Not For Sale

1
The first time Damian cheated, he brought his mistress to me, eyes red, and said her fate was in my hands. Blindly in love, I forgave his “mistake.”
The second time, I had the woman sent abroad with orders never to return.
On our engagement night, Damian gripped my throat, a dagger pressed to my stomach.
His eyes were wild. “Where’s Lily? She’s pregnant.”
“It’s my fault,” he rasped. “I lost control. Punish me, but Lily’s innocent. Let the baby be born safely. I swear I’ll leave her after that.”
He whispered desperately, “You’ve always feared childbirth. What if we just have this one baby? Lily’s child. It will know only you as its mother. I vow.”
The blade broke my skin, blood soaking my dress.
I smiled and told him where to find Lily.
The door slammed. Trembling, I dialed a familiar number.
“You were right,” I said, shaking. “Help me one more time.”
…
On the other end of the line, the man cursed under his breath, his tone laced with exasperation. “You couldn’t have called earlier? I’m already on a flight out of the country. What am I supposed to do for you from here?”
“Vivian, seriously,” he went on, “you’re one of the smartest women I know. How could you fall for the same man’s act twice? Did you trade all your emotional intelligence for your business sense?”
Pressing a hand against the stinging wound on my abdomen, I felt a wave of bitterness wash over me. “I’m sorry. I owe you for this one. Thirty percent off our next joint venture. Is that enough?”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, followed by a sudden jolt of interest. “Send me the time and location. I’ll be there.” A beat of silence, then, “And remember me next time you have a business proposition like this. My rates are very reasonable.”
I sent the complete wedding plans over to Cole. A single “OK” emoji was his immediate reply.
The penthouse we had prepared for our life together had been completely trashed by Damian, a perfect mirror of my own shattered heart. After tending to my wound alone, I stumbled out of the building.
I had just checked into a hotel when Damian’s call came through. The roar of a jet engine was loud in the background, but I could still hear the fury simmering beneath his words.
“Vivian, I’m on a plane now. I can’t be with you tonight. Get some rest. I’m sorry… I was emotional earlier. I never meant to hurt you.” He paused. “Is it bad? I can have my private doctor come see you—”
“Don’t bother,” I cut him off, my voice like ice.
His tone hardened instantly. “Vivian, I told you, what happened with Lily was an accident. I was drugged, I thought she was you. It’s done now, and I have to find her. Am I supposed to let a Blackwood heir be born in some foreign country?”
“You forgave me once before,” he pressed on. “Why are you making such a scene this time? The wedding is in a week. You need to calm down.”
Staring at my chat history with Cole, I spoke with chilling finality. “There’s no need. I’m not marrying you.”
“Damian, I told you before. I don’t tolerate filth in my life.”
I was about to hang up when he exploded. “Not marrying me? Is this a joke? The engagement party is over! The whole world knows the Sterlings and the Blackwoods are merging. You’re telling me this now? Are you using our families’ alliance to threaten me?”
“Vivian, we grew up together! You know me better than anyone. I would never have betrayed you if I hadn't been set up!” His voice was pleading now. “They say ‘third time’s the charm,’ not the second. I’ve only made two mistakes. I swear, after the baby is born, you will never see Lily again. Is that still not enough for you?”
A tear traced a path down my cheek, but my smile was bitter. “And what then? You want me to look at the child you had with another woman every single day? A living, breathing reminder of your betrayal?”
“I can’t do it, Damian. I’m sorry.”
A roar of pure rage answered me. “Fine! Remember what you said. And don’t you dare come crawling back to me!” he snarled. “What man in our circle doesn’t have a mistress? I gave Lily to you, let you decide her fate. I’ve done everything I can. If you can accept it, we get married. If you can’t, then get the hell out of my life. I don’t care anymore.”
The line went dead.
My reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window was a pathetic, broken figure. Suite 13520. It used to be his favorite place for our dates. He said it was filled with the memories of our love. Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries… this room had been ours.
