My Coldhearted Husband’s Regret

Veronica's vigilance regarding Rose proved tragically prescient. Penny, seething with resentment over Jade's humiliation and their family's declining fortunes, and egged on by a desperate Aurora, devised a plan. They would sneak into Rose's room and "confront" her, convinced that exposing Veronica's "manipulations" and their family's "rightful anger" would shock Rose into seeing the "truth"—or at least ruin Veronica's day.

One afternoon, while the hired caregivers were momentarily distracted with a shift change checklist, Penny and Aurora slipped into Rose's room. Rose, who had been making steady progress, looked up, confused and then frightened by the sudden appearance of these angry, unfamiliar women.

"Your daughter," Aurora hissed, leaning over the bed, "is a vindictive snake! She's destroying this family! She stole from Niall, she turned Cullen against us, she—"

She didn't get further. The door swung open. Veronica stood there, phone recording, her face a mask of icy fury. Behind her were the two caregivers, hospital security, and a horrified Mary who had come to visit.

"I believe you're trespassing and attempting to harass a vulnerable patient," Veronica's voice was lethally calm. "Everything you've just said is recorded. Security, please escort them out. And call the police."

Penny and Aurora were dragged out, sputtering protests. The recording, crystal clear, was handed over to the authorities. Charges of trespassing, harassment, and attempted intentional infliction of emotional distress were filed. The story, with the evidence, leaked to the press. "Crystal/Mack Family Members Caught Harassing Invalid in Hospital Scheme!" The scandal exploded.

The fallout was immediate and severe. Socially, the Crystals and Macks were pariahs. Claude's business, already shaky, lost its remaining credibility and collapsed entirely. Jade, upon hearing the news, had another blood pressure spike and was readmitted to the hospital—this time to a general ward, their influential connections now refusing their calls.

Niall, already struggling, was tainted by association. Investors fled Stellar in droves. Cullen, disgusted by their actions and finally seeing the true nature of the people he'd championed, withdrew all remaining support from the Crystal family and formally cut all professional ties with Stellar, leaving Niall to face the impending bankruptcy alone. Maverick, seeing a sinking ship, also quietly distanced himself.

In the midst of the chaos, Veronica's divorce from Cullen was finalized quietly and efficiently. She asked for nothing beyond what was fair and previously agreed regarding Sabrina. Cullen signed the papers, a hollow shell of his former self, the weight of his regrets crushing him. His "hindsight" was indeed 20/20, but it was too late. Veronica looked at him across the table, not with hatred, but with utter indifference, which cut deeper than any anger.

With the villains facing their deserved ruin—legal, financial, and social—a peaceful calm settled over Veronica's life.

She stood on the balcony of her new, spacious apartment overlooking the city. Below, the traffic flowed smoothly, a testament to her genius. Inside, Sabrina laughed with Mary and Phillip, who were babysitting. Rose, though still fragile, was physically recovering well under Kelsey's care, safe and surrounded by love. The Murray family, though not wealthy, was rich in the warmth and support they gave each other.

Dario joined her on the balcony, handing her a glass of wine. "To success," he said, smiling warmly at her. "And to future partnerships. You were magnificent, Ver."

Veronica smiled back, a genuine, peaceful smile that reached her eyes. She clinked his glass. "To building our own legacy," she replied. "On our own terms."

She looked out at the city lights, no longer a player in someone else's game, but the architect of her own destiny, surrounded by the love of her family and the respect she had earned through her own power. The past was finally, definitively, behind her. The future was hers to design.