Chapter 1

The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air as I slowly opened my eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights. My body ached, each pulse of pain a reminder of the violence that had shattered my world.

Faint voices floated around me—muffled conversations between a doctor and a nurse. Their words were distant, like echoes from another life.

“She’s deeply injured… possible assault… We need to stabilize her.”

Assault. The word hit me like a jolt of electricity, but my mind was a foggy haze, struggling to grasp the reality of what had happened. I could feel the weight of my memories slipping away, like sand through my fingers.

All I knew was pain. My body felt foreign, bruised, and battered, and I was alone in this sterile room. Thoughts raced through my mind, but they were fragmented—snippets of laughter, shadows of faces, and a darkness that threatened to swallow me whole.

I tried to move, to sit up, but a wave of agony washed over me, forcing me back onto the pillow. Panic surged within me. What had happened? Who had done this to me? The questions clawed at my mind, but the answers eluded me, lost in the void of my memory.

"Mrs. Carter, Calm down, you are injured; please don't move," the nurse told me.

When the nurse said 'Mrs. Carter,' I remembered who I was: Howard Carter's wife, the faint memory of his face, and the cruelty he showed.

“Stay calm,” the nurse said, her voice soothing yet firm. “You’re safe now. We’re here to help you, Mrs. Carter.”

Safe. The word felt hollow. How could I feel safe when he had chosen to save his adopted sister and left me with those hungry wolves who ruined me? I remembered what had just happened. I was kidnapped. I could still hear Anastasia's cruel, mocking laugh echoing in my mind. How easily she drew everyone's attention to her.

When I saw Howard, I thought he had come to save me. After three years of marriage, he finally showed that he cared for me. But what he did only broke me further. Anastasia had acted so perfectly, pretending to be a victim as well, claiming that Howard's enemy, Jeremy Roger, had kidnapped her. I had helped Jeremy, pretending to be kidnapped myself, and the worst part was that Howard trusted her. Even after I begged him for help, even after I told him I was pregnant with his child, he chose to save her.

I still remembered his words, the way they cut through me like a knife: “Please, Howard, save me. I am not lying; she is the one who is lying. I did nothing. Trust me, I... I’m pregnant.”

And what did he do? He laughed bitterly, a sound that echoed with disbelief and contempt. “Pregnant? Who knows who the father of this child is? Stop your act, Charlotte; you are caught already.”

The weight of betrayal crushed me. I had hoped for a glimmer of understanding from the man I loved, but instead, I was met with scorn.

Anastasia's laughter filled my ears again, a reminder of how easily she manipulated everyone around her. I had been fighting for my life, for my dignity, while she played the role of the innocent victim. Howard had turned his back on me, believing her lies over my desperate pleas.

The walls of that room felt like they were closing in on me, and I was drowning in the realization that the man I had trusted had chosen to abandon me at my lowest point. I was left with nothing but the haunting echoes of his rejection and the bitter taste of betrayal.

Howard turned to leave with Anastasia; she paused and turned back to me, a smirk curling on her lips. The look in her eyes was one of triumph, as if she reveled in my despair. “Enjoy your stay, Charlotte,” she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. “I hope you’re comfortable. You’ll be here for a while.”

With that, they disappeared into the shadows, leaving me alone with the men Howard thought were mine. My heart raced as I faced them, their predatory gazes locking onto me like vultures circling their prey. I stumbled backward, pressing against the cold wall, desperation clawing at my throat.

“Please, just leave me alone!” I begged, my voice trembling. “I haven’t done anything to you!”

One of the men stepped forward, a cruel grin spreading across his face. “Oh, we know all about you, sweetheart."

Jeremy was the first to approach me, his eyes dark and filled with malice. “You really thought Howard would save you?” he sneered. “He’s too busy with Anastasia. She’s offered me quite a deal, you know.”

“What do you mean?” I stammered my pulse quickening.

He leaned closer, his breath hot against my skin. “Anastasia promised me that if I helped her with this little kidnapping scheme, she’d convince Howard to drop that cheating case against me. She knows how to play him, and now I get to have my fun with you.”

“No! Please, Jeremy, don’t do this!” I cried, tears streaming down my face. “You don’t have to hurt me. Just let me go!”

He laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that echoed in the dimly lit room. “Let you go? After everything? You’re nothing but a pawn in this game, Charlotte. And I plan to enjoy every moment.”

As he moved closer, I felt the walls closing in around me, the air thick with fear and hopelessness. I was trapped, left to face the consequences of a betrayal I never saw coming.

“Anastasia will pay for this,” I whispered to myself, even as I felt the grip of despair tighten around me.

I blinked awake, the harsh fluorescent lights above me piercing through the fog of pain and confusion. My body felt like a battlefield—wounded and bleeding, every breath a reminder of the ordeal I had just endured. As I tried to move, a wave of agony washed over me, forcing me to gasp and clutch the sheets.

Panic surged through me as I remembered. “My baby!” I thought, my heart racing.

I reached out, my hand trembling as I grasped the nurse's hand. “Please,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and filled with desperation. “How is my baby?”

Her expression told me everything I feared; the sorrow in her eyes was enough to shatter my hope. I lost my baby.