words spoken decades ago." But they forgot one thing. My "System"—the Moral Arbiter that had governed my life since I arrived in this world—didn't care about the passage of time. It was a cold, cosmic bookkeeper. And once the target of my devotion turned unfaithful, those "vicious oaths" weren't just metaphors. They were debt notices. 1 [System Notification: Infidelity detected. The 'Vicious Oath' protocol has been forcibly initiated. Host is advised to finalize the divorce and distance herself from the targets immediately.] I looked at Sonia. I hadn’t even opened my mouth, but she already had that practiced, watery-eyed look. She was one of those women who had never married, never had children, and it gave her a preserved, fragile quality that made her look ten years younger than me. Pretty. Young. Vulnerable. She was the perfect bait for a man’s hero complex. Arthur grew impatient with my silence. "I meant it when I said I loved you back then," he said, his tone darkening. "And I mean it now when I say I don't. We aren't kids. What’s the point in dragging up old ghosts?" He smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes. "I remember what I said. I told you that if I ever betrayed you, I’d lose my reputation, my fortune, and die a slow, agonizing death. Does that sound realistic to you? It was pillow talk, Claire. Heat-of-the-moment nonsense." He chuckled, a dry, rasping sound. "If every man who cheated actually dropped dead, the world would be an empty place." Nathan stepped forward, siding with his father. "Exactly, Mom. Everyone makes dramatic promises when they're young. Remember when you and Dad used to fight? I told you that if you ever left him, and if I ever called another woman 'Mom,' I’d go blind and deaf and end up starving on the streets." He walked past me, dismissive and cold, and handed a cup of tea to Sonia with a reverence he hadn't shown me in years. "Sonia is going to live here. She’s part of this family now. Effectively, she’s my mother too," he said with a mocking grin. "I’ve accepted her, and look—I can still see, I can still hear. I’m doing just fine. Stop lying to yourself." They were right about one thing: to them, a man’s word was no better than a dog’s bark. But when they had made those oaths, I had warned them. I had told them, with absolute clarity, what the consequences would be. Back then, they had been so sincere, so desperate to prove their loyalty. Now, they treated it like a joke. "Your oaths will be answered," I said, my voice eerily calm. "Just wait." Their faces soured. They looked at me as if I were a delusional patient in a psych ward. Before they could speak, Sonia suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me, tears overflowing. "Claire, please," she sobbed. "I’m not trying to take your place. I just want a home with Arthur. Please, just let me stay. I’ll do anything." The sight of her "humility" sent Arthur into a protective rage. He hauled her up, his eyes cold and sharp as glass. "Don't beg her," he snapped. "I wasn't really asking for your permission, Claire. Sonia stays. If you don't like it, we divorce. But let’s be honest—you’d never leave this life. You’re too comfortable." Nathan rolled his eyes and signaled the maid to start moving things into the third-floor guest suite. "Mom, don't be so selfish," Nathan said. "You've had Dad all to yourself for thirty years. Wasn't that enough? If Sonia were as greedy as you, you would have been out of the picture decades ago. They have a 'True Love' connection. They should be in the master bedroom. You should be the one to move..." "No need," I interrupted, my voice cutting through his nonsense. "I choose divorce." Arthur froze. The smugness flickered for a fraction of a second. He hadn't expected me to actually walk. Nathan, however, didn't care. He turned to Sonia with a bright, triumphant smile. "That’s even better, Sonia! Once the papers are signed and you and Dad get hitched, we’ll be a real family." I looked at their joyous faces and thought: Laugh while you can. I went upstairs, packed my essentials, and headed for the door. As I reached the handle, Arthur grabbed my wrist. 2 "Are you really doing this?" Arthur demanded, his brow furrowed. "I told you, I’ll still take care of you. You’re still my responsibility." He sighed, the weary sigh of a man burdened by a nagging wife. "We’re old, Claire. We’ve spent a lifetime together. Why cause a scene now?" He leaned in, offering a 'compromise' that made my skin crawl. "Look, I’ll spend Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with you. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday with her. Sundays, we’ll have a family dinner. How’s that?" Even though my heart had already hardened at the wedding, hearing those words felt like a physical blow to the chest. It wasn't enough to humiliate me at the wedding. Now he wanted to schedule me like a chore, a "sister-wife" in my own home. "Do you really think you’re such a prize?" I pulled my arm away and laughed in his face. "You’re a stagnant, filthy man, Arthur. I don't want you." I knew Sonia. I knew her better than he did. Years ago, when I was pregnant with Nathan, I was an emotional wreck. The company—Harrison Global—was just starting. Arthur was working himself into a stomach ulcer, and I felt so guilty that I hired Sonia, a nutritionist, to help him manage his diet and health. Back then, she was already sending him suggestive texts. I had asked Arthur about it, and