Baron's voice thundered through the mansion, each word striking like a whip. "I said WE ARE DONE! Have you gone deaf?!" His glare was cold and unforgiving, his red-rimmed eyes betraying neither regret nor doubt. The intensity of his anger sent a chill down Isabel's spine, leaving her frozen in place. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision as she stood helpless in the face of his rage.
She couldn't understand how everything had spiraled so quickly. She loved him deeply, believing they shared more than just the life they had built together-the home, the memories, and their two beautiful children. But now, in the span of a few cruel words, all of it seemed to crumble.
"But... I thought..." Isabel's voice came out as a whisper, barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
Baron rolled his eyes in irritation, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Isabel recognized that look; it was the expression he wore whenever he tried to rein in his temper. Over the years, she had learned to read him-his habits, his tells-but this time, his cold detachment was unrecognizable.
"Baron, we've had a good life together," she pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation. "All these years-"
"Yes, we did. But that's in the past," he cut her off, his tone sharp and unyielding. "I want you out!"
The words were like a knife plunging into her chest. Isabel staggered, struggling to process what she had just heard. "You can't just throw me out! I'm your wife, Baron!" she said, her voice breaking under the weight of her disbelief and anguish.
He laughed, a cold, mocking sound that echoed in the room. "I made you my wife," he sneered. "I helped you become who you are today. Before me, nobody even knew your name. Nobody cared about you."
Isabel inhaled sharply, trying to choke back the tears threatening to consume her. "You're cruel," she said softly, her voice barely steady.
Baron's expression hardened, his cold gaze piercing through her. "Why, Baron?" she asked, desperate for answers. "Why are you doing this now? What has changed?"
He shrugged, his indifference stinging more than any harsh words could. "Because this was never meant to last," he said flatly. "I was foolish to think it could."
Isabel opened her mouth to respond, but he silenced her with an impatient wave of his hand. "I'm done, Isabel. Just pack your things and leave. I don't want a gold digger living in my house anymore."
His words hit her like a thunderclap, and her breath caught in her throat. For years, she had endured the whispers and side-eyes from his family and friends, the constant judgment of her background. But she had believed Baron loved her for who she was. Had she been fooling herself all along?
"You want me to leave?" she asked, her voice eerily calm.
"Did I mumble?" Baron snapped, his tone dripping with condescension.
Isabel nodded slowly, her mind racing to make sense of the betrayal. "Fine," she said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. "But if I go, you'll never see me or the children again."
Baron's lips curled into a cold smile. "Oh, I will see you," he said with chilling certainty. "Because you'll be leaving without them."