LET ME by Bella Jay

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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I sighed a million times walking from the house to the car parked in front of the street. I stared at the house for the millionth time, trying to will my feet to move. I hated staying with my stepmom Mabel and it was obvious she shared that same idea. I'd be pissed too if my husband slept with some random person two days after our marriage.

I went inside and just my luck,Mabel and my half brother Ryan were in the living room. I greeted out of habit even though it was so unnecessary. I never got answered.

I was about to go to my room when Mabel called me. "A word?"

I followed her to the kitchen obviously because she didn't want her son to hear our conversation. Maybe she was finally kicking me out. She had no use for me anyways. Dad had already signed the divorce papers.

"I received an email from your school this morning. "

"I swear to God he punched me first. It was self defense. "

She looked at me like I sprouted two heads and I took that as a cue to shut up. "There was a gas leak in your school yesterday. And quite unfortunately,there was a student smoking not far from there. There was a fire."

I looked at Mabel as she talked. She always talked to me like I was a child. It pissed me off. "Okay?", I asked trying to hurry her up.

"Students have been dismissed. I talked to your father and you're starting school with my son next week." her expression was tight as if to say there's no room for complaints.

I nodded with a curt smile on my face. "Okay then."

A smile was far from my face. Ryan went to a private school that brought out the pricks in people. I had had my fair share of them to last me an entire lifetime.

...

"Wake up." A voice said while aggressively smacking me with a pillow. I knew Mabel couldn't be bothered to wake me up so I was rather surprised to see Ryan.

"Yes how may I help you?"

"Are you a log? Why are you still sleeping? It's already 7 a.m"

I must've still been sleeping because there was no way in hell Ryan would be bothered to go to my room just to tell me I was running late. "Do you care about me?", I teased.

"You wish. I have some rules for you. I expect strict adherence to them."

"You can't be serious." I said slipping out of bed. I went to the bathroom and are surprised Ryan is still following me. "Go away. Do you want to see me naked?."

"Not even as a corpse. Don't talk to me when we get to school. In fact, pretend as if you don't know me and I'll do same. You're not allowed to tell anyone we're related."

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