he had looked at her with genuine disgust. "I can't stand women like that," he’d told me. "One harsh word and she starts leaking tears. Claire, please, fire her. Get me someone who actually does their job." But at the wedding, when I had asked him Why her?, he had completely rewritten history. "I tripped and hurt my ankle a few months ago," he’d said. "We bumped into each other at the clinic. She burst into tears, terrified that I was seriously hurt. Seeing her cry for me... I realized she’d been waiting for me her whole life. I couldn't fail her anymore." Even Nathan, the boy I had raised with every ounce of my soul, stood by her. "Sonia used to be the nutritionist at my prep school," Nathan added. "She was always so sweet to me. She actually cared if I was hungry or tired. Honestly, Mom, if you hadn't fired her back then, Dad wouldn't have been miserable for so long. You owe her." Men always find a way to turn their betrayals into someone else’s debt. I moved into one of my private properties. Within the hour, the System pinged. [Status Update: 'Ruined Reputation' protocol has been activated.] The events of the wedding had leaked. A video of the seating arrangement and Nathan’s snub went viral on social media. People were eviscerating the three of them. Harrison Global’s stock began a slow, steady crawl toward the basement. Arthur’s PR team worked through the night, but it was like trying to hold back a landslide with a toothpick. The "Beloved Philanthropist" was now the "Cheating Scumbag." Arthur didn't see the warning signs. He saw an inconvenience. He barged into my new house, red-faced, demanding I issue a public apology to Sonia. "Tell them the wedding was your idea," he barked. "Tell them Sonia isn't a mistress—she’s the love of my life and you support us." I leaned against the doorframe. "Why would I apologize for the truth? You brought your mistress on stage. You reap what you sow. Now, sign the papers." I tossed the divorce agreement at his feet. I wanted it done before his downfall took my share of the assets with it. "What is this act?" Arthur sneered. "You leaked those videos, didn't you? Sonia left a suicide note and vanished this morning because of the hate she’s getting. Is that what you wanted? To drive her away so I’d come crawling back? It won’t work." His eyes were cold. "And watch your mouth. In this relationship, the one who isn't loved is the interloper. That’s you, Claire." I was about to retort when Nathan pushed his way inside. "Dad’s right! You’re the outsider now, Mom! Sonia is the one he loves!" He looked at me with pure vitriol. "Sonia is missing, and you’re sitting here acting like a queen. You’re cruel." "So, in your mind, your own mother is the mistress?" I didn't wait for an answer. I slapped Nathan across the face. Hard. Twice. I was glad I had already given up on them. If I hadn't, that sentence would have killed me. "I carried you for nine months. I nearly died giving birth to you. And I raised a parasite who doesn't know the meaning of loyalty," I said, my voice cold as ice. "If you think I’m so terrible, then fine. I’m not your mother anymore. Go find Sonia. See if she’ll bleed for you the way I did." Nathan’s face went pale. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. "Enough!" Arthur yelled. "If you don't apologize, you’re finished at the company. I’m stripping your title as Vice Chair." 3 Harrison Global was built on my sweat, too. It was my child as much as Nathan was. Arthur thought he could use it as leverage. Then, the System chimed again. [Status Update: 'Loss of Fortune' protocol has been activated.] I looked at Arthur and smiled. Why would I want a seat on a sinking ship? I stepped forward and landed a blow on Arthur’s cheek that echoed through the room. "You don't have to fire me. My resignation is already on your desk." I leaned in close. "Are you going to sign the papers, or are you too pathetic to let me go?" In a fit of rage, Arthur scribbled his name on the divorce decree. "Fine! Get out! I hope you enjoy poverty. Let’s see how you survive without my name." "Watch me," I said. I don’t lose. I built Harrison Global into a powerhouse; I could do it again. The next time I saw them, I was celebrating the launch of my new firm at a high-end bistro. My old team—the ones who actually kept the lights on at Harrison—had all followed me. "Harrison Global is a mess," one of my managers whispered. "They’re losing ten million a day. Stock is hitting the floor. Investors are pulling out. And Arthur? He’s too busy playing house with Sonia to notice." As we left the restaurant, Arthur and Sonia were standing by the valet. "You think a few bad days mean I’m done?" Arthur laughed, though he looked haggard. "Nathan just closed a hundred-million-dollar contract yesterday. We’re fine." He looked at me with pity. "Are you still waiting for those 'curses' to happen, Claire? Look at me. I have the woman I love. I’ve never been happier." I didn't bother arguing. I’d already heard from my sources that the "hundred-million-dollar contract" was a shell company setup—a classic bust-out trap. Arthur was so blinded by his 'second youth' that he was walking straight into a buzzsaw. As I walked toward my car, Sonia blocked my path. "Claire," she said, her voice dropping its sweet facade. It was sharp, venomous. "I should thank you. You planted the tree, but I’m the one sitting in the shade." She stepped closer, whispering so Arthur couldn't hear. "You fired me