Chapter 4 The Viral Scandal

Vanessa lunged at Cora like a wild animal, her nails aimed straight for her face.

But Cora was faster.

She ducked to the side, and Vanessa stumbled forward, nearly crashing into the wall. Liam caught her before she fell.

"You crazy bitch!" Vanessa shrieked, her perfect face twisted with rage. "Do you know who I am? I will destroy you! I will ruin your pathetic little life!"

"My life is already ruined," Cora shot back, her voice hoarse. "Thanks to both of you."

Liam's eyes darkened. He let go of Vanessa and stepped toward Cora, his fists clenched. "You need to learn some respect."

"Respect?" Cora laughed bitterly. "You want me to respect you? After what you just did to me?"

"Sign the papers, Cora." Liam's voice was low and dangerous. "Sign them now, or I swear-"

"Fine!" Cora screamed. "FINE!"

She bent down and snatched the divorce papers from the floor. Her hands shook so badly she could barely hold the pen Liam shoved at her. But she signed. She signed every page, her tears falling onto the paper and smudging the ink.

When she finished, she threw the papers at Liam's chest. They scattered across the floor like dead leaves.

"There," she said, her voice trembling with fury and heartbreak. "Are you happy now?"

Liam picked up the papers, checking each signature carefully. A slow smile spread across his face. "Very."

"Good." Cora straightened her shoulders, forcing herself to look him in the eye one last time. "Because I want every cent I spent on you paid back. Every single cent. The rent I paid. The food I bought. The bills I covered while you sat on your ass waiting for your big break. I want it all back."

Liam laughed. "You are delusional."

"And you..." Cora's voice dropped to a whisper, but it carried more weight than any scream. "You will regret this. I promise you, Liam. One day, you will look back and realize what you lost. And by then, it will be too late."

"The only thing I regret," Liam said coldly, "is wasting three years on you."

Cora's heart clenched, but she refused to let him see her break again. She turned on her heel and walked toward the door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Vanessa's voice rang out behind her.

Cora did not stop. She reached for the door handle.

"I said, where do you think you are going?"

Suddenly, hands grabbed Cora from behind. Liam's hands. He yanked her backward so hard she almost fell.

"Let go of me!" Cora struggled, but he was too strong.

"You do not get to just walk out of here," Liam hissed in her ear. "Not after what you said to Vanessa. Not after you put your hands on us."

"I do not care!" Cora twisted in his grip. "Let me go!"

Vanessa appeared in front of her, her face still flushed with anger. "You think you can insult me and just leave? You think you can call me a prostitute and walk away?"

"Then what?" Cora spat. "What are you going to do? Hit me again? Go ahead. It will not change anything."

Vanessa's eyes narrowed. Then, without warning, she slapped Cora across the face. Hard.

The sound echoed through the apartment. Cora's head snapped to the side, and she tasted blood again.

"That is for disrespecting me," Vanessa said softly.

Liam shoved Cora toward the door. She stumbled, catching herself against the wall.

"Get out," he said. "Get out and never come back. You are nothing to me now. Less than nothing."

Cora straightened slowly, her whole body aching. She looked at them one last time-the man she had loved and the woman who had destroyed her.

"Goodbye, Liam," she whispered.

Then she opened the door and walked out.

---

The hallway was spinning. Or maybe it was just her head. Cora could not tell anymore. She pressed her hand against the wall, trying to steady herself. Her cheek burned. Her heart felt like it had been carved out of her chest with a dull knife.

The elevator ride down felt like drowning. Slow. Suffocating. When the doors finally opened, Cora stumbled out into the lobby.

The security guard looked up, then did a double take. "Miss? Are you alright?"

Cora did not answer. She just kept walking.

Outside, the evening air hit her face. It was cool and fresh, but it did not help. Nothing helped.

She walked past her delivery bike without even seeing it. Her feet carried her forward automatically, one step after another. She did not know where she was going. She just knew she had to move. Had to keep going. If she stopped, she would fall apart completely.

People stared at her as she passed. A woman with a swollen, bleeding face and tears streaming down her cheeks. She must have looked insane.

"Hey! Hey, are you okay?"

A voice called out to her. Cora turned and saw a girl around her age, holding a phone and looking concerned.

"Did someone hurt you?" the girl asked, stepping closer. "Do you need help? Should I call the police?"

Cora opened her mouth, but no words came out. What would she even say?

The girl's eyes widened suddenly. "Wait... I know you. You are... oh my God, you are Liam Kingston's wife! I have seen you in photos before!"

No. No, no, no.

"What happened to your face?" The girl pulled out her phone. "Did Liam do this to you?"

"Please," Cora finally found her voice. "Please, just leave me alone."

But the girl was already recording. "This is crazy. Everyone needs to know about this. Liam Kingston is supposed to be this perfect guy, but look what he did to his wife!"

"Stop," Cora begged. "Please stop."

But the girl did not stop. She kept filming, kept talking into her phone.

Cora turned and ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her lungs burning, her vision blurring with tears.

Behind her, she could hear the girl's voice. "I am posting this right now. Everyone needs to see this. Liam Kingston is a monster."

---

Across the city, in a towering penthouse office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering skyline, a man sat at his desk reviewing contracts.

Ethan Sterling was thirty-two years old, and he had built his reputation on being meticulous, ruthless, and always in control. As the head of Sterling Productions and one of the top lawyers in the country, nothing escaped his attention.

His phone buzzed. He ignored it. It buzzed again. And again.

With a sigh, Ethan picked it up. Notifications flooded his screen. Social media alerts. News alerts. All saying the same thing.

BREAKING: Actor Liam Kingston's Wife Found Injured and Crying in the Street

VIDEO GOES VIRAL: Delivery Girl Wife Abused by Rising Star

Liam Kingston Divorce Scandal Explodes Online

Ethan frowned and clicked on one of the videos. The footage was shaky, clearly filmed on a phone. It showed a young woman with a bruised face, tears streaming down her cheeks, looking completely broken.

The caption read: "This is Liam Kingston's wife. He threw her away like trash. SHARE THIS EVERYWHERE."

Ethan watched the video again. Then again. Something about the woman's face tugged at his memory. Something familiar.

He paused the video and zoomed in.

There, barely visible on her left wrist, was a small birthmark. Shaped like a crescent moon.

Ethan's blood ran cold.

He stood up so fast his chair fell backward. His hands trembled as he grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

"Ryan. Caleb. Get to my office. Now."

"What is wrong?" Ryan's voice came through, concerned.

Ethan stared at the frozen image on his screen. At the birthmark. At the face that looked so much like the photograph their father had kept on his desk for twenty-five years.

"I think..." His voice cracked. "I think we found her."