Blurb：
After eight years of marriage, Stella finally gains approval from Fabian’s mother, Adriana, only for her world to shatter during a Christmas trip. When Fabian abandons Stella and their son Luca in a snowstorm to rescue his friend Roxana, tragedy strikes—Luca dies in a trap accident. As Stella grieves alone, Fabian and Roxana flaunt their relationship on social media, exposing a web of betrayal. Stella’s journey of heartbreak and revenge unfolds, from firing Roxana to confronting Fabian’s coldness. This emotional rollercoaster explores themes of family drama, toxic relationships, and a mother’s love, set against a backdrop of winter suspense and dramatic twists.
Content：
Eight years into marriage, and Fabian’s mom finally gave me and my son her stamp of approval. Invited us to spend Christmas in his hometown.
My sonLuca–and I were hyped. We picked out a gift for her and hit the road with Fabian.
Right as we pulled into the village, Fabian’s old friend calledcrying, claiming she’d crashed her car.
Fabian panicked. Left me and Luca in some random snowy mountain town and sped off.
It was pitch black. Snow dumping down.
Then Luca screamed. He’d stepped on a trap and dropped into a pit. Blood everywhere.
I called Fabian, totally panicked.
He goes, “Stella, Roxana’s in a wreck. I need to be with her. Stop making everything a competition.”
Then he hung up. Blocked me.
No time to fall apart. I wiped my face, called an ambulance.
Too far out. By the time they got there, Luca was already gone. Cold. Broken. Gone.
I held him and screamed until my lungs gave out.
Meanwhile, Roxana’s posting in the social media. All smiles in Fabian’s arms. His face soft. Loving.
[Highway jam turned into truth or dare. One word”accident”and he came flying. So happy.]
I exhaled. Tagged Fabian.
[Let’s get a divorce.]
This joke of a marriage should’ve ended forever ago.
Chapter 1
Right after I hit post, Fabian called.
“Stella, seriously? Roxana posts one thing and you’re already screaming divorce? What’s everyone in the group chat gonna think of her? Take it back and apologize.”
I was holding Luca’s body while he went off.
Tears hit again.
“All you care about is her. Do you even get that Luca died while you were with Roxana? If you’d just come back, maybe he”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
He hung up.
Then two texts popped up.
[Your lies never end.]
[If you won’t apologize to Roxana, then take Luca and leave. My family doesn’t want you here.]
Even through the screen, he felt ice cold.
How did I waste all those years just because he once said he loved me?
I wiped my face. Couldn’t even argue anymore. Just typed:
[Luca’s gone. We’re at St. Mary’s in Valea. Come. Once the funeral’s over, we’re done.]
Didn’t send. Red exclamation mark.
Tried calling. Blocked.
“Wow, Fabian. You really went all in.”
Luca’s last words kept echoing’Daddy, it hurts.’ Felt like getting stabbed straight through.
I took him home. Planned the funeral alone.
Fabian never showed. I couldn’t reach him.
But Roxana’s Insta? Very alive.
Christmas Eve, she and Fabian were decorating a tree. Smiling, stringing lights.
His mom, Adriana, commented: [That’s the daughter-in-law I’ve always wanted. So capable and festive. Not like someone who just sulks and ruins the holiday spirit.]
She’d hated me from day one. Spent eight years trying to get Fabian to dump me.
Christmas Day, Roxana showed up at Fabian’s family dinner.
His relatives started teasing them about wedding plans.
Fabian didn’t say a wordjust kept carving roast for her.
He never did that for me. Never did it for Luca.
The next day was Luca’s funeral.
Roxana posted a video. She was riding on Fabian’s shoulders, laughing in a crowd.
Caption: [He wouldn’t let his son ride on his shoulders, but look at me now.]
Fabian never came to the funeral.
I stumbled home, holding Luca’s urn like I was sleepwalking.
Kept hearing someone whisper “Mom.” Every time I looked backnothing.
Luca, I wish you could come back and visit me. I’d trade my life for yours.
I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. I was gonna lose it if I didn’t do something.
So I trashed everything that belonged to Fabian. Then I called HR and fired Roxana.
A few minutes later, Fabian stormed in, face dark.
I clutched Luca’s urn, eyes burning.
“If I’d known firing her would drag you back, I’d have done it sooner. Maybe then you would’ve shown up for your son’s funeral. This” I held the urn tighter. “This is all that’s left of him. You still wanna see him?”
Chapter 2
I’d pictured a thousand ways Fabian might react.
But I never saw this cominghe stormed in, ripped the urn out of my arms, and smashed it to the floor.
