Cinderella for the Billionaire

While I Was Bleeding Out, He Lit Lanterns For Her

Katie Oettgen

As I lay on the floor of our manor, bleeding out from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, I used my last ounce of strength to call my husband, Cole. I begged him for help, my vision blurring. But the only thing I heard was the clinking of champagne glasses and his mistress's giggle in the background. "Stop the drama, June," Cole snapped, his voice cold. "We're about to go on stage. Don't call again." He hung up, leaving me to die alone on the Persian rug while he accepted an award with another woman on his arm. I woke up in the hospital days later. My baby was gone. They had removed my fallopian tube. Cole finally arrived, smelling of expensive scotch and his mistress's perfume. He didn't hug me. He didn't cry. Instead, he leaned over my hospital bed, pressing his knee into the mattress until my fresh stitches tore open and bled. "You embarrassed me by calling an ambulance," he hissed. "My mistress, Alycia, says you're faking it. Clean yourself up." He left me bleeding again to go announce a $10 million donation to Alycia's "groundbreaking" medical research. I stared at the TV screen, numb. The research Alycia was taking credit for? It was mine. I wrote that patent years ago under a pseudonym. They thought I was just a poor, orphan housewife who needed Cole's money to survive. They had no idea I was actually a billionaire scientist hiding my identity. I pulled the IV needle out of my arm. A drop of blood fell onto the divorce papers I had been hiding. I didn't wipe it off. I signed my name right over it. Then I walked into the bank, reactivated my dormant account with $128 million, and bought the penthouse directly overlooking Cole's house. The mourning widow is dead. The avenger is born.

Romance Crime Revenge Pregnancy Enemies to Lovers Pregnancy Personal Growth

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Ella’s POV

“Please, just give me some time. I’ll pay back all the debt in three months,” I beg, with my knees on the ground, my head down and bruises all over my face. From the corner of my eye, I see one of the three men approaching me, I don’t dare to look up. All three of them had tattoos all over their bodies and you don’t mess with those kind of people.

“You better pay us every single penny your boyfriend borrowed,” he said as he grabbed my hair and squeezed my face with full force, “ or you can also choose to pay us back with your body,” he smirked at me and the two behind him laughed at his statement. At that moment I felt like they were vultures, ready to tear my body apart as they desired.

I felt disgusted but I was no position to fight, my ribs felt like they broke from all the beating I endured. One woman against three men, it would have been a clean fight.

“I-l promise you’ll get your money back,” I struggled to speak.

I could hear all three of them laughing, their voices increasing. It’s getting harder to breath and I gasp for some air.

“ELLA! WAKE UP, YOU USELESS WHORE,” I hear someone shouting.

I slowly open my eyes, still adjusting to the bright light coming from the window.

“You think you’re living in a hotel. Get up now, start cleaning the counter and open the shop. You also have some deliveries to make,” Aunt Maggie handed me keys in one hand and cleaner soap in other.

I have been living with her since my boyfriend ran away with his ex-girlfriend. That damn bastard, he’s the only reason I’m living like this even after having a law degree.

My boyfriend, Mark Raymond, was my classmate in law school. He was quite famous for being handsome but had no brains. Mark used to hit on me every time he got a chance, I played hard to get at first as I thought he was just a playboy who was going to break my heart eventually and I had my own big dreams to achieve.

Mark kept trying and after 2 years I said yes to being his girlfriend. I truly loved him, but I didn’t know he had other plans.

He wanted to open a law firm together and I was happy that was finally thinking about bringing things to the next level, the day I thought he was going to propose me was the day he left me in debt and my account bankrupt. He not only took a loan from bank but also burrowed money from the loan sharks.

I had no money, my license got cancelled and no place to live. I was basically homeless for two weeks but then I found out about my mother’s cousin, Aunt Maggie, from the orphanage.

Let me tell you, Aunt Maggie wasn’t very happy to see me. I had nothing to offer her except myself so I begged her to let me live in her house and in return I offered her to look after café she owned. That’s how I became a delivery girl, even after having a degree in law. Aunt Maggie didn’t pay me much so I had to work hard, making deliveries during the day and working as a cleaner in a bar at night. Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t a human anymore, but just a working robot.

“Nikki, your breakfast’s ready,” I say in a low voice. Nikki is Aunt Maggie’s daughter. Ever since I came here, Nikki disapproved of me. I wish I could just smack her face one day for making me do all her chores and college work. She doesn’t treat me like a human, I am just a mere slave to her.

Nikki takes her sleep mask off and the first thing she does instead of giving me a proper reply is she picks up the mirror form the side table and checks her face.

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