Chapter 4: The Marriage They Planned to Destroy
For a moment, I thought I had stopped hearing correctly.
The ballroom was full of people.
Hundreds of voices.
Hundreds of breaths.
Hundreds of eyes watching me.
But all I heard was Chloe’s confession.
“He said he would leave you.””
My fingers tightened around the edge of my torn gown.
“Leave me?””
Chloe’s face drained of color.
She looked around as if searching for someone to rescue her.
Dominic.
Eleanor.
Anyone.
But no one moved.
Because everyone had heard her.
Including him.
Dominic stood frozen near the center of the ballroom.
The man who had promised me forever.
The man who had held my hand during our wedding vows.
The man who had whispered that I was the only person who ever truly understood him.
Now he looked like a stranger caught inside his own lie.
I slowly turned toward him.
“Is that true?””
He didn’t answer.
And somehow, I already knew.
“Dominic.””
His eyes lifted.
“Ava…”
“Is that true?””
His shoulders dropped.
The silence became unbearable.
Then he said the words that destroyed the last piece of hope I had been holding onto.
“I was going to tell you.””
A painful laugh escaped me.
“You were going to tell me?””
I looked around the room.
“At what point?””
He looked away.
“After everything was settled.””
“Settled?””
My voice rose.
“What does that mean?””
No one spoke.
Dominic rubbed his forehead.
“This isn’t how it was supposed to happen.””
I stared at him.
“That sentence doesn’t answer my question.””
Chloe suddenly stepped forward.
“Dominic, stop.””
He turned toward her.
And for the first time that night, his anger wasn’t directed at me.
“What did you think would happen, Chloe?””
Her expression changed.
“You agreed.””
“Yes, but—”
“No.””
Her voice cracked.
“You agreed because you wanted it too.””
The guests watched the two of them.
The perfect bride.
The perfect groom.
The perfect family.
Falling apart in front of everyone.
I looked at Eleanor.
She had been silent for several minutes.
Too silent.
Because I knew her.
I knew the woman who had spent years finding flaws in everything I did.
The woman who criticized my clothes, my cooking, my career.
The woman who once told me, “Women like you should be grateful when a man like Dominic chooses you.””
Now she stood there without a single insult.
Without a single defense.
Because she knew.
She knew the truth was finally out.
My father’s voice came from the tablet.
“Ava.””
I looked down.
“Dad.””
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
“What did he mean by ‘what they needed from me’?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know.
Rebecca stepped forward.
“We may already have an idea.””
She opened another file.
Inside were more documents.
My stomach tightened.
“What are those?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“Records from Bennett Holdings.””
My father’s company.
A company I had spent my entire adult life trying to avoid.
A company I had never mentioned to Dominic beyond saying my father worked in business.
“Why do you have those?””
My father answered.
“Because three months ago, someone attempted to access private information about the company.””
My heart stopped.
“Someone?””
He nodded.
“We traced the request.””
The ballroom waited.
My father looked directly at Dominic.
“It came from someone connected to your husband.””
A wave of whispers spread.
Dominic immediately shook his head.
“No.””
My father’s expression didn’t change.
“You should be careful before denying something you haven’t heard yet.””
Dominic went quiet.
Rebecca continued.
“The request was for information regarding ownership structures, inheritance plans, and potential family transfers.””
I felt cold.
“They were investigating my family?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Rebecca looked toward Dominic.
“That is the question we are trying to answer.””
Dominic stepped forward.
“Ava, listen to me.””
I looked at him.
“I’m listening.””
His face showed desperation now.
“I never wanted to hurt you.””
I almost smiled.
“Do you hear yourself?””
He frowned.
“What?””
“You’re saying you didn’t want to hurt me.””
My voice lowered.
“But you planned to leave me.””
His expression collapsed.
“I was under pressure.””
“From who?””
He looked at Chloe.
Then Eleanor.
That was enough.
I closed my eyes for a second.
Because I remembered every moment I had defended him.
Every time Chloe insulted me.
Every time Eleanor humiliated me.
Every time I told myself Dominic was different.
He wasn’t.
He was simply quieter.
Chloe wiped her eyes.
“You don’t understand what happened.””
I looked at her.
“Then explain.””
She hesitated.
And that hesitation told me everything.
“Three years ago,” she said softly, “when Dominic introduced you to us…”
I waited.
“We thought you were nobody.””
The honesty was almost worse than the cruelty.
The ballroom became still.
Chloe continued.
“We thought you were just some ordinary woman who got lucky.””
I looked at her.
“And?””
Her voice shook.
“Then we found out your father’s company was worth billions.””
The room reacted.
I ignored it.
Because suddenly, all the pieces were connecting.
The questions.
The insults.
The constant reminders that I was “cheap.””
The way they acted like I was beneath them.
They weren’t trying to make me feel small.
They were trying to make me believe I was small.
Because if I believed I was worthless, I would never question why they wanted access to my life.
“I never told you,” I whispered.
Dominic looked at me.
“I know.””
“Then how did you find out?””
No one answered.
I looked at Eleanor.
Her face gave her away.
“You searched.””
She looked down.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
“You searched my background.””
Eleanor finally spoke.
“We were trying to understand who you were.””
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
“You were trying to understand what I had.””
She didn’t deny it.
That was worse.
Dominic moved closer.
“Ava, please.””
I stepped back.
The movement was small.
But he noticed.
And it hurt him.
Good.
Because for the first time tonight, he needed to feel something.
“You married me because of my family.””
“No.””
The answer came immediately.
Too immediately.
“I married you because I loved you.””
“Then why investigate my inheritance?””
He had no answer.
I looked at the man I had built a life with.
The man who knew how I liked my tea.
The man who held my hand through doctor appointments.
The man who painted our daughter’s nursery walls.
How could someone who knew so much about me know so little about what mattered?
Marcus received another notification.
He checked his phone.
Then looked at Rebecca.
She nodded.
“What is it?”” I asked.
Rebecca hesitated.
That scared me more than anything else.
“What?””
She looked at Dominic.
Then at Chloe.
“More information came through.””
My father’s expression sharpened.
“Read it.””
Rebecca opened the message.
“The financial transfers were not the only connection.””
Dominic’s face changed.
“What does that mean?””
Rebecca looked at me.
“Mrs. Bennett…”
I waited.
“The account receiving money from Mr. Bennett was also used to pay a private investigator.””
My heart sank.
“A private investigator?””
“Yes.””
“Investigating who?””
Rebecca looked down at the document.
Then back at me.
“You.””
The room went silent.
I felt my baby move beneath my hand.
A reminder that I had someone else to protect now.
“How long?””
Rebecca turned the page.
“According to the report…”
She paused.
“Two years.””
Two years.
They had spent two years watching me.
Learning about me.
Digging into my family.
While I was building a home with them.
While I was planning our future.
While I was loving them.
My father’s voice became firm.
“Ava.””
“Yes?””
“Ask them one question.””
I looked at him.
“What question?””
His eyes moved toward Dominic.
“Ask your husband what he planned to do after he divorced you.””
My heart stopped.
Because suddenly, I realized something.
Leaving me was only part of the plan.
There had to be something after.
Something they wanted.
Something bigger.
I looked at Dominic.
“After you left me…”
My voice was barely above a whisper.
“What were you going to take?””
His face went completely still.
And in that moment, I knew.
I knew the answer terrified him.
Because it wasn’t money.
It wasn’t my father’s company.
It was something else.
Something much closer.
Dominic finally spoke.
“Ava…”
I took one step closer.
“What?””
His lips parted.
Then closed.
And Chloe whispered the answer before he could.
May you like
“Your daughter.””
The ballroom froze.