“Stella Cantemir, seriously? Just ’cause I went to check on Roxana, you and Luca ghosted my hometown? Then you lie about Luca dying and fire Roxana? Is ruining everyone’s life your full-time job now?”
I just stood there, frozen, staring at the ashes scattered across the floor. The urn was cracked.
My brain short-circuited.
“Luca… Luca… does it still hurt?”
I dropped to my knees, shaking, trying to scoop his ashes back into the broken urn, one trembling handful at a time.
Then Fabian snatched it out of my hands.
“Still pretending? You live for the drama, huh?”
He turned, heading for the bathroom.
“What are you doing? Give it back!”
I ran after him, but he shoved me aside.
“Stella Cantemir, Luca wasn’t just your son. I let it go every time you used him to chase attention. But now you’re faking his death? You make me sick.”
He lifted the toilet lid.
My heart dropped. “No! Fabian, that WAS Luca”
Before I could finish, he flushed.
Then he looked at me, cold. “I’m bringing Roxana back to the company. Hurt her again, and I’ll divorce you on the spot.”
Roxana called. He answered like she was the one grieving.
“Don’t cry. I’ll be right there. I won’t let anyone touch you.”
Then he left. Didn’t even glance back.
I hit the floor.
“Ahhh!”
Screamed until my throat gave out, beating my chest like it could stop the ache.
What did Luca ever do wrong?
He died torn up and bleeding. Now even his ashes were gone.
I cried until I blacked out. Burned up with fever. They rushed me to the ER.
People came. Family. Friends.
My best friend, Cece, wrapped her arms around me, sobbing.
“Stella, please. Hang in there. Luca wouldn’t want this.”
“Cece, I can’t… I just can’t.”
“I know. But the ones who should be suffering are that cheating pair. Not you.”
***
I was stuck in the hospital for two weeks, running on zero sleep.
Roxana kept blowing up my phonenasty messages she’d delete right after.
[That little brat deserved to die.]
[Why didn’t you die with him?]
[While you were bawling over that mutt’s body, Fabian and I were screwing in the car.]
Every time I shut my eyes, I saw Lucabloody, broken, screaming.
And Fabian? Laughing with her.
Some friends finally snapped and called Fabian.
He didn’t bother showing upjust called.
“My mom wants to see Luca. Quit the drama and bring him over.”
“Luca’s dead. If she’s that desperate, she can go die too. They’ll meet up just fine.”
“Stella! You’re losing it! Keep that up and maybe you’ll curse him for real. See how you like that!”
He hung up, pissed.
Never once showed. Never even checked if it was true.
I used to feel broken. Now? Just hollow and pissed.
I hated Roxana for tearing up my marriage. Hated Fabian more for letting her hurt me and Luca again and again.
This marriage should’ve been over ages ago.
I had a lawyer draw up the divorce paperswas gonna hand them to Fabian the second I got out.
But then my assistant called, totally freaking out.
“Ms. Cantemir, it’s bad. Your AI projectthe one you ledit got pushed into client meetings early… and Roxana Petrescu from the secretarial team took your place as lead.”
My brain short-circuited. I shoved the divorce papers in my bag and bolted to the office.
Didn’t even get past the gate.
Fabian was there with security, blocking me.
“Stella, Roxana’s already handling the meetings. Don’t make a scene.”
I stared him down. “I’m causing a scene? Fabian, I built that project from nothing. What gives Roxana the right to take over?”
“You hurt her. Think of this as making it up to her.”
I laughedcold. “You’re unbelievable. You two let my son die. I haven’t even come for you yet, and now you’re stealing my work? Do you even have a soul?”
You were the one who proposed.
You promised a family. A life.
And now, you’ve turned everything into a nightmare.
What did I ever do to deserve this?
But Fabian looked even more pissed. “Lied straight to my face!
“I told you Roxana was like a sister, and you still spread rumors she was my mistress and killed our kid. Ever think how that made her feel?
“You cursed your own son at Christmashow sick is that?”
Why would I ever joke about my child dying?
I was shaking. Couldn’t even speak. Just yanked the death certificate and cremation report from my bag and flung them at him.
“You still don’t believe me? Wanna swing by the police station and check for yourself?”
Fabian’s friend Ivan walked up.
“It’s true, man. Everything she said. My sister prepped Luca’s body… said it was covered in wounds. The bleeding wouldn’t stop. He suffered. Bad.”
Fabian’s hands shook as he picked up the papers.
He stared at them, all the anger leaking out of his facejust raw pain left behind.
When he looked at me again, his eyes were drowning in it.
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