Now, I was the only one who remembered.
Damian must have called my parents, because my phone rang again almost immediately.
“Vivian, what’s going on?” my mother’s anxious voice filled the line. “Damian just told us you’re calling off the wedding!”
“This isn’t a game, honey,” my father added. “You can’t be serious.”
I burrowed deeper into the hotel bed, my voice thick with unshed tears. “His mistress is pregnant.”
“Every man makes mistakes,” my father started, “just get rid of it—”
“I’m not calling it off,” I interrupted. “I’m just marrying someone else. You know him. Cole Vance.”
My father’s advice died in his throat. My mother gasped. “Cole? But you two are mortal enemies! Have you forgotten he nearly set your hair on fire when you were kids?”
I managed a small laugh, trying to sound carefree. “That’s why I want to marry him. So I can torture him for the rest of his life.”
I tossed and turned all night, the pain in my abdomen a constant, throbbing reminder. The next morning, I contacted a realtor to sell the penthouse.
When I went back to pack my things, I saw Damian’s private jet still parked on the sprawling lawn.
I pushed open the door, and my breath caught in my throat. The main wall was covered in dozens of framed photos, a shrine to a happy couple.
But the woman in the pictures wasn’t me. It was Lily.
The glaciers of Iceland, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the scorched remains of Notre Dame. All the places he and I had been, he had taken her, too.
He always claimed he hated having his picture taken. A man in his position, he’d said, could never be too careful. No matter how much I begged, we never had a single photo together.
But for Lily, he had made an exception.
The two of them were standing in front of the photo wall now. Lily was stroking her still-flat stomach, a coquettish smile on her face. “Damian, when the baby is born, can we bring him to all these places? He’ll love them, I just know it. Feel, he’s kicking me already!”
The sound of the door opening made them turn.
When Lily saw me, she immediately dropped to her knees, clutching at my waist. “Vivian, I’m so sorry! It was my fault for not staying away like I promised. Please, don’t be angry with me!” she sobbed. “I just love Damian so much… I swear, I’ll disappear the moment the baby is born. I won’t be a problem…”
Before I could speak, Damian let out a cold laugh. “You don’t need to apologize to her. You were a victim in this, too. If anyone owes you, it’s me.”
He looked up, his eyes meeting mine. “Vivian, I’ve already found out who was behind the setup. Their company will be bankrupt within the month. Lily is innocent. You shouldn’t be blaming her. I’m willing to overlook what you did this time. Just apologize, and we can put this behind us.”
I stared back at him, my gaze devoid of any warmth. It was laughable. “I should apologize? Damian, have you lost your mind?”
The hands at my waist suddenly tightened, fingers digging directly into my fresh wound. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, and I broke out in a cold sweat. I shoved her away.
I hadn’t used much force, but Lily went flying, crashing into a nearby cabinet.
“What the hell are you doing?” Damian roared. He lunged at me, shoving me so hard my forehead slammed against the doorframe. Blood bloomed instantly.
“I think you’re the one who’s lost her mind!” he bellowed. “Lily has humbled herself before you, I’ve explained everything. What more do you want? Apologize, or you’ll see what happens!”
I bit back the wave of humiliation and grief, my voice a low, deliberate snarl. “Never.”
“Apologize to your mistress? Damian, you must be dreaming.”
“You stubborn fool!” His eyes were blazing. He scooped Lily up and carried her into the master bedroom. When he came out, he summoned the entire household staff.
“Where are the chains?” he commanded. “Bring them.”
“The madam has lost her mind,” he announced, his voice ringing with cold authority. “Have her kneel on the grounds until she comes to her senses. No one is to let her up without my direct order.”
My vision went red. “Damian, you’re insane!” I shrieked. “She’s nothing but a home-wrecker! How dare you do this to me? This is my house!”
“But I am the man of it,” he replied, his voice chillingly calm. He didn’t spare me another glance.
