My Husband Made My Son Crawl Like a Dog. My Smile Was His Death Sentence

The next three days were a masterclass in deception.

I kept Leo hidden in an exclusive, high-security pediatric trauma center under the alias 'Leo Miller'. I hired armed guards to stand outside his door.

Then, I went back to the house.

When I walked through the front door, Dominic was pacing the living room. Brooke was sipping wine on the sofa, looking bored.

"Where is he?" Dominic demanded, rushing toward me. "Where is the boy?"

I put on a mask of pure, exhausted defeat. I let my shoulders slump. I made my eyes look tired.

"He's at a special care facility," I lied softly. "Victoria was right. He... he is defective. The doctors say he needs institutionalization. I had to let him go."

The tension in the room instantly vanished.

Dominic let out a massive sigh of relief. Brooke actually smiled, raising her wine glass to me.

"Well, look at that," Brooke sneered. "The ice queen finally has a heart. It's for the best, Clara. Now Dominic and I can raise Liam in peace."

"Brooke!" Dominic hissed, glancing at me.

"Oh, stop it, Dom," she pouted. "She's going to find out anyway. We want a divorce, Clara. Dominic is going to marry me. Liam needs a real father."

I looked at Dominic. "Is this true?"

He had the audacity to look slightly guilty before puffing out his chest.

"You've been gone for two years, Clara. Things change. Brooke has been here for me. She gave me a healthy, normal son. A son who will inherit Sterling Enterprises."

"I see," I murmured, staring at the floor to hide the dangerous glint in my eyes. "And the settlement?"

"You leave with nothing," Victoria's voice echoed as she walked down the grand staircase.

"You abandoned your husband for two years. You're an unfit mother. Sign the divorce papers, Clara, and we'll let you walk away without a public scandal."

They threw a thick stack of legal documents onto the coffee table.

I looked at the papers. They wanted me to sign away my shares, my house, and my dignity. They thought I was a broken, grieving mother who just wanted to escape.

I picked up the pen.

"Clara, don't do this if you're going to be hysterical," Dominic warned.

I didn't hesitate. I signed my name with a flourish. Clara Sterling.

Brooke squealed in delight, throwing her arms around Dominic. Victoria smiled smugly.

"Good," Victoria said. "Pack your things. You have until tomorrow to vacate the property. We are hosting the annual Sterling Corporate Gala this weekend to announce Brooke as the new lady of the house, and I don't want your miserable face ruining the photos."

"Of course," I said softly, turning my back to them.

As I walked upstairs to pack my bags, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Vance.

"Background check on Brooke is complete. You were right. Liam is not Dominic's son. The real father is a convicted felon serving time for fraud. I have the DNA results."