After seven years of devotion, I finally became pregnant with my fiancé Coleton's twins. But he secretly terminated the pregnancy, claiming it was for my health. The real reason? His ex-girlfriend, Annis, suggested it. He came to the hospital late, a fresh hickey on his neck, and instead of comforting me, he forced me to post a public apology to Annis for causing her "drama." He even used my phone to flirt with her, planning their dinner date right in front of me while I was still bleeding from the procedure he ordered. When I refused to play along, he abandoned me at the hospital exit, causing me to fall and get a concussion. Later, I found them in our bed, and he had the audacity to invite me to their "celebratory" dinner. "You're doing this for me, right?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face. "So I can finally be happy with Annis?" I looked at the man I had given my life to, the man who had just stolen our children from me, and saw a stranger. This time, there would be no tears, no second chances. I took the pre-nup he signed years ago-the one that gave me a huge chunk of his company if he ever betrayed me-and walked away for good.
After seven years of devotion, I finally became pregnant with my fiancé Coleton's twins. But he secretly terminated the pregnancy, claiming it was for my health.
The real reason? His ex-girlfriend, Annis, suggested it.
He came to the hospital late, a fresh hickey on his neck, and instead of comforting me, he forced me to post a public apology to Annis for causing her "drama." He even used my phone to flirt with her, planning their dinner date right in front of me while I was still bleeding from the procedure he ordered.
When I refused to play along, he abandoned me at the hospital exit, causing me to fall and get a concussion. Later, I found them in our bed, and he had the audacity to invite me to their "celebratory" dinner.
"You're doing this for me, right?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face. "So I can finally be happy with Annis?"
I looked at the man I had given my life to, the man who had just stolen our children from me, and saw a stranger. This time, there would be no tears, no second chances. I took the pre-nup he signed years ago-the one that gave me a huge chunk of his company if he ever betrayed me-and walked away for good.
Chapter 1
My fiancé, Coleton Stephenson, was late. Again. The soft hum of the waiting room was a stark contrast to the frantic beat of my heart. Every tick of the clock felt like a hammer blow against my ribs. He had promised he' d be here, right after his board meeting. It was always a meeting.
The heavy door creaked open, and Coleton finally walked in. He moved with that easy, confident stride that always turned heads. His eyes, usually sharp and focused, were a little too bright. A smile, too wide, stretched across his face.
He saw me, his expression softening to what he thought was reassurance. He walked over, his arm already reaching to pull me into him.
"Baby, I'm so sorry I'm late," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Traffic was a nightmare."
I stiffened before his hand could even touch my skin. A cold wave washed over me. I pulled back, almost imperceptibly, just enough to avoid the contact.
He froze, his hand hovering in the air. His smile faltered.
"Everything alright, Clarissa?" he asked. The concern in his tone felt manufactured, a performance.
I kept my gaze steady, not meeting his eyes directly. My eyes locked onto the faint, reddish mark just beneath his jawline. It was small, almost hidden by his perfectly tailored collar, but it was there. A fresh, tell-tale bruise.
A hickey.
My stomach clenched. I said nothing. My silence hung heavy in the air between us, a suffocating blanket.
He cleared his throat, dropping his hand to his side. "Look, about what happened..." he started, his voice a little too casual. "The doctor said it was for your own good. A necessary procedure."
He was talking about the D&C. The procedure that had ended my pregnancy, our pregnancy, just two days ago. The high-risk pregnancy. The high-risk but viable twin pregnancy.
"My own good?" I finally spoke, the words feeling foreign and rough in my throat. My voice was barely a whisper.
He nodded, stepping closer again, his hand reaching for my arm this time. "Yes, Clarissa. Dr. Evans explained the risks. Given your condition, it was the safest option. We don't want you getting seriously ill, do we?"
His words were a carefully constructed lie. I knew the truth. I had seen the report. The embryos were healthy. They were healthy. He hadn't done this for my health. He had done it for his. Or rather, for hers.
His touch burned my skin. It didn't soothe me. It made me want to recoil, to scream. But I just stood there, letting his fingers dig into my arm. I stared at him, my vision blurring slightly.
"You really think you did this for my health?" My voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
His brow furrowed. "Of course, I do. Who else would I do it for? You're my fiancée." He paused, then dropped his voice. "And look, I know you're upset. Annis reached out to me. She saw those stories circulating online. She's really distressed by the drama. It' s affecting her, Clarissa. Her divorce just finalized, and she doesn't need this kind of negativity right now."
Annis. Always Annis.
"Drama?" I echoed, the word tasting like ash in my mouth.
He pulled out his phone, already scrolling. "Yes, drama. You know, those old posts. I had them taken down, but some people are still talking. It's really unfair to Annis. She' s been through a lot." He looked up, his movements quick and practiced. "We need to fix this. For her. For us."
He navigated to a social media app. "Here, let's take a picture. A nice one. You can post an apology, clear the air. Tell people there's no bad blood between you and Annis."
He held the phone up, angling it to catch the light. His face was already composed into a sympathetic, caring expression. A CEO, always aware of his image.
I instinctively leaned away, my body refusing to cooperate. My head felt light, dizzy.
He sighed, his patience visibly wearing thin. "Clarissa, come on. Just a quick one. We'll show everyone we're united." He adjusted the angle again, trying to get me fully in the frame. "It'll look good. For everyone."
He pressed the shutter button. The flash momentarily blinded me. When my vision cleared, I saw the preview. He was smiling broadly, but my face was half-hidden, a blurry, almost spectral presence at the edge of the frame. My eyes were vacant, lifeless.
He looked at the image, then back at me. "Perfect!" he declared, a triumphant glint in his eyes. "Just what we need. Post this with a caption. Something warm, apologetic. Say you regret causing Annis any distress."
My breath hitched. "No," I said, the word a steel rod in my spine.
He blinked. "No? What do you mean, no?"
"I mean, 'no'," I repeated, louder this time. A flicker of something, maybe anger, maybe bewilderment, crossed his face. "You can't have your cake and eat it too, Coleton."
The old proverb tasted bitter on my tongue. He used to hate public displays of affection, especially if they involved me. "It's unprofessional, Clarissa," he'd always said. "Keep our relationship private." Now, with Annis, suddenly it was vital for me to publicly apologize.
It was never about me. It was never about us. It was always about Annis. My heart twisted, a cold, hard knot. I finally understood.
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