The staff dragged me outside, a long, dark smear of blood trailing behind me on the pristine marble floor.
The moment the heavy doors shut, a crack of thunder split the clear sky. A torrential downpour began, drenching me in seconds.
I knelt in the mud, the wounds on my forehead and stomach beginning to burn with fever. My consciousness started to fade.
I looked at the staff member assigned to watch me, my voice barely a whisper. “Let me go… Please, go get Damian… I’m begging you…”
He glanced at me from under the shelter of the eaves, a smirk on his face. “Save it. I’ve seen your little ‘damsel in distress’ act a thousand times. Mr. Blackwood just called his private doctor. He’s a bit busy tending to Miss Lily right now.”
I forced my eyes open, looking up at the second-floor balcony. I could just make out two figures in the dim light.
Then, the world went black.
As I slipped into unconsciousness, I heard a frantic shout. “Sir! Miss Sterling has collapsed! There’s blood everywhere, we need the doctor!”
Familiar footsteps approached. An umbrella appeared over my head. Damian’s voice was as cold as the rain.
“Are you done with your performance? Anyone would think you were the one who’s pregnant.” He sighed, a sound of pure frustration. “Vivian, that temper of yours needs to be broken. I’m doing this for your own good.”
The footsteps retreated. I could see him now, holding Lily in his arms under the awning.
Lily buried her face in his chest, her voice trembling. “Damian, I don’t think she’s faking. Are we being too cruel? She is your fiancée, after all. What if the Sterlings find out…?”
Damian’s face hardened. “After everything I’ve built, you think I’m afraid of the Sterlings? She started this with her unreasonable behavior. You have eight months until you’re due. I can’t have her bullying you the entire time. Her attitude needs to change.”
A flicker of triumph flashed in Lily’s eyes before she quickly masked it with a look of innocent concern. “I’ve heard there’s no love in arranged marriages between powerful families. Is it… is it like that with you and Vivian?”
The rain lashed down, washing over my pale face again and again. For a moment, I thought my heart had stopped.
Then, Damian’s voice, devoid of all emotion, drifted through the storm. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Being born a Blackwood, this alliance was my duty. I didn’t have a choice. Vivian is beautiful, she’s uncomplicated. Compared to the other arrogant heiresses, she was the best option.”
Tears I didn’t know I had left to cry slipped from the corners of my eyes and were lost in the mud.
Damian’s gaze softened as he looked down at Lily, and for the first time, I saw real emotion in his eyes. “I thought that was all my life would ever be. But then you appeared. You were a gift from fate.”
“Thank you, Lily.”
His words were daggers, each one piercing my heart. I couldn’t tell what hurt more, my body or my soul. The memories of our childhood together, the years I thought were filled with innocent love and deep connection, were all a lie.
How pathetic. For twenty years, my only dream was to be his wife. To stand by his side as he built his empire. The boy who had once woven me a crown of willow branches under a summer sky was gone, lost forever in a haze of poisoned memories.
Something inside me snapped. A fresh wave of blood gushed from the wound in my abdomen.
Damian finally seemed to notice something was wrong. He barked at the staff, “What are you waiting for? Go check on her! If anything happens to her, you’re all fired!”
Through the fog of unconsciousness, I felt someone shaking me. Then, I was lifted into a warm embrace. The familiar scent of pinewood and leather almost made me believe we were back in a time when it was just the two of us.
But when I opened my eyes, I was in a guest room. Damian was sitting by the bed, his face a mask of cold fury.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” he demanded. “Are you that stubborn, Vivian? When are you going to change?”
I ignored him, my eyes scanning the room. It was small, cluttered, and shabbier than the servants’ quarters. It was painfully obvious who was now occupying my master suite.
A cold smile touched my lips. I didn’t look at him. “My temper is none of your business. The person you should be worried about right now is Lily.”
I pushed myself up and tore away the gauze dressing on my stomach. “And let me remind you of something. I bought this penthouse. I suggest you have your mistress move out. Immediately.”