all those years ago. You thought you won. But look at you now. You're alone. And it’s not enough. You haven't hurt enough yet for what you did to me." My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, Sonia screamed and lunged toward the street. An oncoming SUV slammed its brakes, but it still clipped her, sending her sprawling onto the asphalt. "Sonia!" Arthur shrieked, rushing to her side. She coughed up a bit of blood, looking at me with a shattered, fragile gaze. "Arthur... don't be mad at Claire. She’s just... she loves you too much. She can't stand to share you. Please, don't..." She fainted perfectly on cue. Arthur looked at me with pure loathing. "You tried to kill her? You’re a monster." The next day, Arthur and Nathan showed up at my new office with a crew of thugs and trashed the place. "You tried to take Sonia’s life," Arthur said, stepping over a shattered computer monitor. "I’m just taking your office. Fair trade, right?" I stood in the wreckage of my lobby and pulled out my phone. I didn't call the police. I took the security footage from the bistro—the angle that clearly showed Sonia throwing herself into the car—and I bought the ad space on the giant digital billboard in the center of the financial district. Then, I tracked Sonia down at the hospital. I dragged her out of bed by her hair and slapped her until she was unconscious. "You want to play the victim? Now you have the bruises to match the story," I whispered into her ear before the nurses arrived. When Arthur and Nathan tried to confront me again, pointing at the "assault," I simply pointed at the billboard above them. The entire city was watching Sonia’s "accident" on a loop. "She’s just insecure, Claire," Nathan stammered, his face turning a sickly shade of gray. "She didn't mean it. Dad will pay for the office repairs." "Get out," I said. The divorce was finalized. Arthur married Sonia the very next day. They threw a lavish wedding to "prove" their love hadn't been shaken. During the reception, my phone rang. An unknown number. "Claire," Sonia’s voice came through, cold and mocking. "I remember you had a daughter who died in infancy. Daisy, right? I found her urn at the chapel. I thought... wouldn't it be poetic to mix her ashes into the fireworks for tonight’s finale? To celebrate our new beginning?" 4 I drove to the chapel like a madwoman. The niche where Daisy’s ashes were kept was empty. My lungs seized. "Sonia, if you touch her, I will end you!" I screamed into the phone. Sonia just giggled. "Come to the wedding, Claire. If you’re fast, you might catch her before she goes up in smoke." I burst into the ballroom, my hair disheveled, my eyes wild. "Where is she? Where are my daughter’s ashes?" Sonia stood there in her million-dollar gown, twirling. "Kneel. Beg me, and maybe I’ll give her back." I didn't hesitate. I fell to my knees in the middle of the dance floor, in front of the entire high society of the city. I begged. I couldn't gamble with Daisy. "Good girl," Sonia sneered, kicking my shoulder with her silk heel. "You’re more obedient than my poodle." She pulled a small ceramic jar from behind a flower arrangement. My heart hammered against my ribs as I reached for it. "Oops," she said. Her hand 'slipped.' The jar arched through the air and splashed into the deep end of the decorative pool. I dove in. The winter water was bone-chilling, but I didn't care. I scrambled to the bottom, grabbed the jar, and climbed out, shivering and sobbing. "I’ve got you, baby. Mommy’s got you." But the lid was gone. The jar was empty. Blackness swiped at the edges of my vision. The wedding march began to play. I stood up, dripping wet and hollowed out, and stormed toward the altar. "Arthur! Stop the music!" I screamed. "Cancel the fireworks! Now!" Arthur looked at me like I was a rabid animal. "Claire, enough. I offered you a place in our lives and you refused. Don't ruin this day with your insanity." "Mom, get out! You're embarrassing yourself!" Nathan tried to grab my arm to haul me away. I slapped him so hard he stumbled. "There are ashes in those fireworks, Nathan! Your sister’s ashes! Sonia is going to blow her up! Don't you care? She was your sister!" Sonia’s eyes turned red. "I would never... Arthur, why is she doing this to me on our wedding day?" "Liar!" I shrieked. "Daisy died of SIDS, Arthur! You cried for weeks!" I gripped his sleeve, my heart breaking all over again. "I don't care if you love her. I don't care if you stay married. Just give me my daughter back. Stop the fireworks!" "You're a lunatic," Arthur said, signaling the security guards. As they dragged me toward the exit, the first explosion rocked the night sky. BOOM. A burst of shimmering silver light. In the reflection of the glass doors, I saw Sonia’s face. She was smiling at me. A sharp, triumphant curve of the lips. The strength left my body. All that remained was a cold, obsidian hatred. [System Notification: 'Incurable Disease' protocol has been initiated.] I stared at Arthur and Nathan through the glass. "I hope you enjoy what's coming." Arthur sneered. "Seat her at the back. Let her watch how happy we are." The ceremony reached the exchange of rings. Arthur reached for Sonia’s hand. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. He gasped, clutching his chest, as thick, dark blood began to leak from his eyes, his nose, and his ears. He collapsed onto the white carpet, convulsing.
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