Unloved wife of the CEO

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 thought my boyfriend of three years, Jaxon Tate, was my soulmate. Our life was perfect. Tonight, while borrowing his phone to order dinner, I accidentally opened his notes app.

That's when I found "Denzel's List." Denzel was his older brother, who died two years ago. The list contained 400 tasks.

"Take Elfrieda Stewart to the movies for my brother."

"Propose to Elfrieda Stewart for my brother."

"Love Elfrieda for the rest of her life for my brother."

Before I could even breathe, he took a call on the balcony from a woman named Janice. His secret wife.

"Of course, I love you," I heard him tell her. "Marrying Elfrieda is just… a business transaction. It's to honor Denzel's dying wish."

My world shattered. Our entire three-year relationship was a lie. Every "I love you," every touch was just an item on a checklist. I wasn't his soulmate; I was a task to be completed for a dead man. I was the other woman, and I didn't even know it.

He came back inside, smiling his perfect, fake smile. "Sorry about that, a crisis at the office." He then suggested a trip to see the northern lights, another item I was sure was on his list.

As he leaned in to kiss me, I picked up my own phone and sent a text to my brother.

"Can you come get me? I need to come home."

Chapter 1

The soft glow of the lamp filled the living room. I leaned my head against Jaxon Tate's shoulder, the scent of his cologne a familiar comfort. We had been together for three years, and tonight, like many nights, felt perfect.

"What should we order for dinner?" I asked, reaching for his phone on the coffee table. "I'm thinking Thai."

"Whatever you want, El," he murmured, his fingers tracing patterns on my arm.

I unlocked his phone, his screen background a smiling photo of us in Paris. My heart felt full. I tapped on the food delivery app, but my thumb slipped, closing the app and revealing his home screen. A notes app icon had a red notification badge on it.

Curiosity got the better of me. It was probably just a grocery list. I opened it.

The title of the note was "Denzel's List." Denzel was his older brother, who had passed away two years ago. My eyes scanned the contents, and a strange feeling washed over me.

1. Take Elfrieda Stewart to the movies for my brother.

2. Cook Elfrieda Stewart her favorite pasta for my brother.

3. Buy Elfrieda Stewart the violin she wanted for my brother.

...

157. Propose to Elfrieda Stewart for my brother.

...

319. Marry Elfrieda Stewart for my brother.

400. Love Elfrieda Stewart for the rest of her life for my brother.

There were 400 tasks. Every single one was about me. And every single one ended with the same four words: "for my brother."

The air in the room suddenly felt thin. My hands started to tremble. This wasn't a to-do list. It was a script. A set of instructions.

"What's wrong?" Jaxon asked, his voice pulling me from my daze. "You look pale."

I quickly locked the phone and placed it back on the table, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Nothing. Just… thinking about a sad part in a movie I watched."

The lie tasted bitter in my mouth. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't process the meaning behind that list. Was our entire relationship just an obligation? A promise to a dead man?

He didn't press further. He just pulled me closer, his embrace feeling like a cage. "Don't worry about it. Let's just order the food."

A few minutes later, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and his expression shifted. It was a subtle change, a flicker of something I couldn't name, but it made my stomach clench.

"I have to take this," he said, getting up and walking toward the balcony. "It's work."

I watched him slide the glass door shut, but it didn't click. A small gap remained. I couldn't help myself. I crept closer to the door, my body moving on its own.

His voice was low, but I could hear every word clearly.

"Janice, I told you not to call me when I'm with her."

Janice. The name hit me like a physical blow. His college sweetheart. The one he always said was a closed chapter, that they had ended things amicably years ago and hadn't spoken since.

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