My indifference finally broke him. He shot to his feet, his voice shaking with rage. “Enough! Why can’t you be more tolerant? I moved Lily in so you two could support each other, not so you could throw these childish tantrums!”
He took a deep breath, trying to regain control. “Fine. You have eight months until the baby is born. Use that time to calm down. I won’t have the mother of my child be a lunatic.”
With that, he stormed out.
I threw back the covers. The cuts on my knees had been treated by a doctor. I couldn’t help but laugh. He was the cause of all my pain, and now he was playing the part of the concerned caregiver?
The sound of laughter drifted up from downstairs. I took out my phone and lowered the asking price for the penthouse again. I couldn't stand to be in this place for another second.
That evening, the staff prepared a lavish dinner. Almost every dish was seafood, something Damian was severely allergic to. I stood on the second-floor landing, watching, and remembered all the times he had refused to compromise for me in restaurants.
The difference between love and tolerance was so painfully clear.
I went back to what was once my bedroom. My belongings had been thrown out, which saved me the trouble of packing. I called a car, and was about to leave when Lily appeared in the doorway, holding a tray of food.
She smiled sweetly. “Vivian? Here to see your old room? I’m so sorry, Damian said the pregnant lady gets top priority. This is my room now.” She looked around. “If you’re looking for any of your old junk, you might want to check the dumpster. There’s none of it in here.”
The “junk” she was referring to were gifts from Damian.
A cold smile twisted my lips. “Lily, the things you treasure might not be treasures to me. You can have the penthouse. You can have the man. But remember this: the way you get something is the way you’ll lose it. You’re not his first, and you certainly won’t be his last.”
Her face hardened. She smashed the plate on the floor. “Don’t you dare act so high and mighty! You’re just used goods. All you have left is your sharp tongue.” She sneered. “You don’t have to ‘let’ me have him. Damian would choose me anyway. You’ll see.”
Suddenly, she let out a blood-curdling scream, tearing at her own hair. She ran to the balcony and threw herself over the railing. She clung on with one hand, the cold night wind whipping around her as she sobbed hysterically.
“Vivian, why are you doing this to me?!”
Before I could even process what was happening, Damian kicked the door in. He rushed to the balcony, pulled her to safety, and held her tight.
He turned to face me, his eyes burning with a furious hatred, and slapped me hard across the face.
“When will you stop, Vivian?”
Lily buried her face in his chest, her hands clutching her stomach. “Vivian,” she whispered weakly, “I already apologized. Why can’t you just let me go? The baby is innocent. I’m willing to die to make it up to you after he’s born, just please, spare the Blackwood heir…”
I frowned, about to speak, but Damian cut me off.
“Vivian, kneel.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “You think I did this?”
He settled Lily on the bed and advanced on me, his eyes full of menace. “Shouldn’t I? First, you tried to get rid of her. Then you pushed her. This is the third time! Vivian, what reason have you given me to trust you?”
In that moment, whatever love I had left for him vanished.
He didn’t give me a chance to explain. He scooped Lily up and hurried out of the penthouse.
I took down the photos from the wall, one by one, and burned them to ash.
At midnight, I got a text from the realtor.
“Miss Sterling, we have a buyer willing to pay your original asking price. No discount needed. When are you free to sign the papers?”
“Tomorrow,” I replied.
I fired the entire staff.
A full week passed, and I didn't hear a word from Damian. The tabloids were full of paparazzi shots of him at the hospital—in line at the OB-GYN clinic, picking up prescriptions for Lily.
On the morning of our wedding day, Damian pulled up to the penthouse in the wedding car to pick me up.
He opened the door and came face-to-face with a complete stranger. He frowned. “Where’s Vivian? Who are you?”
His assistant rushed up behind him, out of breath. “Mr. Blackwood, sir, there’s been a mistake! Miss Sterling sold the penthouse! She’s marrying into the Vance family today!”

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