The Cost of Betrayal

Rhett Flynn's mistress Ruby Clark was a new actress signed by the company.

Gossip about Rhett and her frequently dominated the trending news.

Lorna Sanderson chose to ignore it all.

When headlines announced that the president of Flynn Enterprises visited a film set to see the lead actress, Lorna was at the stables with her son, Tommy, riding horses.

When reports spread about Rhett purchasing a rare pink diamond for his sweetheart, Lorna was sailing the Nevorian coast of a sunny peninsula with Tommy on a luxury yacht.

When his mistress sent Lorna a provocative video of their passionate sex in a car, she deleted it without watching.

However, while Lorna was away on a business trip, the mistress offered to pick Tommy up from kindergarten for Rhett. On the way, they were kidnapped.

The kidnappers contacted Rhett, demanding twenty million in cash for their release.

Rhett hurriedly arrived with the money.

He believed paying the ransom would ensure Tommy and Ruby's safe return.

At the abandoned warehouse in the outskirts, the kidnappers revealed a cruel condition. Twenty million would only free one of them.

To save both, they demanded fifty million in cash.

Flynn Enterprises had recently expanded overseas, leaving funds limited.

Rhett hesitated. As he began to say to release Tommy first, a kidnapper's menacing laugh interrupted. "This chick's a looker. The boys are gonna have some fun today!"

"She's a star, ain't she? We're in for a treat!"

Ruby's desperate screams followed. "Rhett, they're going to take turns assaulting me! You have to save me first!"

"Tommy's a boy. If you promise to get the money, they won't hurt him."

Rhett agreed to save Ruby.

When Lorna returned from her trip, four-year-old Tommy was covered in bruises and cuts from the kidnappers' abuse.

In the hospital, as soon as Tommy saw Lorna, he threw himself into her arms, sobbing. "Mommy, Daddy saved Ruby first, not me. Those bad guys hit me with a belt..."

Lorna stroked Tommy's scarred little face and battered back, tears streaming down her face.

She never imagined Rhett would treat his own son this way.

A tall figure entered the room.

Lorna turned to face Rhett, the man she loved for over a decade, her voice hoarse with rage. "Rhett Flynn, why would you do this to Tommy? He's your own son!"

Her eyes blazed with fury as she stared at him.

They had been married for seven years.

Before that, Lorna pursued him for nine years.

When he drank himself into a stomach bleed, she stayed by his side, nursing him with soup and appetizers.

When he was injured racing go-karts, she donated blood repeatedly until she was dizzy and could barely walk.

No matter what she did for him, he remained indifferent.

Then Flynn Enterprises was sabotaged by a rival, its finances collapsing in just two weeks, nearing bankruptcy.

To save his family's company, he reluctantly agreed to marry her.

On their wedding night, as Lorna, overjoyed at finally being his wife, reached for him, he pushed her away coldly. "You know this marriage is just a transaction. We'll live our own lives, keep the peace, and I'll keep the marriage going."

Her heart, once warm with hope, turned cold.

That night, he presented a contract stating they would live separately and not interfere with each other. They both signed it.

From then on, Lorna never questioned his affairs.

He was pleased with her compliance.

After Tommy was born, they added a clause to the contract. Neither could ever harm their child.

Meeting her piercing gaze, Rhett tried to explain. "Ruby meant well. No one expected this to happen on the way. She's a woman. If those kidnappers ruined her reputation, it would destroy her career. Tommy just suffered a bit more..."

Lorna's nails dug into her palms.

His words rang hollow, absurd.

Her lips trembled as she forced out, "Rhett, Tommy's only four, and you let him suffer to save your mistress! You don't deserve to be a father!"

Rhett's brows furrowed. He seemed about to speak but remained silent.

He left the room and lit a cigarette in the hallway.

The doctor entered and informed Lorna, "The boy's injuries are superficial. They'll heal in time. His fever is likely from shock."

Lorna looked at Tommy, lying still, his small face pale as paper, lifeless.

When she glanced back, Rhett had disappeared from the hallway.

He had clearly gone to Ruby.

Lorna grabbed a thermos to fetch hot water, intending to use a warm towel to ease Tommy's fever.

At the door, she overheard two nurses whispering in the corridor. "That Flynn guy is weird. His wife's leg has a minor injury, already healed, but he insists she stay in the hospital for observation. Rich people's lives are so precious!"

"She's not his wife. She's the mistress!"

"What? No way! I thought he was a rare catch-rich, handsome, powerful, and so devoted to his wife. Turns out it's true what they say. Money makes men rotten!"

Tears welled in Lorna's eyes, spilling over.

Hatred for Rhett grew in her heart.

That night, after Tommy fell asleep, Lorna, under the dim hospital room light, found the contract from their wedding night on her phone.

The agreement clearly stated that if either broke the contract, the other could demand a divorce, and the violator would leave with nothing.

Lorna sent the contract to her lawyer. "Is this still valid?"

The reply came quickly. "Absolutely."

The hospital room door creaked open, and Rhett's voice followed. "Is Tommy asleep?"