---- Chapter 15 Ava turned her back on Mark and Chloe, her hands shaking. She went to Leo, who was now being comforted by Danny. She knelt and hugged her son tightly. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here. They won't hurt you again." Disgust. Desire for escape from the toxic scene. She ignored Mark's sputtering. Chloe, clutching her cheek, immediately resumed her victim act for Mark. "Mark, she hit me! My face! And my leg! She's a violent psycho! What if she hurt the baby?" Manipulation. Hypocrisy. Feigned pain. Ava, overhearing, spun around. She strode back to Chloe. Before anyone could react, she slapped Chloe again, on the other cheek. Then she delivered a swift kick to Chloe's other shin. "There! Now you're symmetrical, you lying cow! And don't you *ever* use your imaginary baby as a shield with me again!" Annoyance. Disgust. Physical aggression. A final, contemptuous dismissal. Mark rushed to Chloe's side, fussing over her. "Chloe! Are you okay? Oh my god, Ava, you're insane!" ---- He didn't even look at Ava as she finally walked away with Danny and Leo. Misplaced concern. Mark felt a surge of guilt as Chloe leaned heavily on him, whimpering. "She's just jealous, Mark. She can't stand to see us happy." Chloe exploited his guilt instantly. Guilt. Manipulation. Maya, ever the dutiful mini-manipulator, started crying again. "Mean Ava hurt my mommy! And she hurt my ice cream!" Manipulation. Disgust. Mark, thoroughly manipulated, felt a fresh wave of rage at Ava. "That's it. I'm calling the police. 'm pressing charges for assault." Anger. Misplaced justice. He fumbled for his phone. Chloe, surprisingly, grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with something that looked like fear. "No, Mark! Don't! It'll just be more scandal. More press. We don't need that. Let it go. I'll be fine. It's not worth it." Fear. Manipulation. She knew a police report could lead to uncomfortable questions for *her*. Mark looked at her, his heart swelling with misplaced admiration. "Chloe, you're too good. Too forgiving. After what she did." ---- He misread her fear as kindness, as selflessness. Delusion. "I'll protect you, Chloe," Mark vowed. "And our baby. And Maya. Ava and Leo... they're out of our lives. For good." Loyalty. Determination. A promise to his new family. Chloe and Maya exchanged a tiny, triumphant glance over Mark's shoulder. Their manipulation had worked perfectly. Triumph. Satisfaction. Later that week, Mark was scrolling through a business journal online. A headline caught his eye: "Ava Rodriguez's 'The Sweet Spot Bakery' Secures Prime Location with Investment from Tech Entrepreneur Daniel Chen. Rumored Romance Brewing." The article detailed Danny's significant investment and alluded to their close personal relationship. Photos showed Ava and Danny laughing, looking very much like a couple. Shock. Jealousy. A sharp, unexpected pain lanced through Mark's chest. He felt an overwhelming impulse to call Ava, to demand an explanation. He reached for his phone, then stopped. Impulse. Resistance. No. He had made his choice. Chloe was his future. Ava was ---- his past. He had to stay away. For his own sanity. For Chloe's sake. Stubbornness. Pride. He reaffirmed his decision, despite the ache. Mark picked up takeout - Chloe's favorite Thai food - and headed back to the upscale rental they were living in, their old house now a source of too many bad memories and potential legal entanglements from the divorce settlement. Routine. Obligation. As he approached the apartment, he heard voices from the slightly ajar door. Chloe and Maya. "..and then Mommy pretended to cry, and Daddy Mark got SO mad at mean Ava!" Maya said, giggling. Chloe laughed. "That's right, sweetie. Daddy Mark is so easy to fool. He believes anything | say. That whole 'black mold' in the old apartment? Totally made it up so we could move into their big house. And that 'twisted ankle' at the networking event? Fake! Just to make him feel like my hero and get that ambulance. Even that time | 'tripped' at the park and made it look like Ava pushed me? All me, baby! He bought it all!" Mark stopped dead. The bag of food slipped from his numb fingers, scattering containers on the floor. He felt a coppery taste in his mouth. He swayed, then coughed, spitting blood onto the pristine hallway carpet. Shock. Betrayal. Horror. The overheard dialogue revealed the full, horrifying extent of their manipulation. ---- Mark stared at the closed door, his mind reeling. Chloe. Maya. They had deliberately framed Ava. Deliberately destroyed his family. All those times Ava had tried to warn him... All those times he'd called her paranoid, jealous, crazy... Disbelief. Anger. Profound, soul-crushing regret. He sank to his knees in the hallway, the stench of spilled curry filling the air. The weight of his own foolishness, his monstrous cruelty to Ava and Leo, crashed down on him. Remorse. Self-blame. Agony. "Ava... Leo..." he choked out, tears streaming down his face. "What have | done?"